Systems and methods for disinfecting fluids

A low voltage electroporation disinfection system for disinfecting a fluid comprising:

• a coaxial-electrode electroporation disinfection cell (CEEDC) comprising:
• a hollow cylindrical non-porous outer electrode having an inner surface at an inner diameter D comprising copper and defining an internal cavity;
• and
• a non-porous center electrode comprising a wire coaxially positioned within the internal cavity of the outer electrode, the center electrode having an outer surface at an outer diameter d comprising a plurality of metallic nanowires having tips;
• wherein an annular gap is defined between the inner surface of the outer electrode and the outer surface of the center electrode;
• and
• wherein a fluid can pass through the internal cavity in a flow path direction with a hydraulic retention time;
• and
• a voltage supplier comprising a turbine electric generator, the turbine electric generator in communication with the fluid and configured to:
• supply a voltage across the outer electrode and center electrode via an electrical current in a current path direction;
• generate a non-uniform electric field distribution on a cross-sectional plane of the system;
• and
• enable irreversible electroporation in proximity of the tips of the metallic nanowires;
• such that when the fluid is permitted to flow through the internal cavity with the hydraulic retention time, the supplied voltage is sufficient to reduce a living contaminant in the fluid at an inactivation efficiency of log 1 or greater;
• wherein an enhancement factor of electric field f is defined as:
• F
• =
• (
• D
• d
• )
• ·
• 1
• ln
• ⁡
• (
• D
• d
• )
• ;
• wherein the system provides for a two part electric field enhancement via:
• the CEEDC cell providing the coaxial arrangement of the center electrode with metallic nanowires within the outer electrode;
• and
• the increase in f with a reduction of the outer diameter d of the center electrode, which leads to an attendant increase in the annular gap;
• and
• wherein the flow path direction is perpendicular to the current path direction.

A flow-by reactor for disinfecting a fluid comprising:

• a non-porous outer electrode having an inner surface at a diameter D and defining an internal cavity;
• a non-porous center electrode having an outer surface at al diameter d of from 50 μm to 100 μm positioned concentrically within the internal cavity and extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal axis of the outer electrode, the center electrode having a surface comprising a plurality of copper nanowires;
• an inlet positioned proximate a first end of the outer electrode and configured to allow a fluid to pass from an area external to the cavity into the cavity;
• an outlet positioned proximate a second end of the outer electrode and configured to allow the fluid to pass from the cavity into an area external to the cavity;
• and
• a voltage supplier in communication with the fluid and configured to supply a voltage across the outer electrode and center electrode;
• wherein the voltage:
• is selected from the group consisting of DC, AC and combinations thereof;
• is supplied in one or more waveforms selected from the group consisting of oscillation, pulse, decay, impulse, and combinations thereof;
• and
• generates a non-uniform electric field distribution on a cross-sectional plane of the flow-by reactor;
• and
• wherein an enhancement factor of electric field f is defined as:
• F
• =
• (
• D
• d
• )
• ·
• 1
• ln
• ⁡
• (
• D
• d
• )
• ;
• wherein the reactor provides for electric field enhancement via:
• the concentric arrangement of the center electrode with the copper nanowires within the outer electrode;
• and
• the increase in f with a reduction of the outer diameter d of the center electrode, which leads to an attendant increase in a gap distance defined between the outer surface of the center electrode and the inner surface of the outer electrode;
• and
• wherein f is 26.