Ionics, Inc.

General Electric Company

Ge Osmonics, Inc.

Ge Ionics, Inc.

Keith James Sims

Irving D Elyanow

Russell James MacDonald

Li Zhang

William W Carson

Wayne A McRae

Arthur L Goldstein

Oleg Grebenyuk

Edgardo J Parsi

Vladimir Grebenyuk

Bernard Roy Mack

Thomas A Prato

John Harold Barber

Bruce T Batchelder

Wei Cai

Rihua Xiong

Chengqian Zhang

Thomas J Susa

Robert J Ritz

John R Barber

Richard G Parent

William C Whitehill

Richard I Parent

William E Katz

R Hilda Zanapalidou

Hilda R Zanapalidou

Russell J Macdonald

A supercapacitor desalination cell comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, a spacer disposed between the first and second electrodes, and a monovalent ion selective layer disposed on at least one of the first and second electrodes. A supercapacitor desalination device and a method for desalination of a liquid are further presented.

Supercapacitor desalination cells, devices and methods

An electrodeionization apparatus includes an anode compartment provided with an anode and a cathode compartment spaced from the anode compartment and provided with a cathode, wherein the anode and cathode are configured for coupling to a DC power source to effect an electric potential difference between the anode and the cathode and thereby influence transport of ionic material in liquid media and ion exchange media by the influence of the electric potential difference. The electrodeionization apparatus also includes a feed inlet receiving a feed solution, a product water outlet and a plurality of anion exchange membranes and a plurality of cation exchange membranes alternately arranged between the anode compartment and the cathode compartment. The electrodeionization apparatus also includes a plurality of spacers, wherein the spacers and the anion and cation exchange membranes are arranged to form a first diluting compartment receiving feed solution from the feed inlet, a second diluting compartment in series with the first diluting compartment and delivering product water to the product water outlet, a first concentrating compartment and a second concentrating compartment. The first and second diluting compartments are bounded by an anion exchange membrane on the side closest to the anode and by a cation exchange membrane on the side closest to the cathode. The first and second concentrating compartments are bounded by a cation exchange membrane on the side closest to the anode and by an anion exchange membrane on the side closest to the cathode.

Electrodeionization device and method with improved scaling resistance

A spacer element () is disclosed having an integral screen for use in filled cell electrodialysis. The spacer () has a continuous portion () impermeable to flow and a screen () which spans a centrally-located flow treatment region that contains active treatment material, such as ion exchange beads. The screen () may perform a structural function, allowing operation at elevated pressure, and may also define a minimum gap between adjacent membranes and enhance mixing along the flow path and at cell boundaries. The spacer element () may be configured to enhance hydraulic filling of the cells, and cell architecture is readily implemented in a wide range of useful flow path geometries utilizing the screen spacer element ().

Spacer for filled cell electrodialysis

An improved apparatus and operating method related thereto for deionizing water to produce substantially pure water using electric field and ion exchange materials are disclosed, including embodiments incorporating one or more of the novel features of brine and electrode streams flowing in a direction counter-current to the stream being deionized, a filling of the brine stream with stratified ion exchange materials, a stream mixing feature for mixing the stream being deionized, a gas removal feature for removal of gases, a spiral-wound embodiment of an electrodialysis device according to the invention, and a method for determining the preferred operating current for electrodialysis systems according to this invention.

Device and method for electrodialysis

Some embodiments of the invention relate to an electrodeionization device that includes comprising a generally cylindrical housing. The cylindrical housing includes a cylindrical inner core and an inner electrode that extends around the inner core. The cylindrical housing includes a leaf arranged as a spiral winding about the inner electrode and an outer electrode that extends about the spiral winding. Active treatment cells are defined by spaces within the spiral winding and by interleaf spaces thereof. One or more sealing bands extend between membranes of the spiral winding to define fluid flow.

Spiral electrodeionization device with segregated ionic flows

EDI apparatus for demineralizing a liquid flow is assembled in a housing having a cylindrical shape, and includes two metal electrodes, and one or more leafs, each leaf comprising a pair of selectively ion-permeable membranes arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart by spacing elements that allow liquid to flow in the interstitial space between membranes, thus forming an arrangement of dilute and concentrate cells in a desired flow configuration. Spacing elements between membranes, as well as between leaves, can be formed of inert polymer material, ion exchange beads, ion exchange fibers, a combination of two or more these elements, or a porous media incorporating one or more of such elements as an intrinsic part. An inner or central electrode and an outer or perimeter electrode establish a generally uniform and radially-oriented electrical or ionic current between the inner and the outer electrodes, across the helical flow spaces defined by the membrane/spacer windings. One or both electrodes may include a pocket, and the adjacent flow cells lie parallel to the electrode and free of shadowing and field inhomogeneity around a full circumference of the electrode. Flow paths within the helical cells are defined by barrier seals, which may form a path-lengthening maze, while unfilled cell regions may disperse or collect flow within a cell and define pressure gradients promote directional flows. Impermeable barriers between membranes further prevent the feed and concentrate flows from mixing. In various embodiments, seals along or between portions of the flow path may define a multi-stage device, may define separate feed and/or concentrate flows for different stages, and/or may direct the feed and concentrate flows along preferred directions which may be co-current, counter-current or cross-current with respect to each other within the apparatus.

Spiral electrodeionization device with flow distribution profiling

Apparatus and method are disclosed for introducing ion exchange or other particulates into compartments of an already-assembled electrodeionization or comparable stack by modulating a flow of slurry into the compartments with slugs of gas such as air. The air propels liquid through the cells, scavenging ponded liquid so that the particulates (which are retained, e.g., by a strainer or obstruction, in compartment of the apparatus) are deposited as well-packed beds to fill the compartments. Pressurized air filling protocols may deliver discrete slugs of slurry between bursts of air, and the direction of filling may be periodically reversed to diminish particle bed non-homogeneities or settling gradients that arise during transport. The slugs of air may be applied in the direction of slurry flow, in the reverse direction, or both. Different slurries may be transported in a sequence to form layered and packed beds of enhanced utility. An apparatus of the invention has filled compartments of enhanced packing, and is ported or has its passages arranged so that ion exchange material may be filled, or may be replenished by a fluidized flow according to a method of this invention.

EDI and related stacks and method and apparatus for preparing such

Water treatment systems or assemblies are normally tested after construction, at least for leaks, prior to shipping or storage. Pressure testing with a gas is hazardous, so testing with water is a standard method. After testing, the water is displaced from the system by draining or gas phase flushing. It is nearly impossible to remove all of the water from the system or assembly. This remaining water provides an environment for biological growth which contaminates the system or assembly over time. The purpose of this invention is to eliminate or minimize this biological contamination by adding a biocidal agent to the system or assembly before sealing it for shipment or storage.

Method and apparatus for preparing pure water

Improved electrodialysis (ED) stacks are disclosed having one or more components selected from the group:

Electrodialysis including filled cell electrodialysis

Improved electrodialysis (ED) stacks are disclosed having one or more components selected from the group: a) cation exchange membranes having ion exchange groups predominantly sulfonic acid groups and a minor amount of weakly acidic and/or weakly basic groups or membranes which are selective to monovalent cations and simultaneously therewith, cation exchange granules selective to monovalent cations as packing in the dilute compartments; b) anion exchange membranes having as ion exchange groups only quaternary ammonium and/or quaternary phosphonium groups and substantially no primary, secondary and/or tertiary amine and/or phosphine groups or membranes which are selective to monovalent anions simultaneously therewith, anion exchange granules selective to monovalent anions as packing in the dilute compartments; c) as packing in the dilute compartment, anion exchange granules which are selective to monovalent anions, or cation exchange granules which are selective to monovalent cations, or cation exchange granules having as exchange groups a predominant amount of sulfonic acid groups and a minor amount of weakly acidic and/or weakly basic groups, or anion exchange granules consisting of organic polymers having as anion exchange groups only quaternary ammonium and/or quaternary phosphonium groups and almost no primary, secondary and/or tertiary amine and/or phosphine groups.

Electrodialysis ('ED') stacks are disclosed having components selected from the group:

Apparatus and method for introducing ion-exchange and other particulates into certain compartments of an assembled electrodeionization stack comprising flowing a slurry of said particulates into the compartments while employing strainers for particulate retention so as to form a packed bed in the compartments; also apparatus and method for flowing said particulates out of said stack in the form of a slurry.

Growing community of inventors

Wayland, MA, United States of America

Keith James Sims