Liquid purification or separation – Casing divided by membrane into sections having inlet – Plural diverse structured membranes within a single casing
Reexamination Certificate
2007-06-13
2011-10-04
Menon, Krishnan S (Department: 1777)
Liquid purification or separation
Casing divided by membrane into sections having inlet
Plural diverse structured membranes within a single casing
C210S321720, C210S321750, C210S652000
Reexamination Certificate
active
08029671
ABSTRACT:
In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided for purifying a liquid, such as an impaired water. In some examples, seawater or brackish water is purified, such as to a potable level. Some configurations provide a system which includes a membrane-distillation unit, such as a vacuum-enhanced direct contact membrane distillation unit. The system also includes a forward-osmosis system, which may include one or more forward-osmosis units. A concentrated draw stream from the membrane-distillation unit, such as a concentrated brine solution, serves as a draw solution for a forward-osmosis unit, which may extract water from a source water, such as an impaired water. In some implementations, the forward-osmosis system includes a second forward-osmosis unit which uses the diluted draw solution from the first forward-osmosis unit as a draw solution to extract water from a source water. The system may include additional components, such as a heater or a buffer tank.
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Cath Tzahi Y.
Childress Amy E.
Martinetti Christopher R.
Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education, on Be
Klarquist & Sparkman, LLP
Menon Krishnan S
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