Process and system for removing ammonium from wastewater
AssigneeSaltworks Technologies Inc.
InventorsXiangchun Yin, Benjamin Sparrow
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Abstract
Methods, systems, and techniques for removing ammonium from ammonia-containing water involve using a stack that has alternating product chambers and concentrate chambers for receiving ammonia-containing water and an acidic solution, respectively, with the chambers being bounded by alternating cation exchange membranes and proton permselective cation exchange membranes. Ammonium moves from the product chambers to the concentrate chambers across the CEMs and protons move from the concentrate chambers to the product chambers across the pCEMs when the stack is in use. An electrolyzer may also be used to convert the ammonium in the concentrate chambers into nitrogen.
Claims40
A system for removing ammonium from ammonia-containing water, the system comprising an ammonium-removal stack, the stack comprising:
- (a) alternating product chambers and concentrate chambers configured to receive the ammonia-containing water and an acidic solution, respectively;
- and
- (b) alternating cation exchange membranes (“CEMs”) and proton permselective cation exchange membranes (“pCEMs”) located between and bounding the product and concentrate chambers, wherein the pCEMs have a proton permeability of more than ten times that of other cations,
- wherein the ammonium moves from the product chambers to the concentrate chambers across the CEMs and protons move from the concentrate chambers to the product chambers across the pCEMs when the stack is in use.
A process for removing ammonium from ammonia-containing water, the process comprising:
- (a) flowing the ammonia-containing water and an acidic solution through a stack, wherein the stack comprises:
- (i) alternating product chambers and concentrate chambers, wherein the ammonia-containing water and the acidic solution flow through the product chambers and the concentrate chambers, respectively;
- and
- (ii) alternating cation exchange membranes (“CEMs”) and proton permselective cation exchange membranes (“pCEMs”) located between and bounding the product and concentrate chambers, wherein the pCEMs have proton permeability of more than ten times that of other cations;
- and
- (b) causing the ammonium to move from the product chambers to the concentrate chambers across the CEMs and protons to move from the concentrate chambers to the product chambers across the pCEMs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.