Systems and devices for treating water, wastewater and other biodegradable matter

• US 9,776,897 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cambrian Innovation Inc .
• Original Assignee: Cambrian Innovation Inc .
• Inventors: Silver, Matthew, Buck, Justin, Taylor, Noah
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMAS, CIEL P
• Application Number:
  US13/378,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20120132521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,778 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/08 Chemical Oxygen Demand [COD]; Biological Oxygen Demand [BOD]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/14 NH3-N
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/15 N03-N
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/22 O2
• 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 3/006 Regulation methods for biological treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/04 using trickle filters
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/28 Anaerobic digestion processes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/302 Nitrification and denitrification treatment C02F3/308 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/303 characterised by the nitrification
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 11/03 perforated or foraminous
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 15/08 Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 3/00 Electrolytic production of organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/00 Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04089 of gaseous reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to bio-electrochemical systems for the generation of methane from organic material and for reducing chemical oxygen demand and nitrogenous waste through denitrification. The invention further relates to an electrode for use in, and a system for, the adaptive control of bio-electrochemical systems as well as a fuel cell.

Claims

1. A bio-electrochemical system for the generation of methane from an electron donating material, comprising:

an anaerobic reactor comprising at least one anode, at least one cathode, and at least one methanogenic microbe;

wherein at least one of the at least one anode and the at least one cathode comprises a first surface, a second surface and a membrane disposed between the first surface and the second surface, the first surface comprising a substantially conductive material woven to the second surface;

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

an input for receiving an electron donating material into the anaerobic reactor;

wherein the system is configured to allow the electron donating material to flow through the at least one anode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured such that the electron donating material flows from the at least one anode to the at least one cathode.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the electron donating material flows continuously from the at least one anode to the at least one cathode during operation of the bio-electrochemical system.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one cathode is disposed above the at least one anode, and the continuous flow is upwards from the at least one anode to the at least one cathode.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electron donating material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of an organic material, ammonia, and wastewater.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the electron donating material is wastewater.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one anode and the at least one cathode are separated by a selectively permeable barrier.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the selectively permeable barrier is a selectively permeably ion exchange membrane.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the voltage applied is sufficient to create a negative potential at the at least one cathode for facilitating one or more of the following reactions selected from the group consisting of:

the reduction of hydrogen ions to hydrogen gas;

H₂ formation by secondary fermentative organisms accepting electrons on the at least one cathode; and

methanogenic microbes generating methane from direct electron acceptance from the at least one cathode.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one cathode is a biological cathode.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising at least one exoelectrogenic microbe associated with the biological cathode.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one methanogenic microbe is a hydrogentrophic microbe.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one exoelectrogenic microbe associated with the at least one cathode.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one anode and the at least one cathode are disposed in separate compartments.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one anode and the at least one cathode are disposed within the same compartment.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one anode, the at least one cathode, or both, comprise a substantially tubular configuration.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one anode and the at least one cathode are concentric.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one anode, the at least one cathode, or both, comprise a substantially planar configuration.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a generator or a fuel cell powered by methane generated in the reactor.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a control tool comprising:

a probe configured to measure one or more stimuli of the system; and

an automated feedback control configured to maintain one or more levels of the system based on the stimulus measured by the probe.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising one or more resistors.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the automated feedback control tool adjusts the pH value of the electron donating material by changing a resistance between the at least one anode and the at least one cathode.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the control tool adjusts the pH value of the electron donating material by changing the voltage applied to the at least one cathode and/or the at least one anode.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the stimulus is selected from the group consisting of a spacing between the at least one anode and the at least one cathode, a loading rate of the electron donating material, an electrical current, a temperature of the anaerobic reactor, an oxygen concentration, a nitrate concentration, and an ammonia concentration.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the automated feedback control is configured to automatically maintain, without human intervention, the one or more levels of the system based on the stimulus measured by the probe.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the level of the system is selected from the group consisting of resistance between the at least one cathode and the at least one anode, spacing between the at least one cathode and the at least one anode, voltage, fuel loading rate, and pH value of the electron donating material, wherein the pH is adjusted by changing the resistance or voltage.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is used with an anaerobic digester.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the anaerobic reactor comprising a plurality of anode chambers each comprising at least one anode electrode, a plurality of cathode chambers each comprising at least one cathode electrode;

and the cathode and anode chambers are arranged in an alternating and cascading fashion.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the conductive material is woven to the second surface using carpet-manufacturing techniques and technologies.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the conductive material is carbon fiber.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the first surface has a substantially tubular configuration.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein the second surface has a substantially tubular configuration.

33. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of first and second surfaces.

34. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of membranes.