Nov 19 2008
WaterStyle Holdings, Inc. ("WSH") and UCLA jointly announce the licensing of certain key intellectual property for use in the water sector. The intellectual property focuses on advanced water systems, services and solutions for desalination, reclamation, reuse and sustainability. Under the terms of the License, WSH will have exclusive worldwide rights to this technology. This serves as the foundation for WSH’s technology platform and systems capability.
Some of unique features to these water technologies include smart water systems deploying advanced remote monitoring and control, rapid process diagnostic systems and field testing, membrane process monitors, high performance nano-structured membranes for nanofiltration and Reverse Osmosis ("RO") desalination, advanced processes for high recovery water desalination, and new methods for process optimization. The technologies developed by the UCLA WaTeR Center are pioneering technologies that have emerged from extensive multidisciplinary research and knowledgebase of fundamental science and technology.
"It is gratifying for us to have the opportunity to play a role in water technology transfer," said Yoram Cohen, PhD, Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Director of UCLA’s WaTeR Center. Cohen added, "The collection of technologies developed by the WaTeR Center is unique in that it represents a multipronged approach to improve membrane-based water processing. For example, our approach to membrane process monitoring combines the use of direct optical imaging of the membrane surface with real-time image analysis and, for the first time, the quantitative use of such information for membrane plant control. Our novel surface nano-structuring process enables the creation of a high density and uniform polymer membrane surface "brush" layer that is tailored to reduce membrane mineral scaling propensity and provide added membrane fouling-resistance. This approach makes it possible to tailor-design membranes for challenging water treatment applications where mineral scaling and fouling can be devastating. Our research team also developed new process analysis and optimization approaches that make use of advanced artificial neural networks and model-based control and optimization to advance plant operation to reduce energy consumption and enable dynamic process optimization. Other important developments include accelerated chemical demineralization as an interstage in a two-stage membrane desalting process for high recovery (up to 98%) brackish water desalination."
"We are pleased to see UCLA technology that addresses such a large scale, fundamental global problem---water scarcity---being moved towards the marketplace where it can ultimately benefit not only the State of California but almost every nation where water supply and quality are an issue," states Emily Waldron Loughran, Director of Licensing from UCLA’s Office of Intellectual Property.
"We are very pleased to have exclusively licensed these technologies from UCLA. Many of these applications are commercially-ready. This integrated High-Tech approach to water treatment and production technologies represents a paradigm shift that will enable the rapid development and deployment of advanced distributed water systems and retrofitting of existing systems to provide the growing demand for water in our Nation and around the world," stated Joseph A. Boystak, Chairman & Co-CEO of WaterStyle Holdings, Inc.
Boystak further noted, "Water is the irreducible element in the equation of life. There is no substitute for this precious resource. We anticipate the world’s fresh water supply will be severely taxed and unable to satisfy global demand over the coming decades. It is already at crisis levels in some areas. There is a clear nexus between water, health, energy and the economy."
"We view UCLA to be one of the premier academic research centers in the world for water technology. UCLA has a long history and tradition of excellence in this sector having pioneered one of the first commercially viable reverse osmosis membranes and the world’s first RO plant for the production of drinking water. The research is world class in its theory and application," said Michael B. Flesch, Vice Chairman & Co-CEO.