Water treatment systems, methods, and uses thereof

Abstract

There is provided herein a water treatment system including: one or more electrochemical cells, each including a catholyte compartment configured to output an alkaline flow and an anolyte compartment configured to output a biocide anti-biofouling flow; one or more sub-systems (e.g., mineralization chamber), configured to receive the alkaline flow, and to output a de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow and a mineral precipitate; wherein the catholyte compartment is configured to receive: a water flow from a water source and / or an alkaline flow; and the anolyte compartment is configured to receive: a water flow from a water source, a biocide anti-biofouling flow, and / or a de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow, and a multi-channel mixer (or a mixing chamber) configured to receive and flow-integrate a de¬ mineralized anti-biofouling flow and a biocide anti-biofouling flow, and is configured to output a resulted treated water for use at a target location.

Description

[0001] WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND USES THEREOF

[0002] This PCT application claims priority under 35 U.S.C §119(e) from US provisional patent application 63 / 679,241 filed on August 05, 2024 by the same Applicant and having the same title as the present application; and the priority provisional application is fully incorporated herein by reference for all that it contains.

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present disclosure relates to the field of water treatment. More specifically, the disclosure relates to water treatment systems, methods, and uses thereof.

[0005] BACKGROUND

[0006] Numerous marine organisms, including mussels, tubeworms, and barnacles, possess the capability to adhere temporarily or permanently, particularly to artificial structures submerged underwater, such as cooling water systems. These organisms' life cycle can be divided into 3 stages - the first stage is "surface exploration" when the cyprid (i.e., the stage that precedes the barnacle adult stage) searches for a place to colonize, in which it explores for a favorable environment and creates a reversible adhesion made from a mixture of proteins and lipids with a temporary adhesive property. The second stage is when the juvenile organism creates an irreversible adhesion with a permanent adhesive called "cyprid cement" made from a mixture of proteins and lipids (higher protein content and rich in phosphorus), creating one of the strongest adhesives known in nature. The third stage is when the grown juvenile is already set irreversibly and accumulates its shell. Their adhesion and subsequent growth lead to significant biofouling challenges across multiple fields of industry, necessitating the expenditure of millions of dollars annually on antifouling measures.

[0007] Seawater cooling systems are extremely prone to the mentioned biofouling problems. These problems lead to several costly challenges in the systems, including a reduction in operation efficiency, mechanical damage to the facilities, and a lowering of cooling circuits integrity.

[0008] Various antifouling coatings, both toxic and non-toxic types, offer a convenient approach to mitigate the biofouling issue. However, due to the harsh marine environment, they usually swell, leading to poorer mechanical properties of the cooling systems. In addition, the release of toxic chemicals and the decomposition of the paints lead to more environmental hazards and concerns for marine life.

[0009] The use of oxidizing biocides is a highly utilized control measure. However, their effect on the non-targeted organisms in the receiving water body (i.e., natural water bodies, typically the ocean) is a major environmental concern. Strict regulations are in place across the world limiting the biocidal, for example, free chlorine concentration at the output within the range of 0.01-0.2 ppm, as higher concentrations have been shown to be detrimental to aquatic systems. However, literature shows that the required concentrations to kill such adult organisms of the biofouling are much higher, resulting in a narrow operational window, which in turn, does not fully relieve the problem and necessitates the manual removal of the biofouling species, or other types of frequently employed additional mechanical measures. In addition, even after they had died the adhered biofouling organisms will remain attached until mechanical scraping is performed.

[0010] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an efficient water treatment system that will prevent biofouling without causing harm to the environment.

[0011] SUMMARY

[0012] The disclosure is directed, in embodiments thereof, to a water treatment system that advantageously enables the reduction of biofouling in aquatic environments without harming the marine habitat.

[0013] Advantageously, according to some additional embodiments, the water treatment system facilitates sequestering CO2. In some embodiments, a reduction of CO2 lowers the overall carbon footprint of a process or plant associated with the water treatment system.

[0014] According to some embodiments, the advantageous system is configured to reduce biofouling by introducing biocides into the water and creating an unfavorable biochemical environment for the formation of biofouling.

[0015] According to some further embodiments, the advantageous system is configured to reduce the amount of Ca2+in the water and to supply a regulated amount of oxidizing biocide, simultaneously. In some embodiments, the reduction of Ca2+is an unfavorable biochemical environment for biofouling and thus reduces the formation thereof. Advantageously, the simultaneous treatments (of oxidizing biocide and Ca2+reduction) reduce the required amount of oxidizing biocide that is needed to reduce biofouling formation, thus avoiding the need to reach the allowed biocide limit.

[0016] According to some embodiments, the system combines two main routes. In some embodiments, there is provided a route of de-mineralization via the formation and removal of minerals. According to some embodiments, the de-mineralization reduces minerals that are essential for biofouling formation. In some embodiments, the removed mineral is CaCOs. In some embodiments, the minerals are produced from the precursors Ca2+and CO2. In some embodiments, the production of the mineral, thereby, reduces the presence of the precursors in the water. According to some additional embodiments, there is provided another route of electrochemically supplying oxidizing biocides to the water. In some embodiments, the oxidizing biocides creates additional unfavorable conditions for biofouling formation. Advantageously, in accordance with some embodiments, the system facilitates the reduction of carbon (e.g., CO2). In some embodiments, the overall carbon footprint corresponding to an associated environment, process, and / or facility is negative.

[0017] In additional embodiments, there is provided herein an advantageous method for water treatment, the method enables the reduction of biofouling in an aquatic environment and the reduction of the overall carbon footprint corresponding to an associated environment, process, and / or facility. In some embodiments, the method is compatible with other water treatment methods.

[0018] Advantageously, in accordance with some additional embodiments, the method enables the production of magnesium and / or calcium minerals. In some embodiments, the production of the minerals is selective to each type of minerals. In some further embodiments, the minerals are produced in a high level of purity.

[0019] In further additional embodiments, there is provided herein a use of seawater treatment system for a target location (client utilization point), such as, but not limited to, cooling water system, power plant, manufacturing plant, desalination plant, or marine vessel.

[0020] There is provided, in accordance with some embodiments, a water treatment system including: one or more electrochemical cells, each including a catholyte compartment configured to output an alkaline flow and an anolyte compartment configured to output a biocide anti-biofouling flow; one or more sub-systems (e.g., mineralization chamber), configured to receive the alkaline flow, and to output a de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow and a mineral precipitate; wherein the catholyte compartment is configured to receive: a water flow from a water source and / or an alkaline flow; and the anolyte compartment is configured to receive: a water flow from a water source, a biocide anti-biofouling flow, and / or a de-mineralized antibiofouling flow, and a multi-channel mixer (or a mixing chamber) configured to receive and flow-integrate a de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow and a biocide anti-biofouling flow, and is configured to output a resulted treated water for use at a target location.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the one or more electrochemical cells and the one or more sub-systems are arranged such that each electrochemical cell is fluidly paired to a sub-system to form a system bi-unit. According to some embodiments, the system bi-units are serially and / or parallelly fluidly connected to each other.

[0022] According to some embodiments, a gaseous flow is further introduced to: the sub-system, the alkaline flow, and / or the de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the gaseous flow originates from a surrounding atmosphere, tank of condensed gas, gas of plant exhaust, or any combination thereof.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the gas includes CO2.

[0025] According to some embodiments, the source of the water flow includes seawater, wastewater, sewage, pool water, lake water, river, industrial wastewater, brackish water, potable water, brine, or any combination thereof.

[0026] According to some embodiments, the source of the water flow is an open area or a closed chamber.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the biocide anti-biofouling flow includes HCI, HOCI, NaCIO, CI2, Cl , CL", OCI', CIOs', CIO2, CIO2', or any combination thereof.

[0028] According to some embodiments, the sub-system is configured to receive the alkaline flow at a pH level of about 9-11. According to some embodiments, the sub-system is configured to receive the alkaline flow at a pH level of about 9-10.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the anolyte compartment is further configured to receive the biocide anti-biofouling flow output thereof, thereby facilitating a circular flow within the anolyte compartment.

[0030] According to some embodiments, the de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow outputted from the sub-system includes less Ca and / or Mg compared to the alkaline flow received by the sub-system.

[0031] According to some embodiments, the mineral precipitate includes calcium carbonate (CaCOs), magnesium carbonate (MgCOa), Artinite (Mg2CO3(OH)2-3H2O), Hydromagnesite (Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2-4H2O), Lansfordite (MgCO3-5H2O), Nesquehonite (MgCO3-3H2O), magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2), magnesium oxide (MgO), Ca(i.X)Mg(X)CO3, sodium carbonate (Na2CC>3), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium carbonate (K2CO3), potassium hydroxide (KOH), Carnalite (KCI MgCl2'6(H2O), Langbeinite (l<2Mg2(SO4)3), Polyhalite (K2Ca2M (SO4)4-2H2O), Sylvite (KCI), lithium carbonate (LiCOs), lithium hydroxide (LiOH), methane clathrate (CH4-5.75H2O), or any combination thereof.

[0032] According to some embodiments, the mineral precipitate includes calcium carbonate (CaCOs).

[0033] According to some embodiments, the one or more sub-systems, further configured to output a non-mineral precipitate.

[0034] According to some embodiments, the non-mineral precipitate is or includes urea. According to some embodiments, the multi-channel mixer is further configured to regulate an input dose of the de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow and / or an input dose of the biocide antibiofouling flow.

[0035] According to some embodiments, the system further includes a controller functionally associated with the electrochemical cell, the sub-system, and / or the multi-channel mixer.

[0036] According to some embodiments, the controller is configured to regulate an electrolysis duration and / or current density, an extent of de-mineralization, a dose of gaseous stream, a dose of the de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow, and / or a dose of the biocide anti-biofouling flow.

[0037] According to some embodiments, the system further includes one or more sensors configured to provide one or more signals indicative of flow characteristics of the inputted and outputted flows from: the water source, the anolyte compartment, the catholyte compartment, the one or more subsystems, the multi-channel mixer, the gaseous flow, and the target location.

[0038] According to some embodiments, the one or more signals are indicative of flow's pH, hardness, alkalinity, salinity, chlorine content, temperature, potential, current, osmolarity, or any combination thereof.

[0039] According to some embodiments, the controller is configured to perform the regulation based on the at least one or more signals.

[0040] According to some embodiments, the system further includes an anti-biofouling complementary treatment generator configured to provide a complementary anti-biofouling treatment.

[0041] According to some embodiments, the target location is a water system used for cooling and / or production, the water system is a stationary industrial site or mobile facility.

[0042] According to some embodiments, the stationary industrial site is selected from: power plant, desalination plant, or production facility. According to some embodiments, the production facility is selected from a group consisting of pharma, food, automotive, petrochemical, garment, chemical, plastics, and semiconductors.

[0043] According to some embodiments, the mobile facility is selected from: marine vessel, wind farm, or oil / gas rig.

[0044] According to some embodiments, the target location incorporates therein the multi-channel mixer.

[0045] According to some embodiments, the system further includes a conduit system configured to connect flows originate from the water source, the one or more electrochemical cells, the sub-system, the gaseous flow, the anti-biofouling complementary treatment generator, and the target location. There is provided, in accordance with some embodiments, a use of the water treatment system disclosed herein, to eliminate or reduce biofouling at the target location. According to some embodiments, the biofouling includes muscles, larvae, barnacles, cyprid, or a combination thereof.

[0046] There is provided, in accordance with some embodiments, a use of the water treatment system disclosed herein, to reduce the level of carbon, calcium, and magnesium at the target location's water, target location's surface (e.g., scaling) and / or its associated environment.

[0047] According to some embodiments, the associated environment includes an adjacent atmosphere, land, and / or water. According to some embodiments, the associated environment is an atmosphere.

[0048] There is provided, in accordance with some embodiments, a method of water treatment, the method including: streaming a flow through compartments of an anolyte and a catholyte, to separately produce an anodic biocide anti-biofouling flow and an alkaline flow, respectively; streaming an alkaline flow into a sub-system, to produce a mineral precipitate and demineralized anti-biofouling flow; and flow-integrating a de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow and an anodic biocides anti-biofouling flow through a multi-channel mixer, to produce treated water to be used at a target location. According to some embodiments, the method further includes flowing a gaseous stream into an alkaline flow and / or into a sub-system.

[0049] According to some embodiments, the streaming of the alkaline flow into the sub-system, further produces a non-mineral precipitate.

[0050] According to some embodiments, the production of the mineral and / or non-mineral precipitate is further facilitated by mixing, cooling and / or heating, adding a mineral seed, coating the mineralization chamber, and / or applying polarizing electrical potential.

[0051] According to some embodiments, the mixing is performed by a vigorous gaseous stream, inducing turbulence, shaking, tilting, vibrating, or any combination thereof.

[0052] According to some embodiments, the method further includes removing the mineral and / or non-mineral precipitate from the sub-system.

[0053] According to some embodiments, the removal of the mineral and / or non-mineral precipitate is performed by collecting, filtering, spinning, decantation, flowing, grinding, sonicating, vibrating, or a combination thereof.

[0054] According to some embodiments, the flowing into the sub-system and / or the flow-integrating through the multi-channel mixer further includes treating the corresponding flows with a complementary anti-biofouling treatment. According to some embodiments, the complementary anti-biofouling treatment includes temperature treatment, sonication treatment, acidic treatment, chemical treatment, energy irradiation treatment, or any combination thereof.

[0055] According to some embodiments, the flow flowing through the anolyte compartment is a water flow, anti-biofouling de-mineralized flow, and / or anti-biofouling biocide flow.

[0056] According to some embodiments, the flow flowing through the catholyte compartment is a water flow, anti-biofouling de-mineralized flow, and / or an alkaline flow.

[0057] According to some embodiments, the sub-system is configured to receive an alkaline flow at a pH of about 9-10, such that the produced mineral precipitate includes a higher amount of Ca than Mg, and the resulting de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow is a Ca-reduced flow compared to the received alkaline flow.

[0058] According to some embodiments, the Ca-reduced flow is flowing through a catholyte compartment configured to output an alkaline flow at a pH of about 9-11, wherein said alkaline flow is received by a sub-system, such that a produced mineral precipitate therefrom includes a higher amount of Mg than Ca.

[0059] According to some embodiments, the flowing and / or flow-integrating is continuous.

[0060] According to some embodiments, the flowing and / or flow-integrating is intermittent.

[0061] According to some embodiments, the method further includes treating the water flow from the water source and / or the treated water by using an additional method of water treatment selected from reverse osmosis (RO), boiling, solar disinfection, slow sand filtration, energy pulse, coagulation / flocculant, fluoridation, pH change, ultrasonic, and any combination thereof.

[0062] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure may include some, all, or none of the above advantages. One or more technical advantages may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the figures, descriptions and claims included herein. Moreover, while specific advantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may include all, some or none of the enumerated advantages.

[0063] In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the figures and by study of the following detailed descriptions.

[0064] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0065] Some embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with reference to the accompanying figures. The description, together with the figures, makes apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art how some embodiments may be practiced. The figures are for the purpose of illustrative description and no attempt is made to show structural details of an embodiment in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the disclosure. For the sake of clarity, some objects depicted in the figures are not to scale.

[0066] In the figures:

[0067] FIG. 1 - shows a general process scheme of water treatment, according to some embodiments;

[0068] FIG. 2 - shows an exemplary process scheme for a serial type of water treatment process, outputting multiple minerals, according to some embodiments;

[0069] FIG. 3 -shows an exemplary process scheme for a parallel type of water treatment process, outputting single or multiple minerals, according to some embodiments;

[0070] FIG. 4 - shows an exemplary process scheme for a serial type of water treatment process, outputting multiple minerals and flow-integrate a biocide flow with a de-mineralized flow in a multi-channel mixer, prior to entering a target location, according to some embodiments;

[0071] FIG. 5 -shows an exemplary process scheme for a parallel type of water treatment process, outputting multiple minerals and flow-integrate a biocide flow with a de-mineralized flow in a multi-channel mixer, prior to entering a target location, according to some embodiments;

[0072] FIG. 6 - shows an exemplary process scheme for a water treatment process utilizing and mixing the biocide flow with the de-mineralized flow at the target location including the multi-channer mixer therein, according to some embodiments; and

[0073] FIG. 7 - shows an exemplary process scheme for a water treatment process utilizing and mixing the biocide flow with the de-mineralized flow at a mixing chamber as the multi-channel mixer, prior to entering the target location, according to some embodiments.

[0074] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0075] In the following description, various aspects of the disclosure will be described. For the purpose of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the different aspects of the disclosure. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the disclosure may be practiced without specific details being presented herein. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the disclosure.

[0076] Prior to setting forth the present subject matter in detail, it may be helpful to provide definitions of certain terms to be used herein. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of skill in the art to which this subject matter pertains. The following definitions are provided for clarity.

[0077] There is provided herein, a method for reducing macro-organism growth in seawater used for cooling or other uses, which is carbon-negative method. That is, the carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity used to power the process are markedly less than the overall amount of carbon dioxide captured within the process. Specifically, this method inhibits the growth of macro-organisms through the continuous processing of cooling feed water. The feed water flows through a component of the system: a two-compartment electrochemical cell (anodic and cathodic) separated by a membrane or a diaphragm. By introducing electricity to the cell, the cathodic compartment favors the following reactions: 2H++2e_ H2 or O2 + 4H++ 4e“ -> 2H2O and cause an increase in the water's pH, which flows into subsequent chamber. This treated water may be then passed through another component of the system, where one or several of the following processes can occur to influence the kinetic properties that favor the mineralization of Ca, Mg, and Na-based carbonate minerals: 1. A "mineralization catalyst" is employed - secondary mineralization is induced on a functionalized surface, which may or may not be polarized by an (alternating) electrical potential. 2. The water is stirred and / or pumped with liquid, air, or flue gas to induce water circulation and / or increase the concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon. 3. A vertical water flow allows for "phase separation" of the solid product minerals from the water flow. This separation facilitates the removal and collection of the mineral from the water. 4. The water is treated by additional sonic or ultrasonic waves. The process incorporates the removal of scaling ions and dissolved inorganic carbon from the water making the water inhospitable for the growth of macroorganisms that are harmful to operation, particularly mussels and barnacles. The removal of the nutrients from the water prevents the accumulation of organisms to the mechanical equipment by inhibiting cellular growth and cell communication, as well as outer shell growth specifically in the growth stage but also in more advanced phases of the organism's life-cycle. The lack of calcium helps to deter larvae during their search phase from settling on pipes by reducing the pipe's environmental favorability for growth. As the final stage in this system, right before releasing the treated water into its industrial application, a targeted shock treatment with oxidizing biocides, such as sodium hypochlorite, which is produced in the anodic compartment is administered (for example, from continuous dosing rate of 0.5-2 ppm to a shock dosing rate of 4-6 ppm). By a reduction of calcium concentration in the seawater and by supplying oxidizing biocides, at the same time, the antibiofouling activities are enhanced. This ensures both efficacy in biofouling prevention and compliance with environmental safety protocols.

[0078] A general process scheme is presented in FIG. 1, to describe the following general components: 1. Seawater reservoir from which water is pumped (water source). 2. A two- compartment electrochemical cell. The cell consists of two separate compartments: a cathodic compartment and an anodic compartment, separated by a dedicated membrane or diaphragm. As seawater enters the system, it is divided into two streams, directing each into one of the compartments. Within the cathodic compartment, electrochemical reactions occur, resulting in an elevation of pH levels (alkaline flow). In contrast, the anodic compartment is equipped with several mechanisms for diverse electrochemical reactions, which can be electrically adjusted. A substantial feature of this compartment is its ability to generate adjustable concentrations of sodium hypochlorite effectively. The biocide produced in this process is primarily intended for downstream biocidal shock treatments (biocide flow). 3. The raised pH cathodic stream flows into the mineralization cell. 4. Mineralization cell, designed to induce fast mineralization, such as of calcium or magnesium, receiving the cathodic stream. 5. Air-based pump pushing to water vertically while also circulating air inside the water, supporting pumping and crystallization efforts. It is noted that the water may also be stirred by other means than circulating air and air / gas may be introduced separately. 6. Crystals, such as calcium carbonate, leave the mineralization cell after reaching a certain mass (mineral output). 7. Mineral- depleted seawater, such as calcium-depleted seawater, is pumped out of the mineralization cell (demineralized flow). 8. The anodic tunable hypochlorite stream exits the electrochemical cell. 9 The mineral-depleted stream is introduced to the anodic stream at a "critical junction" (multi-channel mixer) for biocidal shock treatment. The de-mineralization of the water also returns the pH to the same level as regular seawater ("'8.2). In addition, it equalizes the salinity and other water chemical characteristics, such as opacity.10. After fully treated against macrofouling (treated water), the seawater flows into the power plant's cooling system. The used water is then returned back into the ocean. This is done with the limitations set by regulation and also based on other potential benefits introduced by the system, such as raising water alkalinity.

[0079] A reference is now made to FIG. 2 which shows an exemplary process scheme for a serial type of water treatment process. The scheme exemplifies the production part of multiple minerals, according to some embodiments. In this example, seawater is input into an electrochemical cell (denoted in the figure as 'EMC') to result in an alkaline flow. The resulted alkaline flow is introduced into a mineralization chamber which produces mineral #1 and de-mineralized (mineral #1) flow. The produced de-mineralized flow is subsequently introduced into a second EMC which in return outputs a second alkaline flow. The second alkaline flow is input into a second mineralization chamber which produces mineral #2 and de-mineralized (mineral #2) flow. This production part may continue further until mineral #N is produced.

[0080] A reference is now made to FIG. 3 which shows an exemplary process scheme for a parallel type of water treatment process. The scheme exemplifies the production part of multiple minerals, according to some embodiments. In this example, seawater is parallelly input into multiple EMCs. Each of the EMC outputs an alkaline flow. The alkaline flow can then be directed according to any of three possible exemplary routes: 1. Into a respective mineralization chamber, i.e. each mineralization chamber receives a flow from each EMC. 2. Split in into multiple mineralization chambers (mineralization chamber #1, mineralization chamber #2, mineralization chamber #N). 3. Flow integrates several alkaline flows into a single flow that then enters into a single mineralization chamber. Each of the mineralization chambers can produce a mineral.

[0081] A reference is now made to FIG. 4 which shows an exemplary process scheme for a serial type of water treatment process, outputting multiple minerals and flow-integrate a biocide flow with a demineralized flow, in a multi-channel mixer prior to reaching the target location, according to some embodiments. In the present example, sweater is introduced first into EMC 1. The EMC outputs a first alkaline flow (stream) and a biocide flow (denoted in the figure as acidic stream). The first alkaline flow is then introduced into a first mineralization chamber (denoted in the figure as MC 1), which in turn results in outputs of mineral 1 and a first de-mineralized flow. The biocide flow is directed to a multi-channel mixer (denoted in the figure as a mixing chamber). The first de-mineralized flow is further introduced into EMC 2, which respectively produces a second alkaline flow and biocide flow. The second alkaline flow is introduced into MC 2 to respectively produce mineral 2 and a second demineralized flow. This serial routine continues until mineral #N is produced. A #N de-mineralized flow and the biocide flows are flow-integrate in the multi-channel mixer and then reach the target location (denoted in the figure as a 'client's utilization point').

[0082] A reference is now made to FIG. 5 which shows an exemplary process scheme for a parallel type of water treatment process, outputting multiple minerals and flow-integrate the biocide flow with the de-mineralized flow, in a multi-channel mixer prior to reaching the target location, according to some embodiments. In this example, seawater is introduced parallelly into more than one EMCs (denoted in the figure as EMC 1, EMC 2, etc.). Each EMC outputs an alkaline flow (stream) and a biocide flow (denoted in the figure as 'acidic stream'). The alkaline flows are introduced into corresponding mineralization chambers (denoted in the figure as MC 1, MC 2, etc.) which in turn produce respected minerals and de-mineralized flows. The produced de-mineralized flows are mixed in the multi-channel mixer (denoted in the figure as a 'mixing chamber') with the biocide flows and the resulted water mixture is introduced into the target location (denoted in the figure as a 'client's utilization point').

[0083] A reference is now made to FIG. 6 which shows an exemplary process scheme for a water treatment process utilizing and mixing the biocide flow with the de-mineralized flow at the target location including the multi-channer mixer therein, according to some embodiments. In this example, seawater is introduced into an EMC which produces an alkaline flow (stream) and a biocide flow (denoted in the figure as 'acidic stream'). The alkaline flow is then introduced into a mineralization chamber (denoted in the figure as MC) which produces a mineral and a de-mineralized flow. The demineralized flow and the biocide flow are mixed at the target location (denoted in the figure as a 'client's utilization point) which incorporates the multi-channel mixer therein. A reference is now made to FIG. 7 which shows an exemplary process scheme for a water treatment process utilizing and mixing the biocide flow with the de-mineralized flow at a multichannel mixer, prior to reaching the target location, according to some embodiments. In this example, seawater is introduced into an EMC which produces an alkaline flow (stream) and a biocide flow (denoted in the figure as an 'acidic stream'). The alkaline flow is then introduced into a MC which produces a mineral and a de-mineralized flow. The de-mineralized flow and the biocide flow are flow- integrated in a multi-channel mixer (denoted in the figure as a 'mixing chamber') and their mixture is introduced into the target location (denoted in the figure as a 'client's utilization point').

[0084] The division of the incoming water into two separate streams develops two distinct biocidal properties. A critical junction is the later merging of these streams, which enhances the effectiveness of the biocidal shock treatment.

[0085] Additionally, optional integration of an air-based pump and / or mechanical mixing facilitates rapid water-air circulation, accelerating the mineralization of calcium ions with atmospheric, or effluent CO2. This aspect of the design is particularly advantageous for adapting the system to highspeed water flows, ensuring efficient treatment even under a continuous flow. As well as the use of such electrochemical ion (e.g., Ca ion) removal as "macrofouling treatment". Another major component of disclosure is the general use of nutrient removal to reduce macro-organism growth (Ca and dissolved inorganic carbon). Furthermore, the suggested system enables the use of the electrochemical cathodic reaction which derives a pH raise in the water to remove calcium. By that, the streamed-out calcium-depleted water becomes unfavorable for colonization and survival of the macro-organisms, without introducing hazardous chemicals at ecologically dangerous concentrations. Furthermore, the design of the system allows a tunable dual aspect of prevention: mineral-depleted water as the main prevention, and low / tunable dosing of hypochlorite as a safety measure. The dual aspect ensures the reduction of the macro-organisms, while allowing the tuning of hazardous Sodium hypochlorite production to the minimum and comply with the regulators.

[0086] Another aspect is the electrochemical processing of the feed water directly which allows this method to remove atmospheric carbon by sequestering it with the calcium in the water as an integrated part of the process and ensures an overall carbon negative process which benefit with environment.

[0087] In addition, the produced minerals are an essential feedstock and a building block in many industrial processes and products. The minerals (such as CaCOs), which are created with a carbonnegative process, could be utilized in industries such as construction, paper, pulp, paint, plastics, food, pharmaceuticals, and many more.

[0088] The prevention of the growth of the macroorganisms by the induction of a calcium-poor environment is not bound to regulation. Using calcium removal as the main measure of the system allows for the minimization of sodium hypochlorite production to the concentrations permitted by the regulator, and only as a safe measure that can be adjusted to fit different environments and seasons. Another main advantage of the presented method is the overall negative carbon footprint. The overall carbon negativity is deriving from the mineralization of the calcium together with atmospheric CO2 as an integrated part of the process which allows the removal of calcium from the first place.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A water treatment system comprising: one or more electrochemical cells, each comprising a catholyte compartment configured to output an alkaline flow and an anolyte compartment configured to output a biocide anti-biofouling flow; one or more sub-systems (e.g., mineralization chamber), configured to receive the alkaline flow, and to output a de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow and a mineral precipitate; wherein the catholyte compartment is configured to receive: a water flow from a water source and / or an alkaline flow; and the anolyte compartment is configured to receive: a water flow from a water source, a biocide anti-biofouling flow, and / or a de-mineralized antibiofouling flow, and a multi-channel mixer (or a mixing chamber) configured to receive and flow-integrate a de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow and a biocide anti-biofouling flow, and is configured to output a resulted treated water for use at a target location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more electrochemical cells and the one or more sub-systems are arranged such that each electrochemical cell is fluidly paired to a sub-system to form a system bi-unit.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the system bi-units are serially and / or parallelly fluidly connected to each other.

4. The system of any one of claims 1-3, wherein a gaseous flow is further introduced to: the subsystem, the alkaline flow, and / or the de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the gaseous flow originates from a surrounding atmosphere, tank of condensed gas, gas of plant exhaust, or any combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the gas comprises CO2.

7. The system of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the source of the water flow comprises seawater, wastewater, sewage, pool water, lake water, river, industrial wastewater, brackish water, potable water, brine, or any combination thereof.

8. The system of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the source of the water flow is an open area or a closed chamber.

9. The system of any one of claims 1-8, wherein the biocide anti-biofouling flow comprises HCI, HOCI, NaCIO, CI2, Cl , CL', OCI', CIOs', CIO2, CIO2-, or any combination thereof.

10. The system of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the sub-system is configured to receive the alkaline flow at a pH level of about 9-11.

11. The system of any one of claims 1-10, wherein the sub-system is configured to receive the alkaline flow at a pH level of about 9-10.

12. The system of any one of claims 1-11, wherein the anolyte compartment is further configured to receive the biocide anti-biofouling flow output thereof, thereby facilitating a circular flow within the anolyte compartment.

13. The system of any one of claims 1-12, wherein the de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow outputted from the sub-system comprises less Ca and / or Mg compared to the alkaline flow received by the sub-system.

14. The system of any one of claims 1-13, wherein the mineral precipitate comprises calcium carbonate (CaCOs), magnesium carbonate (MgCOa), Artinite (Mg2CO3(OH)2:3H2O), Hydromagnesite (Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2:4H2O), Lansfordite (MgCO3:5H2O), Nesquehonite (MgCC>3:3H2O), magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2), magnesium oxide (MgO), Ca(i.X)Mg(X)CO3, sodium carbonate (Na2CC>3), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium carbonate (K2CO3), potassium hydroxide (KOH), Carnalite (KCI MgCL 6(H2O), Langbeinite (K2Mg2(SO4h), Polyhalite (K2Ca2Mg(SO )4-2H2O), Sylvite (KCI), lithium carbonate (LiCOs), lithium hydroxide (LiOH), methane clathrate (CH4 5.75H2O), or any combination thereof.

15. The system of any one of claims 1-14, wherein the mineral precipitate comprises calcium carbonate (CaCOs).

16. The system of any one of claims 1-15, wherein the one or more sub-systems, further configured to output a non-mineral precipitate.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the non-mineral precipitate is or comprises urea.

18. The system of any one of claims 1-17, wherein the multi-channel mixer is further configured to regulate an input dose of the de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow and / or an input dose of the biocide anti-biofouling flow.

19. The system of any one of claims 1-18, further comprising a controller functionally associated with the electrochemical cell, the sub-system, and / or the multi-channel mixer.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to regulate an electrolysis duration and / or current density, an extent of de-mineralization, a dose of gaseous stream, a dose of the de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow, and / or a dose of the biocide anti-biofouling flow.

21. The system of any one of claims 4-20, further comprising one or more sensors configured to provide one or more signals indicative of flow characteristics of the inputted and outputtedflows from: the water source, the anolyte compartment, the catholyte compartment, the one or more sub-systems, the multi-channel mixer, the gaseous flow, and the target location.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more signals are indicative of flow's pH, hardness, alkalinity, salinity, chlorine content, temperature, potential, current, osmolarity, or any combination thereof.

23. The system of any one of claims 20-22, wherein the controller is configured to perform the regulation based on the at least one or more signals.

24. The system of any one of claims 1-23, further comprising an anti-biofouling complementary treatment generator configured to provide a complementary anti-biofouling treatment.

25. The system of any one of claims 1-24, wherein the target location is a water system used for cooling and / or production, the water system is a stationary industrial site or mobile facility.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the stationary industrial site is selected from: power plant, desalination plant, or production facility.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the production facility is selected from a group consisting of pharma, food, automotive, petrochemical, garment, chemical, plastics, and semiconductors.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the mobile facility is selected from: marine vessel, wind farm, or oil / gas rig.

29. The system of any one of claims 1-28, wherein the target location incorporates therein the multi-channel mixer.

30. The system of any one of claims 23-29, further comprising a conduit system configured to connect flows originate from the water source, the one or more electrochemical cells, the sub-system, the gaseous flow, the anti-biofouling complementary treatment generator, and the target location.

31. Use of the water treatment system of any one of claims 1-30 to eliminate or reduce biofouling at the target location.

32. The use of claim 31, wherein the biofouling comprises muscles, larvae, barnacles, cyprid, or a combination thereof.

33. Use of the water treatment system of any one of claims 1-32 to reduce the level of carbon, calcium, and magnesium at the target location's water, target location's surface (e.g., scaling) and / or its associated environment.

34. The use of claim 33, wherein the associated environment comprises an adjacent atmosphere, land, and / or water.

35. The use of any one of claims 33 and 34, wherein the associated environment is an atmosphere.

36. A method of water treatment, the method comprising:streaming a flow through compartments of an anolyte and a catholyte, to separately produce an anodic biocide anti-biofouling flow and an alkaline flow, respectively; streaming an alkaline flow into a sub-system, to produce a mineral precipitate and demineralized anti-biofouling flow; and flow-integrating a de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow and an anodic biocides anti-biofouling flow through a multi-channel mixer, to produce treated water to be used at a target location.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising flowing a gaseous stream into an alkaline flow and / or into a sub-system.

38. The method of any one of claims 36 and 37, wherein the streaming of the alkaline flow into the sub-system, further produces a non-mineral precipitate.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the production of the mineral and / or non-mineral precipitate is further facilitated by mixing, cooling and / or heating, adding a mineral seed, coating the mineralization chamber, and / or applying polarizing electrical potential.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the mixing is performed by a vigorous gaseous stream, inducing turbulence, shaking, tilting, vibrating, or any combination thereof.

41. The method of any one of claims 38-40, further comprising removing the mineral and / or non- mineral precipitate from the sub-system.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the removal of the mineral and / or non-mineral precipitate is performed by collecting, filtering, spinning, decantation, flowing, grinding, sonicating, vibrating, or a combination thereof.

43. The method of any one of claims 36-42, wherein the flowing into the sub-system and / or the flow-integrating through the multi-channel mixer further comprises treating the corresponding flows with a complementary anti-biofouling treatment.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the complementary anti-biofouling treatment comprises temperature treatment, sonication treatment, acidic treatment, chemical treatment, energy irradiation treatment, or any combination thereof.

45. The method of any one of claims 36-44, wherein the flow flowing through the anolyte compartment is a water flow, anti-biofouling de-mineralized flow, and / or anti-biofouling biocide flow.

46. The method of any one of claims 36-45, wherein the flow flowing through the catholyte compartment is a water flow, anti-biofouling de-mineralized flow, and / or an alkaline flow.

47. The method of any one of claims 36-46, wherein the sub-system is configured to receive an alkaline flow at a pH of about 9-10, such that the produced mineral precipitate comprises ahigher amount of Ca than Mg, and the resulting de-mineralized anti-biofouling flow is a Ca- reduced flow compared to the received alkaline flow.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the Ca-reduced flow is flowing through a catholyte compartment configured to output an alkaline flow at a pH of about 9-11, wherein said alkaline flow is received by a sub-system, such that a produced mineral precipitate therefrom comprises a higher amount of Mg than Ca.

49. The method of any one of claims 36-48, wherein the flowing and / or flow-integrating is continuous.

50. The method of any one of claims 36-49, wherein the flowing and / or flow-integrating is intermittent.

51. The method of any one of claims 36-50, further comprising treating the water flow from the water source and / or the treated water by using an additional method of water treatment selected from reverse osmosis (RO), boiling, solar disinfection, slow sand filtration, energy pulse, coagulation / flocculant, fluoridation, pH change, ultrasonic, and any combination thereof.

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