To enable efficient substance measurement, this invention is characterized in that the invention comprises a first hollow fiber (131) for allowing a first processing liquid to flow from a first introduction port (121a) to a first exit port (121b) and allowing the membrane permeation of gas in the processing liquid, a second hollow fiber (132) for allowing a second processing liquid to flow from a second introduction port (122a) to a second exit port (122b) and allowing the membrane permeation of gas in the processing liquid, a container (110) for accommodating the first hollow fiber (131) and second hollow fiber (132) therein, and a vacuum pump (201) connected to the space (S) inside the container (110), and inside the container (110), the hollow fibers (130) consisting of the first hollow fiber (131) and second hollow fiber (132) are in contact with each other across a prescribed length.

A technology that provides various modular biomimetic microfluidic modules emulating varieties of microvasculature in body. These microfluidic-base capillaries and lymphatic Technology modules are constructed as multilayered-microfluidic microchannels of various shapes, and aspect ratios using diverse biocompatible microfluidic polymers. Then, various semipermeable membranes are sandwiched in between these multilayered microfluidic microchannels. These membranes have different chemical, physical characteristics and MWCO values. Consequently, this design will produce much smaller dimension channels similar to human vasculature to achieve biomimetic properties like of human organs and tissues. By interchanging microfluidic-layers or the membranes various diverse modules are designed that act as building blocks for constructing various medical devices, various forms of dialysis devices including albumin and lipid dialysis, water purification, bioreactors, bio-artificial organ support systems. Connecting various modules in diverse combinations, permutations, in parallel and/or in series to ultimately design many unrelated medical devices such as dialysis, bioreactors and organ support devices.

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a tubular membrane heat exchanger module is provided that includes an inlet header and outlet header. The inlet header is configured to connect to an adjacent upstream tubular membrane heat exchanger module and from an upstream wetted compartment therewith. The outlet header is configured to connect to an adjacent downstream tubular membrane heat exchanger module and form a downstream wetted compartment therewith. The tubular membrane heat exchanger module further includes tubular membranes connecting the inlet header and the outlet header. The tubular membranes facilitate flow of process fluid from the upstream wetted compartment to the downstream wetted compartment. Further, the tubular membranes permit mass transfer between the process fluid in the tubular membranes and a fluid contacting outer surfaces of the tubular membranes.

In a method for separating a mixture containing carbon dioxide, the mixture is cooled in a heat exchanger and partially condensed and a first liquid is separated from the mixture in a first system operating at low temperature comprising at least one first phase separator and a gas from the first system is treated in a membrane system to produce a permeate and a non-permeate, the gas from the first system being divided into two portions, a first portion being sent to the membrane system without being heated and a second portion being heated to at least an intermediate temperature of the heat exchanger and then sent to the membrane system without being cooled.

A distillation device and method of manufacturing a distillation device is disclosed. The distillation device includes at least one spiral wound membrane distillation (MD) unit. The spiral wound MD unit includes a perforated center tube concentric to a cylindrical housing and a plurality of effects spirally wound around the center tube. Each of the effects include a vapor permeable membrane, a feed spacer disposed on the vapor permeable membrane, a permeate spacer, and a heat exchange film. The permeate spacer is disposed between the vapor permeable membrane and the heat exchange film. Distillation of a feed fluid by the plurality of effects deposits a condensate fluid into the center tube.

A desalination system, including a membrane distillation portion, a solar power concentration portion, and a thermal vapor compression portion operationally connected to the membrane distillation portion and to the solar power concentration portion. The membrane distillation portion includes a first vessel having a first portion and a second portion separated by a hydrophobic membrane operationally connected therebetween and oriented to pass water from the first portion to the second portion, wherein the hydrophobic membrane further comprises a hydrophilic membrane and an air blocking layer connected to the hydrophilic membrane and disposed in the first portion, a vacuum gap adjacent the hydrophobic membrane and disposed in the second portion, a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet operationally connected to the first portion, and a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet operationally connected to the second portion. The solar power concentration portion includes a pump having a pump outlet and a pump inlet operationally connected to a water line and to the vacuum gap, a linear Fresnel mirror collector for collecting and focusing sunlight, and an outlet line operationally connected to the pump outlet and positioned to receive focused sunlight from linear Fresnel mirror collector. The thermal vapor compression portion includes an ejector having an ejector inlet portion and an ejector outlet portion, wherein the ejector inlet portion is operationally connected to the outlet line and to the vacuum gap, a second vessel fluidically connected to the outlet portion and further including a heat exchanger operationally connected to the ejector outlet portion and to a water pipe, a feed spray operationally connected to the second outlet and positioned to spray into the heat exchanger, and a collection portion for receiving concentrated feed spray. The heat exchanger receives desalinated water from the ejector and from the feed spray. The water line carries desalinated water from the heat exchanger. The first outlet passes concentrated brine, and the first inlet receives feed water to be desalinated.

A membrane evaporative condenser (MEC) includes a repeating sequence of channels for evaporation and/or condensation are arranged, each sequence of channels includes a condensation channel for condensation of a vapor to a liquid, an evaporation channel, and zero to one hundred evaporation-condensation channels. The condensation channel has walls of a non-permeable material which exterior to the condensation channel share the wall with a liquid evaporative medium (LEM) conduit that contains a LEM. The LEM conduit includes a moisture transfer membrane (MTM), where the LEM can evaporate into an evaporation channel or an evaporation-condensation channel that can amplify the effect of the heat transfer for additional mass transfer.

A membrane distillation apparatus includes a housing and an impeller. The housing includes a hot medium compartment, a cold medium compartment, an air gap compartment, a membrane, and a thermally conductive plate. The hot medium compartment includes a hot medium inlet configured to receive a hot medium stream including water. The cold medium compartment includes a cold medium inlet configured to receive a cold medium stream. The membrane defines pores that are sized to allow water vapor originating from the hot medium stream to pass from the hot medium compartment through the membrane to the air gap compartment. The thermally conductive plate and the cold medium stream are cooperatively configured to condense the water vapor from the hot medium stream. The air gap compartment is substantially filled with air and includes a permeate outlet configured to discharge the condensed water vapor. The impeller is disposed within the air gap compartment.

A system for processing a feed includes a membrane system configured to receive the feed and produce a concentrate and a permeate, wherein the membrane system includes an active cooling system, a passive cooling system, or a combination thereof. Further, the system includes a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the membrane system and disposed upstream of the membrane system, such that the feed enters the heat exchanger prior to entering the membrane system, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to cool the feed and heat the concentrate by transferring heat from the feed to the concentrate.

In a method for manufacturing an oxygenator, an intermediate spacer is disposed between a cylindrical heat exchange unit configured by winding a first hollow fiber membrane and a cylindrical gas exchange unit configured by winding a second hollow fiber membrane so that a first gap is formed between one end portions of the heat exchange unit and the gas exchange unit, and a first partition section of a first cover member is inserted into the first gap. In such an oxygenator, a first end portion of the intermediate spacer is located at a part that does not overlap the first partition section in a radial direction in the heat exchange unit and the gas exchange unit. The intermediate spacer is formed by winding an intermediate hollow fiber membrane.