Electrokinetic soil desalinization system providing enhanced chloride removal and method
AssigneeTerran Corporation
InventorsChristopher J. ATHMER, Brent E. HUNTSMAN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for electrokinetic desalinization and enhanced chloride removal of a portion of soil includes at least one cathode; at least one anode; and a backfill around the cathode of a composition of a granular, conductive material and a backfill around the anode of a second composition comprising the granular, electrically conductive material and a calcium-containing material; an anode discharge line communicating with an interior of the anode; and a cathode discharge line communicating with the interior of the cathode tube. The presence of the calcium-containing material in the granular, electrically conductive material backfilling the anode enhances removal of chloride from the portion of soil.
Claims20
A system for electrokinetic desalinization of a portion of soil, the system comprising:
- at least one cathode including a hollow cathode tube perforated along its length to allow liquid water to pass through the cathode tube from an exterior thereof to an interior thereof, and a cathode conductor extending along an exterior surface of the cathode tube;
- at least one anode including a hollow anode tube perforated along its length to allow liquid water to pass through the anode tube from an exterior thereof to an interior thereof, and an anode conductor extending along an exterior surface of the anode tube;
- a first composition comprising a granular, electrically conductive material surrounding the at least one cathode along its length, and a second composition comprising the granular, electrically conductive material further comprising a calcium material and surrounding the at least one anode along its length;
- an optional feed water line communicating with at least the interior of the anode tube;
- an anode discharge line communicating with the interior of the anode tube;
- and
- a cathode discharge line communicating with the interior of the cathode tube.
A method for desalinization and enhanced removal of chloride from a portion of soil, the method comprising:
- installing at least one cathode into a portion of soil, the at least one cathode including a hollow cathode tube perforated along its length to allow liquid water to pass through the hollow cathode tube from an exterior thereof to an interior thereof, and a cathode conductor extending along an exterior surface of the hollow cathode tube;
- installing at least one anode into the portion of soil, the at least one anode including a hollow anode tube perforated along its length to allow liquid water to pass through the hollow anode tube from an exterior thereof to an interior thereof, and an anode conductor extending along an exterior surface of the hollow anode tube;
- backfilling the at least one cathode with a first composition of a granular, conductive material and backfilling the at least one anode with a second composition comprising the granular, electrically conductive material and a calcium-containing material;
- providing direct current electricity having a negative polarity connected to the cathode conductor and a positive polarity connected to the anode conductor, the electricity having sufficient power to attract sodium ions in the portion of soil to the at least one cathode and chloride ions in the portion of soil to the at least one anode, whereby water in the interior of the hollow cathode tube becomes rich in the sodium ions, and water in the interior of the hollow anode tube becomes rich in the chloride ions;
- and
- conveying water with a high concentration of chloride ions from an interior of the hollow anode tube through an anode discharge line communicating with the interior of the hollow anode tube and conveying water with a high concentration of sodium ions from an interior of the hollow cathode tube through a cathode discharge line communicating with the interior of the hollow cathode tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.