A process for the preparation of a filtration membrane, which includes providing an aqueous suspension of vesicles having transmembrane proteins incorporated therein, the vesicles being formed from an amphiphilic block copolymer having reactive end groups; providing a porous support; functionalizing a surface of the porous support to introduce reactive groups on the surface which are capable of reacting with the reactive end groups of the amphiphilic block copolymers of the vesicles; depositing said suspension of vesicles on a surface of the porous support; and providing reaction conditions such that covalent bonds are formed between the vesicles and the surface.
B01D 71/82 - Matériaux macromoléculaires non prévus spécifiquement dans un seul des groupes caractérisés par la présence de groupes déterminés, p. ex. introduits par un post-traitement chimique
A method of preparing a membrane comprising the steps of: a) mixing together a membrane-forming polymer, a water-soluble polyetheramine, and a solvent, said mixture containing no component which will react chemically with the polyetheramine; and b) casting said mixture to form the polymer into a solid membrane.
B01D 69/02 - Membranes semi-perméables destinées aux procédés ou aux appareils de séparation, caractérisées par leur forme, leur structure ou leurs propriétésProcédés spécialement adaptés à leur fabrication caractérisées par leurs propriétés
B29C 41/30 - Façonnage par revêtement d'un moule, noyau ou autre support, c.-à-d. par dépôt de la matière à mouler et démoulage de l'objet forméAppareils à cet effet pour la fabrication d'objets de longueur indéfinie en incorporant des éléments ou des couches préformées, p. ex. moulage autour d'inserts ou sur des objets à recouvrir
A spiral wound membrane element comprising a permeate collector to which are mounted a plurality of membrane envelopes; wherein the membrane envelopes comprise a membrane and a permeate carrier; wherein the permeate carrier is in fluid communication with the permeate collector and wherein the length of the membrane envelope is less than 35 inches. The spiral wound membrane elements of the invention have improved fluid flux.
A process for the generation of power is disclosed. The process comprises receiving a wastewater stream containing organic matter and passing the wastewater stream to an anaerobic digester in which the organic matter contained therein is broken down to produce biogas. The liquid content of said wastewater stream is reduced before said stream enters the anaerobic digester by passing the wastewater stream through an osmotic power unit. The said stream is passed over one side of a semi-permeable membrane which permits the passage of water but not the passage of salts, an aqueous stream of higher salinity than said wastewater stream being passed over the other side of said membrane such that latent osmotic energy present in said aqueous stream of higher salinity is converted into electricity.
B01D 61/00 - Procédés de séparation utilisant des membranes semi-perméables, p. ex. dialyse, osmose ou ultrafiltrationAppareils, accessoires ou opérations auxiliaires, spécialement adaptés à cet effet
C02F 1/44 - Traitement de l'eau, des eaux résiduaires ou des eaux d'égout par dialyse, osmose ou osmose inverse
C02F 11/04 - Traitement anaérobieProduction du méthane par de tels procédés
F03G 7/04 - Mécanismes produisant une puissance mécanique, non prévus ailleurs ou utilisant une source d'énergie non prévue ailleurs utilisant les différences de pression ou les différences thermiques existant dans la nature
The invention provides a filtration membrane which comprises a porous support and, covalently bonded to a surface thereof, a layer comprising a plurality of vesicles having transmembrane proteins incorporated therein, said vesicles being formed from an amphiphilic block copolymer; characterised in that within said layer, vesicles are covalently linked together to form a coherent mass. The membrane may be prepared by a process which comprises providing an aqueous suspension of vesicles having transmembrane proteins incorporated therein, said vesicles being formed from an amphiphilic block copolymer having reactive end groups; depositing said suspension of vesicles on a surface of a porous support; and providing reaction conditions such that covalent bonds are formed between different vesicles and between vesicles and said surface.
B01D 71/82 - Matériaux macromoléculaires non prévus spécifiquement dans un seul des groupes caractérisés par la présence de groupes déterminés, p. ex. introduits par un post-traitement chimique
C02F 1/44 - Traitement de l'eau, des eaux résiduaires ou des eaux d'égout par dialyse, osmose ou osmose inverse
B01D 67/00 - Procédés spécialement adaptés à la fabrication de membranes semi-perméables destinées aux procédés ou aux appareils de séparation
An electricity generation process is disclosed. The process comprises injecting an aqueous feed stream into a salt formation to dissolve the salt contained therein, and then extracting a saline stream containing said dissolved salt from the salt formation. The process also comprises converting latent osmotic energy present in said saline stream into electricity by passage through an osmotic power unit comprising a semi-permeable membrane which permits the passage of water but not the passage of salts in which said saline stream is passed over one side of the semi-permeable membrane, a low salinity stream being passed over the other side of said membrane. The process also comprises using an output stream derived from the low salinity stream as the aqueous feed stream.
B01D 61/00 - Procédés de séparation utilisant des membranes semi-perméables, p. ex. dialyse, osmose ou ultrafiltrationAppareils, accessoires ou opérations auxiliaires, spécialement adaptés à cet effet
C02F 1/44 - Traitement de l'eau, des eaux résiduaires ou des eaux d'égout par dialyse, osmose ou osmose inverse
F03G 7/00 - Mécanismes produisant une puissance mécanique, non prévus ailleurs ou utilisant une source d'énergie non prévue ailleurs
H02K 7/18 - Association structurelle de génératrices électriques à des moteurs mécaniques d'entraînement, p. ex. à des turbines
A method of preparing a membrane comprising the steps of: a) mixing together a membrane-forming polymer, a water-soluble polyetheramine, and a solvent, said mixture containing no component which will react chemically with the polyetheramine; and b) casting said mixture to form the polymer into a solid membrane.
B01D 69/02 - Membranes semi-perméables destinées aux procédés ou aux appareils de séparation, caractérisées par leur forme, leur structure ou leurs propriétésProcédés spécialement adaptés à leur fabrication caractérisées par leurs propriétés
B29C 41/30 - Façonnage par revêtement d'un moule, noyau ou autre support, c.-à-d. par dépôt de la matière à mouler et démoulage de l'objet forméAppareils à cet effet pour la fabrication d'objets de longueur indéfinie en incorporant des éléments ou des couches préformées, p. ex. moulage autour d'inserts ou sur des objets à recouvrir
B29K 27/00 - Utilisation de polyhalogénures de vinyle comme matière de moulage
B29K 81/00 - Utilisation de polymères contenant dans la chaîne principale uniquement du soufre avec ou sans azote, oxygène ou carbone comme matière de moulage
A process for the generation of electricity comprises the steps of extracting a warm saline stream from a geothermal formation, and converting latent osmotic energy present in said stream into electricity by passage through an osmotic power unit in which said stream is passed over one side of a semi-permeable membrane which permits the passage of water but not the passage of salts, an aqueous stream of lower salinity than said stream being passed over the other side of said membrane. The temperature of said warm saline stream is reduced before said stream enters the osmotic power unit by passage through a thermal power unit in which thermal energy present in said stream is converted into electricity.
F03G 7/04 - Mécanismes produisant une puissance mécanique, non prévus ailleurs ou utilisant une source d'énergie non prévue ailleurs utilisant les différences de pression ou les différences thermiques existant dans la nature
9.
Vesicles formed from block copolymers, and novel block copolymers
1-3alkyl-2-oxazoline block and at least one polybutadiene block, provided that the copolymer is not the diblock copolymer consisting of 40 butadiene units and 190 2-methyl-2-oxazoline units terminated by a hydroxy group, are novel, and also form part of the invention.
C08G 81/02 - Composés macromoléculaires obtenus par l'interréaction de polymères en l'absence de monomères, p. ex. polymères séquencés au moins un des polymères étant obtenu par des réactions ne faisant intervenir que des liaisons non saturées carbone-carbone
A61K 9/127 - Vecteurs à bicouches synthétiques, p. ex. liposomes ou liposomes comportant du cholestérol en tant qu’unique agent tensioactif non phosphatidylique
A61K 47/34 - Composés macromoléculaires obtenus par des réactions autres que celles faisant intervenir uniquement des liaisons non saturées carbone-carbone, p. ex. polyesters, acides polyaminés, polysiloxanes, polyphosphazines, copolymères de polyalkylène glycol ou de poloxamères
A61K 47/42 - ProtéinesPolypeptidesLeurs produits de dégradationLeurs dérivés p. ex. albumine, gélatine ou zéine
B01D 71/82 - Matériaux macromoléculaires non prévus spécifiquement dans un seul des groupes caractérisés par la présence de groupes déterminés, p. ex. introduits par un post-traitement chimique
C02F 1/44 - Traitement de l'eau, des eaux résiduaires ou des eaux d'égout par dialyse, osmose ou osmose inverse
C08L 87/00 - Compositions contenant des composés macromoléculaires non spécifiés, obtenus autrement que par des réactions de polymérisation ne faisant intervenir que des liaisons non saturées carbone-carbone
An electricity generation process is disclosed. The process comprises injecting an aqueous feed stream into a salt formation to dissolve the salt contained therein, and then extracting a saline stream containing said dissolved salt from the salt formation. The process also comprises converting latent osmotic energy present in said saline stream into electricity by passage through an osmotic power unit comprising a semi-permeable membrane which permits the passage of water but not the passage of salts in which said saline stream is passed over one side of the semi-permeable membrane, a low salinity stream being passed over the other side of said membrane. The process also comprises using an output stream derived from the low salinity stream as the aqueous feed stream.
F03G 7/00 - Mécanismes produisant une puissance mécanique, non prévus ailleurs ou utilisant une source d'énergie non prévue ailleurs
B01D 61/00 - Procédés de séparation utilisant des membranes semi-perméables, p. ex. dialyse, osmose ou ultrafiltrationAppareils, accessoires ou opérations auxiliaires, spécialement adaptés à cet effet
An electricity generation process is disclosed. The process comprises injecting an aqueous feed stream into a salt formation to dissolve the salt contained therein, and then extracting a saline stream containing said dissolved salt from the salt formation. The process also comprises converting latent osmotic energy present in said saline stream into electricity by passage through an osmotic power unit comprising a semi-permeable membrane which permits the passage of water but not the passage of salts in which said saline stream is passed over one side of the semi-permeable membrane, a low salinity stream being passed over the other side of said membrane. The process also comprises using an output stream derived from the low salinity stream as the aqueous feed stream.
F03G 7/00 - Mécanismes produisant une puissance mécanique, non prévus ailleurs ou utilisant une source d'énergie non prévue ailleurs
B01D 61/00 - Procédés de séparation utilisant des membranes semi-perméables, p. ex. dialyse, osmose ou ultrafiltrationAppareils, accessoires ou opérations auxiliaires, spécialement adaptés à cet effet
F24J 3/08 - géothermique (dispositifs produisant une puissance mécanique à partir d'énergie géothermique F03G 4/00)
12.
POWER GENERATION PROCESS USING OSMOSIS AND ANAEROBIC WASTEWATER TREATMENT
A process for the generation of power is disclosed. The process comprises receiving a wastewater stream containing organic matter and passing the wastewater stream to an anaerobic digester in which the organic matter contained therein is broken down to produce biogas. The liquid content of said wastewater stream is reduced before said stream enters the anaerobic digester by passing the wastewater stream through an osmotic power unit. The said stream is passed over one side of a semi-permeable membrane which permits the passage of water but not the passage of salts, an aqueous stream of higher salinity than said wastewater stream being passed over the other side of said membrane such that latent osmotic energy present in said aqueous stream of higher salinity is converted into electricity.
A process for the generation of power is disclosed. The process comprises receiving a wastewater stream containing organic matter and passing the wastewater stream to an anaerobic digester in which the organic matter contained therein is broken down to produce biogas. The liquid content of said wastewater stream is reduced before said stream enters the anaerobic digester by passing the wastewater stream through an osmotic power unit. The said stream is passed over one side of a semi-permeable membrane which permits the passage of water but not the passage of salts, an aqueous stream of higher salinity than said wastewater stream being passed over the other side of said membrane such that latent osmotic energy present in said aqueous stream of higher salinity is converted into electricity.
B01D 71/82 - Matériaux macromoléculaires non prévus spécifiquement dans un seul des groupes caractérisés par la présence de groupes déterminés, p. ex. introduits par un post-traitement chimique
B01D 71/70 - Polymères contenant, dans la chaîne principale, uniquement du silicium, avec ou sans soufre, azote, oxygène ou carbone
A method of preparing a membrane comprising the steps of: a) mixing together a membrane-forming polymer, a water-soluble polyetheramine, and a solvent, said mixture containing no component which will react chemically with the polyetheramine; and b) casting said mixture to form the polymer into a solid membrane. The membranes prepared by this process have advantageous properties and are believed to be novel.
A method of preparing a membrane comprising the steps of: a) mixing together a membrane-forming polymer, a water-soluble polyetheramine, and a solvent, said mixture containing no component which will react chemically with the polyetheramine; and b) casting said mixture to form the polymer into a solid membrane. The membranes prepared by this process have advantageous properties and are believed to be novel.
The invention provides a filtration membrane which comprises a porous support and, covalently bonded to a surface thereof, a layer comprising a plurality of vesicles having transmembrane proteins incorporated therein, said vesicles being formed from an amphiphilic block copolymer; characterised in that within said layer, vesicles are covalently linked together to form a coherent mass. The membrane may be prepared by a process which comprises providing an aqueous suspension of vesicles having transmembrane proteins incorporated therein, said vesicles being formed from an amphiphilic block copolymer having reactive end groups; depositing said suspension of vesicles on a surface of a porous support; and providing reaction conditions such that covalent bonds are formed between different vesicles and between vesicles and said surface.
B01D 71/82 - Matériaux macromoléculaires non prévus spécifiquement dans un seul des groupes caractérisés par la présence de groupes déterminés, p. ex. introduits par un post-traitement chimique
C02F 1/44 - Traitement de l'eau, des eaux résiduaires ou des eaux d'égout par dialyse, osmose ou osmose inverse
B01D 67/00 - Procédés spécialement adaptés à la fabrication de membranes semi-perméables destinées aux procédés ou aux appareils de séparation
09 - Appareils et instruments scientifiques et électriques
11 - Appareils de contrôle de l'environnement
35 - Publicité; Affaires commerciales
40 - Traitement de matériaux; recyclage, purification de l'air et traitement de l'eau
42 - Services scientifiques, technologiques et industriels, recherche et conception
Produits et services
Turbines for power generation; generators of electricity; membrane filters for use as part of machines; Apparatus, instruments and installations for osmotic generation of power from geothermal wells, namely, high pressure pneumatic pumps, high pressure circulating pumps, and pressure exchangers Apparatus and instruments for accumulating and storing energy, namely, electric accumulators; Apparatus, instruments and installations for osmotic generation of power from geothermal wells, namely, power amplifiers, power cables, power inverters; inverters; controls for use in connection with generation of power, namely, power controllers, electronic controllers for use with power converters, electronic controllers used to reduce power consumption; surveillance equipment in connection with generation of power, namely, pressure sensors, proximity sensors, electric sensors, electric meters, flow meters, gas meters, electric and electronic video surveillance installations and software for the controlling of same; software for data collecting and processing and for remote controlling in the field of energy production Water filtration apparatus; membranes for the filtration of water; reverse osmosis water filtration equipment, namely, reverse osmosis filtration units Commercial advisory services, namely, providing business advice and commercial information, commercial information and advice for consumers, advice and information concerning commercial business management relating to exploitation of osmotic power generation Energy production; rental of energy production equipment; generation of power; production of electrical power from renewable sources Scientific and technological services, namely, scientific research and development, conducting scientific feasibility studies, product research and development; product, scientific and computer software research and development in connection with energy production and generation of power; computer technology, product development, engineering consultancy relating to membrane technology; computer technology, product development and engineering consultancy relating to osmosis technology; consultancy relating to CO2 reduction and renewable energy; design and development of production equipment for renewable energy production
19.
VESICLES FORMED FROM BLOCK COPOLYMERS, AND NOVEL BLOCK COPOLYMERS
Vesicles formed from a block copolymer comprising at least one (poly)2-C1-3alkyl-2-oxazoline block and at least one polybutadiene block; and membranes comprising such vesicles. Block copolymers comprising at least one (poly)2-C1-3alkyl-2-oxazoline block and at least one polybutadiene block, provided that the copolymer is not the diblock copolymer consisting of 40 butadiene units and 190 2-methyl-2-oxazoline units terminated by a hydroxy group, are novel, and also form part of the invention.
C08G 81/02 - Composés macromoléculaires obtenus par l'interréaction de polymères en l'absence de monomères, p. ex. polymères séquencés au moins un des polymères étant obtenu par des réactions ne faisant intervenir que des liaisons non saturées carbone-carbone
Vesicles formed from a block copolymer comprising at least one (poly)2- Cl_3alky1-2- oxazoline block and at least one polybutadiene block; and membranes comprising such vesicles are disclosed. Block copolymers comprising at least one (poly)2-cl_3alky1-2- oxazoline block and at least one polybutadiene block, provided that the copolymer is not the diblock copolymer consisting of 40 butadiene units and 190 2-methy1-2-oxazoline units terminated by a hydroxy group also form part of the invention. The block copolymers, particularly copolymers having specific end groups, are advantageous for vesicle formation and in membranes as they form vesicles very readily; it is easy to stabilise and tailor the size of the vesicles; and the polymers can be readily functionalised to perform a range of reactions. Further, the permeability of the block copolymers is inherently low which makes the polymers valuable for many applications, including use in vesicles for delivery of drugs and cosmetics, and for use in membranes.
C08G 81/02 - Composés macromoléculaires obtenus par l'interréaction de polymères en l'absence de monomères, p. ex. polymères séquencés au moins un des polymères étant obtenu par des réactions ne faisant intervenir que des liaisons non saturées carbone-carbone
A process for the generation of electricity comprises the steps of extracting a warm saline stream from a geothermal formation, and converting latent osmotic energy present in said stream into electricity by passage through an osmotic power unit in which said stream is passed over one side of a semi-permeable membrane which permits the passage of water but not the passage of salts, an aqueous stream of lower salinity than said stream being passed over the other side of said membrane. The temperature of said warm saline stream is reduced before said stream enters the osmotic power unit by passage through a thermal power unit in which thermal energy present in said stream is converted into electricity.
F03G 7/00 - Mécanismes produisant une puissance mécanique, non prévus ailleurs ou utilisant une source d'énergie non prévue ailleurs
F03G 7/04 - Mécanismes produisant une puissance mécanique, non prévus ailleurs ou utilisant une source d'énergie non prévue ailleurs utilisant les différences de pression ou les différences thermiques existant dans la nature
A process for the generation of electricity comprises the steps of extracting a warm saline stream from a geothermal formation, and converting latent osmotic energy present in said stream into electricity by passage through an osmotic power unit in which said stream is passed over one side of a semi-permeable membrane which permits the passage of water but not the passage of salts, an aqueous stream of lower salinity than said stream being passed over the other side of said membrane. The temperature of said warm saline stream is reduced before said stream enters the osmotic power unit by passage through a thermal power unit in which thermal energy present in said stream is converted into electricity.
F03G 7/00 - Mécanismes produisant une puissance mécanique, non prévus ailleurs ou utilisant une source d'énergie non prévue ailleurs
F03G 7/04 - Mécanismes produisant une puissance mécanique, non prévus ailleurs ou utilisant une source d'énergie non prévue ailleurs utilisant les différences de pression ou les différences thermiques existant dans la nature
Novel block copolymers comprising at least one (poly)2-C1-3alkyl-2-oxazoline block and at least one (poly)dimethyl siloxane block, having at least one end group X which includes both an -NH2 group and an -NH- group, have been found to be particularly suitable for forming vesicles. The vesicles may be used to form filtration membranes.
The invention provides a filtration membrane which comprises a porous support and, covalently bonded to a surface thereof, a layer comprising a plurality of vesicles having transmembrane proteins incorporated therein, said vesicles being formed from an amphiphilic block copolymer; characterised in that within said layer, vesicles are covalently linked together to form a coherent mass. The membrane may be prepared by a process which comprises providing an aqueous suspension of vesicles having transmembrane proteins incorporated therein, said vesicles being formed from an amphiphilic block copolymer having reactive end groups; depositing said suspension of vesicles on a surface of a porous support; and providing reaction conditions such that covalent bonds are formed between different vesicles and between vesicles and said surface.
Novel block copolymers comprising at least one (poly)2-C1-3alkyl-2-oxazoline block and at least one (poly)dimethyl siloxane block, having at least one end group X which includes both an -NH2 group and an -NH- group, have been found to be particularly suitable for forming vesicles. The vesicles may be used to form filtration membranes.
The present invention generally related to a nanofabricated membrane including polymerized proteoliposomes. The nanofabricated membrane is a bio-nano fused selective membrane using protein-incorporated uv-crosslinkable liposomes with a chemical reactive biocompatible interstitial matrix. In the present invention, internally UV-crosslinked protein-incorporated proteolipsomes are used because the proteoliposomes made by natural lipids have a short life time and a weak resistance to the circumstantial stresses such as a high and low temperature, pressure, ionic strength etc. Furthermore, the proteo-vesicles made by amphiphilic block copolymers provide less consistency in accomplishing proper functionality batch to batch because of the inevitable polydiversity of the polymer.
The present invention relates to a method for producing man-made devices which have the properties and functions of biological membranes and membrane proteins, and to the structure of such devices.
Briefly, in one aspect of the invention, natural or genetically engineered proteins are incorporated into a polymeric vesicle that is conjugated to a thread to form a vesicle-thread conjugate. The engineered protein is preferably a transmembrane protein embedded in the wall of the polymeric vesicle. The vesicle-thread conjugate is then formed into a membrane or thin fabric having a wide variety of inherent functionality, including the ability to selectively transport and/or filter compounds between fluids. By selecting proteins with specific properties, membranes can be fabricated with a defined functionality including molecular scale addressability via directed electrostatic, electromagnetic, and chemical forces.
B01D 69/02 - Membranes semi-perméables destinées aux procédés ou aux appareils de séparation, caractérisées par leur forme, leur structure ou leurs propriétésProcédés spécialement adaptés à leur fabrication caractérisées par leurs propriétés
H01L 51/00 - Dispositifs à l'état solide qui utilisent des matériaux organiques comme partie active, ou qui utilisent comme partie active une combinaison de matériaux organiques et d'autres matériaux; Procédés ou appareils spécialement adaptés à la fabrication ou au traitement de tels dispositifs ou de leurs parties constitutives
H01L 51/05 - Dispositifs à l'état solide qui utilisent des matériaux organiques comme partie active, ou qui utilisent comme partie active une combinaison de matériaux organiques et d'autres matériaux; Procédés ou appareils spécialement adaptés à la fabrication ou au traitement de tels dispositifs ou de leurs parties constitutives spécialement adaptés au redressement, à l'amplification, à la génération d'oscillations ou à la commutation et ayant au moins une barrière de potentiel ou une barrière de surface; Condensateurs ou résistances à l'état solide, ayant au moins une barrière de potentiel ou une barrière de surface
