# US 9,545,651 B2 · Electrokinetic soil desalinization system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,545,651 B2 - Document ID: US9545651B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/467,893 - Filed: 2014-08-25 - Published: 2016-02-25 - Granted: 2017-01-17 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-25 - Assignees: Terran Corporation - Applicants: Terran Corporation - Inventors: Christopher John Athmer; Brent Elliot Huntsman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9545651B2 ## CPC - B09C 1/00: Reclamation of contaminated soil - B09C 1/085: {electrochemically, e.g. by electrokinetics} - C02F 1/00: Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage (C02F3/00 - C02F9/00 take precedence) - B09C 2101/00: In situ - C02F 1/46: by electrochemical methods - C02F 2103/06: Contaminated groundwater or leachate - C02F 2103/365: {from petrochemical industry (e.g. refineries)} - B09C: RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL (gatherers for removing stone or the like from the soil A01B43/00; sterilising soil by steam A01G11/00; removing undesirable matter, e.g. rubbish, from the land E01H15/00) - 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) ## Abstract A system for electrokinetic desalinization of soil may include 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 make-up water line communicating with 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for electrokinetic desalinization of soil, the system comprising: a first bore-hole formed below the surface of the soil; a second bore-hole formed below the surface of the soil; a 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, the cathode tube located within the first bore-hole, and a cathode conductor wrapped around and supported on an exterior surface of the cathode tube along an entire length of the cathode conductor within the first bore hole; an 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, the anode tube located within the second bore-hole, and an anode conductor wrapped around and supported on an exterior surface of the anode tube along an entire length of the anode conductor within the second bore hole; the first bore-hole and the second bore hole each including granular, electrically conductive material, the granular, electrically conductive material backfilling the first bore-hole and surrounding the exterior surface of the cathode tube, and backfilling the second bore-hole and surrounding the exterior surface of the anode tube; a make-up water line communicating with the interior of the anode tube; a first discharge line communicating with the interior of the anode tube; and a second discharge line communicating with the interior of the cathode tube. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the cathode tube and the anode tube are each oriented substantially vertically. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a source of direct current electricity having a negative terminal connected to the cathode conductor and a positive terminal connected to the anode conductor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a source of water connected to the make-up water line. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the make-up water line communicates with the anode tube to insert the water from the source of water into a lower portion of the anode tube. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the make-up water line extends along the interior of the anode tube and is open at the lower portion of the anode tube. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a vacuum siphon component connected to the anode discharge line and to the cathode discharge line. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the vacuum siphon component includes a knock-out tank, connected to the cathode discharge line and to the anode discharge line, for collecting water from the interior of the cathode tube and the interior of the anode tube. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the vacuum siphon component includes a vacuum blower connected to the knock-out tank to maintain a pressure within the knock-out tank below atmospheric pressure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the vacuum siphon component includes a brine discharge pump connected to the knock-out tank for pumping brine from the interior of the knock-out tank above a predetermined volume. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the granular, electrically conductive material is material sized and packed to allow liquid water to pass therethrough. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the granular, electrically conductive material is selected from a conductive carbon and a partially graphitized coke. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the granular, electrically conductive material is coke breeze. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the cathode tube is made of a material selected from polyvinyl chloride, cast iron, and stainless steel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the anode tube is made of a corrosion-resistant material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the anode tube is made of polyvinyl chloride. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the cathode conductor is a conductive wire wrapped around the exterior surface of the cathode tube along its length. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the conductive wire is spiral wrapped about the exterior surface of the cathode tube. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the anode conductor is a conductive wire wrapped around the exterior surface of the anode tube along its length. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the conductive wire is spiral wrapped around the exterior surface of the anode tube along its length. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the cathode includes a plurality of cathode tubes and the anode includes a plurality of anode tubes; the plurality of cathode tube and plurality of anode tubes arranged in a pattern wherein at least one cathode tube of the plurality of cathode tubes is surrounded by the plurality of anode tubes. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the plurality of anode tubes is spaced evenly about the at least one cathode tube of the plurality of cathode tubes. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of anode tubes is spaced about the at least one cathode tube of the plurality of cathode tubes in a hexagon grid pattern. ### Claim 24 A method for desalinization of soil, the method comprising: forming a first bore-hole formed below the surface of the soil; forming a second bore-hole formed below the surface of the soil; placing a cathode into the first bore-hole, the 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 wrapped around and supported on an exterior surface of the cathode tube along an entire length of the cathode conductor within the first bore-hole; placing an anode into the second bore-hole, the 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 wrapped around and supported on an exterior surface of the anode tube along an entire length of the anode conductor within the second bore-hole; backfilling the first bore-hole and the second bore-hole with granular, electrically conductive material surrounding the exterior surface of the cathode tube and surrounding the exterior surface of the anode tube, respectively; 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 soil to the at least one cathode and chloride ions in the soil to the at least one anode, whereby water in the interior of the cathode tube becomes rich in the sodium ions, and water in the interior of the anode tube becomes rich in the chloride ions; conveying make-up water through a make-up water line to the interior of the anode tube; and conveying water with a high concentration of chloride ions from the interior of the anode tube through a first discharge line communicating with the interior of the anode tube, and conveying water with a high concentration of sodium ions from the interior of the cathode tube through a second discharge line communicating with the interior of the cathode tube. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising backfilling the cathode tube and the anode tube with a granular, conductive material. ### Claim 26 A system for electrokinetic desalinization of soil, the system comprising: a first bore-hole formed below the surface of the soil; a second bore-hole formed below the surface of the soil; at least one cathode having 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, the cathode tube located within the first bore-hole, and a cathode conductor wrapped around and supported on an exterior surface of the cathode tube along an entire length of the cathode conductor within the first bore hole; at least one anode having 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, the anode tube located within the second bore-hole, and an anode conductor wrapped around and supported on an exterior surface of the anode tube along an entire length of the anode conductor within the second bore hole; the first bore-hole and the second bore hole each including granular, electrically conductive material, the granular, electrically conductive material backfilling the first bore-hole and surrounding the exterior surface of the cathode tube, and backfilling the second bore-hole and surrounding the exterior surface of the anode tube; a make-up water line communicating with the interior of the anode tube to supply make-up water to the interior of the anode tube; a first discharge line communicating with the interior of the anode tube; and a second discharge line communicating with the interior of the cathode tube.