A concentration apparatus that includes a liquid tank storing a liquid containing a filtration object, a tubular member having first and second end portions disposed in the liquid tank and forming a first circulation flow path therebetween, a circulation pump for supplying the liquid stored in the liquid tank to flow from the first end portion to the second end portion, a filtration filter disposed in a sidewall of the tubular member, a bypass pipe having first and second ends thereof connected to sidewalls of the tubular member so as to form a second circulation flow path between the first and second end portions of the tubular member, a switching valve constructed to cause the liquid to flow in one of the first or second circulation flow paths, and a control unit controlling driving of the circulation pump and a switching operation of the switching valve.

Equipment, systems, processes and techniques for conducting processing of solutions are described. The techniques can be applied to provide diluted solution (i.e. purified solvent), concentrate solution or each. A variety of specific equipment, example systems and processes are depicted and described.

A reverse osmosis water system including a housing, a reverse osmosis cartridge, an unfiltered waterline, and a blend waterline. The housing includes an inlet and an outlet. A medial waterline transports pretreated water to the reverse osmosis cartridge. An unfiltered waterline includes a flow restrictor. A blend waterline transports a blended water mixture to the outlet. The blended waterline receives filtered water at a first flowrate from the medial waterline and unfiltered water at a second flowrate downstream of the flow restrictor. The flow restrictor provides the second flowrate at a substantially equal rate to the first flowrate.

An apparatus that treats salt-containing water by reverse osmosis, in which the salt-containing water is separated into a permeate stream and a concentrate stream, includes an inlet for the salt-containing water; an outlet for the permeate; an outlet for the concentrate, and a reverse osmosis device, wherein the inlet and the outlets are integrated into a base unit adapted for installation in a positionally fixed manner, and the reverse osmosis device is an exchangeable unit detachably connected to the base unit.

An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrapure water production method and an ultrapure water production system that are capable of suppressing deterioration in a two-stage reverse osmosis membrane device of the ultrapure water production system caused by an oxidant and further suppressing occurrence of biofouling. The ultrapure water production method using an ultrapure water production system including a two-stage reverse osmosis membrane device including a chlorine-resistant reverse osmosis membrane device at a previous-stage and a non-chlorine-resistant reverse osmosis membrane device to perform a treatment at a subsequent-stage, and the method comprises treating a water-to-be-treated having a total of a free chlorine concentration in Cl equivalent and a free bromine concentration in Br equivalent of 0.01 mg/L or more and less than 0.1 mg/L using the chlorine-resistant reverse osmosis membrane device followed by the non-chlorine-resistant reverse osmosis membrane device of the two-stage reverse osmosis membrane device.

Some embodiments of the invention provide a reverse osmosis water filtration system including a housing, a pre-filter cartridge, a reverse osmosis cartridge, and a post treatment cartridge. A medial water line transports a first portion of pretreated water from the pre-filter cartridge to the reverse osmosis cartridge. An unfiltered water line includes a flow restrictor and blend valve. The unfiltered water line is fluidly coupled between the medial water line and a blend water line. The blend water line receives filtered water at a first flowrate from the reverse osmosis cartridge and unfiltered water at a second flowrate from the blend valve. The first flowrate and the second flowrate are substantially equal to produce a consistent total dissolved solids value.

Equipment, systems, processes and techniques for conducting processing of solutions are described. The techniques can be applied to provide diluted solution (i.e. purified solvent), concentrate solution or each. A variety of specific equipment, example systems and processes are depicted and described.

Systems and processes for purifying and concentrating a liquid feed stream are disclosed. In the systems, the concentrated liquid output from the high pressure side of a reverse osmosis stage is used as the draw solution in the low pressure side of the reverse osmosis stage in a configuration called osmotically assisted reverse osmosis. This reduces the osmotic pressure differential across the membrane, permitting high solute concentrations to be obtained, hastening the purification of the liquid. Reduced system pressures are also obtained by arranging multiple osmotically assisted reverse osmosis stages in a cross-current arrangement. Overall system energy consumption is reduced compared to conventional thermal processes for high concentration streams.

Systems and processes for purifying and concentrating a liquid feed stream are disclosed. In the systems, the concentrated liquid output from the high pressure side of a reverse osmosis stage is used as the draw solution in the low pressure side of the reverse osmosis stage in a configuration called osmotically assisted reverse osmosis. This reduces the osmotic pressure differential across the membrane, permitting high solute concentrations to be obtained, hastening the purification of the liquid. Reduced system pressures are also obtained by arranging multiple osmotically assisted reverse osmosis stages in a cross-current arrangement. Overall system energy consumption is reduced compared to conventional thermal processes for high concentration streams.

Systems and processes for purifying and concentrating a liquid feed stream are disclosed. In the systems, the concentrated liquid output from the high pressure side of a reverse osmosis stage is used as the draw solution in the low pressure side of the reverse osmosis stage in a configuration called osmotically assisted reverse osmosis. This reduces the osmotic pressure differential across the membrane, permitting high solute concentrations to be obtained, hastening the purification of the liquid. Reduced system pressures are also obtained by arranging multiple osmotically assisted reverse osmosis stages in a cross-current arrangement. Overall system energy consumption is reduced compared to conventional thermal processes for high concentration streams.