Selective removal of non-aromatic hydrocarbons from a xylene isomerization process for para-xylene production is accomplished using a membrane unit positioned within a xylene recovery loop. The membrane unit may include a one-stage or multi-stage (e.g., two-stage) membrane system and may be configured to separate a membrane unit product stream from a non-aromatics rich stream, which can be removed from the xylene recovery loop. The membrane unit may have a xylene permeance of about 60 gm/m2/hr/psi and a xylene to non-aromatic permeance ratio of about 15.

A reverse osmosis filtration system includes a set of two or more reverse osmosis pressure vessels coupled in series, each pressure vessel having one or more reverse osmosis membrane elements, a feed inlet, a retentate outlet, a permeate outlet. The pressure vessels are coupled so that each successive pressure vessel has (a) its feed inlet coupled to the retentate outlet of its preceding pressure vessel and (b) its permeate outlet coupled to the permeate outlet of its preceding pressure vessel. The permeate outlet of at least one pressure vessel includes a front permeate outlet and the permeate outlet of at least one other pressure vessel includes a back permeate outlet. The back permeate outlet of one pressure vessel is coupled to the front permeate outlet of a successive pressure vessel.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for the recovery of protein species from wet mill grain process streams. Systems and methods of the present disclosure may be integrated with a wet mill grain process to separate out protein species that may limit efficiency of the grain process and produce one or more product streams comprising these separated protein species. A feed stream may be fractionated by at least two membranes into retentate and permeate streams. Removing larger proteins through the membrane fractionation may allow previously soluble prolamin products in the permeate stream(s) to precipitate. The recovered protein species may include prolamin, such as zein from a corn grain feed.

A system for generating electricity, heat, and desalinated water having a gas turbine system connected to a first electric generator, a waste heat recovery boiler (WHRB) system, a combined heat and power (CHP) generation system connected to a second electric generator, one or more solar powered energy systems, and a desalination system. The desalination system is connected to the CHP generation system and the WHRB system. The gas turbine system generates electricity and heat, the WHRB system is connected to and uses the exhaust of the gas turbine system to provide heat and steam power to the CHP generation system. The CHP generation system produces and provides electricity and heat to the desalination system, which produces product water, and at least one solar powered energy system provides thermal energy to one or more of the gas turbine system, the WHRB system, the CHP generation system, and the desalination system.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for systems for removing contaminants from a leachate, methods of removing contaminants from a leachate, and the like.

A process for separating solvent from a feed solution, said process comprising: contacting a feed solution comprising solutes dissolved in a solvent with one side of a nanofiltration membrane, applying hydraulic pressure to the feed solution, such that solvent and some of the dissolved salts from the feed solution flow through the nanofiltration membrane to provide a permeate solution on the permeate-side of the nanofiltration membrane and a concentrated solution on the retentate-side of the nanofiltration membrane; contacting the permeate solution from the nanofiltration membrane with one side of a reverse osmosis membrane and applying hydraulic pressure to the permeate solution, such that solvent from the permeate solution flows through the reverse osmosis membrane to leave a concentrated solution on the retentate-side of the reverse osmosis membrane, using the concentrated solution from the retentate-side of the reverse osmosis membrane as at least part of the feed solution to the nanofiltration membrane; withdrawing at least a portion of the concentrated solution from the retentate-side of the nanofiltration membrane.

The present invention provides a process for the production of a protein powder having an improved solubility and taste profile from brewer's spent grain. The process comprises nanofiltration at a specified applied pressure. The present invention also provides a protein powder produced from brewer's spent grain, a process for producing food or beverage products incorporating the protein powder, and food or beverage products comprising the protein powder.

Selective removal of non-aromatic hydrocarbons from a xylene isomerization process for para-xylene production is accomplished using a membrane unit positioned within a xylene recovery loop. The membrane unit may include a one-stage or multi-stage (e.g., two-stage) membrane system and may be configured to separate a membrane unit product stream from a non-aromatics rich stream, which can be removed from the xylene recovery loop. The membrane unit may have a xylene permeance of about 60 gm/m2/hr/psi and a xylene to non-aromatic permeance ratio of about 15.

A method and device for purifying heptafluoroisobutyronitrile and a dilution gas from a used gas mixture comprising heptafluoroisobutyronitrile, a dilution gas and arcing by-products. The method comprising the steps of (a) contacting the used gas mixture with at least one adsorbent material to generate a gas stream depleted in arcing by-products; (b) contacting the gas stream depleted in by-products with a first membrane to obtain a first permeate stream rich in the dilution gas, and a first retentate stream rich in heptafluoroisobutyronitrile; (c) contacting the first permeate stream rich in the dilution gas with a second membrane to obtain a second permeate stream rich in the dilution gas and a second retentate stream rich in heptafluoroisobutyronitrile; and (d) combining the first and second retentate streams rich in heptafluoroisobutyronitrile.

An acidic gas separation device includes: a first separation device which has an inorganic separation membrane and is configured to separate a gaseous hydrocarbon fluid containing an acidic gas into a first gaseous fluid having a large acidic gas content and a second gaseous fluid having a smaller acidic gas content than the first gaseous fluid by the inorganic separation membrane; and a second separation device which has an organic polymer separation membrane and is configured to separate the second gaseous fluid into a third gaseous fluid having a large acidic gas content and a fourth gaseous fluid having a smaller acidic gas content than the third gaseous fluid by the organic polymer separation membrane.