Anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor and process for wastewater treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059609-B2
Application number	US-201515109810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2015
Priority date	Jan 6, 2014
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

An anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor (AnEMBR) can include a vessel into which wastewater can be introduced, an anode electrode in the vessel suitable for supporting electrochemically active microorganisms (EAB, also can be referred to as anode reducing bacteria, exoelectrogens, or electricigens) that oxidize organic compounds in the wastewater, and a cathode membrane electrode in the vessel, which is configured to pass a treated liquid through the membrane while retaining the electrochemically active microorganisms and the hydrogenotrophic methanogens (for example, the key functional microbial communities, including EAB, methanogens and possible synergistic fermenters) in the vessel. The cathode membrane electrode can be suitable for catalyzing the hydrogen evolution reaction to generate hydrogen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor for treating wastewater comprising:
a vessel into which wastewater is introduced;
an anode electrode in the vessel containing electrochemically active microorganisms that oxidizes organic compounds in the wastewater; and
a cathode membrane electrode in the vessel suitable for catalyzing the hydrogen evolution reaction to generate hydrogen and containing hydrogenotrophic methanogens that anaerobically generate an energy containing gas,
wherein the cathode membrane electrode includes a membrane structure configured to pass a liquid through the membrane while retaining the electrochemically active microorganisms and the hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the vessel, and
wherein the cathode membrane electrode includes a conductive porous hollow fiber, wherein the conductive porous hollow fiber is a filter for the liquid.

2. The anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 1 , wherein the anode electrode includes a carbon-based material.

3. The anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 2 , wherein the carbon-based material is graphite.

4. The anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 1 , wherein the cathode membrane electrode includes a porous membrane.

5. The anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 1 , wherein the conductive porous hollow fiber is coated with graphene.

6. The anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 1 , wherein the conductive porous hollow fiber includes a plurality of pores, wherein the size of pore is less than 1 micron and the diameter of the hollow fiber is less than 1 mm.

7. The electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 1 , wherein the conductive porous hollow fiber includes a material capable of catalyzing the hydrogen evolution reaction selected from a group consisting of nickel, stainless steel, platinum, gold, silver, palladium, molybdenum, iron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, and carbon.

8. The anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 1 , wherein the vessel includes an inlet configured to supply the liquid into the vessel and an outlet configured to remove the liquid from the vessel after the liquid passes through the cathode membrane electrode.

9. The anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 8 , further comprising a pump arranged to remove the liquid from the outlet.

10. The anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 1 , wherein the anode electrode is surrounded by the cathode membrane electrode or the cathode membrane electrode is surrounded by the anode electrode.

11. The anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 1 , wherein the anode electrode and cathode membrane electrode are arranged next to each other.

12. The anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 11 , wherein the anode electrode and cathode membrane electrode are arranged horizontally with respect to each other or the anode electrode and cathode membrane electrode are arranged vertically with respect to each other.

13. The anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 1 , wherein the vessel includes a gas outlet and a gas collector connected to the outlet.

14. A method of treating wastewater comprising:
introducing the wastewater through the inlet of the electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 1 ,
passing the wastewater through the membrane electrode while retaining the electrochemically active microorganisms and the hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the vessel; and
removing the treated solution through from the outlet.

15. A method of recovering energy from an anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor comprising:
collecting biogas generated at the surface of the cathode membrane electrode of claim 1 .

16. The method of recovering energy from an electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 15 , wherein the biogas is hydrogen gas or methane with an energy content that equals or exceeds energy required to operate the bioreactor.

17. The method of recovering energy from an electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 15 , further comprising reducing biofouling at a surface of the cathode membrane electrode with the biogas evolving at the surface.

18. The method of recovering energy from an electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 15 , further comprising adjusting the pH and electric potential of cathode membrane electrode in the bioreactor during biogas evolution reaction mitigate the biofouling.

19. The method of recovering energy from an electrochemical membrane bioreactor of claim 15 , wherein the hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the vessel generate methane through CO 2 sequestration.

Assignees

• Univ King Abdullah Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Amy Gary
• Katuri Krishna
• Werner Craig
• Saikaly Pascal
• Sandoval Rodrigo Jimenez
• Lai Zhiping
• Chen Wei
• Jeon Sungil

Classifications

• C02F2001/46133

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• C02F3/341

  Consortia of bacteria · CPC title

• Y02E50/343

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C02F2303/10

  Energy recovery · CPC title

• C02F3/005 Primary

  Combined electrochemical biological processes (aeration by electrolytically produced oxygen bubbles C02F3/202) · CPC title