Devices and methods for acid and base generation
AssigneeSiemens Water Technologies Corp.
InventorJoseph D. Gifford
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Abstract
Electrochemical devices and methods for acid and base generation are disclosed. A source of purified water is fluidly connected to at least one compartment of the device. A source of an ionic species, such as an acid or base precursor, is also provided to at least one compartment of the device. An applied electrical field promotes ion transport across selective membranes which at least partially define the compartments. The purified water may be dissociated into hydronium and hydroxyl ions in an electrolyzing compartment of the device. Acid and/or base product streams may be recovered as desired at outlets of the various compartments. In some embodiments, a bipolar membrane may be used to split water in place of the electrolyzing compartment.
Claims23
An electrochemical device, comprising:
- a first concentrating compartment at least partially defined by a first anion-selective membrane and a second anion-selective membrane;
- an electrolyzing compartment at least partially defined by the second anion-selective membrane and a cation-selective membrane;
- and
- a second concentrating compartment at least partially defined by the cation-selective membrane and a third anion-selective membrane.
An electrochemical device, comprising:
- a first concentrating compartment at least partially defined by a first cation-selective membrane and a second cation-selective membrane;
- a second concentrating compartment at least partially defined by the second cation-selective membrane and an anion-selective membrane;
- and
- an electrolyzing compartment at least partially defined by the anion-selective membrane and a third cation-selective membrane.
A method of operating an electrochemical device, comprising:
- introducing a cationic species and an anionic species into a first concentrating compartment of the electrochemical device;
- introducing deionized water into a second concentrating compartment and a depleting compartment of the electrochemical device;
- electrolyzing deionized water in the depleting compartment;
- and
- recovering an acid stream at an outlet of the first concentrating compartment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.