Porous medium with adjustable fluid permeability and associated systems and methods
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsYayuan Liu, Trevor Alan Hatton
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Abstract
The present disclosure is related to porous media with adjustable fluid permeabilities and related systems and methods. In certain cases, the fluid permeability of a porous medium can be adjusted by applying an electrical potential to the porous medium. In some such cases, the application of the electrical potential to the porous medium results in the deposition of material over or the removal of material from the porous medium. Also disclosed herein are systems and methods for capturing species (e.g., acid gases) in which porous media with adjustable fluid permeabilities are used, for example, to control the flow of fluid into and out of a medium used to capture the species.
Claims18
A method, comprising applying an electrical potential to an electronically conductive porous solid to adjust a fluid permeability of the electronically conductive porous solid, wherein a sequestration material is disposed adjacent to the electronically conductive porous solid.
A method, comprising applying an electrical potential to an electronically conductive porous solid to adjust a fluid permeability of the electronically conductive porous solid, wherein:
- the fluid permeability of the electronically conductive porous solid is reduced when the electrical potential, having a first polarity, is applied to the electronically conductive porous solid;
- the application of the electrical potential, having the first polarity, results in deposition of a material on the electronically conductive porous solid;
- and
- the material deposited on the electronically conductive porous solid comprises a metal and/or a metal oxide.
A method, comprising applying an electrical potential to an electronically conductive porous solid to adjust a fluid permeability of the electronically conductive porous solid, wherein:
- the fluid permeability of the electronically conductive porous solid is reduced when the electrical potential, having a first polarity, is applied to the electronically conductive porous solid;
- the application of the electrical potential, having the first polarity, results in deposition of a material on the electronically conductive porous solid;
- and
- the material deposited on the electronically conductive porous solid comprises a colloidal particle.
A method, comprising applying an electrical potential to an electronically conductive porous solid to adjust a fluid permeability of the electronically conductive porous solid, wherein:
- the fluid permeability of the electronically conductive porous solid is reduced when the electrical potential, having a first polarity, is applied to the electronically conductive porous solid;
- the fluid permeability of the electronically conductive porous solid is increased when an electrical potential, having a second polarity opposite of the first polarity, is applied to the electronically conductive porous solid;
- and
- when the electrical potential, having the second polarity, is applied to the electronically conductive porous solid, material is removed from the electronically conductive porous solid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.