A process for producing nitrogen-rich air by feeding high temperature air at 150 C. or more to an air separation membrane module is described. After being placed at 175 C. for two hours, the air separation module exhibits a shape-retention ratio of 95% or more in one embodiment. The nitrogen-rich air can be fed to a fuel tank for an aircraft, for example.

A process for producing nitrogen-rich air by feeding high temperature air at 150 C. or more to an air separation membrane module is described. After being placed at 175 C. for two hours, the air separation module exhibits a shape-retention ratio of 95% or more in one embodiment. The nitrogen-rich air can be fed to a fuel tank for an aircraft, for example.

Stacked-plate filters may include a plurality of stacked filter plates with small gaps therebetween. The present disclosure provides a stacked-plate filter apparatus comprising a plurality of filter plates stacked along a longitudinal axis with the filter plates substantially parallel. Each filter plate has a respective outer rim, first face and second face. Each of the filter plates defines a respective opening therethrough. The outer rim forms a first peripheral edge at the first face and a second peripheral edge at the second face. The first peripheral edge is radially misaligned from the second peripheral edge to form an offset gap interface for each adjacent pair of the filter plates. For each of the filter plates, the respective outer rim may be tapered from the first face to the second face to provide the radial misalignment.

Provided is a membrane module which has a simple and easy structure to restrain its vessel from being increased in costs, and which allows to fabricate the vessel by a simple and easy work, and further to locate an inlet for a fluid, and others at respective predetermined positions of the membrane module.

An apparatus for treating water or liquids in general, including a reverse osmosis filtration device provided with at least one inlet associated with a line for supplying the liquid to be treated, at least one outlet of the permeate associated with a line for dispensing the treated liquid and at least one concentrate outlet associated with a line for discharging the waste. The particularity of the present invention resides in that it includes, downstream of the filtration device, at least one tank that forms inside it two adjacent chambers with a mutually variable volume, in which one chamber is connected to the delivery line while the other chamber is connected to the discharge line.

A reverse osmosis water production apparatus for use in a body of water includes a first section defining a buoyancy chamber and an elongate second section connected to the first section and configured to define an elongate chamber which extends downward beneath a waterline in use. The elongate chamber is provided with a plurality of elongate reverse osmosis membrane tubes, each tube containing a reverse osmosis membrane. A longitudinal axis of each reverse osmosis membrane tube is substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of the elongate chamber and the reverse osmosis membrane tubes are arranged around a passage.

A filter assembly adapted for insertion into an inner chamber of a pressure vessel, wherein the assembly includes: a spiral wound membrane module (2) comprising at least one membrane envelope (4) and feed spacer sheet (6) concentrically wound about a central permeate tube (8) extending along an axis (X) forming an inlet scroll face (30) and outlet scroll face (32) and a cylindrical outer peripheral surface (38), an end cap (33) having a surface (72) covering a portion of the inlet scroll face (30) and at least one opening (76) in the end cap surface (72) near the permeate tube for permitting fluid to flow through the inlet scroll face (30) and into the feed spacer sheet (6) of the module (2), and a brine seal (65) having a radially extending flexible lip (70) defining a maximum outer diameter adapted to engage the inner chamber of the pressure vessel; wherein the brine seal is sealed to the end cap (33).

A water desalination system includes a first set of ultrafiltration membranes, a second set of ultrafiltration membranes, a first backwashing system configured to treat at least one of the first set of ultrafiltration membranes or the second set of ultrafiltration membranes with brine generated by a reverse osmosis process, and a second backwashing system configured to treat at least one of the first set of ultrafiltration membranes or the second set of ultrafiltration membranes with one or more chemicals and reverse osmosis permeate water.

A desalination apparatus and a method of desalinating thereof, wherein the desalination apparatus comprises a perforated vessel and at least one engineered semi-permeable membrane that covers perforations on the perforated vessel, wherein the desalination apparatus forms a purified water from saline water when submerged in the saline water to a depth of 50-250 m to create sufficient pressure differential on both sides of the engineered semi-permeable membrane, wherein low-saline water flows through the engineered semi-permeable membrane and collected within an internal cavity of the desalination apparatus. Various embodiments of the desalination apparatus and the method of desalinating are also provided.

A reverse osmosis water production apparatus for use in a body of water includes a first section defining a buoyancy chamber and an elongate second section connected to the first section and configured to define an elongate chamber which extends downward beneath a waterline in use. The elongate chamber is provided with a plurality of elongate reverse osmosis membrane tubes, each tube containing a reverse osmosis membrane. A longitudinal axis of each reverse osmosis membrane tube is substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of the elongate chamber and the reverse osmosis membrane tubes are arranged around a passage.