×

Microbial fuel cell treatment of fuel process wastewater

  • US 8,597,513 B2
  • Filed: 02/06/2009
  • Issued: 12/03/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method for cleansing fuel processing effluent containing carbonaceous compounds and inorganic salts, wherein at least a portion of said carbonaceous compounds includes one or more hydrocarbon compounds, the method comprising (i) contacting the fuel processing effluent with an anode of a microbial fuel cell, said anode containing microbes thereon which oxidatively degrade one or more of said carbonaceous compounds while producing electrical energy from said oxidative degradation, and (ii) directing processed effluent from said microbial fuel cell to an electrosorption device while directing said electrical energy to drive said electrosorption device that operates on said processed effluent, to reduce a concentration of one or more inorganic salts in said processed effluent, wherein said anode is in electrical communication with a cathode of the microbial fuel cell.

View all claims
  • 2 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×