A system includes a plurality of nanoporous filtering media, wherein each nanoporous filtering media of the plurality of nanoporous filtering media includes a plurality of nanopores, wherein the plurality of nanoporous filtering media are stacked over each other. The system further includes a voltage source connected to a nanoporous filtering media of the plurality of nanoporous filtering media, wherein the voltage source is configured to provide a voltage to the nanoporous filtering media of the plurality of nanoporous media, wherein the voltage source is configured to establish an electrostatic charge within a circumference of each nanopore of the plurality of nanopores of the nanoporous filtering media.

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.

A metal recovery system includes: a desalination apparatus obtaining freshwater with a reverse osmosis membrane from liquid to be processed pressurized by a pump; a metal recovery apparatus recovering metal ions from first drainage from the desalination apparatus, using a metal ion exchange membrane; and a control apparatus that includes: a pump control unit controlling energization of the pump so that an inflow flow rate of the liquid to be processed flowing into the desalination apparatus is a predetermined first flow rate when an exchange membrane temperature is within a temperature range determined in advance; and an exchange membrane control unit controlling energization of electrodes applying an electric field to a metal ion exchange membrane based on a first ion concentration that is a concentration of the metal ions in the first drainage when the exchange membrane temperature is within a temperature range determined in advance.

A method and apparatus for reduction of biofouling on reverse osmosis membranes is provided. One embodiment provides a charged filter surrounding a cathode that is, in turn, surrounded by an anode. A plurality of these charged filters may be included in a larger filtration system that may be included in a typical reverse osmosis system.

A method and apparatus for reduction of biofouling on reverse osmosis membranes is provided. One embodiment provides a charged filter surrounding a cathode that is, in turn, surrounded by an anode. A plurality of these charged filters may be included in a larger filtration system that may be included in a typical reverse osmosis system.

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 disclosure relates to efficient methods of controlling biological conversions while simultaneously removing and converting some of the generated products. More specifically, and, for example, the disclosure discloses electrochemical processes to remove and capture potentially toxic ammonium during anaerobic digestions and to remove and capture carboxylic acids during bioethanol production. The disclosure can, thus, be used to enhance bioproduction processes via controlling pH and/or reduction/oxidation, in combination with in situ product recovery.

A filter system comprises a hollow fiber membrane filter having pores; and an electrostatic adsorption filter partially or wholly having positive charges to be ion adsorbed with nanoparticles of negative charges by an electrostatic attraction, the nanoparticles which exist in the water, and the electrostatic adsorption filter configured to remove in advance the nanoparticles from the water to be supplied to the hollow fiber membrane filter, to prevent a water passing amount of the hollow fiber membrane filter from being rapidly reduced. According to the present invention, the viruses existing in raw water may be removed in accordance with a size exclusion mechanism of the hollow fiber membrane filter, and the nanoparticles, which cause the reduction of the water passing amount of the hollow fiber membrane filter, may be removed using the electrostatic adsorption filter.

A filter system comprises a hollow fiber membrane filter having pores; and an electrostatic adsorption filter partially or wholly having positive charges to be ion adsorbed with nanoparticles of negative charges by an electrostatic attraction, the nanoparticles which exist in the water, and the electrostatic adsorption filter configured to remove in advance the nanoparticles from the water to be supplied to the hollow fiber membrane filter, to prevent a water passing amount of the hollow fiber membrane filter from being rapidly reduced. According to the present invention, the viruses existing in raw water may be removed in accordance with a size exclusion mechanism of the hollow fiber membrane filter, and the nanoparticles, which cause the reduction of the water passing amount of the hollow fiber membrane filter, may be removed using the electrostatic adsorption filter.

A method of producing purified water in a subsurface environment is provided in which ambient subsurface source water is introduced into and through one or more ultrafiltration membrane units of a subsurface water treatment system and producing thereby an ultrafiltrate substantially free of solid particulates having a largest dimension greater than 0.1 microns. An electrochemical unit in fluid communication with at least one ultrafiltration membrane unit provides an antifoulant solution. An ultrafiltrate-rich backwash fluid and at least a portion of the antifoulant solution are delivered to at least one non-producing ultrafiltration membrane unit during a backwash cycle. A flux of source fluid through each of the ultrafiltration membrane units of less than thirty gallons per square foot per day limits the need for backwash cycles. A reduction in the number of backwash cycles enhances system autonomy and useful life, and limits the need for intervention for maintenance and component replacement.