Fuel Cell System for Pentavalent Antimony Removal in Wastewater
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing pentavalent antimony from water, such as electrochemical methods, require a DC power supply, increasing treatment costs and are not effective without it.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell system that adjusts the pH of wastewater to 3-6.5 and uses an iron anode and cathode under anaerobic conditions to generate electric energy for electrocoagulation, reducing pentavalent antimony to trivalent antimony through ferrous ions, allowing for effective removal via coprecipitation or coagulation without an external power supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an electrochemical method is used to remove pentavalent antimony by reducing it to trivalent antimony, then the removal effectiveness is improved, but a DC power supply must be added which greatly increases the treatment cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the self-service principle by using the organic matter in the wastewater itself as the fuel source for the fuel cell. The organic matter is electrochemically oxidized at the anode, generating electrons and electrical energy that drive the reduction of pentavalent antimony at the cathode. This eliminates the need for an external DC power supply, as the system uses its own waste organic content to power the remediation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful organic matter in the wastewater into a beneficial resource. Instead of treating organic matter solely as a pollutant requiring removal, the system utilizes it as the fuel source for the fuel cell, generating the electrical energy needed for antimony removal. This transforms a harmful substance into the key energy source that enables the overall treatment process.
2Reliability
If the pentavalent antimony is reduced to trivalent antimony by electrochemical method, then the removal efficiency is improved, but the energy consumption increases due to DC power supply requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel cell system generates its own electrical energy through the electrochemical oxidation of organic matter present in the wastewater. The electrons produced at the anode during organic matter degradation are directly used at the cathode to reduce pentavalent antimony to trivalent antimony. This self-powered mechanism eliminates external energy input requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges two separate treatment processes into one integrated system: organic matter degradation and antimony removal. The fuel cell combines the anode reaction (oxidation of organic matter) and cathode reaction (reduction of pentavalent antimony) into a single electrochemical cell, where the electrons from organic matter oxidation directly fuel the antimony reduction process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system generates self-sufficient electric energy for electrocoagulation, effectively reducing pentavalent antimony to trivalent antimony, enabling its removal through coprecipitation or coagulation, thus addressing the cost issue and inefficiency of existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
the iron anode generates ferrous ions by the electrochemical dissolution reaction
Implementation Method 2
the pentavalent antimony irons are reduced to trivalent antimony irons by the ferrous ions
Implementation Method 3
a cathode for restoring oxygen by utilizing electrons and protons
Implementation Method 4
electric energy is generated by a potential difference caused by the reaction of the iron anode and the cathode which restores the oxygen by utilizing electrons and the protons
Implementation Method 5
the pentavalent antimony contaminants is purified and removed by the coprecipitation or coagulation of the trivalent antimony irons and ferric irons
Implementation Method 6
the pentavalent antimony contaminants is purified and removed by the coprecipitation or coagulation of the trivalent antimony irons and ferric irons
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method for removing pentavalent antimony contaminants in water without adding a DC power supply and also provides a fuel cell capable of removing the pentavalent antimony contaminants in water by utilizing self-generated electric energy. A technical solution of the present invention is as follows: waste water is pumped into a reactor for reaction after a pH value of the waste water containing the pentavalent antimony contaminants adjusted to 3-6.5; the inside of a reactor is an anaerobic environment; and an iron anode is arranged in the reactor, a through hole is formed in a side wall of the reactor, a cathode for reducing oxygen by electrons and protons sealed and inlaid in the through hole, and a resistor is connected between the iron anode and the cathode in series. The present invention is suitable for a water treatment technology.