Methods and systems directed to recovery of lithium (e.g., lithium salts) from liquid streams are provided. In some embodiments, methods relate to obtaining lithium (e.g., as a solid lithium salt) by removing at least a portion of liquid from a feed stream to form a concentrated stream with respect to solubilized lithium cations. Liquid removal may include transporting at least a portion of the feed stream to an osmotic unit and/or a humidifier. Some methods include removing impurities (e.g., non-lithium cations) from the concentrated stream (e.g., via precipitation and/or crystallization). In some embodiments, solutions containing solubilized lithium cations and anions are electrochemically-treated such that first solubilized anions are replaced with second, different anions. In some embodiments, solid lithium salt containing at least a portion of the lithium cations and the second anions is obtained (e.g., via precipitation and/or crystallization following concentration of the electrochemically-treated solution in a humidifier).

Methods and systems are provided for desalting wash water treatment and recycling processes and control of those processes. More specifically, treatment of wash water and wastewater streams using forward osmosis are provided. Additional methods and systems for desalting processes are provided, including recycling wash water. Methods for controlling operations of desalting systems and processes are provided.

The present invention relates to a thin film composite forward osmosis membrane with a polyethylene porous support, and a thin film composite forward osmosis membrane which is low cost, has excellent durability and chemical resistance, and outstanding performance (water flux and specific salt flux) may be provided in the present invention.

A new and innovative power and treated water co-generation system is provided that includes a modified Kalina cycle and a forward osmosis (FO) membrane. The Kalina cycle of the provided system is used for power production, whereas the system's FO process is used for water production. The provided system modifies a typical Kalina cycle to include a more efficient and relatively low-temperature heat source, while still utilizing the same working fluid, which is ammonia-water. The draw solution for the provided system's FO process is also ammonia-water, which is known and efficient for desalination and wastewater treatment. In some aspects, the working fluid of the system may be a specific ammonia-water composition including between 30-95% ammonia. The presently disclosed system combines the Kalina process and the FO process into an improved and innovative heat integration system to minimize energy requirements and enable operation at both small and large scales.

A forward osmosis filtration cell is provided which includes a fluid passageway and a forward osmosis filtration membrane positioned within the passageway. The filtration membrane divides the fluid passageway into two chambers, a first chamber configured to hold a draw solution, and a second chamber configured to hold a feed solution. The filtration cell further includes a first electrode positioned in the first chamber, and a second electrode positioned in the second chamber. The first and second electrodes are configured to apply an electric field across the filtration membrane to prevent fouling on the filtration membrane. A method of using a forward osmosis filtration cell in a water treatment system, and a method of retrofitting a water treatment system with first and second electrodes are also provided.

The present invention addresses to a high-pressure vessel for packaging hollow fiber type membranes with application in the field of separation process with contactors with membranes aiming at a compact device/piece of equipment configured for the packaging of hollow fiber type bundles that can be used for various fluid separation processes such as liquid-liquid, liquid-gas and gas-gas, capable of working at high-pressures, enabling adequate hydrodynamic conditions and easily scalable. It is called a module the general piece of equipment, consisting of the vessel (A or C), object of the present invention, and the membranes packed inside the vessel. This piece of equipment consists of a vessel inside which the membranes are placed (14), and two heads attached at the ends (B or D). Each head has two connection points, thus allowing this device to be used with membrane contactors-type separation systems, such as “classical” permeation systems (liquid-liquid, gas-gas, pervaporation).

The present invention relates to modification to permeate channels and permeate materials in a cross-flow filtration system to improve performance in counter current filtration having both retentate channels and permeate channels wherein a solution is pumped through one of the channels and drawn through a membrane to one of the other channels to assist in positive pressure driven filtration by using the osmotic pressure, concentration, or preferential solubility difference between the retentate and permeate flow streams thereby increasing or altering the flux through the membrane separating the flow streams.

An osmotic food production system designed to produce fruits, vegetables, and freshwater from urine or saltwater. In some embodiments the osmotic food production system also produces oxygen. In some embodiments, the osmotic food production system is portable and capable of transporting on a vehicle capable of space travel. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to address the existing problems of food production, waste disposal/utilization, oxygen generation, and water conservation in an efficient way to allow for prolonged space travel or colonization of distant planets and moons.

The present invention relates to a support for a filtration membrane configuration formed with a first set of projections and a second set of projections in opposite directions. At least some of the first projections may be shaped with top areas forming contact face towards a filtration membrane configuration. The support for a filtration membrane may be formed with a first set of projections and a second set of projections in opposite directions, where at least some of the first projections are connected to a porous sheet forming support for said filtration membrane. The filtration membrane may be positioned directly on the porous sheet, or other in a sandwiched construction including other elements.

A porous membrane comprising stacked layers of nanosheets, each nanosheet comprising one to three atomic layers of a 2D material comprising or consisting of one or more transition metal dichalcogenides is provided. The nanosheets have pores and the membrane comprises a network of water permeation pathways including through-pathways formed by the pores, horizontal pathways formed by gaps between the layers, and vertical pathways formed by gaps between adjacent nanosheets and stacking defects between the layers. Also provided is a method for making the membrane.