A filter system and filter suitable for water treatment includes a filter having a housing with a water inlet and an outlet, the housing defining a filtration chamber therein. The filtration chamber has filter media therein having a plurality of at least partially porous filtration beads and a pump for pumping water to the inlet. Such a filtration system enables high nutrient removal thus minimising the food source for algae.

A system for producing steam includes a source of superheated water with superheated water output; a membrane filtration system in fluid communication with the superheated water output and including a membrane filter with a permeate side and an opposing retentate side. The membrane filter includes a separation membrane constructed to reject organic molecules. The system may be used for removing organic compounds, such as anti-corrosion agents or contaminants, from superheated water to produce steam. A method for producing steam includes directing a cross-flow of heated pressurized water including a first concentration of an organic compound across a membrane filter. The membrane filter includes a separation membrane constructed to reject the organic compound; and one or more support layers adjacent the separation membrane. A steam permeate including a second concentration of the organic compound is collected, where the second concentration is lower than the first.

A disclosed subsea sediment separation and filtration system includes first and second separation devices, a spreader apparatus, and a storage device. The first separation device receives a water/sediment/oil mixture and from a subsea surface and separates the mixture into a first component containing cleaned sediment and a second component containing a water/oil mixture. The spreader apparatus disperses the cleaned sediment of the first component into a subsea environment of the spreader apparatus. The second separation device receives the second component from the first separation device and separates the second component into a cleaned water component and an oil component. The second separation device disperses the cleaned water component into a subsea environment of the second separation device and provides the oil component to the storage device. The first separation device may include a plurality of hydrocyclone devices, and the second separation device may include a high pressure hydrocyclone device.

A method for treating wastewater, comprising: (i) injecting a hydrate-forming gas (e.g., propane) into the wastewater under conditions of elevated pressure and reduced temperature to form a solid hydrate composed of the hydrate-forming gas and water from the wastewater; and (ii) separating the solid hydrate from the wastewater to result in removal of water from the wastewater, thereby resulting in partially dewatered wastewater, and optionally, (iii) lowering the pressure and/or raising the temperature of the solid hydrate to decompose the solid hydrate into reformed hydrate-forming gas and reformed water, and further optionally, recycling the reformed hydrate-forming gas for use in step (i) and/or capturing the reformed water from step (iii) and further decontaminating until suitable for release into waterway or for use in a process. The invention is also directed to an apparatus for practicing the method described above.

A method for preparing agricultural products from a biological sludge containing microbial cells includes the steps of: subjecting the biological sludge to a pretreatment process which includes introducing ozone and supplying a hydraulic pressure to generate cavitation to destroy cell wall of the microbial cells; and subjecting the pretreated biological sludge to a solid-liquid separation treatment to obtain a solid fraction including cell debris and a liquid fraction including a cell lysate solution.

A method for producing clean water from a contaminated water source, the method comprising the steps of: a) locating a clean water generating device in fluid communication with the contaminated water source, the clean water generating device including a reaction chamber containing an ionic solution; b) transferring contaminated water from the contaminated water source into the reaction chamber through an inlet in the clean water generating device; c) generating an electrolysis reaction within the reaction chamber; d) removing gas generated by the electrolysis reaction from the reaction chamber through an outlet of the reaction chamber; e) combusting the gas generated by the electrolysis reaction; and f) collecting clean water generated by the combustion of the gas.

A supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) system with a well-mixed SCWO reactor, a feedstock supplied to the well-mixed SCWO reactor by a feedstock supply line, a recirculation loop flow regulator in fluid communication with the well-mixed SCWO reactor; and a recirculation loop which includes the well-mixed SCWO reactor and the recirculation loop flow regulator, such that the recirculation loop flow regulator receives an oxidant from an oxidant supply line and a first portion of a reactor effluent from the well-mixed SCWO reactor and supplies the oxidant and the first portion of the reactor effluent to the well-mixed SCWO reactor. The SCWO system also includes a heat transfer unit operationally associated with the well-mixed SCWO reactor which performs at least one of: heating the well-mixed SCWO reactor and cooling the well-mixed SCWO reactor.

Liquid solution concentration methods and related systems involving osmosis units and energy recovery are generally described. In some embodiments, an osmotic system has a pump, a first reverse osmosis unit, a second reverse osmosis unit, and one or more energy recovery devices. Various embodiments are directed to features such as balancing streams, recirculation streams, and/or valving that alone or in combination may afford improved energy efficiency and/or system performance. Some embodiments may improve performance of certain types of energy recovery devices in combination with osmosis units, such as isobaric or turbine energy recovery devices.

A disclosed subsea sediment separation and filtration system includes first and second separation devices, a spreader apparatus, and a storage device. The first separation device receives a water/sediment/oil mixture and from a subsea surface and separates the mixture into a first component containing cleaned sediment and a second component containing a water/oil mixture. The spreader apparatus disperses the cleaned sediment of the first component into a subsea environment of the spreader apparatus. The second separation device receives the second component from the first separation device and separates the second component into a cleaned water component and an oil component. The second separation device disperses the cleaned water component into a subsea environment of the second separation device and provides the oil component to the storage device. The first separation device may include a plurality of hydrocyclone devices, and the second separation device may include a high pressure hydrocyclone device.

Wastewater containing scale components, organic substances, inorganic ions, and the like, such as human effluent, generated in a closed system space, such as a nuclear shelter, a hazardous shelter, a space station or a moon-Mars mission manned spacecraft, or a lunar base is efficiently treated by a simple structural apparatus, so that water is recovered. After a hardness component is removed from water to be treated, such as human effluent, by a softening device, and heat exchange is performed between softening treated water and electrolysis treated water by a heat exchanger, by a high-temperature and high-pressure electrolysis device, organic substances, urea, ammonia, and the like are removed by electrolysis performed under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. After the electrolysis treated water is processed by a deaeration treatment using a deaeration membrane device, a desalting treatment is performed by acid/alkali manufacturing electrodialysis devices and provided in series at two stages.