Certain aspects of natural gas liquid fractionation plant waste heat conversion to simultaneous power and potable water using organic Rankine cycle and modified multi-effect distillation systems can be implemented as a system that includes two heating fluid circuits thermally coupled to two sets of heat sources of a NGL fractionation plant. The system includes a power generation system that comprises an organic Rankine cycle (ORC), which includes (i) a working fluid that is thermally coupled to the first heating fluid circuit to heat the working fluid, and (ii) a first expander configured to generate electrical power from the heated working fluid. The system includes a MED system thermally coupled to the second heating fluid circuit and configured to produce potable water using at least a portion of heat from the second heating fluid circuit. A control system actuates control valves to selectively thermally couple the heating fluid circuit to a portion of the heat sources of the NGL fractionation plant.

A Multi-Stage Wastewater Treatment and Hydroponic Farming Device comprises a compact basin, a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), a modified wetland material, at least one microbial fuel cell (MFC) and a distributor. The MBBR and modified wetland material are disposed within the basin. Openings in the distributor retain hydroponic plants. In one example, wastewater enters through the MBBR which performs primary treatment of wastewater. Treated wastewater is further treated by modified wetland material and the MFC which generates electrical energy that supplies other components. Treated wastewater is pumped through the distributor and processed by hydroponic plants which extract growth inducing nutrients from the treated wastewater. Resultant water treated by the device is selectively recycled through various parts of the device or extracted from the device and used for other purposes. In one example, multiple devices are deployed in an area thereby providing self-sustaining, efficient water treatment and farming functionality.

A system and method for decontaminating a fluid like a non-azeotrope solvent such as water, wherein a transport gas is maintained at a temperature between the freezing point and boiling point at atmospheric pressure of the solvent and continuously circulated between an evaporation chamber and a condensation chamber, a contaminated solvent is introduced into the transport gas in the evaporation chamber under process heat and contaminant precipitates out, and the cleaned solvent cools in the condensation chamber releasing heat to be used in the evaporation chamber. A heat pump is used to promote evaporation and condensation within the system.

A granular or particulate composition of matter that includes algae and bacteria is described. The algal-sludge granules are generated by incubating a wastewater system with algae under specific quiescent conditions with illumination. Once the algal-sludge granules are present, it is no longer necessary to maintain quiescent conditions, and reaction with wastewater under stirred conditions is possible. The methods described include ab initio generation of the algal-sludge granules, use of the algal-sludge granules to remediate wastewater, and use of the algal-sludge granules to generate biomass. It is believed that the remediation of wastewater by algal-sludge granules will save the energy for wastewater treatment, recover the energy in wastewater in the form of biomass, and reduce the wastewater treatment carbon footprint.

A seawater desalination system for desalinating seawater by removing salinity from the seawater and an energy recovery apparatus which is preferably used in the seawater desalination system. The energy recovery apparatus includes a cylindrical chamber being installed such that a longitudinal direction of the chamber is placed in a vertical direction, a concentrated seawater port for supplying and discharging the concentrated seawater, a seawater port for supplying and discharging the seawater, a flow resistor provided at a concentrated seawater port side in the chamber, and a flow resistor provided at a seawater port side in the chamber. Each of the flow resistor provided at the concentrated seawater port side and the seawater port side comprises at least one perforated circular plate, and each perforated circular plate has a plurality of holes formed in an outer circumferential area outside a circle having a predetermined diameter on the perforated circular plate.

A liquid desalination, distillation, disinfection, purification, or concentration system by repeatedly re-using thermal energy is provided. Thermal heat source can be solar, fossil fuel, or low grade heat discharged from industrial systems. Multiple thermally insulated and isolated stages of vaporization-condensation chambers can be connected to enhance production yield. Vapor is generated by direct heating of liquid and flash evaporation. Vapor generated is condensed in condenser cooled by intake liquid. Counter circulating intake liquid will be heated by released latent heat from vapor. Externally provided thermal energy will accumulate and be re-used in the system. Vaporization and condensation process will be continuously re-cycled to enhance production yield. The system can be configured to support flexible deployment in various configurations and in different locations, including direct floating installation on water surface.

The present invention describes a method and device for pretreatment of organic material, more specific bio mass, for energy conversion, where said method comprises a first preheating step with a preheating vessel (4), a hydrolysis step with a hydrolysis reactor (5) and a pressure reducing step with a pressure reduction vessel (6), where the transfer of said organic material from the preheating vessel (4) to the hydrolysis rector (5) is effected by gravity and by creating a vacuum in the reactor (5). This method results in a very fast transfer of material from the preheating vessel (4) to the reactor (5). In addition, the filling volume of the reactor (5) is being controlled by a high frequency pressure sensor and supply of steam (3A) to the top of the reactor in order to provide the necessary head space. The invention also describes a device for performing said method.

Systems and methods using membrane distillation are provided for desalinating water, for example for the production of potable water, to address freshwater requirements. In an aspect the systems and methods do not require applying an external heat source, or the energy cost of the heating source, to heat the feed stream to the membrane. In an aspect, the sensible heat present in surface seawater is used for the heat energy for the warm stream fed to the membrane, and deep seawater is used as the cold/coolant feed to the membrane to provide the needed temperature gradient or differential across the membrane.

The invention relates to a method for nitrogen removal from aqueous medium, comprising steps of (a) converting NH.sub.4.sup.+ in the aqueous medium to NO.sub.2.sup.? by partial aerobic nitrification, (b) partially reducing the obtained NO.sub.2.sup.? to N.sub.2O in anoxic conditions, and (c) decomposing N.sub.2O to N.sub.2 with energy recovery. A mixture of ferrous sulfate and ferric sulfate is used in step (b) for reduction of NO.sub.2.sup.? to N.sub.2O.

A super-large scale photon capture bioreactor for water purification and aquaculture, includes a sealable three-dimensional room. Circuitous water ditches (2) at each layer inside the room. The water ditches (2) within a layer includes an inlet (12) and an outlet (13). A plurality of filter units (4) are at intervals in water ditches (2) at each layer. Float-planted plants (5) are on water surface of each filter unit, aquatic animals (6) and microorganisms (7) are underwater, and plant growth illustrating lights (8) are above float-planted plants (5) at adjustable height. A vane wheel (15) connecting a generator (16) is under an outlet (13) of an upper layer. A water inlet (12) of a next layer is under the vane wheel (15). Water to be purified is guided to an inlet (12) at an uppermost layer. The bioreactor is in low energy consumption, less occupied area, no pollution and clean production.