Spiral Lithium Brine Filter Cartridge With Distributed Current Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filter cells for extracting lithium from lithium-containing brine suffer from uneven distribution of electrical charge and lithium ion uptake, leading to localized concentration and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A filter cartridge design with a spiral cylinder configuration featuring multiple electrical contacts along the edges of current collectors, ensuring even distribution of electrical charge and lithium ion capture, protected from brine exposure, and allowing for easy replacement and series/parallel arrangement for enhanced lithium recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single electrical contact is used to supply current to the electrochemical filter element, then the device complexity is reduced, but the distribution of lithium ions becomes uneven and concentration gradients are formed
Solution Approach 1:
The single electrical contact is segmented into multiple electrical contacts distributed along the length of the filter element. This segmentation allows current to be supplied at multiple locations, creating multiple current pathways that distribute lithium ion capture more uniformly along the brine flow path, eliminating concentration gradients while maintaining manageable device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical contacts are arranged in a dimensional pattern along the length of the filter element rather than at a single point. This spatial distribution in one dimension (along the flow path) transforms the current delivery from a point-source to a distributed line-source, achieving uniform lithium ion distribution without significantly increasing overall device complexity
2Device complexity
If the current pathway contacts the brine flow at locations outside the filter element, then the electrical circuit is simplified, but lithium capture efficiency is reduced due to non-productive current paths
Solution Approach 1:
The current pathway is extracted and confined to remain entirely within the filter element boundaries. By removing the portion of the current path that extended outside the filter element, the invention eliminates non-productive current paths that did not contribute to lithium capture, thereby improving lithium recovery efficiency while maintaining electrical circuit simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The filter element itself serves as the intermediary that guides and confines the current pathway. The current flows through the filter element material, which acts as a mediator ensuring that all current pathways are productive and contribute to lithium ion capture, while the electrical contacts provide the necessary electrical connection
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 design achieves more uniform lithium ion distribution, increased recovery capacity, and efficient operation with minimal disruption during cartridge exchange, enhancing overall lithium extraction efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a capture electrode for capturing lithium ions from the brine, a capture electrode current collector for imparting a negative charge to the capture electrode
Implementation Method 2
a counter electrode, and a counter electrode current collector for imparting a positive charge to the counter electrode
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention provides a filter cartridge (1) for extracting lithium from lithium-containing brine, a filter cartridge assembly comprising a cartridge container (80) which contains such a filter cartridge (1), and an apparatus comprising a plurality of such filter cartridge assemblies (1, 80). The filter cartridge (1) at least comprises a capture electrode (47) for capturing lithium ions from the brine, a capture electrode current collector (48) for imparting a negative charge to the capture electrode, a counter electrode (51), and a counter electrode current collector (52) for imparting a positive charge to the counter electrode. Each of the capture electrode, the capture electrode current collector, the counter electrode and the counter electrode current collector comprises a brine-permeable sheet. The sheets are each in the form of a long strip, so that each sheet has an opposing pair of long edges and an opposing pair of short edges. The sheets are stacked in layers forming a stack (67) which is wound into a spiral cylinder, so that the opposing pairs of long edges of all the sheets form opposite ends of the cylinder, allowing the lithium-containing brine to flow radially through the cylinder. At least one of the capture electrode current collector and the counter electrode current collector are provided with a respective plurality of electrical contacts along a respective one of the opposing pair of long edges of the respective current collector, and the plurality of electrical contacts are electrically connected to each other and to a common electrical current connector. The apparatus comprises a plurality of the filter cartridge assemblies (1, 80) arranged in series and/or parallel with each other and sharing a common electrical supply.