US 6,462,935 B1Granted

Replaceable flow-through capacitors for removing charged species from liquids

AssigneeLih-Ren Shiue

InventorsLih-Ren Shiue, Chia-Chann Shiue, S-Yen Wang, Fei-Chen Hsieh, Chin-Hui Lee, Wan-Ting Lo, Yu-His Hsieh

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Abstract

A free-standing flow-through capacitor (FTC) is constructed by concentrically winding two electrodes and two dividers into a hollow-center roll. A liquid-feeding pipe is inserted to the central opening for delivering fluids to the FTC. Nanoparticles of hydrated iron compound with Fe3O4 as the main component or its composite powders are used as the active materials for the electrodes. With channels crated by the dividers assembled in the roll, fluids injected from the feed pipe are confined inside the FTC, and flow outwardly and transversely through the entire length of the electrodes. Under an application of a low DC voltage to the electrodes, charged species are adsorbed and removed from the treated liquids as soon as they are in contact with the electrodes. Capacitive deionization using FTC of the present invention is applicable to waste-streams reduction, water purification and desalination at low costs and easy operation.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A free-standing flow-through capacitor, comprising:

a first electrode, the first electrode comprises an active material and an electronically conductive foil, wherein the active material and the electronically conductive foil are integrated into a first flexible monolithic sheet;
a first divider disposed on the first electrode;
a second electrode disposed on the first divider, the second electrode comprises the active material and the electrically conductive foil, wherein the active material and the electronically conductive foil are integrated into a second flexible monolithic sheet;
and
a second divider disposed on the second electrode, wherein the first electrode, the first divider, the second electrode and the second divider are wound concentrically into a hollow-center roll with a center opening, wherein said first and second dividers are sheets with pattern containing horizontal strips and vertical porous supports, wherein the horizontal strips are thicker than the vertical supports, so that said divider provides a gap between the electrodes in the roll assembled.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.