Algae harvesting and cultivating systems and methods for producing high concentrations of algae product with minimal energy. In an embodiment, a dead-end filtration system and method includes at least one tank and a plurality hollow fiber membranes positioned in the at least one tank. An algae medium is pulled through the hollow fiber membranes such that a retentate and a permeate are produced.

Method of separation of a radiometal ion from a target metal ion, comprising a first liquid-liquid extraction step in which an organic phase comprising an extractant and an interfacial tension modifier is mixed with an aqueous phase comprising the radiometal ion and the target metal ion in order that the radiometal ion is at least partially transferred to the organic phase, followed by a first phase separation step, wherein the phase separation is carried out in flow comprising the use of a microfiltration membrane to separate the phases based on the interfacial tension between the phases such that a permeate phase passes through the membrane and a retentate phase does not.

Described are devices for purifying a liquid that is contained in a sealable container, to storage systems for containing and purifying a liquid, and to related methods.

A water purification apparatus (300) capable of being cleaned at a point of care, and methods for cleaning the water purification apparatus (300) at the point of care. The water purification apparatus (300) and the methods provide an efficient use of a heater (302) for heat disinfection the water purification apparatus (300), e.g. by recirculating heated fluid to further heat the fluid. Several different cleaning programs are provided that may be utilized for cleaning different parts of the water purification apparatus (300).

Algae harvesting and cultivating systems and methods for producing high concentrations of algae product with minimal energy. In an embodiment, a dead-end filtration system and method includes at least one tank and a plurality hollow fiber membranes positioned in the at least one tank. An algae medium is pulled through the hollow fiber membranes such that a retentate and a permeate are produced.

This disclosure provides an integrated system and method for producing purified water, hydrogen, and oxygen from contaminated water. The contaminated water may be derived from regolith-based resources on the moon, Mars, near-Earth asteroids, or other destination in outer space. The integrated system and method utilize a cold trap to receive the contaminated water in a vapor phase and selectively freeze out water from one or more volatiles. A heat source increases temperature in the cold trap to vaporize the frozen contaminated water to produce a gas stream of water vapor and volatiles. A chemical scrubber may remove one or more volatiles. The integrated system and method utilize ionomer membrane technology to separate the water vapor from remaining volatiles. The water vapor is delivered for crew use or delivered to an electrolyzer to produce hydrogen and oxygen.

Producing a dealcoholized beverage from its alcoholic beverage starting product and plant for implementing the method, which comprises the following steps: separating the beverage starting product into an alcoholic and aromatic permeate and into an aromatic and almost alcohol-free retentate in a permeation module by non-thermal permeation, dealcoholizing the permeate in a module intended for that task, and finally mixing the dealcoholized permeate with the almost alcohol-free retentate in a final-mixing module. Prior to the dealcoholizing, aroma compounds are removed from the aromatic and alcoholic permeate by cold adsorption in an aroma adsorber, resulting both in an aroma phase and in an aroma-free but alcoholic permeate which, however, has the alcohol removed from it by alcohol separation, resulting in an aqueous, largely dearomatized and dealcoholized permeate water phase. Final mixing of aroma phase, permeate water phase and retentate takes place in the final-mixing module to give a dealcoholized beverage.

A process for purifying washing waters of a production plant of the cosmetics sector includes subjecting the washing waters to an ultrafiltration treatment that produces an ultrafiltration concentrate and ultrafiltration water, and subjecting ultrafiltration water to a biological treatment with separation of sludges to be disposed of or further treated and treated water to be disposed of or to undergo subsequent treatments.

The present disclosure describes a desalination system, comprising a membrane distillation unit; a preheater having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the outlet being in communication with the inlet; an evaporator in communication with the liquid outlet of the MD, and having a fluid inlet configured to provide heat to aqueous liquid in the evaporator, the evaporator having a vapor outlet; at least one adsorption-desorption unit, having a vapor inlet in communication with the vapor outlet of the evaporator, the AD including a fluid inlet configured to receive either a heating or a cooling fluid and a fluid outlet, the AD having a vapor outlet and further including a fluid inlet in communication with the fluid inlet of the AD, a fluid outlet in communication with the heating fluid inlet of the preheater; and a condenser in communication with the permeate vapor outlet of the MD or the AD or both and having a condensation outlet.

Apparatuses and methods for extracting desired chemical species including, without limitation, lithium, specific lithium species, and/or other chemical compounds from input flows in a modular unit. The input flows may be raw materials in which lithium metal and/or lithium species are dissolved and/or extracted. The apparatuses and methods may include daisy chain flow through separate tanks, a column array, and combinations thereof.