A separation device includes a membrane separation module (10), an adsorption module (20), and a gas intake module (30). The membrane separation module includes a first housing (110), and a membrane assembly (130) disposed in the first housing. The first housing has a first gas inlet (121), a first gas outlet (122), and a retentate gas outlet (123). The membrane module has a permeate gas outlet, the permeate gas outlet being in communication with the first gas outlet. The adsorption module has a second housing (210) and an adsorbent layer (230) disposed in it. The second housing is disposed on the first housing and has a second gas inlet (221), a second gas outlet (222), and a desorption gas outlet (223). The second gas inlet is in communication with the first gas outlet. The gas intake module has a third gas outlet (321) in communication with the first gas inlet.

A refrigerator comprises a refrigerator body, an air-conditioning membrane assembly and an air pump assembly. The refrigerator body defines a storage space and a compressor chamber therein, a storage container is arranged in the storage space, and a freshness-keeping space is defined inside the storage container. The air-conditioning membrane assembly is configured to allow more oxygen than nitrogen in airflow in a surrounding space of the air-conditioning membrane assembly to pass through the air-conditioning membrane and enter an oxygen-rich gas collection chamber. An inlet end of the air pump is communicated with the oxygen-rich gas collection chamber in a controlled manner via a pipeline and a pipeline switching mechanism, for pumping gas in the oxygen-rich gas collection chamber to the outside of the freshness-keeping space, such that the actual content of oxygen in the freshness-keeping space is in a range of 2% to 19%.

An air-regulating freshness-preserving storage device comprises a container having a first storage space defined therein; and an oxygen removal device configured to remove a part or all of oxygen in air in the first storage space, so as to obtain the air rich in nitrogen, low in oxygen, and favorable for food preservation.

A device for exchange of water molecule and temperature between two fluids. The device comprises thin molecular sieve membrane sheets that allow water molecules to permeate through while blocking cross-over of the exchanging fluids. The device provides two sets of flow channels having a hydraulic diameter ranged from 0.5 to 2.0 mm for respective process and sweep fluid flows. The two sets of the channels are separated by a membrane sheet having a thickness less than 200 μm. The thin molecule sieve membrane may be prepared by forming an ultra-thin zeolite membrane layer on a porous metal-based support sheet which provides very high water permeance so that the exchange can be conducted in a compact membrane module at high throughput. The device can be used to remove water from a process stream of higher water content by use of a sweep fluid of lower water content or higher water affinity. For example, the device can be used to condition outdoor fresh air close to the temperature and humidity of indoor air by conducting humidity and heat exchange between the fresh air flow drawn from outdoors and waste air discharged indoors.

Hydrogen generation assemblies, hydrogen purification devices, and their components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include a permeate frame with a membrane support structure having first and second membrane support plates that are free from perforations and that include a plurality of microgrooves configured to provide flow channels for at least part of the permeate stream. In some embodiments, the assemblies may include a return conduit fluidly connecting a buffer tank and a reformate conduit, a return valve assembly configured to manage flow in the return conduit, and a control assembly configured to operate a fuel processing assembly between run and standby modes based, at least in part, on detected pressure in the buffer tank and configured to direct the return valve assembly to allow product hydrogen stream to flow from the buffer tank to the reformate conduit when the fuel processing assembly is in the standby mode.

Disclosed herein is a gas separation section for separating a first gas from one or more other gasses in a separation device, the gas separation section comprising: a first membrane that is substantially planar; a second membrane that is substantially planar; a first substrate that has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface of the first substrate is on an opposite side of the first substrate than the first surface of the first substrate; a second substrate that has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface of the second substrate is on an opposite side of the second substrate than the first surface of the second substrate; and a mesh that is arranged between the second surface of the first substrate and the second surface of the second substrate; wherein: the first substrate and the second substrate are sintered plates; the first membrane is on the first surface of the first substrate; the second membrane is on the first surface of the second substrate; the first and second membranes are both permeable by at least a first gas and not permeable by one or more other gasses; the thickness of the first membrane in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the first membrane is less than 10 micrometres; and the thickness of the second membrane in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the second membrane is less than 10 micrometres. Embodiments provide an improved gas separation device over known techniques. Advantages of the separation device according to embodiments include improved performance, easy implementation, a modular design and a scalable design.

Hydrogen purification devices and their components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include at least one foil-microscreen assembly disposed between and secured to first and second end frames. The at least one foil-microscreen assembly may include at least one hydrogen-selective membrane and at least one microscreen structure including a non-porous planar sheet having a plurality of apertures forming a plurality of fluid passages. The planar sheet may include generally opposed planar surfaces configured to provide support to the permeate side. The plurality of fluid passages may extend between the opposed surfaces. The at least one hydrogen-selective membrane may be metallurgically bonded to the at least one microscreen structure. In some embodiments, the devices may include a permeate frame having at least one membrane support structure that spans at least a substantial portion of an open region and that is configured to support at least one foil-microscreen assembly.

Disclosed are various turbulent, corrosion-resistant heat exchangers used in desiccant air conditioning systems.

A device for exchange of water molecule and temperature between two fluids. The device comprises thin molecular sieve membrane sheets that allow water molecules to permeate through while blocking cross-over of the exchanging fluids. The device provides two sets of flow channels having a hydraulic diameter ranged from 0.5 to 2.0 mm for respective process and sweep fluid flows. The two sets of the channels are separated by a membrane sheet having a thickness less than 200 μm. The thin molecule sieve membrane may be prepared by forming an ultra-thin zeolite membrane layer on a porous metal-based support sheet which provides very high water permeance so that the exchange can be conducted in a compact membrane module at high throughput. The device can be used to remove water from a process stream of higher water content by use of a sweep fluid of lower water content or higher water affinity. For example, the device can be used to condition outdoor fresh air close to the temperature and humidity of indoor air by conducting humidity and heat exchange between the fresh air flow drawn from outdoors and waste air discharged indoors.

A gas separator includes a separation membrane complex in which a separation membrane with pores having a mean pore diameter less than or equal to 1 nm is formed on a porous support, and a gas supply part that supplies a mixed gas including CO.sub.2 and another gas from the side of the separation membrane to the separation membrane complex. Then, CO.sub.2 in the mixed gas is caused to permeate through the separation membrane and the support and is separated from the mixed gas in a state in which at least part of a permeation surface of the support, from which a gas having permeated through the separation membrane is exhausted, has a temperature lower by 10° C. or more than the temperature of the mixed gas before being supplied to the separation membrane complex.