# US 2008/0185294 A1 · Liquid management method and system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0185294 A1 - Document ID: US20080185294A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/670,232 - Filed: 2007-02-01 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-01 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Inventors: Wei Cai; Philip Mathew Rolchigo; Chang Wei; Rihua Xiong; Lei Cao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080185294A1 ## CPC - C02F 1/4604: {for desalination of seawater or brackish water} - C02F 1/441: {by reverse osmosis} - C02F 1/4691: {Capacitive deionisation} - C02F 1/4693: {electrodialysis} - C02F 2103/08: Seawater, e.g. for desalination - C02F 2303/16: Regeneration of sorbents, filters - Y02A 20/124: Water desalination - Y02A 20/131: Reverse-osmosis - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract A method is provided that includes discharging a solute from a solute-bearing electrode into a discharge liquid stream. The discharge liquid stream has a relatively higher concentration of solute than a feed stream from which the solute-bearing electrode gained the solute. A system is provided, also. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: discharging a solute from a solute-bearing electrode into a discharge liquid stream, wherein the discharge liquid stream has a relatively higher concentration of solute than a feed stream from which the solute-bearing electrode gained the solute. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the electrode is a supercapacitor electrode, and further comprising absorbing the solute from the feed stream onto the electrode to form the solute-bearing electrode and an output stream, wherein the output stream has a solute concentration that is relatively lower than the feed stream. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as defined in claim 2, further comprising: flowing the feed stream from a first desalination device to a second desalination device, wherein the electrode is disposed within the second desalination device; or flowing the output stream to the first desalination device from the second desalination device, wherein the electrode is disposed within the second desalination device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the first desalination device comprises a membrane; and further comprising flowing a liquid stream through the membrane to form the feed stream, or flowing the output stream from the second desalination device through the membrane to filter the output stream. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the first desalination device comprises a dialysis device or a reverse osmosis device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the dialysis device is an electrodialysis desalination or a electrodialysis reversal desalination device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method as defined in claim 3, further comprising producing a concentrate stream and a dilute stream in the first desalination device, wherein the concentration stream has a higher concentration of the solute than the dilute stream, and the concentrate stream outflowing from the first desalination device is the feed stream for the second desalination device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as defined in claim 7, wherein a volume of the concentrate stream is about 80 percent more than a volume of the discharge liquid stream. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method as defined in claim 7, wherein a volume of the sum of the first desalination device dilute stream and the second desalination device output stream is greater than about 97.5 percent of a volume of the total inflow of liquid into the first desalination device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising looping the discharge liquid stream so that the stream flows across the electrode more than once before exiting a housing containing the electrode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising storing energy at the electrode in a first mode of operation, and recovering energy from the electrode in a second mode of operation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the electrode is a positively charged electrode, and the solute is negatively charged. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the discharging comprises supersaturating the discharge liquid stream. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising reducing a water content of the discharge liquid stream. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as defined in claim 14, wherein reducing comprises forming a solid, semi-solid, or slurry material from the discharge liquid stream to separate solute therefrom and form a recovered water stream that has a lower concentration of solute than the discharge liquid stream. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising pressing the solid, semi-solid, or slurry material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method as defined in claim 14, wherein reducing comprises evaporating the discharge liquid stream to separate solute from a recovered water stream that has a lower concentration of solute than the discharge liquid stream. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method as defined in claim 14, wherein reducing comprises precipitating or crystallizing the discharge liquid stream to separate solute from a recovered water stream that has a lower concentration of solute than the discharge liquid stream. ### Claim 19 A desalination system, comprising: a first sub-system, and a second sub-system in fluid communication with the first sub-system, wherein the second sub-system comprises a means for discharging a solute from a solute-bearing electrode into a discharge liquid stream, wherein the discharge liquid stream has a relatively higher concentration of solute than a solute-bearing feed stream from which the solute-bearing electrode gained the solute. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The desalination system as defined in claim 19, wherein the first sub-system receives a fluid supply and produces first and second out-flowing fluid streams, and the first out-flowing fluid stream has a solute concentration that is relatively less than the solute concentration of the fluid supply, and the second out-flowing fluid stream has a solute concentration that is relatively more than the solute concentration of the fluid supply. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The desalination system as defined in claim 19, wherein the first sub-system comprises a reverse osmosis system, an electrodialysis desalination system, an electrodialyis reversal desalination system or a nanofiltration desalination system. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The desalination system as defined in claim 19, wherein the second sub-system has a charging mode of operation and a discharging mode of operation, and the second sub-system comprises: a regeneration source that provides the discharge stream to the supercapacitor desalination unit when the supercapacitor desalination unit is in a discharging second mode of operation; and a supercapacitor desalination unit that receives the second out-flowing fluid stream from the first sub-system when the supercapacitor desalination unit is in a charging first mode of operation. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The desalination system as defined in claim 22, wherein the regeneration source receives the discharge stream from the supercapacitor desalination unit when the supercapacitor desalination unit is in the discharging second mode of operation. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The desalination system as defined in claim 23, wherein the supercapacitor desalination unit produces an output stream when the supercapacitor desalination unit is in the charging mode of operation, and the output stream has a relatively lower concentration of the solute than the second out-flowing fluid stream. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The desalination system as defined in claim 22, wherein the first sub-system receives at least a portion of the output stream from the supercapacitor desalination unit to define a fluidic loop, and the received output stream portion is at least a portion of the fluid supply to the first sub-system. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The desalination system as defined in claim 22, wherein the first sub-system is located within a water treatment plant, and the second sub-system is located outside of the water treatment plant. ### Claim 27 A treatment system, comprising: a first sub-system; a second sub-system in fluid communication with the first sub-system; and a controller in communication with the second sub-system, wherein in response to a signal from the controller the second sub-system discharges a solute from a solute-bearing electrode into a discharge liquid stream, wherein the discharge liquid stream has a relatively higher concentration of solute than a solute-bearing feed stream from which the solute-bearing electrode gained the solute. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The system as defined in claim 27, wherein the first sub-system receives a liquid supply and outputs a first stream and a second stream, and, relative to the liquid supply, the first stream has a lower solute content and the second stream has a higher solute content, and the second stream flows to the second sub-system as the solute-bearing feed stream.