Method and apparatus for producing hydroxyl radicals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12559391-B2
Application number	US-202117389321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2021
Priority date	Feb 6, 2019
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A method and apparatus for producing hydroxyl radicals in a fluid chamber in an electrochemical cell comprising at least one cathode, at least one anode and at least one source of photolyzing radiation. The method comprises causing an electrochemical cell to produce hydrogen peroxide in the fluid, and causing at least one photolyzing radiation source, such as UV-LED, to photolyze the hydrogen peroxide to produce hydroxyl radicals. The fluid treatment apparatus includes: a structure defining a fluid chamber; at least one cathode facing into the fluid chamber; at least one anode facing into the fluid chamber; and a photolyzing radiation source operable to emit photolyzing radiation into at least one electrochemical cell portion of the fluid chamber, which is suitable for producing hydrogen peroxide.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method of producing hydroxyl radicals in a fluid in a fluid chamber in an electrochemical cell comprising at least one cathode and at least one anode, the method comprising:
causing the electrochemical cell to produce hydrogen peroxide in the fluid, wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a cathode assembly comprising the at least one cathode, the cathode assembly further comprising a breathable support layer made of at least one material impermeable to the fluid that resists fluid flow across the support layer and wherein the at least one cathode is on the support layer; diffusing a gas separate from the fluid through the support layer, the gas comprising oxygen; and causing at least one photolyzing radiation source to emit photolyzing radiation into the fluid chamber in the electrochemical cell such that the photolyzing radiation reacts with the hydrogen peroxide to produce the hydroxyl radicals in the fluid.

2 . A fluid treatment apparatus comprising:
a structure defining a fluid chamber for treating a liquid; at least one cathode facing into the fluid chamber; at least one anode facing into the fluid chamber; and a photolyzing radiation source operable to emit photolyzing radiation into at least an electrochemical cell portion of the fluid chamber; the fluid treatment apparatus further comprising:
a cathode assembly comprising the at least one cathode and a breathable support layer wherein the at least one cathode is on the breathable support layer, and wherein the support layer is made of at least one waterproof material that resists flow of the liquid across the support layer and permits a gas separate from the liquid to diffuse therethrough, the gas comprising oxygen;
wherein the cathode assembly is spaced apart from an inlet and an outlet of the fluid chamber.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the photolyzing radiation source comprises an ultraviolet (UV) radiation source, and wherein the photolyzing radiation comprises UV radiation.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the UV radiation source comprises a solid-state UV emitter.

5 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the photolyzing radiation source is positioned such that, when the photolyzing radiation source emits the photolyzing radiation, the photolyzing radiation source emits the photolyzing radiation onto at least a portion of the at least one cathode.

6 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the photolyzing radiation source is positioned such that, when the photolyzing radiation source emits the photolyzing radiation, the photolyzing radiation source emits the photolyzing radiation into at least a portion of the fluid chamber between the at least one cathode and the at least one anode.

7 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the fluid chamber comprises a cathode chamber and an anode chamber, the anode chamber separated from the cathode chamber, the at least one cathode facing into the cathode chamber, and the at least one anode facing into the anode chamber.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the photolyzing radiation source is positioned such that, when the photolyzing radiation source emits the photolyzing radiation, the photolyzing radiation source emits the photolyzing radiation into at least a portion of the cathode chamber.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the photolyzing radiation source is positioned such that, when the photolyzing radiation source emits the photolyzing radiation, the photolyzing radiation source emits the photolyzing radiation into at least a portion of the anode chamber.

10 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the fluid chamber further comprises a radiation chamber separated from but in fluid communication with the cathode chamber and the anode chamber, wherein the photolyzing radiation source is positioned such that, when the photolyzing radiation source emits the photolyzing radiation, the photolyzing radiation source emits the photolyzing radiation into at least a portion of the radiation chamber.

11 . The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising an ion exchange membrane defining an interface between the cathode chamber and the anode chamber.

12 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the support layer comprises a polymer.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the polymer comprises expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE).

14 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:
the cathode assembly comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
the first surface faces into the fluid chamber; and
the second surface is exposed to an environment external to the fluid chamber.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the external environment comprises air.

16 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least one cathode assembly further comprises a face fabric layer, and wherein the support layer is on the face fabric layer.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the face fabric layer comprises a nylon layer.

18 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the face fabric layer has a tensile strength of at least about 0.275 megapascals.

19 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least one cathode comprises a conductive hydrophobic material.

Assignees

• Univ British Columbia

Inventors

• Taghipour Fariborz

Classifications

• C02F2001/46138

  Electrodes comprising a substrate and a coating · CPC title

• C02F2305/023

  Reactive oxygen species, singlet oxygen, OH radical · CPC title

• C02F2303/04

  Disinfection · CPC title

• C02F2201/46115

  Electrolytic cell with membranes or diaphragms · CPC title

• C02F2201/4611

  Fluid flow · CPC title