A submersible water desalination apparatus includes a plurality of water separation membrane elements, a product water collector that receives product water from the membrane elements, and a variable output motorized submersible pump having a suction side that receives product water from the product water collector and a discharge side that pumps product water away from the apparatus through a product water conduit for surface or subsurface use. An automatic control or coupling is employed to reduce the pump output upon the occurrence or onset of suction side cavitation, and discourage or prevent cavitation over a range of product water flow rates from the membrane elements.

A submersible water desalination apparatus includes a plurality of water separation membrane elements, a product water collector that receives product water from the membrane elements, and a variable output motorized submersible pump having a suction side that receives product water from the product water collector and a discharge side that pumps product water away from the apparatus through a product water conduit for surface or subsurface use. At least a portion of the product water is used to lubricate and optionally also cool at least a portion of the pump, motor or both the pump and motor.

The reverse osmosis centrifuge converts rotational energy into fluid velocity and conserves the energy placed into the concentrate. As concentrate travels back towards the center of the reverse osmosis centrifuge, the velocity of the fluid is converted into rotational force, thus conserving energy. To accomplish this, the reverse osmosis centrifuge includes a stationary cylindrical housing having a vacuum chamber and a vacuum pump for generating vacuum pressure in the vacuum chamber, a driveshaft coupled to a membrane cylinder rotatable within the stationary cylindrical housing, the membrane cylinder having a plurality of vertical desalination membranes, and an energy recovery turbine. The reverse osmosis centrifuge can be placed on the concentrate or waste stream outlet of a desalination or reverse osmosis facility to increase freshwater production. Through using the methods described above, plant water production can be increased up to 40%, which in turn has a dramatic effect on plant profitability.

Methods of filtering a liquid feed are disclosed. In one version, the method comprises passing a liquid feed through a single pass tangential flow filtration (SPTFF) system and recovering the retentate and permeate from the system in separate containers without recirculation through the SPTFF system. In another version, the method of filtering a liquid feed, comprises passing a liquid feed through a tangential flow filtration (TFF) system, recovering permeate and a portion of the retentate from the system in separate containers without recirculation through the TFF system, and recirculating the remainder of the retentate through the TFF system at least once. The methods can be performed using an SPTFF or a TFF system that comprises manifold segments to serialize the flow path of the feed and retentate without requiring diverter plates.

A filter device includes an inlet manifold, an outlet manifold and membrane filter units. Each membrane filter unit has an inlet opening for a fluid flow to be processed, a first outlet opening for a retentate portion of the fluid flow, and a second outlet opening for a remaining portion of the fluid flow. Each inlet opening is fluidly connected to the inlet manifold, and each first outlet opening is fluidly connected to the outlet manifold. The two membrane filter units are staggered and are not axially aligned with respect to each other. One of the membrane filter units is fluidly connected to the inlet manifold and to the outlet manifold via a first set of conduits, and the other membrane filter unit is fluidly connected to the inlet manifold and to the outlet manifold via a second set of conduits.

A membrane filter configured to filter a liquid, the membrane filter including a base element including at least one membrane carrier that is externally flowable by the liquid and a gas; hollow fiber membranes respectively including lumen and attached at a top of the at least one membrane carrier wherein a liquid permeate is filterable from the liquid into the lumen; a one piece extruded circumferentially closed pipe that envelops the hollow fiber membranes; a gas inlet configured to let gas into a bottom of the membrane filter; at least one permeate collection cavity included in the base element and connected with the lumen and configured to collect the liquid permeate from the hollow fiber membranes; a permeate outlet included in the base element and configured to drain the liquid permeate from the at least one permeate collection cavity laterally from the base element.

A hollow fiber module includes hollow fiber cartridges. A port receives a second solution to be treated in a shell side volume and another port for discharging the treated second solution. A first end cap has an inlet for a first solution and a distributer for distributing the first solution to a first end of the hollow fiber cartridges. A second end cap has a collector for collecting the treated first solution from the second end of the hollow fiber cartridges and an outlet for the treated first solution. A first connector has an inlet for the second solution and a distributer for distributing the second solution to a port of the hollow fiber cartridges. A second connector has a collector for collecting the treated second solution from the other port of the hollow fiber cartridges and an outlet for the treated second solution.

A reverse osmosis filtering module includes: a purified water discharge pipe in which a purified water discharge path is formed, and which has a communication hole that is formed on an outer periphery thereof and communicates with the purified water discharge path; a reverse osmosis filtering part including a reverse osmosis filtering member in which a purified water flow space is formed, and which is wound around the purified water discharge pipe such that the purified water flow space communicates with the communication hole; a first flow channel formation cap provided at one side and having an inlet hole; and a second flow channel formation cap provided at the other side of the reverse osmosis filtering part and having an outlet hole.

A filtration module is provided, the module including at least one filtration packet containing filtration media or one or more membranes, such as a stack of membranes, the at least one filtration packet having one or more fluid ports, the one or more fluid ports being surrounded by a primary seal and a secondary seal spaced from the primary seal. The secondary seals are designed to maintain sterility of the assembly during shipping, handling and/or installation. A removable film may cover one or more fluid ports to maintain sterility prior to use.

A method of filtering a liquid feed is described, comprising passing a liquid feed through a single pass tangential flow filtration (SPTFF) system and recovering the retentate and permeate from the system in separate containers. A method of filtering a liquid feed is also described comprising passing a liquid feed through a tangential flow filtration (TFF) system, recovering permeate and a portion of the retentate from the system in separate containers without recirculation through the TFF system, and recirculating the remainder of the retentate through the TFF system at least once. The methods of the invention can be performed using an SPTFF or a TFF system that comprises manifold segments to serialize the flow path of the feed and retentate without requiring diverter plates.