Electrode device for a plurality of membrane capacitive deionization electrode assemblies

Abstract

The present invention provides an electrode device for a plurality of membrane capacitive deionization electrode assemblies, comprising: a device housing located at the periphery of the electrode device and in the form of a cylindrical housing; an upper seal plate; a lower seal plate; a positive electrode conductive column and a negative electrode conductive column respectively extending upwards from the bottom of the device housing; a plurality of positive electrode conductive sheets; a plurality of negative electrode conductive sheets; a plurality of positive electrode pressure blocks; a plurality of negative electrode pressure blocks; and a plurality of positive electrode pressure columns and a plurality of negative electrode pressure columns respectively comprising a base and a column body and in an inverted "T" shape. Each membrane capacitive deionization electrode assembly comprises a positive electrode, an anion exchange layer, a spacer net, a cation exchange layer and a negative electrode which are sequentially arranged, and is arranged above the lower seal plate. Positive electrode tabs of the positive electrodes pass through the positive electrode pressure columns by means of positive electrode tab openings extending inwards from the edges of the positive electrode tabs, negative electrode tabs of the negative electrodes pass through the negative electrode pressure columns by means of negative electrode tab openings extending inwards from the edges of the negative electrode tabs, and the positive electrode tabs and the negative electrode tabs are powered by the positive electrode conductive column and the negative electrode conductive column, respectively.

Description

Electrode device for multiple membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to capacitive deionization technology, in particular to an electrode device for a plurality of membrane capacitive deionization electrode assemblies. Background Art

[0002] With climate change driven by economic development, water shortages are becoming increasingly prominent. Desalination and water reuse are becoming increasingly important. Traditional desalination technologies, including electrodialysis (ED) and reverse osmosis (RO), suffer from high costs and energy consumption. Furthermore, they are prone to scaling when treating high-hardness water, requiring frequent chemical cleaning and membrane module replacement.

[0003] Membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) is a novel method for desalinating saltwater. During the charging process, ions in the water undergo a targeted migration under the influence of an electric field and are adsorbed and stored on electrodes, achieving desalination. During the discharge process, ions are desorbed from the electrodes, regenerating them without the need for chemical reagents.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention proposes a new electrode device for multiple membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies, thereby better arranging the electrode assembly structure to facilitate increasing the water treatment capacity.

[0006] The present invention provides an electrode device for a plurality of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies, the electrode device comprising:

[0007] A device housing, the device housing being located outside the electrode device and being in the form of a cylindrical shell, and the device housing having watertight properties;

[0008] an upper sealing plate, the upper sealing plate being located above the device housing and covering an upper opening of the device housing, the upper sealing plate including a water outlet;

[0009] a lower sealing plate, the lower sealing plate being located below the device housing and covering a lower opening of the device housing, the lower sealing plate including a water inlet hole;

[0010] A positive conductive column extending upward from the bottom of the device housing, passing through the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly, and extending through the upper sealing plate;

[0011] A negative conductive column extending upward from the bottom of the device housing, passing through the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly, and extending through the upper sealing plate;

[0012] a plurality of positive conductive sheets, each of which is fixedly connected to the positive conductive column and directly or indirectly contacts a positive electrode tab extending outward from one side of the positive electrode of the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly for electrical conduction;

[0013] a plurality of negative electrode conductive sheets, each of which is fixedly connected to the negative electrode conductive column and directly or indirectly contacts a negative electrode tab extending outward from one side of the negative electrode of the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly for electrical conduction;

[0014] A plurality of positive electrode pressure blocks, each of which is located between the plurality of positive electrode conductive sheets to help maintain the positions of the plurality of positive electrode conductive sheets and the plurality of positive electrode tabs above and below the positive electrode pressure blocks;

[0015] A plurality of negative electrode pressure blocks, each of which is located between the plurality of negative electrode conductive sheets to help maintain the positions of the plurality of negative electrode conductive sheets and the plurality of negative electrode tabs above and below the negative electrode pressure blocks;

[0016] A positive electrode pressure column, the positive electrode pressure column including a base and a column, in an inverted "T" shape, the base being arranged above the lower sealing plate, the positive electrode pressure column passing through the plurality of positive electrode pressure blocks, the plurality of positive electrode conductive sheets and the plurality of positive electrode tabs, and being fastened by a fastening mechanism located on the uppermost positive electrode tab to fix the positions of the plurality of positive electrode conductive sheets and the plurality of positive electrode tabs;

[0017] A negative electrode pressure column, comprising a base and a column, in an inverted "T" shape, wherein the base is disposed above the lower sealing plate, and the negative electrode pressure column passes through the multiple negative electrode pressure blocks, the multiple negative electrode conductive sheets, and the multiple negative electrode tabs, and is fastened by a fastening mechanism located on the uppermost negative electrode tab to fix the positions of the multiple negative electrode conductive sheets and the multiple negative electrode tabs;

[0018] Wherein, the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly includes a positive electrode, an anion exchange layer, a spacer mesh, a cation exchange layer and a negative electrode arranged in sequence, and the multiple membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies are divided into at least two groups, and the multiple membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies in each group of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies are arranged in reverse order, so that the positive electrode current collector of the positive electrode of the first membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly contacts the positive electrode current collector of the positive electrode of the second membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly, or the negative electrode current collector of the negative electrode of the first membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly contacts the negative electrode current collector of the negative electrode of the second membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly;

[0019] Wherein, each group of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies is placed above the lower sealing plate,

[0020] The positive electrode tab of each group of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies passes through the positive electrode pressure column through the positive electrode tab opening extending inward from the edge thereof, and the positive electrode tab contacts the positive electrode conductive sheet and is powered via the positive electrode conductive column connected to the positive electrode conductive sheet.

[0021] Among them, the negative electrode tab of the negative electrode in each group of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies passes through the negative electrode pressure column through the negative electrode tab opening extending inward from its edge, and the negative electrode tab is in contact with the negative electrode conductive sheet and is powered by the negative electrode conductive column connected to the negative electrode conductive sheet.

[0022] In one aspect, the electrode device further comprises at least one spacer plate, the at least one spacer plate being located inside the device housing for separating at least two groups of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies, the spacer plate comprising a spacer plate water outlet hole;

[0023] A positive electrode pressure column and a negative electrode pressure column are provided above the at least one spacer;

[0024] The positive electrode conductive column and the negative electrode conductive column also pass through the at least one spacer plate and extend out through the upper sealing plate respectively.

[0025] In one aspect, the electrode device further comprises an upper pressure plate and a lower pressure plate, wherein the upper pressure plate is located above the upper sealing plate and the lower pressure plate is located below the lower sealing plate, and the upper pressure plate and the lower pressure plate are fixedly connected to the device housing.

[0026] In one aspect, the lower sealing plate includes a first groove and a second groove, wherein the first groove is used to receive the base of the positive electrode pressurizing column to position the positive electrode pressurizing column, and wherein the second groove is used to receive the base of the negative electrode pressurizing column to position the negative electrode pressurizing column.

[0027] In one aspect, the spacer plate includes a first groove and a second groove, wherein the first groove is used to receive the base of the positive electrode pressurization column to position the positive electrode pressurization column, and wherein the second groove is used to receive the base of the negative electrode pressurization column to position the negative electrode pressurization column.

[0028] On the one hand, a first notch and a second notch are respectively arranged near the first notch and the second notch of the partition plate, and the first notch and the second notch extend from the edge of the partition plate toward the first notch and the second notch to accommodate and fix the positive conductive column and the negative conductive column.

[0029] On the one hand, the upper edge and the lower edge of the device shell are respectively provided with groove platforms, and the groove platforms are stepped. The groove platform of the upper edge cooperates with the stepped edge of the upper sealing plate to form a sealing contact, and the groove platform of the lower edge cooperates with the stepped edge of the lower sealing plate to form a sealing contact, thereby achieving watertight performance.

[0030] In one aspect, the electrode device further comprises a plurality of fixing posts, which are arranged on the inner side of the lower sealing plate and extend upward from the inner side of the lower sealing plate, through corresponding openings provided in the spacer plate, to the inner side of the upper sealing plate, wherein the plurality of fixing posts are arranged to correspond to the outer edge of each group of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies, so that each group of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies are aligned.

[0031] In one aspect, the partition plate further comprises at least one water through hole, which is arranged at a suitable position of the partition plate and spaced a certain distance apart from each other to allow liquid or fluid to flow in and out.

[0032] On the one hand, the positive electrode pressure block is a columnar structure and has multiple through holes inside to respectively accommodate the positive electrode pressure column and the positive electrode conductive column; the negative electrode pressure block is a columnar structure and has multiple through holes inside to respectively accommodate the negative electrode pressure column and the negative electrode conductive column.

[0033] In one aspect, the positive electrode pressure block and the negative electrode pressure block are hollow at the bottom on their outer sides.

[0034] In one aspect, the positive electrode further comprises a positive active material layer coated on the positive current collector; the negative electrode further comprises a negative active material layer coated on the negative current collector; the anion exchange layer is disposed on the surface of the positive active material layer; the cation exchange layer is disposed on the surface of the negative active material layer; the anion exchange layer enables anions to pass through and blocks cations from moving between the positive electrode and the spacer mesh; and the cation exchange layer enables cations to pass through and blocks anions from moving between the negative electrode and the spacer mesh.

[0035] In one aspect, the spacer mesh is made of a porous, inert mesh material.

[0036] In one aspect, the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly further comprises a through-hole, wherein the through-hole is located in the center of the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly to allow fluid or liquid to flow through the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly via the through-hole.

[0037] By utilizing the MCDI electrode assembly and housing structure, as well as the module and method described in the present invention, the structural complexity of the module is reduced, the problem of low production efficiency is solved, low contact resistance and a sealed structure are ensured, and functions such as water desalination and wastewater recovery are effectively achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The following describes exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0039] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of an electrode device including multiple groups of MCDI electrode assemblies according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of a lower sealing plate of an electrode device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of an upper sealing plate of an electrode device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG4 is a schematic diagram showing a spacer plate of an electrode device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] FIG5 is a partially enlarged view showing the internal structure of an electrode device including multiple sets of MCDI electrode assemblies according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] FIG6 shows a schematic diagram of an electrode assembly for deionization according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the electrode assembly is a membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) electrode assembly.

[0045] FIG. 7 shows an enlarged side view schematic diagram of an electrode stack composed of two MCDI electrode assemblies as described in FIG. 6 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 1-positive electrode current collector, 2-positive electrode active material layer, 3-positive electrode tab, 4-anion exchange layer, 5-spacer mesh, 6-cation exchange layer, 7-negative electrode active material layer, 8-negative electrode current collector, 9-negative electrode tab, 10-electrode stack; 11-positive electrode conductive sheet, 12-negative electrode conductive sheet, 13-positive electrode conductive column, 14-negative electrode conductive column, 15-positive electrode pressure column, 16-positive electrode pressure block, 17-negative electrode pressure column, 18-negative electrode pressure block, 19-lower sealing plate, 20-upper sealing plate; 21-fixing column, 22-rectangular groove, 23-water inlet, 24-water outlet, 25-exhaust hole, 26-drainage hole, 27-spacer, 28-groove, 29-notch, 30-opening; 31- water outlet hole of partition plate, 32- water hole, 33- upper pressure plate, 34- lower pressure plate, 35- device shell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The detailed description described below is intended to describe various configurations of the subject technology, rather than being intended to represent only the configuration that the subject technology can adopt. The accompanying drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed description includes specific details in order to provide a thorough understanding of the subject technology. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject technology is not limited to the specific details described herein and can be implemented using one or more embodiments. In one or more instances, structures and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid confusing the concept of the subject technology. One or more embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by one or more diagrams and / or described in conjunction with one or more figures.

[0048] One embodiment of the present invention proposes an electrode device for multiple membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies, the electrode device comprising a shell structure, the shell structure comprising a device housing 35, an upper sealing plate, a lower sealing plate and a spacer, as shown in Figure 1. The shell structure is made of a suitable non-conductive or insulating material. The device housing 35 as shown in Figure 1 is located on the periphery of the shell structure. The device housing 35 is in the form of a cylindrical shell and has watertight properties. The material of the device housing 35 can be a plastic with a certain mechanical strength, such as polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic, or polyoxymethylene resin. The upper and lower edges of the device housing 35 are provided with groove platforms, which respectively cooperate with the upper sealing plate 20 and the lower sealing plate 19 to achieve the purpose of water sealing. The material of the upper sealing plate 20 covering the upper opening of the device housing 35 and the lower sealing plate 19 covering the lower opening of the device housing 35 is an insulating material, which can be a plastic with a certain mechanical strength, such as polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic, or polyoxymethylene resin.

[0049] Optionally, as shown in FIG2 , a plurality of fixing posts 21 are provided on the lower sealing plate 19 , and the fixing posts 21 extend upward and pass through the spacer to fix and align the position of the electrode assembly stacked in the device housing 35 , for example, four, six, eight, ten, or the like fixing posts 21 are used to fix and align. The lower sealing plate 19 is provided with a groove, such as a rectangular groove 22, for fixing the position of the pressure column. The rectangular groove 22 is, for example, two, of which the first rectangular groove is used to receive the base of the positive pressure column to position the positive pressure column and help determine the position of the positive conductive column next to the positive pressure column, and the second rectangular groove is used to receive the base of the negative pressure column to position the negative pressure column and help determine the position of the negative conductive column next to the negative pressure column. An opening is also provided on the lower sealing plate 19 , which is a water inlet 23 so that the liquid to be treated, such as water, enters the conductive shell structure. Of course, multiple openings can be provided as needed.

[0050] Optionally, two through-holes are provided on the upper sealing plate 20, as shown in FIG3 . The two through-holes are located on either side of the upper sealing plate and correspond to the positions of the positive electrode conductive posts 13 and the negative electrode conductive posts 14, respectively. This allows the positive electrode conductive posts 13 and the negative electrode conductive posts 14 to extend out of the electrode assembly through the through-holes and connect to an external power source. The upper sealing plate 20 also includes a water inlet 24. Liquid to be treated, such as water, can enter the electrode assembly through the water inlet 23, flow around multiple electrode stacks 10, as shown in FIG7 , and flow into the electrode stack 10 through the spacer mesh 5. The electrode stack 10, consisting of two MCDI electrode assemblies, has an opening in the center. Water flowing through the electrode stack 10 flows through the opening in the center of the electrode stack 10 and out through the water outlet 24 of the upper sealing plate 20. The water outlet 24 can be located in the center of the upper sealing plate 20 or at other suitable locations. The upper sealing plate 20 includes at least one vent 25 for exhausting gas from the electrode assembly. The vent 25 is located near the edge of the upper sealing plate 20 and is not connected to or in contact with the water outlet, through-hole, or drain hole. The upper sealing plate 20 also includes a drain hole 26, which can be closed when not in use and opened to drain water from the electrode assembly at the end of use. For example, a suitable valve can be used to control the opening and closing of the drain hole. The edges of the upper sealing plate 20 and the lower sealing plate 19 are each provided with a stepped portion to mate with the recessed platform of the device housing 35. A sealing gasket (not shown), such as a non-conductive gasket, such as a silicone gasket, is placed on the recessed platform to achieve a sealed conductive housing structure.

[0051] The conductive housing structure also includes a spacer 27. As shown in FIG4 , the spacer 27 is used to separate multiple spaces within the device housing, separating multiple groups of electrode assemblies / electrode stacks, each group of which includes multiple MCDI electrode assemblies. It also provides pressure support for the pressure posts and pressure blocks of each electrode stack 10. The spacer 27 is made of a plastic with a certain mechanical strength, such as polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic, or polyoxymethylene resin. The spacer 27 includes two recesses 28, a first recess and a second recess, for example, in rectangular shapes, to secure the positions of the conductive posts and pressure posts. The first recess is designed to receive the base of the positive pressure post to position it, while the second recess is designed to receive the base of the negative pressure post to position it. Two notches 29, a first notch and a second notch, are provided adjacent to the two rectangular recesses, extending from the edges of the spacer toward the rectangular recesses 28. These notches are used to accommodate and secure the positive and negative conductive posts, respectively. In addition, the spacer plate 27 optionally includes a plurality of openings 30 arranged at intervals, and the positions of the plurality of openings 30 correspond to the positions of the fixing posts 21, respectively, allowing the fixing posts 21 on the lower sealing plate 19 to pass through. The openings may be, for example, four, six, eight, or ten openings. In this embodiment, the number of openings is eight, and the eight openings allow the eight fixing posts 21 on the lower sealing plate 19 to pass through. The spacer plate 27 also includes a central spacer plate water outlet 31. The spacer plate water outlet 31 is located in the middle of the spacer plate and is used to discharge the liquid to be treated, such as water. In addition, to accelerate the flow of liquid, at least one water flow hole 32 may be provided on the spacer plate 27. The water flow holes may be arranged at appropriate positions on the spacer plate and spaced a certain distance apart from each other, such as arranged near the edge of the spacer plate. There may be two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, etc. As shown in the figure, six water flow holes 32 allow water to flow into and out of the electrode assembly.

[0052] The conductive housing structure may further include an upper pressure plate 33 and a lower pressure plate 34 to help withstand the water pressure within the device housing 35, wherein the upper pressure plate 33 is located above the upper sealing plate 20 and the lower pressure plate 34 is located below the lower sealing plate 19. The upper pressure plate 33 and the lower pressure plate 34 are typically made of corrosion-resistant metal materials, such as stainless steel. During assembly, the upper pressure plate 33 and the lower pressure plate 34 are pressurized and fixed by the cooperation of multiple bolts and nuts, for example, by four metal bolts and nuts. The metal bolts connect the upper pressure plate 33 and the lower pressure plate 34 to the device housing 35, respectively, thereby fixing the positions of the upper sealing plate 20 and the lower sealing plate 19 inside the device housing 35. Of course, other connection methods may also be used to connect the upper pressure plate 33 and the lower pressure plate 34 to the device housing 35, such as by bolt sealing, by a snap-fit ​​device sealing, by a hinged device sealing, etc.

[0053] The device housing 35 is used to accommodate multiple membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) electrode assemblies. A membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) electrode assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG6 . The MCDI electrode assembly includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an anion exchange layer 4, a cation exchange layer 6, and a spacer mesh 5. Specifically, the MCDI electrode assembly is sequentially arranged from top to bottom with a negative electrode current collector 8, a negative electrode active material layer 7, a cation exchange layer 6, a spacer mesh 5, an anion exchange layer 4, a positive electrode active material layer 2, and a positive electrode current collector 1. The arrangement can also be reversed.

[0054] The positive electrode includes a positive current collector 1 and a positive active material layer 2, while the negative electrode includes a negative current collector 8 and a negative active material layer 7. The positive current collector 1 and the negative current collector 8 are typically made of materials with good conductivity and high electrochemical stability, such as graphite paper or titanium foil. Preferably, the positive current collector 1 and the negative current collector 8 are typically made of the same material. The positive active material layer 2 and the negative active material layer 7 are applied to the positive current collector 1 and the negative current collector 8, respectively. The positive active material layer 2 and the negative active material layer 7 are primarily composed of an active material, a conductive agent, and a binder. The active material is typically a material with a high effective specific surface area, such as activated carbon; the conductive agent is a carbon material with good conductivity, such as conductive carbon black; and the binder is a high molecular weight organic compound, such as polyvinylidene fluoride or polyvinyl alcohol. These active material layers, together with the binder, are attached to the positive and negative current collectors, covering part or all of the positive and negative current collectors. The positive electrode active material layer 2 and the negative electrode active material layer 7 can be made of the same material or different materials. The coated positive electrode active material layer 2 and the negative electrode active material layer 7 can be in the shape of a square, a rectangle, a parallelogram, or the like.

[0055] The positive electrode current collector 1 also includes a positive electrode tab 3 extending outward from one side thereof, which is not covered by the positive electrode active material. The negative electrode current collector 8 also includes a negative electrode tab 9 extending outward from one side thereof, which is not covered by the negative electrode active material. The positive electrode tab 3 and the negative electrode tab 9 are used to connect the positive electrode conductive structure and the negative electrode conductive structure, respectively, and are located on opposite sides of the MCDI electrode assembly when arranged. Optionally, the positive electrode tab 3 has a positive electrode tab opening extending inward from the edge of the positive electrode tab. The positive electrode tab opening can be one or at least two spaced-apart positive electrode tab openings, for example, two, three, or four. The negative electrode tab 9 has a negative electrode tab opening extending inward from the edge of the negative electrode tab 9. The negative electrode tab opening can be one or at least two spaced-apart negative electrode tab openings, for example, two, three, or four. The opening of the positive electrode extends inward from the outside of the positive electrode tab 3 for a distance and terminates at a portion of the positive electrode current collector 1 that is covered by the positive electrode active material. Similarly, the opening of the negative electrode extends inward from the outside of the negative electrode tab 9 for a distance and terminates at a portion of the negative electrode current collector 8 that is covered by the negative electrode active material. The slender connecting portion can be two, three or more pieces. In this embodiment, three slender connecting portions are preferably shown. The positive electrode tab opening and the negative electrode tab opening of the positive electrode tab 3 and the negative electrode tab 9 can respectively allow the positive electrode pressure column and the negative electrode pressure column to pass through when in use, thereby allowing multiple positive electrode tabs 3 and multiple negative electrode tabs 9 to contact the positive electrode conductive sheet and the negative electrode conductive sheet as flatly as possible, with a larger contact area, and helping to tightly fix the multiple positive electrode tabs 3 and the multiple negative electrode tabs 9 above or below the positive electrode conductive sheet and the negative electrode conductive sheet through the pressure block.

[0056] The anion exchange layer 4 is located on the surface of the positive electrode active material layer 2, and is used to allow anions to pass through the anion exchange layer 4 and block cations from moving between the positive electrode and the spacer 5. The anion exchange layer 4 can be an anion exchange polymer organic coating, placed on or attached to the positive electrode active material layer 2, or an independently supported anion exchange membrane. The anion exchange layer 4 can be made of commercially available suitable materials. The cation exchange layer 6 is located on the surface of the negative electrode active material layer 7, and is used to allow cations to pass through the cation exchange layer 6 and block anions from moving between the negative electrode and the spacer 5. The cation exchange layer 6 can be a cation exchange polymer organic coating, placed on or attached to the negative electrode active material layer 7, or an independently supported cation exchange membrane. The cation exchange layer 6 can be made of commercially available suitable materials.

[0057] The spacer mesh 5 is a porous mesh structure made of an inert material and is used to separate the positive electrode, anion exchange layer 4, from the negative electrode, cation exchange layer 6. The spacer mesh 5 is typically made of an electrically insulating material such as nylon or polyamide. The spacer mesh 5 provides a flow path for the liquid to be treated, such as water, between the cation exchange layer 6 and the anion exchange layer 4.

[0058] The MCDI electrode assembly of this embodiment also includes a through-hole that allows a fluid or liquid, such as water, to flow through the MCDI electrode assembly. As shown in Figure 6, the through-hole can be located at the center of the electrode and can be rectangular, for example, or any other suitable shape. The through-hole is present in the positive electrode, the negative electrode, the anion exchange layer 4, the cation exchange layer 6, and the spacer mesh 5. The through-holes in each layer are positioned correspondingly, for example, in the center of the MCDI electrode assembly.

[0059] The device housing 35 also includes at least one positive conductive sheet 11 and at least one negative conductive sheet 12, a positive conductive column 13 and a negative conductive column 14, at least one pressure column, and at least one pressure block. The positive conductive sheet 11 and the negative conductive sheet 12 are located on opposite sides of each layer of the electrode assembly, so that the positive electrode tabs and the negative electrode tabs of each layer of the electrode assembly are in contact with the positive conductive sheet 11 and the negative electrode tabs, respectively. Multiple positive electrode tabs contact the upper and lower surfaces of the positive conductive sheet 11, and multiple negative electrode tabs contact the upper and lower surfaces of the negative electrode conductive sheet 12. The material of the positive and negative conductive sheets is generally a flexible material with good conductivity and corrosion resistance, such as titanium metal foil. Through the direct contact between the positive conductive sheet 11 and the negative conductive sheet 12 and the multiple positive electrode tabs 3 or the multiple negative electrode tabs 9, current can be conducted to the positive electrode or negative electrode located outside the device housing 35. In addition, the positive electrode conductive sheet 11 and the negative electrode conductive sheet 12 may also include an opening so that the fixing post can pass through the opening to accommodate the fixing post. Typically, multiple pairs (e.g., 20-30 pairs) of membrane capacitor deionization electrodes form a layer of electrode assembly, and the multiple positive electrode tabs of each layer of electrode assembly contact a positive electrode conductive sheet 11 for conduction, and the multiple negative electrode tabs of each layer of electrode assembly contact a negative electrode conductive sheet 12 for conduction. In one embodiment, after the MCDI electrode assembly is energized by conduction through the positive electrode conductive sheet and the negative electrode conductive sheet, a liquid or fluid, such as water, enters the electrode stack composed of multiple groups of MCDI electrode assemblies. For each MCDI electrode assembly, the fluid passes through the spacer mesh 5 between the anion exchange layer 4 and the cation exchange layer 6, and then flows out through the through hole, wherein the anions and cations in the fluid are adsorbed to the positive electrode active layer and the negative electrode active layer.

[0060] In this embodiment, a group of electrode assemblies includes a multi-layer electrode stack 10, such as a 4-5-layer electrode stack. Each electrode stack 10 includes two electrode assemblies. When multiple electrode assemblies are arranged, the first pair of electrodes is placed below and the second pair of electrodes is placed above the first pair of electrodes, and the multiple electrode assemblies are arranged in reverse order. If the arrangement is such that the positive electrode collector 1 of the first pair of electrodes in the electrode stack is in contact with the second pair of electrodes, then the positive electrode collector 1 of the second pair of electrodes is in contact with the positive electrode collector 1 of the first pair of electrodes; or, if the arrangement is such that the negative electrode collector 8 of the first pair of electrodes in the electrode stack is in contact with the second pair of electrodes, then the negative electrode collector 8 of the second pair of electrodes is in contact with the negative electrode collector 8 of the first pair of electrodes, and so on. The above arrangement ensures that the positive electrode and the negative electrode are insulated from each other, and multiple pairs of electrodes, such as 20-30 pairs of electrodes, are repeatedly stacked in this way to form a layer of electrode assembly. As shown in Figure 7, the stacking method is that the negative electrode collector 8 of the second pair of electrodes is in contact with the negative electrode collector 8 of the first pair of electrodes, and the positive electrode collector 1 is on the upper side of the first pair of electrodes, which can be in contact with the positive electrode collector 1 of the other pair of electrodes above it, and the positive electrode collector 1 is on the lower side of the second pair of electrodes, which can be in contact with the positive electrode collector 1 of the other pair of electrodes below it.

[0061] The positive conductive column 13 and the negative conductive column 14 extend upward from the bottom of the device housing 35, respectively passing through and connecting multiple positive conductive sheets 11 and multiple negative conductive sheets 12, and extending out of the electrode device from the two through holes of the upper sealing plate 20, respectively, and connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the power supply located outside. Through such a connection, each pair of electrodes is connected to the power supply through the positive conductive sheet and the negative conductive sheet and the positive conductive column and the negative conductive column, and the current is conducted from the power supply to each positive conductive sheet and the negative conductive sheet, and then flows into the electrode. The diameter of the positive conductive column and the negative conductive column is, for example, 6-10 mm to provide sufficient conductive area. The material of the positive conductive column and the negative conductive column is a metal material with good conductive properties, such as copper, titanium or copper-titanium composite metal material. The conductive sheet and the conductive column are similar materials and are tightly or integrally connected to each other. The conductive sheet can be, for example, in the form of a flexible foil, with a thickness of less than 0.8 μm, such as 0.1-0.7 μm, 0.2-0.6 μm, 0.3-0.5 μm, or 0.4 μm. To ensure good conductivity between the conductive sheet and the conductive post, the positive conductive sheet 11 is, for example, welded to the positive conductive post 13, and the negative conductive sheet 12 is, for example, welded to the negative conductive post 14.

[0062] As shown in detail in Figure 5, the pressure columns include a positive pressure column 15 and a negative pressure column 17, and the pressure blocks include a positive pressure block 16 and a negative pressure block 18. The pressure columns and blocks are made of a corrosion-resistant, inert material with a certain mechanical strength, such as plastic, stainless steel, or titanium. Nuts are used to tighten the components between the base of the pressure column and the nut.

[0063] By arranging a pressure column and a pressure block in the device housing 35, the connection between the electrode tabs and the conductive sheets in the device housing is stabilized. As shown in Figure 1, the positive tabs and negative tabs of the multiple electrodes of the upper layer of the electrode assembly contact the positive conductive sheet and the negative conductive sheet of the upper layer, and there may be a gap between the positive tabs and the negative tabs used by the electrode assembly of the next layer to contact the positive conductive sheet and the negative conductive sheet. The gap can be filled by a pressure block to provide support during pressurization. The pressure column includes a base and a column, which is in an inverted "T" shape and is arranged above the partition plate. The base of the pressure column is arranged on the partition plate, and the column extends upward from the base, passes through multiple pressure blocks, multiple conductive sheets and multiple tabs, and terminates at the topmost conductive sheet / tab of the group of electrode assemblies, and is connected by means such as bolt connection, snap connection, etc. For example, the positive pressure column 15 passes through multiple positive pressure blocks 16, multiple positive conductive sheets 11, and multiple positive tabs 3, and the negative pressure column 17 passes through multiple negative pressure blocks 18, multiple negative conductive sheets 12, and multiple negative tabs 9. Optionally, for each electrode assembly, two positive pressure columns 15 are provided, each passing through the two openings of the positive tab 3 and fixed to a base, forming a group of positive pressure columns; two negative pressure columns 17 are provided, each passing through the two openings of the negative tab 9 and fixed to a base, forming a group of negative pressure columns.

[0064] The pressure block can be a columnar structure with multiple through-holes inside to accommodate pressure posts, conductive posts, etc. The pressure block can be hollow at the bottom to reduce its weight. When in use, the positive pressure block tightly presses the positive electrode tab above and / or below the positive electrode conductive sheet. The negative pressure block tightly presses the negative electrode tab above and / or below the negative electrode conductive sheet.

[0065] Therefore, when pressurizing, the positive electrode tabs and negative electrode tabs in a group of electrode assemblies are respectively pressed against the positive conductive sheet 11 and the negative conductive sheet 12 by a group of positive electrode pressurizing columns 15 and positive electrode pressurizing blocks 16 and a group of negative electrode pressurizing columns 17 and negative electrode pressurizing blocks 18. The pressurizing columns pass through the conductive sheets and, with the assistance of nuts for fixing the pressurizing columns, for example, located on the topmost electrode sheet / tab, apply force in a direction perpendicular to the electrode surface to ensure that the tabs and conductive sheets of each layer of electrode assembly are in close contact, so as to reduce the contact resistance between the tabs and the conductive sheets, and to ensure good conductivity between each pair of electrode tabs and conductive sheets.

[0066] During the manufacturing and assembly of the electrode assembly according to this embodiment, a first pair of electrodes is placed on a lower sealing plate 19 within the assembly housing and secured in position by eight fixing posts 21. A second pair of electrodes is placed above the first pair of electrodes, with the positive and negative electrodes insulated from each other by contact between the positive current collectors 1 of the first pair of electrodes and the positive current collectors 1 of the second pair of electrodes, or by contact between the negative current collectors 8 of the first pair of electrodes and the negative current collectors 8 of the second pair of electrodes. Multiple pairs of electrodes (e.g., 20-30 pairs) are stacked in this manner to form a single electrode assembly. Multiple layers of electrode assemblies, such as 4-5, 6-7, or 8-10 layers, are then stacked to form a group of electrode assemblies. Each group of electrode assemblies is separated by a spacer 27. At least one spacer 27 can be inserted into the electrode assembly along the eight fixing posts 21. The fixing posts define the position of the electrode assembly, and the base of each fixing post is located in a rectangular groove 28 of the spacer to constrain the position of the fixing post. Depending on the desired processing capacity, the number of electrode assemblies in the electrode device can vary. The length of the conductive pillars and the height of the device housing 35 can be adjusted based on the specific number of electrode assemblies to accommodate the manufacture of electrode devices of different sizes. Optionally, the electrode device of this embodiment can accommodate up to 450 pairs of electrodes.

[0067] The device and method of the present invention enable a membrane capacitor deionization electrode device to accommodate and connect multiple pairs of membrane capacitor deionization electrodes, thereby increasing salt adsorption and water processing capacity. Furthermore, the electrode tabs of the present invention can be prevented from breaking, enhancing the seal between the housing and the upper and lower sealing plates, facilitating the compaction of the electrode tabs on each layer, increasing the space utilization of the device, and reducing the difficulty of manufacturing and processing. Thus, the present invention can effectively implement applications such as groundwater desalination and wastewater recovery, such as the recovery of power station sewage, washing wastewater, or other industrial wastewater.

[0068] The word "comprising" as used in this specification means "at least partially comprising." When interpreting each statement in this specification that contains the word "include," there may also be features other than or beginning with the word. Related terms such as "comprising" and "including" should be interpreted in the same manner.

[0069] For those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, many variations in structure and a wide variety of embodiments and applications of the present invention will be readily apparent without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The disclosure and description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be limiting in any sense. Where reference is made herein to specific integers having known equivalents in the art relevant to the present invention, these known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

[0070] As used herein, the term "and / or" means "and" or "or" or both.

[0071] In the description of this specification, reference may be made to subject matter that is not within the scope of the appended claims. Such subject matter should be readily recognized by those skilled in the art and may assist in putting the invention as defined in the appended claims into practice.

[0072] Although the present invention is generally defined as above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited thereto and that the present invention also includes embodiments for which the following embodiments give examples.

[0073] The foregoing description of the invention includes preferred forms thereof, which can be modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An electrode device for multiple membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies, characterized in that: The electrode device comprises: A device housing, which is located at the periphery of the electrode device and is in the form of a cylindrical shell, and has watertight properties; An upper sealing plate, the upper sealing plate is located above the device housing and covers the upper opening of the device housing, the upper sealing plate includes a water outlet hole; A lower sealing plate, the lower sealing plate is located below the device housing and covers a lower opening of the device housing, the lower sealing plate includes a water inlet hole; A positive conductive column extending upward from the bottom of the device housing, passing through the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly, and extending through the upper sealing plate; A negative electrode conductive column, the negative electrode conductive column extends upward from the bottom of the device housing, passes through the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly, and extends out through the upper sealing plate; A plurality of positive electrode conductive sheets, each of which is fixedly connected to the positive electrode conductive column and directly or indirectly contacts the positive electrode tab extending outward from one side of the positive electrode of the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly to conduct electricity; A plurality of negative electrode conductive sheets, each of which is fixedly connected to the negative electrode conductive column and directly or indirectly contacts the negative electrode tab extending outward from one side of the negative electrode of the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly to conduct electricity; A plurality of positive electrode pressure blocks, wherein the positive electrode pressure blocks are located between the plurality of positive electrode conductive sheets to help maintain the positions of the plurality of positive electrode conductive sheets and the plurality of positive electrode tabs above and below the positive electrode pressure blocks; A plurality of negative electrode pressure blocks, wherein the negative electrode pressure blocks are located between the plurality of negative electrode conductive sheets to help maintain the positions of the plurality of negative electrode conductive sheets and the plurality of negative electrode tabs above and below the negative electrode pressure blocks; A positive electrode pressurizing column, the positive electrode pressurizing column includes a base and a column, and is in an inverted "T" shape. The base is arranged above the lower sealing plate. The positive electrode pressurizing column passes through the plurality of positive electrode pressurizing blocks, the plurality of positive electrode conductive sheets and the plurality of positive electrode tabs, and is fastened by a fastening mechanism located on the uppermost positive electrode tab to fix the plurality of positive electrode conductive sheets and The positions of the plurality of positive electrode tabs; A negative pressure column, the negative pressure column comprising a base and a column, in an inverted "T" shape, the base being arranged above the lower sealing plate, the negative pressure column passing through the plurality of negative pressure blocks, the plurality of negative conductive sheets and the plurality of negative tabs, and being fastened by a fastening mechanism located on the uppermost negative tab to fix the positions of the plurality of negative conductive sheets and the plurality of negative tabs; Wherein, the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly comprises a positive electrode, an anion exchange layer, a spacer mesh, a cation exchange layer and a negative electrode arranged in sequence, and the multiple membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies are divided into at least two groups, and the multiple membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies in each group of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies are arranged in reverse order, so that the positive electrode collector of the positive electrode of the first membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly contacts the positive electrode collector of the positive electrode of the second membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly, or the negative electrode collector of the negative electrode of the first membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly contacts the negative electrode collector of the negative electrode of the second membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly; Wherein, each group of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies is placed above the lower sealing plate, The positive electrode tab of the positive electrode in each group of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies passes through the positive electrode pressure column through the positive electrode tab opening extending inward from the edge thereof, and the positive electrode tab contacts the positive electrode conductive sheet and is powered by the positive electrode conductive column connected to the positive electrode conductive sheet, and Among them, the negative electrode tab of the negative electrode in each group of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies passes through the negative electrode pressure column through the negative electrode tab opening extending inward from its edge, and the negative electrode tab contacts the negative electrode conductive sheet and is powered by the negative electrode conductive column connected to the negative electrode conductive sheet.

2. The electrode device according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes, At least one spacer plate, the at least one spacer plate is located inside the device housing to separate at least two groups of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies, and the spacer plate includes a spacer plate water outlet hole; A positive electrode pressurizing column and a negative electrode pressurizing column disposed above the at least one spacer; The positive electrode conductive column and the negative electrode conductive column also pass through the at least one spacer plate and extend out through the upper sealing plate respectively.

3. The electrode device according to claim 1, characterized in that It also includes an upper pressure plate and a lower pressure plate, wherein the upper pressure plate is located above the upper sealing plate, and the lower pressure plate is located below the lower sealing plate, and the upper pressure plate and the lower pressure plate are fixedly connected to the device housing.

4. The electrode device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The lower sealing plate includes a first groove and a second groove, wherein the first groove is used to receive the base of the positive electrode pressurizing column to position the positive electrode pressurizing column, wherein the second groove is used to receive the base of the negative electrode pressurizing column to position the negative electrode pressurizing column.

5. The electrode device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The spacer includes a first groove and a second groove, wherein the first groove is used to receive the base of the positive electrode pressurizing column to position the positive electrode pressurizing column, and the second groove is used to receive the base of the negative electrode pressurizing column to position the negative electrode pressurizing column.

6. The electrode device according to claim 5, characterized in that A first notch and a second notch are respectively arranged near the first notch and the second notch of the partition plate, and the first notch and the second notch extend from the edge of the partition plate toward the first notch and the second notch to respectively accommodate and fix the positive conductive column and the negative conductive column.

7. The electrode device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The upper edge and the lower edge of the device shell are respectively provided with groove platforms, and the groove platforms are stepped. The groove platform of the upper edge cooperates with the stepped edge of the upper sealing plate to form a sealing contact, and the groove platform of the lower edge cooperates with the stepped edge of the lower sealing plate to form a sealing contact, thereby achieving watertight performance.

8. The electrode device according to claim 3, characterized in that It also includes a plurality of fixing columns, which are arranged on the inner side of the lower sealing plate and extend upward from the inner side of the lower sealing plate, through corresponding openings arranged on the spacer plate, to the inner side of the upper sealing plate, wherein the plurality of fixing columns are arranged to correspond to the outer edge of each group of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies, so that each group of membrane capacitor deionization electrode assemblies are aligned.

9. The electrode device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The partition plate further comprises at least one water through hole, which is arranged at a suitable position of the partition plate and spaced a certain distance from each other to allow liquid or fluid to flow in and out.

10. The electrode device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The positive electrode pressure block is a columnar structure with multiple through holes inside to accommodate the positive electrode pressure column and the positive electrode conductive column respectively. The negative electrode pressure block is a columnar structure with multiple through holes inside to accommodate the negative electrode pressure column and the negative electrode conductive column respectively.

11. The electrode device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The positive electrode pressure block and the negative electrode pressure block are hollow at the bottom on their outer sides.

12. The electrode device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The positive electrode further includes a positive active material layer coated on the positive current collector; The negative electrode further includes a negative active material layer coated to the negative current collector; The anion exchange layer is disposed on the surface of the positive electrode active material layer; The cation exchange layer is disposed on the surface of the negative electrode active material layer; The anion exchange layer allows anions to pass through and blocks cations from moving between the positive electrode and the spacer mesh; and The cation exchange layer allows cations to pass through and blocks anions from moving between the cathode electrode and the spacer mesh.

13. The electrode device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The spacer mesh is made of a porous inert mesh material.

14. The electrode device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly further comprises a through hole, wherein the through hole is located at the center of the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly to allow fluid or liquid to flow through the membrane capacitor deionization electrode assembly via the through hole.

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