Brine Decontamination Through Internal Joule Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for decontaminating hypersaline brines, such as injection into underground reservoirs, treatment at municipal water plants, membrane technology, distillation, and supercritical water reactors, face issues like high costs, thermal inefficiencies, and limited scalability due to externally heated designs.
Innovation Solution
Employing Joule-heating through electrodes within a reactor to directly heat liquids, causing dissolved solids to precipitate out of solution, using a pseudocritical temperature phase separation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If externally heated supercritical water reactors are used for brine treatment, then decontamination can be achieved, but thermal inefficiencies and limited scalability occur due to thick reactor walls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces external mechanical heating systems with internal Joule heating. Electrical electrodes are inserted directly into the brine, and electrical current is applied to generate heat internally through resistive heating. This eliminates the need for thick reactor walls and external heating systems, enabling direct heating of the brine from the inside out, thereby improving scalability while maintaining decontamination effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition of water from liquid to vapor during Joule heating. As the brine is heated internally by electrical resistance, water evaporates and separates from dissolved solids. The vapor phase is removed, leaving purified water, while solids remain in the liquid phase. This phase transition mechanism enables effective decontamination without requiring externally heated reactors with thick walls
2Reliability
If externally heated supercritical water reactors are used for brine treatment, then decontamination can be achieved, but high manufacturing costs and thermal lag result
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex external heating systems with simple internal electrical electrodes. The heating function is integrated directly into the brine through electrical resistance, eliminating the need for external heat exchangers, thick reactor walls, and complex thermal management systems. This simplification dramatically reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining decontamination effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The brine itself serves as the heating medium through Joule heating. The electrical current applied to the brine generates heat directly where it is needed, eliminating the need for external heating systems. The system is self-heating, which reduces thermal lag and eliminates the high manufacturing costs associated with external heating infrastructure
3Productivity
If conventional heating methods are used for brine treatment, then processing can be achieved, but thermal inefficiencies occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional external heating methods with internal Joule heating through electrical electrodes. Electrical energy is converted directly to thermal energy within the brine, eliminating heat transfer losses through reactor walls and heating media. This direct internal heating approach dramatically improves thermal efficiency while maintaining processing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes evaporative phase transition of water during internal Joule heating. As electrical resistance heating evaporates water from the brine, the phase change provides an efficient heat transfer mechanism that concentrates dissolved solids in the remaining liquid while removing purified water vapor. This phase transition process enhances thermal efficiency compared to conventional heating methods
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
Achieves efficient decontamination with controlled power application, producing a low TDS content vapor and concentrated TDS liquid, overcoming scalability and thermal inefficiencies of previous methods.
Implementation Method 1
Joule-heating, a result of the power dissipated as current travels through a non-ideal conductor, is used for directly heating a liquid
Implementation Method 2
the liquid is heated until it reaches a pseudocritical temperature, and it then divides into two phases: vapor and liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A system for decontaminating a liquid containing dissolved solids including subjecting liquid containing dissolved solids to Joule heating under conditions effective to cause said dissolved solids to precipitate out of solution.