A two-stage electrodialysis system and a method for recovering waste CO.sub.2-lean amine solvent are provided. The system includes an amine solution pretreatment filtering system, a C-A homogeneous membrane electrodialysis device, a BP-A bipolar membrane electrodialysis system, and a CO.sub.2 recovery and capture system. The C-A homogeneous membrane electrodialysis system includes a material chamber, a C-A homogeneous membrane electrodialysis device, a concentrated HSSs waste solution chamber, an electrode solution chamber, and corresponding pipelines and peristaltic pumps. The BP-A bipolar membrane electrodialysis system includes a secondary feed chamber, a BP-A bipolar membrane electrodialysis device, an acid liquor chamber, an electrode solution chamber, and corresponding pipelines and peristaltic pumps. The waste CO.sub.2-lean amine solvent enters the material chamber after passing through the amine solution pretreatment filtering system. The concentrated HSSs waste solution chamber is connected to the secondary feed chamber by a buffer tank.

An onboard inert gas system has an electrochemical and a membrane gas separator. The electrochemical separator includes an electrochemical cell including a cathode and anode separated by an electrolyte separator. An electrical power source provides power to the electrical circuit at a voltage that electrolyzes water at the anode and forms water at the cathode, or reduces oxygen at the cathode and forms oxygen at the anode. Oxygen is consumed at the cathode, providing nitrogen-enriched air. Nitrogen-enriched air from the cathode is connected by a flow path to the membrane gas separator, which comprises a membrane having a greater permeability to oxygen or water than to nitrogen. Nitrogen-enriched air from the membrane gas separator that is further enriched in nitrogen, reduced in water content, or both, is connected by a flow path to a fuel tank, a fire suppression system, or both a fuel tank and a fire suppression system.

A fluid filtration assembly includes a filter housing having first and second ends and a connector for fluid communication with a fluid storage vessel. A filter element is disposable within the filter housing, and first and second pumps are coupled at the first and second ends of the filter housing. A controller may coordinate the operation of the first and second pumps to induce alternating tangential flow of fluid between the filter housing and the first and second pumps. At least one of the first and second pumps is a diaphragm pump or a plunger pump. The fluid storage vessel can be a bioreactor.

The invention concerns a reverse osmosis system (1) with at least one membrane unit (2) comprising an inlet (3), a permeate outlet (4) and a concentrate outlet (5), a high-pressure pump (8) that is connected to the inlet (3), a pressure exchanger (11) comprising at least one high-pressure concentrate connection (HPC), and a booster pump. It is endeavored to achieve the lowest possible energy consumption. For this purpose, the booster pump is made as a displacement pump (16) that is arranged between the concentrate outlet (5) and the high-pressure concentrate connection (HPC) of the pressure exchanger (11).

A fluid filtration assembly includes a filter housing having a first end for fluid connection with a fluid storage vessel. A filter cartridge is disposable within the filter housing, and a plunger pump is coupled at a second end of the filter housing. The plunger pump includes a housing having a rigid portion and a flexible portion. The flexible portion has a plunger-engaging portion for coupling to the plunger of an actuator. The flexible portion selectively movable with respect to the rigid portion via the actuator. The filter cartridge can be a hollow fiber filter. The plunger pump can be configured to induce alternating tangential flow in at least a portion of the assembly. The fluid filtration assembly can be provided as a disposable single-use arrangement.

A reverse osmosis prefilter system includes a recirculation chamber for accommodating one or more prefilter cartridges. The recirculation chamber is communicably interconnected to an inline water source and an RO filtration membrane. The recirculation chamber has a recirculation outlet and inlet which are communicably interconnected by an offline pump that recirculates prefiltered water repeatedly through the recirculation chamber and prefilter cartridges to remove particulates from the source water prior to delivery to the reverse osmosis filter membrane.

The present invention relates to ultrafiltration. In particular, the present invention provides nanoporous membranes having pores for generating in vitro and in vivo ultrafiltrate, devices and bioartificial organs utilizing such nanoporous membranes, and related methods (e.g., diagnostic methods, research methods, drug screening). The present invention further provides nanoporous membranes configured to avoid protein fouling with, for example, a polyethylene glycol surface coating.

An outlet (3) for fluid feed of a first membrane module (1a) is connected to a fluid inlet (2) of a second membrane module (1b), and if further membrane module(s) is/are present, the outlet (3) for fluid feed of a previous membrane module (n−1) is connected to the fluid inlet (2) of a following membrane module (n), and for the last membrane module (n), the outlet (3) for fluid feed is connected to the fluid inlet (2) for fluid feed of the first membrane module (1a). An amount of fluid feed is continuously pumped with pressure PB through a loop of n membrane modules that are serially connected, the fluid feed and permeate flow concurrently through each of the n membrane module(s), generated permeate is continuously drained from each membrane module through a permeate outlet, permeate pressure at the permeate outlet of each membrane module is controlled within a range.

A system for production of desalinated water includes a wave energy convertor for conversion of mechanical energy from ocean waves into electricity and mechanical energy in the form of a salt-water stream. The system further includes a desalination unit coupled to the wave energy convertor. The system further includes an electrical connection from the wave energy convertor to the desalination unit, configured to supply the electricity to the desalination unit. The system further includes a conduit to supply the salt-water stream produced by the wave energy convertor to the desalination unit, wherein the desalination unit is configured to produce desalinated water.

A hand-carry gravity-driven water filter with high throughput and water disinfection performance is formed. Membranes used for this water filter can be fabricated using electrospun method and non-solvent induced phase inversion method. A novel composite membrane structure (interwoven composite structure) was designed for further enhances water permeability and mechanical strength. The composite membrane can be composed of nanofibers with different diameter from the same polymer or different polymers. Membrane porosity and surface pore size can be controlled. Silver nanoparticles can be in-situ loaded on the surface of the membranes. The developed filter is effective for removal of a wide range of contaminants (e.g., pathogens, suspended solids and heavy metals). The purification process can be carried out under the drive of gravity (with an option for mechanically-enhanced filtration) without electricity.