Fuel cell and electrolyser operation

Patent number: W O 99/28435 Inventors: J. Altenbach-Rehm, D. Weuster-Botz, A. Hawrylenko

Publication date: 10 June 1999

maintaining high flux and minimising the requirement for cleaning of the filter. Patent number." W O 99/29393 Publication date: 17 June 1999

H. Oka.zaki, K. Yanone, M. Kobayashi Publication date: 17 June 1999

Membrane bioreactors Applicant." Stork MPS BV, The Netherlands

Self-wetting membranes from engineering plastics

System for maintaining a clean hollow fibre skein

Applicant: Research Corporation Technologies

Applicant: Zenon Environmental Inc, Canada

Inc, USA A water-wettable perm-selective membrane for use in haemodialysis, ultrafiltration and microfiltration applications, and a device containing these are discussed. The membrane with the above properties comprises a hydrophobic-base polymer, such as a polysulfone or polyethersulfone polymer, and a block copolymer additive wherein one of the blocks of the copolymer additive is a hydrophilie polymer and the other block is a hydrophobic polymer that is analogous in structure to the hydrophobic-base polymer. Patent number." US 5911880 Inventors: E. Klein, N. Balachander Publication date: 15 June 1999

The outer surfaces of hollow-fibre membranes in a skein, or a bank or cassette of stacked skeins, are kept essentially free of solids by maintaining a substantially uniform flow of a stream of coarse bubbles through each of the plural orifices in an aerator positioned beneath the fibres. Aerators for skeins used in microfiltration of waste-water in a tank are periodically flushed by injecting flushing air into permeate returned to the tank over a short period. The air is injected into returning permeate for less than 1 minute, preferably less than 20 sec, so as to produce discrete masses of water which flow laterally through the body of the aerator, cleaning its walls and maintaining the orifices essentially free from plugging. Patent number: W O 99/29401 Inventors: S.K. Pedersen, H. Behmann Publication date: 17 June 1999

Calculating dialysis efficiency Applicant." Gambro AB, Sweden A method and apparatus for calculating the concentration of a substance in a mammal's blood is the subject of this invention. Blood from the animal is passed through a dialyser having a semi-permeable membrane, and a dialysing fluid is passed at the other side of the membrane. The concentration of urea cd is measured in the dialysate emitted from the dialyser, and the dialysate fluid flow-rate Q,i" A disturbance is introduced into the dialyser whereupon the effective dialysance K of the dialyser is calculated. Finally, the concentration of urea in blood is calculated by the formula Cpw = % x Q~/K. By using the curve of urea concentration cd versus time in the dialysate, it is possible to calculate the initial mass mo of urea in the blood. Finally, the distribution volume V of urea in the body of the mammal is calculated according to the formula V = m o/ c pw" Patent number: W O 99/29355 Inventor: J. Sternby Publication date: 17 June 1999

Filtration apparatus Applicant/Inventor: D.K. Mcgrath (Australia) A filtration apparatus in which a rotating filter element is concentrically mounted in a hollow conical or cylindrical chamber is detailed. The filter element consists of a support and a membrane mounted on the support. Fluid enters the chamber through an inlet port and concentrate leaves the chamber through an outlet port. Filtrate drains through the membrane and support to a channel in the centre of the filter element. Filtration relies upon cross-flow of the fluid across the surface of the rotating filter element. This reduces the tendency of solids in the fluid to block pores of the membrane, thereby

Modified inorganic filter material Applicant: Orelis, France This invention concerns an inorganic filtering membrane characterised in such a way that it comprises a support made of an inorganic material coated with at least a membrane separating layer that consists of metal hydroxide and/or oxide particles, and at the surface of which organo-mineral and/or mineral units are covalently grafted. The invention also concerns a method for preparing such membranes and their use in filtration. Patent number: W O 99/29402 Inventors." B. Chaufer, J.K. Liou, A. Bouguen, M. Rabiller-Baudry, L. Millesime Publication date." 17 June 1999

Water treatment Applicant: Mitsubishi Rayon Co Ltd, Japan Details are provided of an apparatus for treating water, including a membrane separation device that is positioned above an aeration device which is arranged in a treatment tank. The tank is characterised by the size of its gas discharge ports which are provided for the aeration device. These are between 1 and 10 mm in diameter. It is also characterised by the sectional area (X) of a membrane-based separation device, in a horizontal direction, and the number (Y) of the gas discharge ports of the aeration device, such that the relation 20 < X/Y < 300 is satisfied. The structure of this water-treatment apparatus, claims the patent, is such that clogging of the pores in the surface of the separation membrane, caused by suspended materials, rarely occurs. Filtration can also be made stable for a long time. Patent number: W O 99/29630 Inventors: S. Miyashita, K. Honjyo, O. Katou,

This invention relates to a method for liberating, in an aqueous phase, substance(s) which is/are impossible, or difficult, to biodegrade from compounded material which is not soluble in water, and comprises this/these substance(s) fixed to, or enclosed in, an organic substance. It involves bringing the compounded material in an aqueous phase into contact with matter which is suitable for liberating the substance(s) in question, in which method the matter consumes the organic substance while liberating, in the aqueous phase, the substance(s) which is/are impossible, or difficult, to biodegrade, and if desired separating off the substance(s) which has/have been liberated in the aqueous phase in this way. Preferably, the matter which is suitable for liberating the substance(s) in question is selected from the group consisting of microorganisms, bacteria, predators, protozoa and enzymes, while the compounded material which contains the substance(s) which is/are impossible, or difficult, to biodegrade is advantageously brought into contact, in a membrane bioreactor, with matter which is suitable for liberating this/these substance(s). Patent number." W O 99/29633 Inventor: J.E.G. Luppens Publication date: 17 June 1999

Fuel cell and electrolyser operation Applicant: Aventis Research & Technologies GmbH, Germany A membrane used in polymer electrolyte-fuel cells has been developed. It contains sulfonated aromatic polyetherketone of general formula, characterised in that its ion-exchange equivalent is 1.35-1.95 nmol (-SO3H)/g (polymer), and in that the membrane has a long-term stability of at least 1000 hours at an operating voltage of 0.4-1.1 V. Patent number." W O 99/29763 Inventors: T. Soczka-Guth, J. Baurmeister, G. Frank, R. Knauf Publication date: 17 June 1999

Producing ozone water Applicants: Shinko Plant Construction Co Ltd;

and Kobe Steel Ltd, Japan An apparatus for producing ozone water has been invented. It comprises a casing whose interior is divided by a solid electrolytic membrane into a positive electrode chamber and a negative electrode chamber. A positive electrode which has a novel metal with a catalytic function for generating ozone is provided under pressure on the solid electrolytic membrane on the side of the positive electrode chamber. A negative electrode is provided under pressure on the solid electrolytic membrane on the side of the negative electrode chamber. An inflow port for "starting" water is

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