Bio-electrochemical system for treating wastewater

• US 10,099,950 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cambrian Innovation Inc .
• Original Assignee: Cambrian Innovation, LLC
• Inventors: Silver, Matthew, Buck, Justin, Kiely, Patrick, Guzman, Juan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brewster, Hayden
• Application Number:
  US13/811,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20130299400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,742 Days
• Field of Search: 204253, 204267, 204242, 204252, 205637, 210143, 210150, 210243
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/46109 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/46114 Electrodes in particulate form or with conductive and/or non conductive particles between them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46133 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46157 Perforated or foraminous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/006 Radioactive compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/002 Grey water, e.g. from clothes washers, showers or dishwashers
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/005 Black water originating from toilets
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/4611 Fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/46115 Electrolytic cell with membranes or diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/46135 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/08 Multistage treatments, e.g. repetition of the same process step under different conditions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/10 Energy recovery
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/005 Combined electrochemical biological processes aeration by electrolytically produced oxygen bubbles C02F3/202
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/1273 Submerged membrane bioreactors
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/2826 using anaerobic filters
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/345 for biological oxidation or reduction of sulfur compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/30 Wastewater or sewage treatment systems using renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 : using solar energy

Abstract

The invention relates to bio-electrochemical systems for treating wastewater, and sour gas produced by anaerobic digestion of organic material. The invention further relates to novel anode/cathode pairing schemes, and electric and hydraulic architectures for use in bio-electrochemical systems.

Claims

1. A bio-electrochemical apparatus for treating wastewater, comprising:

a fully enclosed anaerobic reaction chamber comprising two or more anode/cathode pairs disposed therein and arranged in substantial proximity, each anode/cathode pair comprising at least one anode and at least one cathode where at least one anode is in proximity to a methanogenic microbe; and

at least one power source configured to apply a voltage to the anode/cathode pair;

wherein said two or more anode/cathode pairs are arranged in vertical succession; and

wherein said anaerobic reaction chamber is configured to allow the wastewater or a gas to flow upwards to the anode, and the cathode, in each of the anode/cathode pairs; and

wherein a surface area ratio of each cathode;

anode in a pair is 1;

5 to 5;

1 and the distance between the anode/cathode pairs is approximately 0.01 cm to 1 cm.

2. The bio-electrochemical system of claim 1, wherein the at least one power source is configured to apply the same voltage to said two or more anode/cathode pairs.

3. The bio-electrochemical system of claim 1, wherein said anode/cathode pair is configured to enable gas to flow up the chamber and past the two or more anode/cathode pairs.

4. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 1, wherein said two or more anode/cathode pairs are arranged in vertical succession on a support rack.

5. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 1, wherein said anode and said cathode are comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of:

biochar, graphite granules, stainless steel, wire mesh, carbon mesh, carbon cloth, carbon fiber, carbon felt, carbon granules, conductive paint, and a coating comprised of carbon in binder.

6. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 2, wherein said anode is comprised of carbon mesh, carbon cloth, carbon fiber, or carbon felt, and said cathode is comprised of stainless steel.

7. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 5, wherein said anode or said cathode is comprised of two or more materials.

8. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 7, wherein said anode or cathode is comprised of a combination of stainless steel and carbon mesh, carbon cloth, carbon fiber, carbon felt, or carbon in a binder, or a combination of wire mesh and carbon mesh, carbon cloth, carbon fiber, carbon felt, conductive paint, or a coating comprised of carbon in a binder.

9. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 1, wherein said anode and cathode are separated by a porous, insulating layer.

10. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 9, wherein said porous, insulating layer comprises a plastic material.

11. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 9, wherein said porous, insulating layer is a support structure on which said cathode is disposed.

12. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 11, wherein the anode and cathode are a conductive paint applied to either side of said porous, insulating layer.

13. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 4, wherein said support rack comprises one or more conductive substances electrically connected to each of said anode/cathode pairs and the at least one power source.

14. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 13, wherein said voltage is applied to the at least one anode and the at least one cathode in said two or more anode/cathode pairs through said support rack.

15. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the anodes and cathodes comprise a stainless steel mesh coated with an activated carbon/binder mixture.

16. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the anode/cathode pairs are curved.

17. The bio-electrochemical apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an angled solid dividing layer.