APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF CONCENTRATIONS OF LIQUID STREAMS

• US 20120298527A1
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Planet Strategies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Blue Planet Strategies, LLC
• Inventors: James, Patrick I., Stejic, George
• Granted Patent: US 8,545,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/743
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/46114 Electrodes in particulate form or with conductive and/or non conductive particles between them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/20 Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/203 Iron or iron compound
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/10 from quarries or from mining activities
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/40 Cells or assemblies of cells comprising electrodes made of particles; Assemblies of constructional parts thereof

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for electrochemical modification of liquid streams using at least one anode and cathode assemblies arranged to contain liquid electrolytes anolyte and catholyte, a plurality of electrically conducting anode and cathode particulates forming anode and cathode particulate beds, and current feeder and current collector devices in contact with the particulate bed, where the anode particulates and cathode particulates are in motion substantially independent of bulk electrolytes flow.

Claims

1. An apparatus for electrochemical modification of liquid streams employing at least one electrolytic cell which comprises:

at least one anode assembly including at least one anode compartment arranged to contain;

a liquid electrolyte anolyte, a plurality of electrically conducting anode particulates forming an anode particulate bed, and a current feeder device in at least intermittent contact with the anode particulate bed, where the anode particulates are in motion and the anode particulates motion substantially independent of bulk anolyte flow,

at least one cathode assembly including at least one cathode compartment arranged to contain;

a liquid electrolyte catholyte, a plurality of electrically conducting cathode particulates forming a cathode particulate bed, and a current collector device in at least intermittent contact with said cathode particulates where the cathode particulates are in motion and the particulates motion is substantially independent of bulk catholyte flow,

at least one separator arranged;

to separate the cathode compartment and the anode compartment, to confine the anode particulates bed and the cathode particulates bed, and to constrain the electrolytes flows through the anode particulate bed and the cathode particulate bed, and to facilitate ionic conduction of current between the anode particulate bed and the cathode particulate bed,

at least one particulate conveyance system arranged to manipulate the anode particulate bed and the cathode particulate bed motions,

at least one system for substantially independent circulations of the liquid electrolyte anolyte and liquid electrolyte catholyte through the electrolytic cell,

and at least one system for driving unidirectional electric current supported by the liquid streams from the anode assembly through the anolyte and the separator into the catholyte and to the cathode assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the liquid electrolyte anolyte and the liquid electrolyte catholyte comprise ionizing compounds dissolved in supporting solutions.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein, the supporting solutions are chosen from the set of solutions comprising liquid organic compounds, liquid inorganic compounds, and mixtures of liquid organic compounds and liquid inorganic compounds.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the supporting solutions are chosen from the set of solutions comprising water, methanol, ethanol, all isomers of propanol, acetonitrile, carbon dioxide, ammonia, methylethyl ketone, tetrahydrofuran, dimethylsulfoxide, and mixtures thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one particulate conveyance system is arranged to selectively transport the anode particulates from at least one anode compartment into the at least one cathode compartment and the cathode particulates from the at least one cathode compartment into the at least one anode compartment substantially independently from the motions of the liquid electrolyte anolyte and the liquid electrolyte catholyte.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one anode assembly incorporates the current feeder device having at least one solid state surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of electrically conducting anode particulates and the plurality of electrically conducting cathode particulates comprise constituents having absolute value of hydrogen evolution overpotential equal or exceeding 0.0 V(SHE) at current density of substantially 1 mA/cm².

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one cathode assembly incorporates the current collector device having at least one solid state surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the solid state surface is geometrically stable.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the solid state surface is geometrically stable.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the separator incorporates at least one surface arranged to define at least one plane.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one plane is oriented non-horizontally.

13. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one particulate conveyance system is a mechanical system that interacts with the anode and the cathode particulates via direct mechanical interaction.

14. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one particulate conveyance system comprises at least one particulates conveyor selected from the set consisting of a screw type conveyor, a moving bucket type conveyor, a moving belt type conveyor, and a combination type conveyor incorporating any combination of the screw, the moving bucket, or the moving belt.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the anode and the cathode particulates comprise materials arranged to conduct electric charges chosen from a set of electrically conductive and semiconductive materials consisting elements, metals, alloys, compounds, ceramics, organic polymers, and inorganic polymers.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cathode particulates and the anode particulates comprise materials with resistivity values of less than 20,000 nano ohm centimeters.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the cathode particulates and the anode particulates comprise materials with resistivity values of less than 5,000 nano ohm centimeters.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the cathode particulates and the anode particulates comprise materials with resistivity values of less than 1,000 nano ohm centimeters.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one anode assembly, the at least one cathode assembly, the at least one separator, and at least one system for driving unidirectional electric current are arranged to support a common loop of current simultaneously flowing through the anode particulate bed and the cathode particulate bed.

20. A method for electrochemical modification of liquid streams by an electrolytic cell comprising steps of:

a) providing at least one anode assembly including at least one anode compartment having;

a liquid electrolyte anolyte, a plurality of electrically conducting anode particulates forming an anode particulate bed, and a current feeder device in at least intermittent contact with the anode particulate bed, where the anode particulates are in motion and the anode particulates motion substantially independent of bulk anolyte flow;

at least one cathode assembly including at least one cathode compartment having;

a liquid electrolyte catholyte, a plurality of electrically conducting cathode particulates forming a cathode particulate bed, and a current collector device in at least intermittent contact with the cathode particulates where the cathode particulates are in motion and the particulates motion is substantially independent of bulk catholyte flow;

at least one separator which separates the at least one cathode compartment and the at least one anode compartment, confines the anode particulate bed and the cathode particulate bed, and constrains the electrolytes flows through the anode particulate bed and the cathode particulate bed, and facilitates ionic conduction of current between the anode particulate bed and the cathode particulate bed, at least one particulate conveyance system arranged to manipulate the anode particulate bed and the cathode particulate bed particles motions;

at least one system for substantially independent circulations of the liquid electrolyte anolyte and liquid electrolyte catholyte through the electrolytic cell; and

at least one system for driving unidirectional electric current supported by the liquid streams from the anode assembly through the anolyte and the separator into the catholyte and to the cathode assembly;

b) circulating at least one liquid stream undergoing modification through at least one anode compartment;

c) circulating at least another liquid stream undergoing modification through at least one cathode compartment;

d) articulating at least one particulate conveyance system to drive the anode particulate bed and the cathode particulate bed motions substantially independently from the circulation of the liquid streams undergoing modification, bringing the anode particulate bed and the cathode particulates bed in at least intermittent contact with the current feeder device and the current collection device respectively;

e) energizing at least one system for driving an unidirectional electric current supported by the liquid streams from the anode assembly through the separator into the cathode assembly;

f) executing steps a) through e) for the duration of time sufficient to electrochemically react at least detectable quantities of constituents of the liquid streams undergoing modification.

21. The method of claim 20, where an additional step of adding a supporting solution to the liquid streams is performed before the step a) in claim 20.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein an additional step of at least partial extraction from the electrolytic cell and removal from the electrolytic cell of sedimented or suspended precipitates, and/or dissolved products of electrochemical reactions is performed after the step e) of the claim 20.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the steps b) and c) are performed independently, allowing only substantial ionic transport of the liquid stream constituents through the at least one separator, but excluding possibility of direct bulk mixing between the liquid streams undergoing modification.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the steps f) is performed until a concentration of at least one constituent of the at least one liquid stream is augmented to the predetermined level of the concentration of the at least one constituent of the at least another liquid stream undergoing modification.

25. The method of claim 20, where the unidirectional electric current is variable unidirectional current of variable intensity during the conduction.

26. The method of claim 20, where unidirectional electric current is direct current of constant intensity during the conduction.