A novel method of producing concentrated streams or otherwise useful hypersaline brines from a source of non-potable or otherwise impaired water is provided. The method comprises feeding the source water into the feed side of a membrane distillation unit while simultaneously feeding a distillate stream through the receiving side of the distillation unit. The feed and receiving sides are separated by a hydrophobic, microporous membrane that allows water vapor to flux through the membrane to the receiving side. As the membrane becomes clogged with particulates, the unit can be subjected to stream flow reversal and/or temperature gradient reversal in order to remove those particulates and restore previous vapor flux levels, after which previous operations can be resumed.

The present disclosure is a method of removing water and contaminants from an aqueous feed stream comprising a water soluble process liquid. Embodiments of the method may include splitting the method into stages, vaporising the process liquid by direct contact with a heated heating fluid, removing precipitated contaminants by chemical means, and treating the heating fluid to maintain or enhance its properties.

Disclosed herein are apparatuses and methods for semi-permeable membrane cleaning. In particular, a pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) process redirects raw solution and fluid streams in such a way as to cause periodic changes of the process from PRO to reverse osmosis (RO) for lifting and detaching fouling. Further disclosed is applying, at least periodically, a pulsed-flow regime in the fluid stream, thereby causing increased shearing force for enhanced evacuation of the foulant. Additionally, a backward wash may be provided by injection, for a predetermined injection time, of additional solution selected in such way that net driving pressure becomes RO opposite to normal PRO operation, thereby providing a backward flow from a first side of the membrane to a second side of the membrane, so as to lift and evacuate foulant.

Band-pass filters for guiding or controlling crystal polymorphism in water are provided. Band-pass filters convert a passive energy source to a spectral energy pattern tuned to resonant with different types of molecular oscillations pertinent to water. Tuned energy patterns convert problematic insoluble crystals to more thermodynamically stable and soluble crystals. Methods include use of the band-pass filter in water and design of band-pass filter parameters for optimal use on a particular water source.

A blowdown water stream from a cooling tower is contacted with an ion exchange resin packing, such that at least a portion of the phosphorus from the blowdown water stream adsorbs to the ion exchange resin packing to produce a water stream that has a phosphorus content that is less than a phosphorus content of the blowdown water stream. A regenerant stream is contacted with the ion exchange resin packing, such that at least a portion of the phosphorus that has adsorbed to the ion exchange resin packing, desorbs from the ion exchange resin packing to produce a spent regenerant stream. The spent regenerant stream, a first reactant stream including magnesium ions, and a second reactant stream including ammonium ions are flowed to a reaction vessel. The spent regenerant stream, the first reactant stream, and the second reactant stream are mixed to produce a product that includes struvite.

An ultrapure water manufacturing facility includes: a first tank; a plurality of reverse osmosis membranes sequentially arranged downstream of the first tank; an electrodeionization device arranged downstream of the plurality of reverse osmosis membranes; an ion exchange resin tower arranged downstream of the electrodeionization device and filled with a boron selective resin; and a chemical supplier arranged between the plurality of reverse osmosis membranes and configured to supply a pH regulator to treatment-target water.

A membrane evaporative condenser (MEC) includes a repeating sequence of channels for evaporation and/or condensation are arranged, each sequence of channels includes a condensation channel for condensation of a vapor to a liquid, an evaporation channel, and zero to one hundred evaporation-condensation channels. The condensation channel has walls of a non-permeable material which exterior to the condensation channel share the wall with a liquid evaporative medium (LEM) conduit that contains a LEM. The LEM conduit includes a moisture transfer membrane (MTM), where the LEM can evaporate into an evaporation channel or an evaporation-condensation channel that can amplify the effect of the heat transfer for additional mass transfer.

The disclosed technology includes a fluid heating device that can include a heating chamber in communication with a heating element, and an ultrasonic transducer in communication with the heating chamber and for transmitting ultrasonic sound waves. The disclosed technology includes an ultrasonic transducer system that includes an assembly configured to attach to a fluid heating device, and an ultrasonic transducer affixed to the assembly. The disclosed technology also includes a method for ultrasonic cleaning within a fluid heating device that can include a controller configured to receive flow data from a flow sensor; based on the flow data, determine that fluid is flowing through a heating chamber; and output instructions for an ultrasonic transducer to output ultrasonic sound waves.

The present invention provides an antifouling ability-imparting agent that adheres well to a variety of water treatment membranes such as reverse osmosis membranes and imparts excellent antifouling ability to the water treatment membranes. The present invention relates to an antifouling ability-imparting agent containing a copolymer, the copolymer containing: a structural unit (I) represented by the following formula (1):

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R.sup.2 is a direct bond, —CH.sub.2—, —CH.sub.2CH.sub.2—, or —CO—; R.sup.3s are the same as or different from each other and are each a C1-C20 alkylene group; X is —CH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2(OH) or —CH(—CH.sub.2OH).sub.2; and n is a number of moles of oxyalkylene groups added and is 0 to 100; and a structural unit (II) represented by the following formula (2):

##STR00002##

wherein R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R.sup.5 is a direct bond, —CH.sub.2—, —CH.sub.2CH.sub.2—, or —CO—; R.sup.6s are the same as or different from each other and are each a C1-C20 alkylene group; R.sup.7 is a hydrogen atom or a C1-C20 alkyl group; and m is a number of moles of oxyalkylene groups added and is 1 to 100.

The present disclosure comprises devices, systems and methods for the removal of a precipitate from a surface of a water treatment chamber using a dasher assembly having two cylindrical actuator rods connected to a dasher for scraping an interior surface of the water treatment chamber. The water treatment chamber has an enclosed first end, an enclosed second end, and an electrolysis rod extending linearly therein. The two cylindrical actuator rods extend linearly within the water treatment chamber and pass through the enclosed first end so that portions of the two cylindrical actuator rods are within the water treatment chamber and portions are outside the water treatment chamber. The dasher includes an aperture therethrough so the electrolysis rod can pass through the aperture and allow the dasher to translate from a first location and a second location by translation of the two cylindrical actuator rods via a mechanical actuator. The dasher may include teeth extending from an outer edge of the dasher to score the precipitate as it translates from the first location to the second location. The dasher assembly is controlled manually and/or by an automated control system.