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.

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.

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.

A purification method for separating and purifying an organic solvent from a liquid mixture of an organic solvent and water, the organic solvent having a boiling point of more than 100° C. at 1 atm, includes the steps of: passing the liquid mixture through a first ion exchange device; supplying the liquid mixture discharged from the first ion exchange device to a pervaporation device to selectively separate water component; supplying the organic solvent recovered from the concentration side of the pervaporation device to an evaporator to obtain a purified organic solvent; and passing, through the second ion exchange device, a portion of liquid containing the organic solvent and flowing at a first position subsequent to the first ion exchange device. The liquid discharged from the second ion exchange device is returned to a second position which is at a preceding stage of the pervaporation device.

A method includes providing a resonant thermal oscillator in a thermofluidic system having at least two counter-flowing liquid streams separated by at least a spectrum absorbing material, wherein the spectrum absorbing material is hydrophobic, light-absorbing, and photothermal, and adjusting a flow rate in at least one of the counter-flowing liquid streams to maximize heat transfer between the at least two counter-flowing liquid streams.

The present invention relates to a distributed energy source system utilizing waste heat deeply. The distributed energy source system utilizing waste heat deeply comprises a primary waste heat recycling module, a membrane distillation type seawater desalination module and a membrane type thermoosmosis power generation module. The distributed energy source system utilizing waste heat deeply provided by the present invention can recycle and deeply utilize waste heat and moisture in flue gas by means of the primary waste heat recycling module, the membrane distillation type seawater desalination module and the membrane type thermoosmosis power generation module to realize functions of seawater desalination and low-temperature power generation, has high energy utilization ratio and improves the waste heat utilization efficiency.

Vacuumed gap membrane distillation (VAGMED) modules, and multi-stage VAGMED systems and processes using the modules are provided. In an embodiment, the membrane distillation modules can comprise: a) a condenser including a condensation surface; b) a first passageway having an inlet for receiving a first feed stream and an outlet through which the first stream can pass out of the first passageway, the first passageway configured to bring the first feed stream into thermal communication with the condensation surface; c) an evaporator including a permeable evaporation surface allowing condensable gas to pass there through; d) a second passageway having an inlet for receiving a second feed stream and an outlet through which the second feed stream can pass out of the second passageway, the second passageway configured to bring the second feed stream into communication with the permeable evaporation surface; and e) an enclosure providing a vacuum compartment within which the condenser, the evaporator and the first and second passageways of the module are contained.

A membrane distillation system includes a hollow fiber aerator configured to provide gas bubbles to a relatively cool permeate stream so that the relatively cool permeate stream contains gas bubbles when it contacts a porous and hydrophobic membrane in a direct contact membrane distillation process. The system can further include an additional hollow fiber aerator configured to provide gas bubbles to a relatively hot feed stream so that the relatively hot feed stream contains gas bubbles when it contacts a porous and hydrophobic membrane in a direct contact membrane distillation process.

Provided is a membrane distillation system capable of real-time monitoring on membrane scaling, which includes: a raw water storage tank configured to store various kinds of fluid; a membrane distillation water treatment unit configured to receive raw water stored in the raw water storage tank to generate pure water, the membrane distillation water treatment unit having an inlet water chamber into which an inlet water flows from the raw water storage tank, a membrane for separating the inlet water in the inlet water chamber into a steam and a concentrated water, and a treated water chamber for receiving the steam separated by the membrane and concentrating the steam; and a membrane wetting detection unit disposed opposite to the membrane to detect a membrane wetting phenomenon and a membrane wetting location of the membrane by measuring a light passing through the membrane in real time.

A membrane distillation apparatus includes a housing and an impeller. The housing includes a hot medium compartment, a cold medium compartment, an air gap compartment, a membrane, and a thermally conductive plate. The hot medium compartment includes a hot medium inlet configured to receive a hot medium stream including water. The cold medium compartment includes a cold medium inlet configured to receive a cold medium stream. The membrane defines pores that are sized to allow water vapor originating from the hot medium stream to pass from the hot medium compartment through the membrane to the air gap compartment. The thermally conductive plate and the cold medium stream are cooperatively configured to condense the water vapor from the hot medium stream. The air gap compartment is substantially filled with air and includes a permeate outlet configured to discharge the condensed water vapor. The impeller is disposed within the air gap compartment.