A spiral membrane element is provided which has a restricted outer diameter but is heightened in effective membrane area, and further which can be decreased in operation energy therefor. The spiral membrane element is an element including plural membrane leaves L in each of which a permeation-side flow-channel member 3 is interposed between opposed separation membranes 1; a supply-side flow-channel member 2 interposed between any two of the membrane leaves L; a perforated central pipe 5 on which the membrane leaves L and the supply-side flow-channel member 2 are wound; and sealing parts that prevent a supply-side flow-channel from being mixed with a permeation-side flow-channel. The sealing parts include both-end sealing parts 11 in which an adhesive is used to seal two-side end parts of each of the membrane leaves L on both sides of the leaf in an axial direction A1 of the leaf. The thickness T1 of the both-end sealing parts 11 is 390 to 540 μm.

An apparatus utilizes a membrane unit to capture components from atmospheric air, including carbon dioxide, enriches the carbon dioxide concentration, and delivers the enriched concentration of carbon dioxide to a sequestering facility. The membrane is configured such that as a first gas containing oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide is drawn through the membrane, a permeate stream is formed where the permeate stream has an oxygen concentration and a carbon dioxide concentration higher than in the first gas and a nitrogen concentration lower than in the first gas. A permeate conduit, having a vacuum applied to it by a vacuum generating device receives the permeate stream and a delivery conduit delivers at least a portion of the enriched carbon dioxide to a sequestering facility. The apparatus may comprise a component of a system where the system may have a flue gas generator and/or a secondary enrichment system disposed between the vacuum generating device and the sequestering facility.

A fluid separation apparatus comprising a fluid separation membrane is provided. The fluid separation apparatus comprises a fluid separation membrane extending in one direction and having a cross-section with a closed curve shape, wherein the fluid separation membrane has a thickness of 0.1 mm to 2 mm, and an outer diameter of 60 mm to 360 mm when the cross-section is adjusted to be circular.

The present invention provides a spiral membrane element in which the effective membrane area of a composite semi-permeable membrane can be increased and any decrease in rejection rate is less likely to occur. The spiral membrane element includes: a laminate including a permeation-side flow path material, a supply-side flow path material, and a composite semi-permeable membrane having a separation function layer on a surface of a porous support; a perforated central tube around which the laminate is wound; and a sealing member for preventing mixing between the supply-side flow path and a permeation-side flow path, the spiral membrane element being characterized in that the thickness of the porous support of the composite semi-permeable membrane is 80 m to 100 m, the permeation-side flow path material is formed from a tricot knit fabric, and the width of a groove that continues in a straight line is 0.05 mm to 0.40 mm.

The present invention relates to separation methods and systems for converting high concentrations of animal wastes into useful products, wherein the separation of the desired useful products is conducted with a cross-flow filtration system having the ability to the separate desired useful energy and/or products from both viscous and non-viscous medium.

Provided is a separation membrane leaf and a spiral wound module and an apparatus including the same, the separation membrane leaf comprising a separator, a supply-side flow channel material, and a permeation-side flow channel material comprising a tricot, the tricot comprising an adhesive part, and at least a part of the adhesive part being a low density part of the tricot, compared to the rest, wherein the tricot comprises at least one wale, at least one course, and an intersection point at which the at least one wale and the at least one course intersect, and the average distance between two intersection points arranged in parallel in the direction in which the wale of the low-density part is arranged is at least 1.25 times the average distance between two intersection points arranged in parallel in the direction in which the wale of the part other than the low-density part is arranged.

A gas separation element comprising a membrane sheet and a permeate spacer, wherein the membrane sheet comprises a porous support and a discriminating layer, CHARACTERISED IN THAT: (a) the porous support comprises less than 10 mg/m.sup.2 of monovalent metal ions; and (b) the discriminating layer has an average thickness of at least 0.7 m.

Embodiments of the present invention provide for the deposition of spacing elements for spiral wound elements that prevent nesting of adjacent spacer layers and occlusion of feed space during element rolling.

The present invention relates to a separation membrane element including: a separation membrane; and a permeate-side channel material disposed on a permeate side of the separation membrane, wherein the permeate-side channel material is a rugged sheet object having a recess and a protrusion on at least one face thereof, the rugged sheet object is composed of a porous region formed of a through-hole in a thickness direction of the rugged sheet and a non-porous region other than the porous region, and a rate of a number of the through-hole in the recess of the rugged sheet object to a total number of the through-hole present in the rugged sheet object is 80% or more.

A fluid separation apparatus comprising a fluid separation membrane is provided. The fluid separation apparatus comprises a fluid separation membrane extending in one direction and having a cross-section with a closed curve shape, wherein the fluid separation membrane has a thickness of 0.1 mm to 2 mm, and an outer diameter of 60 mm to 360 mm when the cross-section is adjusted to be circular.