University of Southern California

Other

S.m. Sze

Massoud Pirbazari

Varadarajan Ravindran

Jacob Shorr

Lewis Hsu

Kenneth H Nealson

Thieo E Hogen-Esch

Walter Den

Woonhoe Kim

Badri N Badriyha

Hayriye Merve Yurdacan

Methods, systems, and apparatus for treating wastewater and generating electricity. The system includes layers of sediment containing microorganisms for treating the wastewater. The system includes layers of granular activated carbon or granular activated carbon with graphene oxide or sand with graphene oxide disposed on top of the sediment layers for enhancing electron transfer, current generation rate, and wastewater treatment. The system also includes one or more anodes and one or more cathodes located on top of the layers of granular activated carbon or granular activated carbon with graphene oxide or sand with graphene oxide. The one or more anodes and the one or more cathodes are configured to generate electrical voltage. The system also includes a battery connected to the one or more anodes and the one or more cathodes and configured to store the electrical voltage generated by the one or more anodes and the one or more cathodes.

Plant-sediment microbial fuel cell system for wastewater treatment with self-contained power sustainability

A water permeable membrane for water purifications applications including filtration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis is provided. The water permeable membrane includes a porous support and a composite layer disposed over the porous support. Characteristically, the composite layer includes graphene oxide dispersed within a polymer matrix.

High performance membranes for water reclamation using polymeric and nanomaterials

A microbial fuel cell includes an anode compartment with an anode and an anode biocatalyst and a cathode compartment with a cathode and a cathode biocatalyst, with a membrane positioned between the anode compartment and the cathode compartment, and an electrical pathway between the anode and the cathode. The anode biocatalyst is capable of catalyzing oxidation of an organic substance, and the cathode biocatalyst is capable of catalyzing reduction of an inorganic substance. The reduced organic substance can form a precipitate, thereby removing the inorganic substance from solution. In some cases, the anode biocatalyst is capable of catalyzing oxidation of an inorganic substance, and the cathode biocatalyst is capable of catalyzing reduction of an organic or inorganic substance.

Microbial fuel cells

The invention discloses an apparatus and a method for UV oxidation and microbiological decomposition of organic waste air. The invention provides an integrated system consisting of UV oxidation as a pretreatment process and biofiltration and biotrickling filtration, in which the organic pollutant residuals are decomposed with microorganisms.

Apparatus and method for UV oxidation and microbiological decomposition of organic waste air

A novel system for removing contaminants from water utilizes a microfiltration membrane and an adsorbent particle suspension. In the preferred embodiment, the microfiltration membrane is a ceramic membrane and the adsorbent is powdered activated carbon. The adsorbent is added to the water to be decontaminated to form the suspension. The adsorbent particle suspension is recirculated from a recirculation reservoir through a tubular microfiltration membrane. Decontaminated water permeates from the membrane.

Microfiltration and adsorbent particle suspension for removing

A wastewater treatment system in which biologically active particulate material mixed with wastewater is recirculated under turbulent conditions. The biomass is maintained at high concentration, and recirculation of the particles maintains the biological layer on the particles at a more active and efficient state would be the case without such recirculation. The system is particularly efficient, especially when the organic waste materials are slowly or relatively non-biodegradable, when the particulate material is adsorbtive (as, for example are particles of activated carbon) and the recirculation system includes an ultrafilter. When combined with a pretreatment of either alum or ferric chloride with lime, the system is particularly suited for efficient and effective treatment of dairy wastes.

Growing community of inventors

Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Massoud Pirbazari