An irrigation device (10) including a solar collector (18) connected to a heating element (14). The heating element is embedded in a hydrated medium and heats this to produce water vapour. A semi-permeable membrane (34) allows the heated water vapour to be used for irrigation, thereby allowing marsh or sea water to be used to irrigate large tracts of arid soil.

A membrane for membrane distillation processing includes a heating element configured to generate heat when an electrical current is applied to the heating element; a polymeric matrix having pores that allow a vapor to pass through, but not a liquid; and electrical contacts electrically connected to the heating element. The entire heating element is covered by an insulating material to prevent the heating element to directly interact with the liquid processed by the membrane.

According to one embodiment, an amine-containing water concentration system includes an osmotic pressure generator and a carbon dioxide introducing unit. The osmotic pressure generator includes a treatment vessel, a first chamber to which the water to be treated is supplied, a second chamber capable of storing a working medium, and a semipermeable membrane that partitions the first chamber and the second chamber, which are located in the treatment vessel. The carbon dioxide introducing unit is capable of introducing carbon dioxide into the water to be treated.

Direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) was used to generate high purity water from bacteria and endotoxin-contaminated water. The DCMD system includes a nanocarbon-coated membrane. Exemplary nanocarbon-coated membranes include a layer of carbon nanotubes immobilized relative to a polytetrafluorethylene surface (CNIM), a layer of carboxylate functionalized carbon nanotubes immobilized in the PTFE (CNIM-COOH), and a layer of graphene oxide immobilized in the PTFE (GOIM). The nanocarbon-immobilized membranes are effective in generating ultrapure, medical grade water.

This document describes systems and methods for treating and recovering water from feed solutions using a membrane module that has a plurality of hollow fiber membranes encapsulated in a collection chamber and an expansion chamber that is connected to the outlet of the membrane module.

Portions of a feed liquid are passed through respective condensers and liquid-liquid heat exchangers. The feed liquid is then heated and injected into a first feed-liquid containment chamber, where vapor from the feed is passed through a first gas-permeable membrane and directed into a first condenser, where the vapor is cooled by the feed liquid passing through the first condenser and condenses as it cools to produce a first liquid permeate. The first liquid permeate is passed through the first liquid-liquid heat exchanger where the first liquid permeate is cooled by the feed liquid passing therethrough. After the vapor is removed from the feed liquid in the first feed-liquid containment chamber, the remaining feed liquid from the first feed-liquid containment chamber is injected into a second feed-liquid containment chamber, where the process is repeated. The first liquid permeate from the first liquid liquid-liquid heat exchanger is combined with the second liquid permeate from the second condenser to form a combined liquid permeate; and the combined liquid permeate is passed through the second liquid-liquid heat exchanger where the combined liquid permeate is cooled by the feed liquid passing therethrough.

A system may be configured to use heat energy to produce power and potable water. The system may include an organic rankine cycle (ORC) subsystem configured to receive heat energy from one or more sources and convert that heat energy into usable power. The system may also include an air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) subsystem configured to receive heat energy from the ORC subsystem and use the heat energy to convert impure water into potable water.

A fluid filter and method for filtering fluid feed using the fluid filter is described. The fluid filter comprises an upper disk plate having a first compartment spaced apart and placed parallel to a lower disk plate having a second compartment. The feed fluid enters the first compartment in a first vortex pattern in a first direction at a first temperature, and a permeate fluid enters the second compartment in a second vortex pattern in a second direction opposite the first direction at a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature. A hydrophobic, vapor permeable membrane positioned between the upper disk plate and the lower disk plate allows vapor to pass from the first compartment to the second compartment having the permeate fluid, thus filtering the feed fluid.

The present invention is a process, a method, and system for recovery and concentration of dissolved ammonium bicarbonate from a wastewater containing ammonia (NH3) using gas separation, condensation, and crystallization, each at controlled operating temperatures. The present invention includes 1) removal of ammonia from waste (sludges, semi-solids, and solids and liquids) without the use of chemicals at a temperature of at least 80 degrees Celsius, 2) condensing the gaseous containing ammonia, carbon dioxide and water vapor to remove water vapor concentrating the amount of gaseous ammonia and carbon dioxide, 3) concentrating the ammonia and carbon dioxide in the water by established means, such as concentrating the gas using partial condensation followed by passing the concentrated gas through an absorption column at a temperature of between about 20 and 50 degrees Celsius to form dissolved ammonium carbonate and ammonium bicarbonate, or total condensation followed by dewatering using reverse osmosis, and 4) crystallizing concentrated dissolved ammonium carbonate and ammonium bicarbonate at a temperature of less than about 35 degrees Celsius to form solid ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium carbonate.

A method for controlling a membrane distillation system includes determining whether there is a day time or a night time at a location of a solar collector system associated with the membrane distillation system; applying a first control mode during the day time to a flow velocity of a feed used by the membrane distillation system; and applying a second control mode, different from the first control scheme, during the night time, to the feed. The first control scheme is a model-free mode.