Osmotic bioelectrochemical systems

• US 9,527,038 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2012
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UWM Research Foundation
• Original Assignee: UWM Research Foundation
• Inventors: He, Zhen
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Aniello, Nicholas P
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, JIMMY
• Application Number:
  US13/546,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20130017414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/25 Recirculation, recycling or bypass, e.g. recirculation of concentrate into the feed
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/252 Recirculation of concentrate
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/002 Forward osmosis or direct osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/025 Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/441 by reverse osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/445 by forward osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46138 Electrodes comprising a substrate and a coating
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/08 Seawater, e.g. for desalination
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/003 Coaxial constructions, e.g. a cartridge located coaxially within another
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/46115 Electrolytic cell with membranes or diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/024 Turbulent
• 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 2303/16 Regeneration of sorbents, filters
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/005 Combined electrochemical biological processes aeration by electrolytically produced oxygen bubbles C02F3/202
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/341 Consortia of bacteria
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/131 Reverse-osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/30 Wastewater or sewage treatment systems using renewable energies

Abstract

A bioelectrochemical system includes an anode, a saline solution chamber, and a cathode. The anode is at least partially positioned within an anode chamber containing an aqueous reaction mixture including one or more organic compounds and one or more bacteria for oxidizing the organic compounds. The saline solution chamber contains a draw solution and is separated from the anode chamber by a forward osmosis membrane. Water diffuses across the forward osmosis membrane from the aqueous reaction mixture to the draw solution.

Claims

1. A bioelectrochemical system comprising:

an anode at least partially positioned within an anode chamber containing an aqueous reaction mixture including one or more organic compounds and one or more bacteria for oxidizing the organic compounds;

a saline solution chamber containing a draw solution and separated from the anode chamber by a forward osmosis membrane, wherein the forward osmosis membrane is a porous membrane that blocks solute particles having a size of 0.0001 microns or larger;

wherein the draw solution comprises a higher amount of a saline solution than the anode chamber and the saline solution contains a salt concentration of at least or greater than 20 g/L; and

a cathode;

wherein water diffuses across the forward osmosis membrane from the aqueous reaction mixture to the draw solution.

2. The bioelectrochemical system of claim 1, wherein the forward osmosis membrane at least partially surrounds and defines the anode chamber.

3. The bioelectrochemical system of claim 2, wherein the anode chamber is at least partially surrounded by the saline solution chamber.

4. The bioelectrochemical system of claim 1, wherein the saline solution chamber is a cathode chamber and the cathode is at least partially positioned within the cathode chamber.

5. The bioelectrochemical system of claim 4, wherein the draw solution is a catholyte solution.

6. The bioelectrochemical system of claim 4, wherein the draw solution comprises sodium chloride.

7. The bioelectrochemical system of claim 4, wherein the diffusion of water across the forward osmosis membrane increases proton transport into the cathode chamber, thereby increasing current generation.