Liquid solution concentration system comprising isolated subsystem and related methods

A method of operating an osmotic system, the osmotic system comprising:

• a feed osmotic module comprising:
• a retentate side,
• a permeate side, and
• at least one osmotic membrane between the retentate side and the permeate side;
• and an isolation osmotic module comprising:
• a retentate side,
• a permeate side, and
• at least one osmotic membrane between the retentate side and the permeate side;
• wherein the retentate side of the isolation osmotic module is fluidically connected to the permeate side of the feed osmotic module;
• and
• wherein the method comprises:
• during both a first period of time and a second period of time, transporting a feed solution comprising a solvent and a solute to the retentate side of the feed osmotic module such that the feed solution enters the retentate side of the feed osmotic module;
• during both the first period of time and the second period of time, operating the feed osmotic module to produce:
• a feed osmotic module retentate outlet stream exiting the retentate side of the feed osmotic module, the feed osmotic module retentate outlet stream having a solute concentration that is greater than a solute concentration of the feed solution entering the retentate side of the feed osmotic module, and
• a feed osmotic module permeate outlet stream that exits the permeate side of the feed osmotic module, the feed osmotic module permeate outlet stream comprising at least a portion of the solvent from the feed osmotic module retentate inlet stream;
• during both the first period of time and the second period of time, transporting an isolation osmotic module retentate inlet stream comprising at least a portion of the feed osmotic module permeate outlet stream to the retentate side of the isolation osmotic module such that the isolation osmotic module retentate inlet stream enters the retentate side of the isolation osmotic module;
• and
• during both the first period of time and the second period of time, operating the isolation osmotic module to produce:
• an isolation osmotic module retentate outlet stream exiting the retentate side of the isolation osmotic module, the isolation osmotic module retentate outlet stream having an osmotic pressure that is greater than an osmotic pressure of the isolation osmotic module retentate inlet stream, and
• an isolation osmotic module permeate outlet stream that exits the permeate side of the isolation osmotic module, the isolation osmotic module permeate outlet stream comprising at least a portion of solvent from the isolation osmotic module retentate inlet stream;
• wherein:
• during the first period of time, the retentate side of the feed osmotic module receives at least a portion of the feed osmotic module retentate outlet stream;
• and
• during the second period of time, the retentate side of the feed osmotic module no longer receives any portion of the feed osmotic module retentate outlet stream or receives an amount of the feed osmotic module retentate outlet stream that is less than the amount of the feed osmotic module retentate outlet stream received by the retentate side of the feed osmotic module during the first period of time.