Electro oxidation membrane evaporator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11365137-B2
Application number	US-202016870347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2020
Priority date	May 8, 2019
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

Electro oxidation membrane evaporator 1 comprises sweep air handler 60; fluid tank 20 defining a fluid container; fluid contactor/separator 30; oxidation cell 40; and scrubber 80. Electro oxidation membrane evaporator 1 may allow higher percent water recovery from wastewater prior to delivering brine to a brine water recovery system and can allow O2 from air such as cabin air to continuously diffuse into the wastewater as O2 is consumed to generate oxidants, helping to eliminate the low oxidant environment at the end of the cycle that causes pH to remain high, and low pH prevents precipitates from forming for longer so more water can be evaporated from the wastewater.

First claim

We claim:

1. An evaporator, comprising:
a) a sweep air handler comprising:
i) a sweep air source fluid outlet; and
ii) a sweep air source;

b) a fluid tank defining a fluid container, the fluid tank comprising:
i) a waste fluid inlet;
ii) an intake fluid inlet;
iii) a sweep gas inlet in fluid communication with the sweep air source;
iv) a separated fluid inlet; and
v) a fluid tank fluid outlet;

c) a fluid contactor/separator, comprising:
i) a first fluid contactor/separator fluid outlet in fluid communication with the separated fluid inlet;
ii) a separator oxidation cell fluid inlet;
iii) a sweep air source inlet in fluid communication with the sweep air source fluid outlet;
iv) a second fluid contactor/separator fluid outlet; and
v) a valve in fluid communication with the sweep air source inlet and the sweep air handler;

d) an oxidation cell comprising:
i) an oxidation cell fluid inlet; and
ii) an oxidation cell fluid outlet in fluid communication with the oxidation cell fluid inlet and the separator oxidation cell fluid inlet;

e) a precipitator, comprising:
i) a precipitator fluid inlet in fluid communication with the fluid tank fluid outlet; and
ii) a precipitator fluid outlet in fluid communication with the oxidation cell fluid inlet; and

f) a scrubber, comprising:
i) a scrubber fluid inlet in fluid communication with the second fluid contactor/separator fluid outlet; and
ii) a scrubber fluid outlet.

2. The evaporator of claim 1 , further comprising a gas sensor in fluid communication with the sweep air handler, the fluid contactor/separator, and the scrubber.

3. The evaporator of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid line in fluid communication with the fluid tank and the scrubber.

4. The evaporator of claim 1 , further comprising a pump in fluid communication with the precipitator fluid inlet and the oxidation cell fluid inlet.

5. The evaporator of claim 4 , wherein the precipitator comprises a filter in fluid communication with the fluid tank fluid outlet, the filter disposed intermediate the fluid tank fluid outlet and the pump.

6. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the fluid tank further comprises:
a) a thermocouple operatively in communication with the separated fluid inlet;
b) a scale operatively coupled to the fluid tank; and
c) a pressure transducer operatively in communication with the separated fluid inlet.

7. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the oxidation cell further comprises:
a) an ammeter;
b) a voltmeter;
c) a filter in fluid communication with, and disposed intermediate, the oxidation cell fluid outlet and the separator oxidation cell fluid inlet;
d) a thermocouple operatively in communication with the separator oxidation cell fluid inlet;
e) a first pressure transducer operatively in communication with the oxidation cell fluid outlet; and
f) a second pressure transducer operatively in communication with the separator oxidation cell fluid inlet.

8. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the precipitator further comprises:
a) a valve in fluid communication with the fluid tank fluid outlet;
b) a pressure transducer operatively connected to the fluid tank fluid outlet;
c) a filter in fluid communication with the fluid tank fluid outlet and disposed intermediate the fluid tank fluid outlet and the pump;
d) a pH probe operatively connected to the fluid tank fluid outlet;
e) a thermocouple operatively connected to the fluid tank fluid outlet; and
f) a flowmeter in fluid communication with the fluid tank fluid outlet.

9. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the sweep air handler further comprises:
a) a source fluid filter in fluid communication with the sweep air source;
b) a fan in fluid communication with the source fluid filter;
c) an ammeter operatively in communication with the fan;
d) a voltmeter operatively in communication with the fan; and
e) a flowmeter operatively in communication with the fan and with the sweep air source inlet.

10. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the sweep air handler comprises:
a) a cabin air inlet;
b) a fan in fluid communication with the cabin air inlet;
c) a cabin air inlet, compressor, and oxygen concentrator; or
d) an oxygen bottle and regulator.

11. The evaporator of claim 1 , wherein the scrubber comprises an acid gas scrubber, further comprising:
a) an acid gas source;
b) a second contactor/separator, comprising:
i) an acid gas source fluid inlet;
ii) a separated fluid outlet;
iii) a base loop fluid inlet; and
iv) an exhaust outlet;

c) a base solution container comprising:
i) a base fluid inlet in fluid communication with a base solution fluid source;
ii) a separated fluid inlet; and
iii) a base loop fluid outlet;

d) a base loop fluid conduit operatively in fluid communication with the base loop fluid outlet;
e) a chlorinator in fluid communication with the base loop conduit;
f) a base loop pump in fluid communication with the base loop conduit; and
g) a filter in fluid communication with the base loop pump and with the base loop fluid inlet.

12. A method of wastewater processing and water reclamation using an evaporator which comprises a sweep air handler comprising a sweep air source fluid outlet and a sweep air source; a fluid tank defining a fluid container where the fluid tank comprises a waste fluid inlet, an intake fluid inlet, a sweep gas inlet in fluid communication with the sweep air source, a separated fluid inlet, and a fluid tank fluid outlet; a fluid contactor/separator which comprises a first fluid contactor/separator fluid outlet in fluid communication with the separated fluid inlet, a separator oxidation cell fluid inlet, a sweep air source inlet in fluid communication with the sweep air source fluid outlet, a second fluid contactor/separator fluid outlet, and a valve in fluid communication with the sweep air source inlet and the sweep air handler; an oxidation cell which comprises an oxidation cell fluid inlet and an oxidation cell fluid outlet in fluid communication with the oxidation cell fluid inlet and the separator oxidation cell fluid inlet; a precipitator which comprises a precipitator fluid inlet in fluid communication with the fluid tank fluid outlet and a precipitator fluid outlet in fluid communication with the oxidation cell fluid inlet; and a scrubber which comprises a scrubber fluid inlet in fluid communication with the second fluid contactor/separator fluid outlet and a scrubber fluid outlet, the method comprising:
a) using the fluid contactor/separator to provide a wastewater processing loop with oxygen in order to continuously provide a source of reactive oxygen species operative as an oxidant for the oxidation cell in the wastewater processing loop;
b) consuming the oxygen in the wastewater processing loop as reactive oxygen species are made and consumed;
c) providing a sweep gas from the sweep air source to the fluid contactor/separator; and
d) using oxygen from a sweep gas transfer across a contactor/separator interface into the wastewater processing loop due to the resulting partial pressure difference.

13. The method of wastewater processing and water reclamation using the system of claim 12 , wherein the sweep air source comprises a gas comprising around 21% oxygen, a gas comprising a higher concentration of oxygen than that of sea level atmospheric air, or a gas comprising around 100% oxygen.

14. The method of wastewater processing and water reclamation of claim 13 , wherein the gas comprising a higher concentration of oxygen than that of sea level atmospheric air is obtained by using a pressure swing adsorber (PSA) to scrub ni

Assignees

• Oceaneering Int Inc

Inventors

• Arai Tatsuya
• Fricker John

Classifications

• B01D2311/13

  Use of sweep gas · CPC title

• B01D61/362

  Pervaporation · CPC title

• B64G1/46

  Arrangements or adaptations of devices for control of environment or living conditions · CPC title

• B64G1/60

  Crew or passenger accommodations · CPC title

• C02F2303/02

  Odour removal or prevention of malodour · CPC title