Processes and systems for filtering a liquid sample are provided. Batches of a liquid sample can be routed to two or more cycling tanks (e.g., first and second cycling tanks). Upon filling a first cycling tank, a first batch of the liquid sample can be routed to a filtration assembly by a continuous diafiltration process that includes routing produced retentate back to the first cycling tank or to a collection vessel. Upon filling a second cycling tank, a second batch of the liquid sample is routed to the filtration assembly by a continuous diafiltration process that includes routing produced retentate back to the second cycling tank or to the collection vessel. The filling and continuous diafiltration of batches of the liquid sample continues to alternate between the two or more cycling tanks until a total product volume is processed.

An automated modular filtration system, particularly for low volume tangential flow filtration processes, comprises a plurality of filtration modules formed as separate assemblies and at least one control unit for jointly controlling filtration processes of individual filtration units. Each filtration module contains at least one individual filtration unit for executing a filtration process independent of the other filtration units, first input ports for receiving a first type of fluids, second input ports for receiving a second type of fluids, and exit ports for outputting unused system fluids. First type fluids are process fluids are specific to the filtration processes executed in individual filtration units. Second type fluids are system fluids not specific to filtration processes executed in the individual filtration units. The second input and exit ports establish inter-module connections so system fluids can be forwarded from one filtration module to an adjacent filtration module of the filtration system.

A filtration system can include a loading member configured to receive a plurality of filtration members which can be sequentially moved from a non-active position in which a respective one of the plurality of filtration members is not in fluid communication with a sample flow path of the cell removal system, to an active position in which the respective filtration member is in fluid communication with the sample flow path, and to a discarded position in which the respective filtration member has been removed from fluid communication with the sample flow path.

A reverse osmosis desalination system has a combined displacement pump and displacement pressure recovery motor that propagate feed water with a structurally fixed recovery rate and structurally stabilized volume flow through continuously alternating discharging and recirculation intervals. Thereby enabled is an instantaneous discharge of the entire feed water concentrate and unmixed replacement with low salinity source water that intermittingly and effectively flushes the reverse osmosis membranes. This in turn provides for high recirculation peak salinity and recovery rate that are simple and reliably controlled without impairing membrane longevity.

Apparatus and processes for controlling a reverse osmosis system for water desalination to reduce energy consumption. The system has a controller configured to receive information from the sensor array and determine a fouling parameter for each reverse-osmosis stage based on one or more of: an A-Value, a B-value and a normalized differential pressure. The controller is then configured to control the flow through each of the reverse-osmosis assemblies based on the determined fouling parameters to meet a predetermined criterion for total permeate production for the reverse-osmosis system.

The present invention provides a fresh water generator operating method and a determination program that are employed in a method for cleaning a separation membrane module following membrane filtration, and that, while various cleaning steps such as reverse pressure cleaning, air cleaning, chemical solution cleaning are taking place after completion of the membrane filtration, determines cleaning troubles by calculating a temporal change in resistance increase rate on the basis of an increase in membrane differential pressure.

There is described the processing seawater in a subsea facility on the seabed in various methods and apparatus. In various examples, the facility is coupled to at least one well, is configured to provide the well with water to be injected into at least one formation of the well, and comprises filter elements arranged in housings, the filter elements being configured for ultrafiltration or microfiltration. In such examples, treated seawater in at least one of the housings is filtered using at least one filter element, producing thereby filtered water, and at least one filter element in at least one other of the filter housings is cleaned by backwashing performed using at least some of the produced filtered water.

A reverse osmosis treatment device includes: a first pressure vessel for treating an untreated water to produce a primarily treated water and a first permeated water; a second pressure vessel for treating the primarily treated water to produce a secondarily treated water and a second permeated water; a first cleaning solution tank for storing a first cleaning solution for cleaning the first pressure vessel; and a second cleaning solution tank for storing a second cleaning solution for cleaning the second pressure vessel. Each of the first pressure vessel and the second pressure vessel has therein a reverse osmosis membrane element having a reverse osmosis membrane. The first cleaning solution tank is connected to the first concentrate outlet pipe of the first pressure vessel, and the second cleaning solution tank is connected to the inlet pipe for the primarily treated water of the second pressure vessel.

A control method is provided for a filter system, which includes at least one filter element (2). The method includes continuously recording a total energy consumption (E.sub.G) during a filtration cycle (22) of the filter system. The total energy consumption (E.sub.G) includes at least of the energy consumption (E.sub.B) for a physical cleaning (24) and the energy consumption (E.sub.P) for the subsequent production cycle (23) up to a predefined, in particular current point in time. The method further includes computing a relative energy consumption (E.sub.rel) by way of division of the recorded total energy consumption (E.sub.G) by a net permeate volume (Q.sub.N) which has been produced during the filtration cycle (22) up to the predefined point in time and starting a physical cleaning (24) in dependence on the relative energy consumption or of a characteristic value derived from this.

A method for operating a membrane separation device includes (a) setting a flow amount M(t) of permeated water and extracting the permeated water from the membrane separation device by the set flow amount M(t), and (b) temporarily stopping the extracting the permeated water, when a water level of a first water tank in which the membrane separation device is immersed, a water level of a second water tank in communication with the first tank, or a water level of a third water tank receiving overflowing water from the first water tank becomes lower than a predetermined halt water level. M(t), which is the flow amount of the permeated water during a time period t, satisfies a equation M(t)=KQ(t−1), where K is a gain (K>1), and Q(t−1) is an amount of inflow of the water-to-be-treated during a time period t−1 immediately prior to the time period t.