Productized platform
AQUA-SEP®
AQUA-SEP® is what happens when vacuum membrane distillation projects going back to 1999 converge on a productized platform. We took the components that won every commissioning (the membrane modules, the vacuum train, the heat-recovery loop, the controls package) and standardized them into a system you can size, quote, and ship inside a quarter. AQUA-SEP® is in service on produced water, landfill leachate, mining tailings, and ZLD-bound brines around the world.
AQUA-SEP® delivers
Predictable performance, every install.
Productized does not mean compromised. AQUA-SEP® hits the same numbers across every commissioning, because the platform was tuned to the applications that asked for it most.
- Water recovery, standalone
- 85 to 90%+
- Vacuum membrane distillation, on tested feeds: produced water, leachate, mining brines, RO reject.
- Water recovery, RO + AQUA-SEP hybrid
- ~95%
- RO at ~40% recovery, AQUA-SEP at the tail. Cleaning frequency: 1 to 4 times per year.
- Recovered water purity
- <10 mg/L TDS
- 99.99% pure on a TDS basis. Independently testable on your own feed.
- Energy vs evaporator + crystallizer
- ~6x lower
- ~69 vs ~429 kWh/m³ total specific energy on the 18.5 GPM (~100 m³/day) unit, per the AQUA-SEP Energy Comparison data sheet. Drops further on sites with waste heat.
Performance envelope
Sizes, materials, options.
Capacity scales by adding skids in parallel. Materials and code stamps configure to your jurisdiction. We document every option in the proposal package.
- Maximum feed TDS
- Up to 25%+(250,000 mg/L)
- Flux rate
- Up to 25kg/m²·h
- Single skid capacity
- 18.5 GPM (~4.2 m³/hr, ~100)m³/day
- Standard plant range (packaged systems)
- 50 to 1,000m³/dayLarger plants, such as the 3,000 m³/day brine concentration plant in China, are delivered as custom multi-skid projects.
- Operating temperature
- 60 to 80°C
- Max operating pressure
- 200kPa
- Permeate quality
- <10mg/L TDS (99.99% pure)
- Footprint per m³/day
- 1.5 to 3m²
- Specific energy (18.5 GPM, ~100 m³/day unit)
- ~69kWh/m³ (43 system + 26 utilities)
- Membrane materials
- PTFE, PVDF, PES
- Form factor
- Hollow fiber (preferred) or flat sheet
- Code stamps
- ASME 'U', 'U2', 'R', NB
- Materials of construction
- Stainless 316L standard; duplex and Hastelloy options
- Membrane life (typical)
- 3 to 5years
Energy comparison
AQUA-SEP® vs evaporator + crystallizer.
Published energy figures for an 18.5 GPM (~100 m³/day) unit, AQUA-SEP® versus a conventional evaporator + crystallizer alternative. Source: Petro Sep AQUA-SEP Energy Comparison data sheet.
| System | System energy (kWh/m³) | Utilities (kWh/m³) | Total (kWh/m³) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQUA-SEP® | 43 | 26 (variable) | ~69 |
| Evaporator + crystallizer | 300 | 129 | ~429 |
At 18.5 GPM (~100 m³/day), AQUA-SEP® runs at roughly one-sixth the total specific energy of the evaporator + crystallizer alternative. The advantage widens further on sites with waste heat available to drive the vacuum distillation loop.
Built on
Vacuum Membrane Distillation.
High-recovery treatment for high-salinity and complex feeds where reverse osmosis cannot go.
AQUA-SEP® is the productized application of our vacuum membrane distillation technology. The technology page is where engineers go for the working principle, full specs, and how it compares to alternatives.
Why this matters to a buyer
- The technology is proven in 100+ commissioned projects, not a science experiment.
- The system is the same platform we already ship at scale; no first-of-a-kind risk.
- If a custom configuration is needed beyond the standard envelope, we engineer it on the same platform.
Where it's deployed
Industries that buy this system.
AQUA-SEP® is in service across multiple sectors. Click through to see the specific applications and outcomes by industry.
Oil, Gas & Energy
Process equipment, packaged plants, and patented separation for upstream, midstream, downstream, and energy.
Learn more
Mining
Process plants and patented separation for tailings, brines, lithium, and ZLD.
Learn more
Industrial Manufacturing & Environmental
Process equipment, packaged plants, and patented recovery for manufacturing, water reuse, and emissions control.
Learn more
Ready to size
AQUA-SEP® for your feed?
Send us your fluid composition and a target capacity. We will send back a sized configuration, expected performance, and an indicative budget promptly.