Methods for removing impurities from water

• US 8,197,698 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2011
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermo Technologies LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Thermo Technologies LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Johnson, Dennis E. J., Abramov, Grigori A., Kleinke, Richard A., Wiley, Marcus A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LANGEL, WAYNE A
• Application Number:
  US13/110,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20110220584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 210/665, 210/668, 210/712, 210/719, 210/721, 210/748.15, 210/748.17, 210/757, 210/758, 210/759, 210/765
• US Class Current: 210/748.17
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 1/10 Rotary retorts
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0903 Feed preparation
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0916 Biomass
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/093 Coal
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0943 Coke
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0946 Waste, e.g. MSW, tires, glass, tar sand, peat, paper, lignite, oil shale
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/1215 using synthesis gas as fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/66 by introducing them into the gasification zone
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 1/101 with water only
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/18 Integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC], e.g. combined with carbon capture and storage [CCS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 the feedstock being materials of biological origin

Abstract

A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water may comprise the steps of: subjecting an oxygen-containing substance to an environment; increasing a temperature within said environment; ionizing said oxygen-containing substance; forming an electrostatically enhanced oxygen species; transferring at least some of said electrostatically enhanced oxygen species to said liquid water; processing said liquid water by action of said electrostatically enhanced oxygen species; creating a charged negatively electrostatically enhanced water species by the presence of said electrostatically enhanced oxygen species in said liquid water; and removing said undesired substances from said liquid water through action of said charged negatively electrostatically enhanced water species in said liquid water, perhaps with the goal of purifying water. Such water may be used in a variety of manners, including but not limited to reuse of the purified water in a closed loop system as a cleaning agent.

Claims

1. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water, comprising the steps of:

subjecting a gas-state oxygen-containing substance to an environment;

ionizing said gas-state oxygen-containing substance within said environment;

forming a gas-state charged electrostatically enhanced oxygen species;

assuring at least some of said gas-state charged electrostatically enhanced oxygen species in said liquid water;

processing said liquid water by action of said gas-state charged electrostatically enhanced oxygen species;

creating a charged negatively electrostatically enhanced water species by the presence of said gas-state charged electrostatically enhanced oxygen species in said liquid water; and

removing said undesired substances from said liquid water through action of said charged negatively electrostatically enhanced water species in said liquid water.

2. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

allowing free electrons to form together with said gas-state charged electrostatically enhanced oxygen species to make at least some singlet oxygen; and

transferring at least some of said free electrons and said singlet oxygen to said liquid water.

3. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 1 wherein said step of creating a charged negatively electrostatically enhanced water species comprises the step of creating an aqueous solution having a net negative charge.

4. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 1 wherein said step of creating a charged negatively electrostatically enhanced water species comprises the step of creating an aqueous solution having a negatively charged species content exceeding a contaminant background demand for said negatively charged species content.

5. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 1 wherein said step of assuring at least some of said gas-state charged electrostatically enhanced oxygen species in said liquid water comprises the step of assuring selected from the group consisting of:

assuring an aqueous solution containing saturated hydrogen peroxide and negatively charged oxygen;

assuring an aqueous solution containing saturated hydrogen peroxide and singlet molecular oxygen;

assuring an aqueous solution containing saturated hydrogen peroxide and hydroxide;

assuring an aqueous solution containing saturated hydrogen peroxide and hydroxide radicals;

assuring an aqueous solution containing long-chain negatively charged oxygen species;

assuring a peroxyl activated aqueous solution;

assuring a nitroxyl activated aqueous solution;

assuring an oxygenated aqueous solution; and

assuring an ionized oxygen vapor aqueous solution.

6. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 1 wherein said step of removing said undesired substances from said liquid water comprises the step of chemically reacting.

7. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 1 wherein said step of removing said undesired substances from said liquid water comprises the step of temporally accelerating a chemical reaction sequence.

8. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 1 further comprising the steps of integrating a negatively electrostatically enhanced water species generation unit with a solid carbonaceous materials gasifier system and producing said charged negatively electrostatically enhanced water species.

9. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 8 wherein said step of removing said undesired substances from said liquid water comprises the step of solubilizing contaminants.

10. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 9 wherein said step of solubilizing comprises the step of solubilizing selected from the group consisting of:

causing an oxidation reaction, causing a reduction reaction, causing an adsorption coagulation reaction, and causing an absorption coagulation reaction.

11. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 1 further comprising the step of coagulating at least some of said undesired substances to generate coagulated undesired substances.

12. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 11 further comprising the step of separating at least some of said coagulated undesired substances.

13. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 12 wherein said step of separating at least some of said coagulated undesired substances comprises the step of separating selected from the group consisting of:

flocculating, precipitating, settling, condensing, polishing, filtering, removing via final polarized media polish filtration, and removing via electro-precipitation removal.

14. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 1 further comprising the step of generating a substance selected from the group consisting of:

generating long-chain negatively charged oxygen species, generating hydroxide, generating hydrogen peroxide, and generating peroxyl.

15. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 1 further comprising the step of recycling said charged negatively electrostatically enhanced water species.

16. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 15 wherein said step of recycling said negatively electrostatically enhanced water species comprises the step of substantially totally recycling said negatively electrostatically enhanced water species.

17. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 1 wherein said method is a closed loop recycling method.

18. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 17 further comprising the steps of generating substantially contaminant-free water upon performing said step of removing said undesired substances;

and using said contaminant-free water as a cleaning agent in a process.

19. A method for removing undesired substances from liquid water as described in claim 1 further comprising the steps of generating substantially contaminant-free water upon performing said step of removing said undesired substances;

and using said contaminant-free water as a cleaning agent in a process.