A particle size tracking system for providing predictive maintenance and battery tuning of hydrocyclones arranged in a battery configuration, featuring a control having a signal processor configured to: receive signaling containing information about particle sizes of material flowing in pipes of hydrocyclones arranged in a battery configuration; and determine corresponding signaling containing information to control the operation of each hydrocyclone arranged in the battery configuration, based upon the signaling received. The signal processor may be configured to provide the corresponding signal as control signaling to control the operation of each hydrocyclone arranged in the battery configuration.

Methods are provided for improved recovery of organic salts, such as ionic liquids or organic salts comprising quaternary organic cations, in an industrial alumina production process, such as the Bayer process. These methods include (i) using an organic salt for the removal of impurities in an industrial process for the production of alumina; (ii) subjecting the spent organic salt to a recycling operation that generates at least one exit stream having a measureable amount of the organic salt {e.g., by entrainment or by solubility of the organic salt in the exit stream); (iii) collecting and treating the exit stream (s) with an inorganic salt, in an amount effective to induce phase separation; and (iv) recovering the organic phase containing the recovered organic salt. These methods and compositions allow alumina refinery plants to use organic salts for removal of industrial process streams in an economical manner, due to the efficient recovery of the organic salt.

Described herein are methods of treating fluid comprising hydrocarbons, water, and polymer being produced from a hydrocarbon-bearing formation are provided. The method can include adding a concentration of a viscosity reducer to the fluid to degrade the polymer present in the fluid and adding a concentration of a neutralizer to the fluid to neutralize the viscosity reducer in the fluid. The viscosity reducer is buffered at a pH of 7 or less (e.g., at a pH of from 2 to 7, such as at a pH of from 3.5 to 7, or at a pH of from 5 to 7). The addition of the concentration of the viscosity reducer is in a sufficient quantity to allow for complete chemical degradation of the polymer prior to the addition of the concentration of the neutralizer in the fluid such that excess viscosity reducer is present in the fluid. The addition of the concentration of the neutralizer is sufficiently upstream of any surface fluid processing equipment to allow for complete neutralization of the excess viscosity reducer such that excess neutralizer is present in the fluid prior to the fluid reaching any of the surface fluid processing equipment.

An anaerobic digestion system may include a material grinding/pulping portion, a hydrolysis portion arranged downstream of the grinding portion, a multiple chamber anaerobic reactor arranged downstream from the hydrolysis portion and including a gas collection and reintroduction system, a collection system for collecting digestate and gas from the anaerobic reactor.

Apparatus for salt separation (2) under supercritical water conditions, comprising a heat exchanger (4) and a fluidized bed reactor (6). The fluidized bed reactor comprising a supercritical water pressure containing wall (8) defining therein a fluidized bed chamber (10) connected to an inlet system (16) at one end thereof and an outlet system (18) configured to separate solids from supercritical fluid at another end thereof. The fluidized bed chamber receives a fluidized bed (12) therein and is configured to receive through the inlet system (16) a liquefied aqueous substance (14) for treatment in the fluidized bed chamber. The inlet system (16) comprises an inlet chamber (20) and a fluidization plate (22) positioned between the inlet chamber (20) and the fluidized bed chamber (10). The fluidized bed chamber extends between the inlet system (16) and outlet system (18) and comprises an entry section (10a) adjacent the inlet system (16), an outlet section (10c) adjacent the outlet system (18), and a mid-section (10b) extending between the entry section and the outlet section. The heat exchanger (4) extends along the fluidized bed chamber (10) and is configured to generate a decreasing temperature gradient in the fluidized bed chamber from the outlet section (10c) to the entry section (10a), the temperature gradient in the outlet section and mid-section being supercritical for aqueous substances and being subcritical for aqueous substances in the entry section (10a) adjacent the fluidization plate (22).

Disclosed is a method for treating water, including the extraction of at least two ionic species, the ionic species including an anionic species and a cationic species and being present in the water to be treated, the method especially including a step of mixing a liquid hydrophobic organic phase and the water to be treated, the water to be treated being in the liquid state, in order to subsequently obtain liquid treated water and a hydrophobic liquid organic phase loaded with the ionic species, and a step of thermal regeneration of the organic phase loaded with chemical species. Also disclosed are compounds and compositions that can be used in the method.

A method and a kit for determining the amount of anammox bacteria in a bioreactor, comprising the steps of: i) removing a sample from the bioreactor; iii) mixing the sample with alkali; v) heating the samples to at least 60° C.; vi) separating solid components; vii) adding a reducing agent to the liquid phase; viii) measuring the translucence of the liquid phase in a spectrophotometer at three wavelengths ranging from 500 to 600 nm; ix) comparing the measured translucence to a reference spectrum.

A system and method for treating reverse-osmosis (RO) concentrated water with high temporary hardness. The system includes a crystallization unit, a precipitation unit, a dewatering unit, and a programmable logic controller (PLC) system. The crystallization unit, precipitation unit and dewatering unit are connected in series, and the PLC system is configured to control pumps, valves, and displays in the crystallization unit, precipitation unit and dewatering unit. The crystallization unit includes a storage tank and a crystallization reactor communicated therewith. The crystallization reactor is provided with a pH meter, a liquid-level gauge, and a stirrer. A connection pipe between the crystallization reactor and the RO concentrated water is provided with an inlet pump and a inlet valve. A connection pipe between the crystallization reactor and the storage tank is provided with a feeding pump and a feeding valve.

Managed ecosystems, methods for producing managed ecosystems and methods for using managed ecosystems for sequestering carbon dioxide are described herein. Produced water is obtained and purified to sustain a managed ecosystem with saline-tolerant vegetation. The managed ecosystem biologically sequesters carbon dioxide by photosynthetically absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and by decomposition into a layer of sediment on the ecosystem floor.

The disclosure provides two integrated methods for the production of potable water from seawater or other brackish waters using chemical forced precipitation. The process is closed loop. It recycles process reactants and produces commercially valuable potable water and salts. The technology uses a computer software method of process variable control that maintains the chemical forced precipitation process salt, solvent, and water concentrations as required to optimize water production. The process fortuitously requires less energy than other water production processes and can utilize solar hot water heating or waste heat from other combustion and seawater for heating and cooling energy sources.