A tubular membrane pervaporation separation system, comprising a heater, one or multiple membrane separators arranged in parallel, a condenser and a vacuum pump; the separator comprises a vacuum vessel, a concurrent heating vessel and one or multiple pervaporation lines arranged in parallel; the line comprises membrane tube bundle modules and concurrent heating modules connected in series or in a series-parallel hybrid form, in the line, the membrane tube bundle modules are arranged between two adjacent concurrent heating modules; the vacuum vessel is connected to the condenser and the vacuum pump in sequence; the concurrent heating vessel is provided with an inlet and an outlet; one end of the line is connected to the heater and the other end is used to discharge; the modules are placed respectively in the vacuum vessel and the concurrent heating vessel, comprise one or multiple membrane tubes and concurrent heating tubes arranged in parallel respectively.

An air channel membrane distiller (1) comprises a hot surface (12), a cooling section (20) and a hydrophobic membrane (30). The hot surface and the hydrophobic membrane define a sealed evaporation channel (40). A surface (22) of the cooling section and the hydrophobic membrane define a sealed condensation channel (50). A water supply tubing (42) is connected to the evaporation channel. A water discharge tubing (46) is connected to the evaporation channel. A purified-water discharge tubing (56) is connected to the condensation channel. The surface of the cooling section is given a temperature lower than a temperature of water in the evaporation channel. A gas supply arrangement (60) for inert gas comprises a heater (62). A gas pipe system (64) is arranged to a gas inlet (55) of the condensation channel for enabling flushing of at least the condensation channel with the inert gas.

This document describes systems and methods for treating and recovering water from feed solutions using a multilayer module with an expansion chamber. The multilayer module comprises a feed spacer layer, a permeate spacer layer and a membrane layer, wherein water vapor evaporated from the feed solution in the feed spacer passes through the membrane layer into the permeate spacer layer. The expansion chamber receives the water vapor from the permeate spacer layer and the feed solution from the feed spacer layer.

Composite polyether block amide (PEBA) copolymer tubes incorporate an ultra-thin PEBA layer that enables rapid moisture transfer and exchange through the tube. A composite PEBA film may include a porous scaffold support and may be formed or incorporated into the composite PEBA tube. A porous scaffold support may be coated or imbibed with PEBA to form a composite PEBA film. A composite PEBA film may be wrapped on a mandrel or over a porous scaffold support to form a composite PEBA tube. A film layer may be applied over a wrapped composite PEBA film to secure the layers together. The film layer by applied by dipping, spraying or painting.

Composite polyether block amide (PEBA) copolymer tubes incorporate an ultra-thin PEBA layer that enables rapid moisture transfer and exchange through the tube. A composite PEBA film may include a porous scaffold support and may be formed or incorporated into the composite PEBA tube. A porous scaffold support may be coated or imbibed with PEBA to form a composite PEBA film. A composite PEBA film may be wrapped on a mandrel or over a porous scaffold support to form a composite PEBA tube. A film layer may be applied over a wrapped composite PEBA film to secure the layers together. The film layer by applied by dipping, spraying or painting.

Exemplary embodiments in desalination by direct contact membrane distillation present a cylindrical cross-flow module containing high-flux composite hydrophobic hollow fiber membranes. The present embodiments are directed to a model that has been developed to describe the observed water production rates of such devices in multiple brine feed introduction configurations. The model describes the observed water vapor production rates for different feed brine temperatures at various feed brine flow rates. The model flux predictions have been explored over a range of hollow fiber lengths to compare the present results with those obtained earlier from rectangular modules which had significantly shorter hollow fibers.

A membrane distillation (MD) module includes a first MD sub-module including a first thermocouple; a second MD sub-module including a second thermocouple; and a distillation membrane sandwiched between the first MD sub-module and the second MD sub-module. A hot chamber of the first MD sub-module is closed by the distillation membrane, and a cold chamber of the second MD sub-module is closed by the distillation membrane.

A purification system is for purifying a mixture containing a first solvent, a second solvent, and an impurity. The purification system includes a first membrane separation device including a pervaporation membrane and a second membrane separation device including a filtration membrane. The pervaporation membrane separates the mixture into a first permeated fluid and a first concentrated fluid. The first permeated fluid has a lower concentration of the impurity than that in the mixture, and the first concentrated fluid has a higher concentration of the impurity than that in the mixture. The filtration membrane separates the first concentrated fluid into a second permeated fluid and a second concentrated fluid. The second permeated fluid has a lower concentration of the impurity than that in the first concentrated fluid, and the second concentrated fluid has a higher concentration of the impurity than that in the first concentrated fluid.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for purifying aqueous solutions. For example, disclosed herein are flexible membrane distillation systems comprising one or more stages stacked on top of each other, wherein each stage comprises: a feedwater layer; a membrane distillation layer; a distillate layer; and a thermally conductive layer. The systems further comprise substantially impermeable top surface, bottom surface, and perimeter. Each feedwater layer is independently receives a portion of a contaminated aqueous solution (a feed solution). Each feedwater layer further receives heat from a heat source to distill at least a portion of the feed solution through the membrane distillation layer, thereby producing a distillate in the distillate layer. Distilling said portion of the feed solution through the membrane distillation layer purifies said portion of the feed solution to produce a purified aqueous solution, which is condensed in the distillate layer to form a condensate.

The disclosure provides a bifunctional composite membrane, a preparation method and use thereof, and a method for removing a plasticizer in liquor. The bifunctional composite membrane includes a supporting membrane and a dense layer which covers a surface of the supporting membrane, wherein the supporting membrane includes a filtering membrane and an adsorbent, and the adsorbent is dispersed in a pore structure of the filtering membrane.