A modular structure for a mitigating evaporative fuel emissions, such as for an automobile, is described. The structure may include a plurality of frames and membranes for flowing fuel vapor and reducing the emission of hydrocarbon therefrom. The structure may include flow guides that provide a meandering flow path for both the fuel vapor and a permeate. A flow guide providing parallel flow paths is also described.

An apparatus utilizes a membrane unit to capture components from atmospheric air, including carbon dioxide, enriches the carbon dioxide concentration, and delivers the enriched concentration of carbon dioxide to a sequestering facility. The membrane is configured such that as a first gas containing oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide is drawn through the membrane, a permeate stream is formed where the permeate stream has an oxygen concentration and a carbon dioxide concentration higher than in the first gas and a nitrogen concentration lower than in the first gas. A permeate conduit, having a vacuum applied to it by a vacuum generating device receives the permeate stream and a delivery conduit delivers at least a portion of the enriched carbon dioxide to a sequestering facility. The apparatus may comprise a component of a system where the system may have a flue gas generator and/or a secondary enrichment system disposed between the vacuum generating device and the sequestering facility.

A system for co-generating ammonia and power is described. The system includes oxygen transport reactors having an ion transport membrane (ITM) that separates a feed side and a permeate side. The feed side includes a feed inlet and a feed outlet, and the permeate side includes a permeate inlet and a permeate outlet. A first feed inlet receives water vapor to be converted into hydrogen and first oxygen, and a second feed inlet receives air to be split into nitrogen and second oxygen. The ITM selectively allows permeation of the first oxygen and the second oxygen to respective permeate side to support oxy-combustion process. A first feed outlet discharges hydrogen and a second feed outlet discharges nitrogen, where the hydrogen and the nitrogen are combined in a catalytic converter to form ammonia. Combustion gases from the oxygen transport reactors are used to run a gas turbine to extract power.

A helium-containing stream is recovered from a natural gas feed using a membrane followed by multiple distillation steps. Refrigeration is provided by expanding a bottoms liquid with a higher nitrogen content than the feed, achieving a lower temperature in the process. The helium-enriched vapor is then purified and the helium-containing waste stream is recycled to maximize recovery and reduce the number of compressors needed. The helium-depleted natural gas stream can be returned at pressure for utilization or transportation.

A system that is used for the treatment of a net gas stream is disclosed. The system includes a compressor to produce a compressed gas stream from a net gas stream. The compressor is connected to a pressure swing adsorption unit where the net gas stream is separated to produce a hydrogen product stream and a tail gas stream. Tail gas stream from the pressure swing adsorption unit is sent to a first membrane unit to produce a first permeate stream and a first non-permeate stream. A portion of the tail gas stream is sent to a second membrane unit to produce a second permeate stream and a second non-permeate stream.

Process of treating a net gas stream is disclosed. The process includes sending the net gas stream to a compressor to produce a compressed gas stream. The compressed gas stream is then sent to a pressure swing adsorption unit to produce a hydrogen product stream and a tail gas stream. Tail gas stream from the pressure swing adsorption unit is sent to a first membrane unit to produce a first permeate stream and a first non-permeate stream. Portion of the tail gas stream is sent to a second membrane unit to produce a second permeate stream and a second non-permeate stream.

A device and method for carbon dioxide capture using circumscribed hollow membranes is disclosed. The device includes a hollow membrane unit having an inner conduit composed of a vapor membrane, and an outer conduit having an inside surface circumscribing the inner conduit forming a lumen. The outer conduit includes a CO.sub.2 pump membrane. The device also includes a mechanical pump maintaining a pressure differential between the lumen and the atmosphere, providing a product stream of CO.sub.2-rich gas from the lumen. The vapor membrane is sufficiently hydrophobic and porous to contain liquid water while also allowing water vapor formed by evaporation to pass through into the lumen. As water vapor passes from the lumen to the atmosphere through the CO.sub.2 pump membrane, a carbon concentration gradient is formed and maintained across the CO.sub.2 pump membrane. The carbon concentration gradient actively pumps CO.sub.2 out of the atmosphere and into the lumen.

A dehumidification mechanism for an appliance includes a blower that delivers humid process air along an airflow path. A drum is positioned along the airflow path. A condensing apparatus dehumidifies the humid air to define dehumidified air. A membrane has a plurality of nanopores that define a portion of the airflow path within the condensing apparatus. The humid air is delivered along the membrane having the plurality of nanopores and the nanopores operate through capillary condensation to dehumidify the humid air and separate condensate away from the humid air to define the dehumidified air. The condensate removed by the nanopore membrane is delivered away from the airflow path and to a condensate collection area within the appliance.

A facility and method for membrane permeation treatment of a feed gas flow containing at least methane and carbon dioxide that includes a compressor, a pressure measurement device, at least one valve, and first, second, third, and fourth membrane separation units for separation of CO.sub.2 from CH.sub.4 to permeates enriched in CO.sub.2 and retentates enriched in CH.sub.4, respectively. The at least one valve adjusts the number of membranes combined and connected to the flow of gas entering into at least one of the membrane separation units as a function of the pressure recorded by the pressure measurement device.

In a device for separating methane from a gas mixture containing methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, comprising a gas compressor, two or three membrane separation stages downstream of the compressor and a hydrogen sulfide adsorber, comprising a bed of activated carbon having catalytic activity for oxidizing hydrogen sulfide with oxygen, arranged upstream of the membrane separation stages, oxygen content and relative humidity can be adjusted for optimum adsorption capacity of the hydrogen sulfide adsorber by recycling permeate from the second membrane separation stage, which receives the retentate of the first membrane separation stage, to a point upstream of the hydrogen sulfide adsorber.