# US 11,305,232 B2 · Filtration systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,232 B2 - Document ID: US11305232B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/892,171 - Filed: 2020-06-03 - Published: 2020-12-03 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-03 - Assignees: UltraCell Corporation - Applicants: UltraCell LLC - Inventors: Ru Chen; Franklin Paul Barcinas; Ian W. Kaye - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305232B2 ## CPC - B01D 61/025: {Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration} - H01M 8/04208: {Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs} - B01D 61/027: {Nanofiltration} - B01D 61/58: Multistep processes - H01M 8/0618: {Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming} - H01M 8/1004: characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) - H01M 8/1011: Direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC], e.g. direct methanol fuel cells [DMFC] - H01M 8/12: operating at high temperature, e.g. with stabilised ZrO2 electrolyte - B01D 2311/04: Specific process operations in the feed stream; Feed pretreatment - B01D 2317/025: Permeate series - H01M 2250/20: Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - Y02T 90/40: Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Filtration systems and methods for purifying windshield washer fluid to yield methanol pure enough for fueling methanol fuel cell systems. Pumping commercially available windshield washer fluid through filtration systems having one or more filters can remove additives from the windshield washer fluid. The filtration systems include filters, such as activated carbon filters, nanofiltration filters, reverse osmosis filters, and ion exchange resin filters. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A purified windshield washer fluid having evaporation residue less than 1000 ppmW, wherein the purified windshield washer fluid is produced by a process comprising the steps of: providing a windshield washer fluid comprising methanol and at least one other compound, wherein a concentration of the methanol is 50 wt % or higher; and passing the windshield washer fluid through a filtration system comprising at least one filter, wherein the at least one filter is selected from the group consisting of: an activated carbon filter, a membrane separation filter, and an ion exchange resin filter, wherein the windshield washer fluid contains 1.3 wt % 2-butoxyethanol and the purified windshield washer fluid contains 0.31 wt % 2-butoxyethanol. ### Claim 2 A purified windshield washer fluid having evaporation residue less than 1000 ppmW, wherein the purified windshield washer fluid is produced by a process comprising the steps of: providing a windshield washer fluid comprising methanol and at least one other compound, wherein a concentration of the methanol is 50 wt % or higher; and Passing the windshield washer fluid through a filtration system comprising at least one filter, wherein the at least one filter is selected from the group consisting of: an activated carbon filter, a membrane separation filter, and an ion exchange resin filter, wherein the windshield washer fluid contains 1.3 wt % 2-butoxyethanol and the purified windshield washer fluid contains 0.26 wt % 2-butoxyethanol. ### Claim 3 A purified windshield washer fluid having evaporation residue less than 1000 ppmW, wherein the purified windshield washer fluid is produced by a process comprising the steps of: providing a windshield washer fluid comprising methanol and at least one other compound, wherein a concentration of the methanol is 50 wt % or higher; and passing the windshield washer fluid through a filtration system comprising at least one filter, wherein the at least one filter is selected from the group consisting of: an activated carbon filter, a membrane separation filter, and an ion exchange resin filter, wherein the windshield washer fluid contains 1.3 wt % 2-butoxyethanol and the purified windshield washer fluid contains 0.26 wt %-0.31 wt % 2-butoxyethanol. ### Claim 4 A purified windshield washer fluid having evaporation residue less than 1000 ppmW, wherein the purified windshield washer fluid is produced by a process comprising the steps of: providing a windshield washer fluid comprising methanol and at least one other compound, wherein a concentration of the methanol is 50 wt % or higher; and passing the windshield washer fluid through a filtration system comprising at least one filter, wherein the at least one filter is selected from the group consisting of: an activated carbon filter, a membrane separation filter, and an ion exchange resin filter, wherein the windshield washer fluid contains 2-butoxyethanol and a mass fraction of the 2-butoxyethanol in the purified windshield washer fluid contains about 20%-23.8% of a mass fraction of 2-butoxyethanol in the windshield washer fluid before passing the windshield washer fluid through the filtration system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one filter is an activated carbon filter and the filtration system further comprises a membrane separation filter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 5, wherein the membrane separation filter is a nanofiltration filter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 5, wherein the membrane separation filter is a reverse osmosis filter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 5, wherein the filtration system further comprises an ion exchange resin filter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 8, wherein the filtration system comprises two membrane separation filters in series. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 3, wherein the purified windshield washer fluid has evaporation residue less than 500 ppmW. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 3, wherein the purified windshield washer fluid has evaporation residue less than 100 ppmW. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 3, wherein the purified windshield washer fluid has evaporation residue less than 10 ppmW. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 3, wherein evaporation residue of the windshield washer fluid is reduced from over 4,000 ppmW to less than 10 ppmW after passing through the filtration system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one filter comprises an activated carbon filter and a membrane separation filter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 4, wherein evaporation residue of the windshield washer fluid is over 4,000 ppmW and evaporation residue of the purified windshield washer fluid is less than 10 ppmW. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one filter comprises an activated carbon filter and a membrane separation filter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 4) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 4, wherein the windshield washer fluid contains 1.3 wt % 2-butoxyethanol and the purified windshield washer fluid contains 0.26 wt %. ### Claim 18 (depends on 4) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 4, wherein the windshield washer fluid contains 1.3 wt % 2-butoxyethanol and the purified windshield washer fluid contains 0.31 wt %. ### Claim 19 (depends on 4) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 4, wherein the at least one filter is an activated carbon filter and the filtration system further comprises a reverse osmosis filter. ### Claim 20 (depends on 4) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 4, wherein the purified windshield washer fluid has evaporation residue less than 500 ppmW. ### Claim 21 (depends on 4) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 4, wherein the purified windshield washer fluid has evaporation residue less than 100 ppmW. ### Claim 22 (depends on 4) The purified windshield washer fluid as recited in claim 4, wherein the purified windshield washer fluid has evaporation residue less than 10 ppmW.