1323results about "Treatment by combined electrochemical biological processes" patented technology

Devices for production of electricity and/or hydrogen gas are provided by the present invention. In particular, microbial fuel cells for production of electricity and modified microbial fuel cells for production of hydrogen are detailed. A tube cathode is provided which includes a membrane forming a general tube shape. An anode is provided which has a specific surface area greater than 100 m²/m³. In addition, the anode is substantially non-toxic to anodophilic bacteria. Combinations of particular anodes and cathodes are included in microbial fuel cells and modified microbial fuel cells.

Systems and processes for producing hydrogen using bacteria are described. One detailed process for producing hydrogen uses a system for producing hydrogen as described herein, the system including a reactor. Anodophilic bacteria are disposed within the interior of the reactor and an organic material oxidizable by an oxidizing activity of the anodophilic bacteriais introduced and incubated under oxidizing reactions conditions such that electrons are produced and transferred to the anode. A power source is activated to increase a potential between the anode and the cathode, such that electrons and protons combine to produce hydrogen gas. One system for producing hydrogen includes a reaction chamber having a wall defining an interior of the reactor and an exterior of the reaction chamber. An anode is provided which is at least partially contained within the interior of the reaction chamber and a cathode is also provided which is at least partially contained within the interior of the reaction chamber. The cathode is spaced apart at a distance in the range between 0.1-100 centimeters, inclusive, from the anode. A conductive conduit for electrons is provided which is in electrical communication with the anode and the cathode and a power source for enhancing an electrical potential between the anode and cathode is included which is in electrical communication at least with the cathode. A first channel defining a passage from the exterior of the reaction chamber to the interior of the reaction chamber is also included.

A wastewater treatment system and method comprises a treatment chamber having a filtration membrane spanning an effluent outlet of the chamber and a pair of electrodes in the treatment chamber so as to be in communication with the wastewater. An electrical potential difference is applied between the electrodes such that one of the electrodes functions as an anode and one of the electrodes functions as a cathode. A flow of fluid is induced out of the treatment chamber through the filtration membrane to the effluent outlet. Accordingly the treatment chamber is arranged to biologically treat the wastewater, electrochemically treat the wastewater and mechanically filter the wastewater through the filtration membrane commonly therein.

The present invention provides reactor designs, component designs, and operating schemes for removing nitrates and chemical oxygen demand from any suitable wastewater stream. The invention also provides reactor designs, component designs, and operating schemes designed to modify and improve pH and water quality in wastewater streams.

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.

The present invention relates to a method in which a microbial fuel cell (MFC) is used in order to produce electrical power while also either eliminating a heavy metal or recovering a precious metal from waste water containing the heavy metal or the precious metal, and, more particularly, the invention has advantages including effective elimination of Hg2+ in the form of a solid precipitate or deposit of Hg or Hg2Cl2, and, incidentally, power is produced, by-products are rendered harmless and long-term economic operation is achieved.

A process for producing one or more chemical compounds comprising the steps of providing a bioelectrochemical system having an anode and a cathode separated by a membrane, the anode and the cathode being electrically connected to each other, causing oxidation to occur at the anode and causing reduction to occur at the cathode to thereby produce reducing equivalents at the cathode, providing the reducing equivalents to a culture of microorganisms, and providing carbon dioxide to the culture of microorganisms, whereby the microorganisms produce the one or more chemical compounds, and recovering the one or chemical compounds.

The invention relates to bio-electrochemical systems for treating wastewater, and sour gas produced by anaerobic digestion of organic material. The invention further relates to novel anode/cathode pairing schemes, and electric and hydraulic architectures for use in bio-electrochemical systems.

Integrated membrane treatment systems for treatment of an aqueous solution. In embodiments, components, such as an MBR, are integrated with means to recover energy from the system, for example from an RO concentrate, to operate the other components. In embodiments including biological treatment, RO is integrated with other components, such as an MBR with the ROs ability to remove inorganic nitrogen enabling biological treatment to be performed with only partial nitrification and the MBR operated without active pH control. In embodiments, RO is integrated with a chlorine generator to convert chlorides present in the RO concentrate for an in-situ source of oxidizing biocides for disinfection purposes. Chloramines may be generated in-situ from residual ammonia and chlorides in the RO reject. In embodiments, carrier media is employed in a membrane tank to enhance removal of residual organics by the MBR and to also improve effectiveness of membrane scouring.

The present invention is directed to a method for cleansing fuel processing effluent containing carbonaceous compounds and inorganic salts, the method comprising contacting the fuel processing effluent with an anode of a microbial fuel ell, the anode containing microbes thereon which oxidatively degrade one or more of the carbonaceous compounds while producing electrical energy from the oxidative degradation, and directing the produced electrical energy to drive an electrosorption mechanism that operates to reduce the concentration of one or more inorganic salts in the fuel processing effluent, wherein the anode is in electrical communication with a cathode of the microbial fuel cell. The invention is also directed to an apparatus for practicing the method.

There are provided processes for treating wastewater. The processes can comprise treating a mixture comprising the wastewater and an activated sludge, in a single reactor, with an electric current having a density of less than about 55 A/m², by means of at least one anode and at least one cathode that define therebetween an electrical zone for treating the mixture; exposing the mixture to an intermittent ON/OFF electrical exposure mode to the electric current in which an OFF period of time is about 1 to about 10 times longer than an ON period of time; and maintaining an adequate oxidation-reduction potential in the single reactor. Such processes allow for substantial removal of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater in the single reactor of various forms and for obtaining another mixture comprising a treated wastewater and solids.

Enhanced contaminant degradation systems via rapid transfer of electrons in an environment or matrix through bioelectrochemical electron transfer circuitry, electron transfer conduit and conductive materials. Specialized circuitry may be used with respect to the anode, cathode, and transmission line design including floating cathodes, anchored anodes, and the like.

The invention discloses a microbial fuel cell based method for treatment and detection of chromium-containing electroplating wastewater. The steps include: 1) injecting anaerobic sludge and a sodium acetate solution into an anode chamber of a two-chambered microbial fuel cell to inoculate microorganisms, injecting a cathode liquid into a cathode chamber, and connecting resistance at the cathode and the anode to form a closed loop, reacting the cell in a thermotank, injecting sodium acetate into the anode chamber each day till the output voltage is stable; 2) changing the anode chamber solution to an oxygen removed anode liquid, and changing the cathode solution to chromium-containing wastewater; and 3) after starting, adjusting the pH value of wastewater, injecting the wastewater into the cathode chamber, connecting the external resistance and starting the treatment process. The method provided by the invention realizes no direct contact of microorganisms and hexavalent chromium, avoids poisoning of hexavalent chromium on microorganisms, and makes microbiological treatment of high concentration hexavalent chromium wastewater become possible. The standard redox potential of hexavalent chromium is 1.33V, the microbial fuel cell is utilized to treat hexavalent chromium wastewater, and the purposes of synchronous wastewater treatment and electric energy recovery are realized.

A method for in-situ treatment of sediment simultaneous with microbial electricity generation is provided, comprising steps of constructing a microbial fuel cell, placing the microbial fuel cell in the sediment, forming a cell circuit, and cultivating microorganisms to generate electrical power. The method overcomes shortcomings found in the prior art and uses organics in the sediment as fuels to in-situ treat the sediment with simultaneous electricity generation. A device for implementing the method is also provided, which can be expanded in different directions as needed and is easy to maintain during long-term operation. The device has many advantages including compact structure, easy operation, low cost, high output power density, significant reduction in sediment COD, no influence on water flow, and environment-friendly

The invention provides preparation of a graphene polyaniline modified carbon cloth electrode material, and a method for accelerating the acclimation of a bio-anode, and relates to electrode preparation and bio-anode acclimation. A purpose of the present invention is to solve the technical problem of poor electron transfer efficiency of existing bioelectrochemical anode. The graphene polyaniline modified carbon cloth electrode material preparation method comprises: loading graphene oxide onto a carbon cloth, immersing into a sodium borohydride solution, reducing, immersing into an aniline monomer solution, adding a curing agent solution in a dropwise manner, and polymerizing to obtain the graphene polyaniline modified carbon cloth electrode material. According to the present invention, with the application of the graphene polyaniline modified carbon cloth electrode material as the anode in the bioelectrochemical system reactor, the operation is performed after the starting until the output potential is stable so as to complete the acclimation; and the graphene polyaniline modified carbon cloth electrode material can be used in wastewater treatment.

The invention discloses an electrochemical microorganism autotrophic nitrogen removal sewage treatment method and system. The system comprises a microorganism electrolytic tank shell, a sealed cover, a microorganism positive electrode, a microorganism negative electrode and a power supply, wherein the sealed cover covers the microorganism electrolytic tank shell to form a closed space; the microorganism positive electrode and the microorganism negative electrode are connected with a negative electrode and a positive electrode of the power supply respectively, a short-distance nitrification microorganisms are enriched on the microorganism positive electrode, and denitrification methane anaerobic oxidation microorganisms are enriched on the microorganism negative electrode; the side, close to the microorganism positive electrode, of the microorganism electrolytic tank shell is provided with a water inlet, and the side, close to the microorganism negative electrode, of the microorganism electrolytic tank shell is provided with a water outlet. An inorganic carbon source put-in opening is formed in the position, close to the microorganism negative electrode, between the microorganism positive electrode and the microorganism negative electrode. By means of one electrolytic tank, short-distance nitrification, electrochemical methane production and methane anaerobic oxidation are effectively coupled, reaction mass transfer efficiency is accelerated, occupied area is small, and capital construction investment is small.

This invention relates a wastewater purifying system in hospitals, comprising interconnected grilles, a regulating disinfection pool, a coagulation pool, a preliminary settling tank, a hydrolysis-acidification pool, an aerobic bio-filter, a secondary settling tank, an advanced oxidation device, a sludge pool and a recycling impounding reservoir. The regulating disinfection pool is used to accumulate original wastewater released from every source and the advanced oxidation device is used to oxidize remained organic matters into inorganic molecules via chemical and biochemical methods or via physical methods and could be an electric biological oxidation treatment device. This system possesses high purifying degree and purified water from this system can be used as reclaimed water.

The invention discloses a microbial fuel cell artificial wetland electrogenesis in-situ utilization water purification method. A microbial fuel cell artificial wetland electrogenesis in-situ utilization water purification device is set up, sewage flows in from a water inlet pipe at the bottom, and flows upwards into the bottom of a bed body after passing through a water distributing area, an anaerobic environment of the bottom layer of the bed body forms an anode region of a microbial fuel cell artificial wetland, an electrogenesis microorganism oxidizing organic substrate releases electrons and protons, the electrons are conducted upwards to the surface layer of the bed body through conductive filler, the protons are conducted upwards to the surface layer of the bed body through the sewage, an aerobic/hypoxia region of the surface layer serves as a cathode region of the microbial fuel cell artificial wetland, oxygen or nitrogen oxide and the like serving as electron acceptors are subjected to an oxidation reaction, and output water after being treated flows out through a water outlet pipe. The problems that as the distance between the two poles of a microbial fuel cell artificial wetland of a traditional external circuit is too large, internal resistance is too large, the electrogenesis rate is low and the purification effect is poor, and purification performance is promoted.

A microbial desalination cell includes an anode, a cathode, a saline solution chamber and a cathode rinsing assembly. The anode is at least partially positioned within an anode chamber for containing an aqueous reaction mixture including one or more organic compounds and one or more bacteria for oxidizing the organic compounds. The cathode is directly exposed to air. The saline solution chamber is positioned between the anode and the cathode, and is separated from the anode by an anion exchange material and from the cathode by a cation exchange material. The cathode rinsing assembly is for rinsing the cathode with a catholyte.