The invention relates to a microbial fuel cell arrangement comprising a cell reactor. The cell reactor comprises a membrane, which has an active surface and a support surface, as well as a pore size of 10 nm and/or a divalent ion rejection of 50%; an anode and a cathode, which are connected with each other through an external electrical circuit; an influent inlet for liquid medium arranged at the active surface side of the membrane and at least one permeate outlet arranged at the support surface side of the membrane; an influent line connected to the influent inlet; a concentrate outlet, arranged at the active surface side of the membrane and connected to a concentrate line; and pressurisation means for creating pressure difference between the active surface side and support surface side of the membrane. The invention relates also to a method for operating a microbial fuel cell.

A microchannel-membrane device comprises a microchannel extending through at least one electrode, the microchannel having a predetermined depth; an ionic permselective medium, such as a membrane, across the microchannel between the electrodes; and a heater, or array of heaters, embedded below the microchannel on at least one side of the permselective membrane. The heaters can be either prefabricated or dynamically patterned using laser illumination with/without photoconductive coating. The heaters are on the depletion side of the membrane and induce a vortex which limits the growth of the diffusion area. Operation of the heaters allows for controlled positioning of the end of the diffusion area and with it also the position of the preconcentrated molecule plug.

According to the method and device for a membrane-based processing of ambient water-group species, the species are captured in a space environment by an ionic liquid disposed on a presenting face of a semipermeable membrane. To seamlessly process the captured species for in-situ resource utilization without need of moving parts, they are urged to pass through the membrane by a predetermined electric potential difference applied between opposite sides of the membrane via electrode contacts; an initial storage envelope is provided by an impermeable membrane attached to a back face of the semipermeable membrane. The device can be stowed in a manner of rolled plastic and deployed by unrolling. The device can also be configured as a scientific instrument to monitor a flux of ambient water-group species impinging in the space environment using electrical measurements.

The co-generation of hydrogen from water produced during pressure driven water desalination/filtration processes, such as reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, pressure retarded osmosis or ultrafiltration, is described herein. A small part of feed, raw saline solution and/or permeate involved in a desalination/filtration processes is subjected to electrolysis thereby splitting the water to produce hydrogen. This is achieved by the provision of novel RO type semi-permeable membranes and UF type membrane that incorporate electrodes within the membrane to allow splitting of the water via electrolysis.

Methods and systems for enhancing water treatment and desalination are provided. An example method includes generating structurally altered gas molecules from water, where the structurally altered gas molecules have a higher probability of attraction of electrons into areas adjunct to the structurally altered gas molecules than molecules of the water. The method further includes mixing the structurally altered gas molecules with raw water to modify properties of the raw water, thereby increasing raw water filtering efficiency of a water filtering system.

The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to systems, apparatus, and methods for fluid purification (e.g., water) with a ceramic elements configured to remove solids (e.g., particles) and charged particles (e.g., dissolved salts). For example, the present disclosure relates, in some embodiments, to a cross-flow fluid ceramic element comprising (a) an elongate ceramic membrane filter having a first filter end, a second filter end, at least one filter side, and at least one interior channel spanning the length of the filter, (b) a first ion removal unit comprising a first substrate having a first net polarity (e.g., innately or upon application of a current) configured to reversibly bind ions of opposite polarity, and (c) a second ion removal unit comprising a second substrate having a second net polarity (e.g., innately or upon application of a current) configured to reversibly bind ions of opposite polarity, wherein the first and second polarity are opposite of each other.

Methods and systems for generation and deployment of a structurally altered gas molecules derived from water are provided. An example method includes combining purified water with a compound mixture. The compound mixture is non-reactive with the water and a conductor of an electric field and a magnetic field. The method includes applying the magnetic field and the electric field to the combination of the purified water and the compound mixture to cause generation of the structurally altered gas molecules. The structurally altered gas molecules have a higher probability of attraction of electrons into areas adjunct to the structurally altered gas molecules than molecules of the purified water. The method further includes introducing the structurally altered gas molecules into an environment of a chemical process. The structurally altered gas molecules facilitate electron transfers during the chemical process, thereby increasing output of the chemical process.

A method for efficiently treating boron from water to be treated, an apparatus for producing pure water, and a method for producing pure water. An apparatus for removing boron includes a low-pressure reverse osmosis membrane apparatus to which is supplied water to be treated, a pH adjustment apparatus to adjust a pH of permeated water from the low-pressure reverse osmosis membrane apparatus to 5.0 to 9.0, a high-pressure reverse osmosis membrane apparatus to which is supplied the water adjusted by the pH adjustment apparatus, and an electrodeionization to which is supplied permeated water from the high-pressure reverse osmosis membrane apparatus.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for electrically conductive membrane separation from a mixture solution via membrane nanofiltration, electro-filtration, or electro-extraction by: generating an electric field at the membrane filter, holding the membrane filter at a constant electric potential, or driving a constant current through the membrane filter; feeding a mixture solution through the membrane nanofiltration system; and separating a component from the mixture solution into a permeate solution.

The invention relates to a microbial fuel cell arrangement comprising a cell reactor. The cell reactor comprises a membrane, which has an active surface and a support surface, as well as a pore size of ?10 nm and/or a divalent ion rejection of ?50%; an anode and a cathode, which are connected with each other through an external electrical circuit; an influent inlet for liquid medium arranged at the active surface side of the membrane and at least one permeate outlet arranged at the support surface side of the membrane; an influent line connected to the influent inlet; a concentrate outlet, arranged at the active surface side of the membrane and connected to a concentrate line; and pressurisation means for creating pressure difference between the active surface side and support surface side of the membrane. The invention relates also to a method for operating a microbial fuel cell.