Current based water treatment process and system
AssigneeMuddy River Technologies Inc.
InventorsRobert John Stephenson, Travis David Wayne Reid, Michael Stephen Gardner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Process for treatment of wastewater is provided. The wastewater includes suspended or dissolved wastewater components and an aqueous component. During the treatment process, at least a portion of a solids bed through which the wastewater is passed is dissolved using an electric current. Dissolution of the solids bed produces constituents which react with the wastewater and enable separation of the suspended or dissolved wastewater components from the aqueous component. Also provided is a system for carrying out the process.
Claims22
A method for treating a wastewater stream, the wastewater stream including suspended or dissolved wastewater components and an aqueous component, the method comprising:
- providing a solids bed consisting entirely of electrically conductive particles made of metal;
- locating at least one pair of spaced electrodes within the solids bed;
- flowing the wastewater stream upwardly through the solids bed;
- passing an electric current through the at least one pair of spaced electrodes to induce an electrolysis reaction that thereby dissolves the electrically conductive particles to produce metal cations which react with the wastewater stream to enable separation of the wastewater components from the aqueous component, wherein only products of the electrolysis reaction including constituents from dissolving the electrically conductive particles are introduced to the wastewater stream and wherein the electric current is an alternating current (AC);
- and
- removing the separated wastewater components from the aqueous component downstream of the solids bed.
A system for treating a wastewater stream, the wastewater stream including suspended or dissolved wastewater components and an aqueous component, the system comprising:
- a reactor having an inlet and an outlet and adapted to receive the wastewater stream, wherein the inlet and the outlet of the reactor are positioned to generate an upward flow of the wastewater stream through the solids bed;
- a solids bed located within the reactor, the solids bed consisting entirely of electrically conductive particles made of metal;
- at least one pair of electrodes located within the solids bed in a spaced apart relationship;
- an electric current source operatively coupled to the at least one pair of electrodes to supply an electric current, wherein the electric current is an alternating current (AC),
- and wherein during operation, the electric current generated by the electric current source is passed through the at least one pair of spaced electrodes to induce an electrolysis reaction that dissolves the electrically conductive particles to produce metal cations which react with the wastewater stream to enable separation of the wastewater components from the aqueous component, wherein only products of the electrolysis reaction including constituents from dissolving the electrically conductive particles are introduced to the wastewater stream;
- and
- a downstream unit configured to remove the separated wastewater components from the aqueous component downstream of the solids bed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.