A spiral wound membrane module adapted for hyperfiltration and including at least one membrane envelope and feed spacer sheet wound about a central permeate tube to form an inlet and outlet scroll face and an outer periphery, wherein the feed spacer sheet includes: i) a feed entrance section extending along the permeate collection tube from the inlet scroll face toward the outlet scroll face, ii) a feed exit section extending along the outer periphery from the outlet scroll face toward the inlet scroll face, and iii) a central feed section located between the feed entrance section and the feed exit section; and wherein the feed entrance section has a median resistance to flow in a direction parallel to the permeate collection tube that is less than 25% of the median resistance to flow of the central feed section in a direction perpendicular to the permeate collection tube.

A porous tube or conduit formed in a series of loops coiled around a center line, the series of loops having a first loop, the first loop having a first extension configured with a first open end in fluid communication with the first loop, the series of loops having an end loop, the end loop having a second extension configured with a second open end in fluid communication with the end loop, wherein the first open end and the second open end are positioned proximate the center line and the first loop, and, thus, functions to provide a more efficient filter having less plugging or clogging of the filtration membrane, reduced the need for self-cleaning of the porous tube, minimize the effects of pressure drop across a porous tube, installed inside a tank, accommodating shipping, handling, and storage, simplified system arrangement, thereby provide a more efficient filtration device, system, process.

The present invention relates to a tangential flow separator element for separating a fluid medium for treatment into a filtrate and a retentate, said separator element having a monolithic rigid porous support (2) of rectilinear structure and having a single channel (3) arranged therein for passing the flow of the fluid medium for treatment, the outside surface (5) of the support presenting a profile that is constant. According to the invention, the monolithic rigid porous support (2) defines obstacles (9) to the flow of the fluid for filtering, which obstacles extend from the inside wall (3.sub.1) of said channel (3), are identical in material and porous texture to the support, and present continuity of material and of porous texture with the support, said obstacles (9) generating variations in the flow section of the channel.

A cross-flow membrane filtration channel defined by at least one membrane, wherein at least one surface of the channel is inclined at an angle away from a centreline of the channel in a direction of feed flow in the channel.

A method for the extraction, purification, and concentration of targeted constituents from a liquid or gas assembled configurable unit operations comprising of an in-situ generation of seeding material for removal of impurities; an extraction process using equipment of predetermined physical geometry; and a membrane concentration method for the recovery of dilute solutions for recycle.

A spiral wound membrane module adapted for hyperfiltration and including at least one membrane envelope and feed spacer sheet wound about a central permeate tube to form an inlet and outlet scroll face and an outer periphery, wherein the feed spacer sheet includes: i) a feed entrance section extending along the permeate collection tube from the inlet scroll face toward the outlet scroll face, ii) a feed exit section extending along the outer periphery from the outlet scroll face toward the inlet scroll face, and iii) a central feed section located between the feed entrance section and the feed exit section; and wherein the feed entrance section has a median resistance to flow in a direction parallel to the permeate collection tube that is less than 25% of the median resistance to flow of the central feed section in a direction perpendicular to the permeate collection tube.

A spiral wound membrane module adapted for hyperfiltration and including at least one membrane envelope and feed spacer sheet wound about a central permeate tube to form an inlet and outlet scroll face and an outer periphery, wherein the feed spacer sheet includes: i) a feed entrance section extending along the permeate collection tube from the inlet scroll face toward the outlet scroll face, ii) a feed exit section extending along the outer periphery from the outlet scroll face toward the inlet scroll face, and iii) a central feed section located between the feed entrance section and the feed exit section; and wherein the feed entrance section has a median resistance to flow in a direction parallel to the permeate collection tube that is less than 25% of the median resistance to flow of the central feed section in a direction perpendicular to the permeate collection tube.

Membrane cell stack arrangement comprising a housing, a stack of membranes defining flow compartments and a fluid manifold system, wherein the direction of flow through the flow compartments is different to the direction of flow through entry and exit openings and the width of the entry and exit openings are each larger than 45% of the width of the flow compartment.

A cross-flow membrane filtration channel defined by at least one membrane, wherein at least one surface of the channel is inclined at an angle away from a centreline of the channel in a direction of feed flow in the channel.

A porous tube or conduit formed in a series of loops coiled around a center line, the series of loops having a first loop, the first loop having a first extension configured with a first open end in fluid communication with the first loop, the series of loops having an end loop, the end loop having a second extension configured with a second open end in fluid communication with the end loop, wherein the first open end and the second open end are positioned proximate the center line and the first loop, and, thus, functions to provide a more efficient filter having less plugging or clogging of the filtration membrane, reduced the need for self-cleaning of the porous tube, minimize the effects of pressure drop across a porous tube, installed inside a tank, accommodating shipping, handling, and storage, simplified system arrangement, thereby provide a more efficient filtration device, system, process.