SYSTEMS AND DEVICES FOR TREATING WATER, WASTEWATER AND OTHER BIODEGRADABLE MATTER

• US 20120132521A1
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Published: 05/31/2012
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,776,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/252
• 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

1-34. -34. (canceled)

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

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

a power source configured to apply a voltage to the anode electrode and the cathode electrode.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the system is configured such that the electron donating material flows from the anode to the cathode.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the electron donating material comprises at least one of the following:

an organic material, ammonia, or wastewater.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the at least one anode electrode and the at least one cathode electrode are separated by a selectively permeable barrier.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the selectively permeable barrier is a selectively permeably ion exchange membrane.

40. The system of claim 35, wherein the voltage applied is sufficient to create a negative potential at the cathode electrode for facilitating one or more of the following reactions:

the reduction of hydrogen ions to hydrogen gas;

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

methanogenic microbes generating methane from direct electron acceptance from the cathode.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the cathode is a biological cathode.

42. The system of claim 40, further comprising at least one exoelectrogenic microbe associated with the biological cathode.

43. The system of claim 35, further comprising at least one exoelectrogenic microbe associated with the cathode.

44. The system of claim 40, wherein the at least one methanogenic microbe is a hydrogentrophic microbe.

45. The system of claim 35, wherein the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are disposed in separate compartments.

46. The system of claim 35, wherein the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are disposed within the same compartment.

47. The system of claim 35, wherein the anode electrode, the cathode electrode, or both, comprise a substantially tubular configuration.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are concentric.

49. The system of claim 35, wherein the anode electrode, the cathode electrode, or both, comprise a substantially planar configuration.

50. The system of claim 35, wherein the anode electrode, the cathode electrode, or both, comprise a plurality of layers of stacked electrodes.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the anode electrode, the cathode electrode, or both, are cascading electrodes.

52. The system of claim 35, wherein the power source comprises electricity generated by a generator or a fuel cell powered by methane generated in the reactor.

53. The system of claim 35, further comprising a control tool for optimizing the rate of operation of the bio-electrochemical system by monitoring the levels of one or more of the following:

voltage, resistance, electrode spacing, fuel loading rate, pH of fuel, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, ammonia, and other chemical species.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the control tool comprises an automated feedback mechanism.