A passive device for controlling rain water runoff. The device including: an inlet for directing the rain water runoff; and a mechanism for directing a predetermined initial amount of the rain water runoff to a first outlet and passively directing a subsequent amount of the rain water runoff to a second outlet.

The invention relates to a system for separating and storing molecules, atoms and/or ions from air, wherein at least one air collecting means comprises at least one collecting tank configured to receive molecules, atoms and/or ions separated from air through an inlet and at least one membrane adapted to fit in the inlet of the collecting tank and configured to let a specified pre-determined size of molecules, atoms and/or ions to pass through the at least one membrane. The system further comprises at least one storing tank for storing the separated molecules, atoms and/or ions, and at least one outlet. The system according to the invention can be used to utilize the energy present in such molecules or separate unwanted gases present in the air.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to filtration systems and methods for production of biologically-produced products, which may include pharmaceutical and/or protein products. Certain biomanufacturing systems described herein comprise a bioreactor (e.g., a perfusion bioreactor, a chemostat) and a filter probe comprising a filter bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fibers (e.g., longitudinally aligned hollow fibers). According to some embodiments, a center-to-center distance between any two hollow fibers within the fiber bundle at one or more points along a length of the fiber bundle is relatively large (e.g., greater than or equal to an average outer diameter of the hollow fibers of the fiber bundle, greater than or equal to 1.1 times a minimum diameter of the two hollow fibers). In some embodiments, the hollow fibers within the fiber bundle are arranged in an array (e.g., a hexagonal, linear, annular, or square array).

The present invention provides for a method for separating starch from processing solutions containing starch containing plants or roots such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, wheat, corn, tapioca, yams, cassaya, sago, rice, pea, broad bean, horse bean, sorghum, konjac, rye, buckwheat and barley to provide commercially acceptable starch while reducing disposal of solid or liquid waste matter into landfills or water treatment facilities.

A reverse osmosis membrane apparatus has a plurality of high pressure vessels 12a and 12b in parallel with each other with respect to introducing passage 18 of clarified seawater obtained by subjecting raw seawater to sterilization and removal of relatively large foreign substances. The high pressure vessels 12a and 12b have first-stage reverse osmosis membrane elements 14a and 14b, respectively. Concentrated seawater subjected to membrane separation in the high pressure vessels 12a and 12b flows into a high pressure vessel 16. In the high pressure vessel 16, a plurality of reverse osmosis membrane elements 42 are arranged in series. When a detected value obtained by a differential pressure meter 56a or 56b provided for the high pressure vessel 12a or 12b exceeds a threshold value, introduction of the clarified seawater is stopped, and the reverse osmosis membrane element is washed or replaced.

A panicle separation multi-membrane matrix device and method are provided. The particles isolated may comprise noun-scale particles, such extracellular membrane vesicles, having a size of about 50 to about 150 nm. The vesicles are released by many different cell types, and may be efficiently isolated at high yield and purity according to the present methods from various body fluids (e.g., blood, saliva, breast milk, serum, plasma, ascites fluid, etc.). Such isolated exosome preparations may include biomarkers, such as disease biomarkers (diagnostic markers) for various disease (early stage and late stage cancers, neurological disorders (Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease), diabetes, pancreatic diseases, renal failure, infectious diseases (HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis)). The present methods and devices may be used to detect and monitor animals (human, live-stock, companion animal) for infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and other diseases. The methods and devices require minimal sample material (10 ?l), are rapid, economical, yield highly enriched small molecule (e.g., exosoines) preparations, and do not require electricity.

Systems and methods using: a membrane unit to treat fluids recovered from an oil and gas well are provided. The membrane unit may include a membrane having a porous substrate at. least partially coated with graphene oxide, making the membrane hydrophilic. The membrane separates water from other components within a fluid stream. The membrane unit may include an inlet to receive a fluid stream into the membrane unit. The fluid stream may be pretreated prior to reaching the membrane unit The membrane unit may also include a first outlet in fluid communication with one side of the membrane and a second outlet in fluid communication with the opposite side of the membrane.

A laboratory scale water purification system for producing up to 300 l/h deionized type 2 pure water from tap water, said system comprising a feed medium flow path including a pump (1) for supplying the feed medium under pressure to a feed inlet of a reverse-osmosis (RO) device (2) which is adapted to produce a permeate flow and a concentrate flow from the feed medium. An electro-deionization (EDI) device (10) is provided and has an inlet which is in fluid communication with a permeate outlet of the RO device (2) and has a purified water outlet. The system has a first retentate flow path (A) in fluid communication with the retentate 1 outlet of the RO device (2), for removing retentate from the system, the first retentate flow path (A) including a first flow rate regulator (3) adapted to be remote controlled, and a second retentate flow path (B) in fluid communication with the retentate outlet of the RO device (2) for recirculating retentate to the feed medium flow path at an upstream position of the pump (1), the second retentate flow path (B) including a second flow rate regulator (4) adapted to be remote controlled. A first flow meter (5) is provided downstream of the permeate outlet for detecting the permeate flow rate produced by the RO device (2), a second flow meter (6) is provided in the first retentate flow path (A) downstream of the first flow rate regulator (3) for detecting the flow rate of the retentate flow that is removed from the system, and an automatic controller (13) is provided for remote controlling the first and second flow rate regulators (3,4) based on the detection results from the first and second flow meters (5,6) such that a predetermined target recovery rate and a predetermined target permeate flow rate are controlled for the RO device (2).

An ion-exchange and ultrafiltration filter system having an exterior housing having an inlet and an outlet with an ultrafiltration membrane provided within the housing along a central axis about a central portion of the housing with an ion-exchange membrane provided within the housing between the ultrafiltration membrane and the housing. The ion-exchange and ultrafiltration filter system being capable of being configured so as to provide two-step filtration in a plurality of modes, either ion-exchange to ultrafiltration, or ultrafiltration to ion-exchange.

The present invention relates to a centrifugal force-based nanoparticle separation apparatus and method. Specifically, the present invention is based on having a low centrifugal force and a small size, and may thus separate nanovesicles unrelated to antibody specificity in a short time and without using an ultracentrifuge. Further, the present invention requires no additional professional personnel and enables accurate fluid measurement by integrating and automating all processes after sample injection, and may thus reduce the loss of nanovesicles.