Electrochemical anti-microbial treatment and inert gas generating system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020316521-A1
Application number	US-201916375609-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 4, 2019
Priority date	Apr 4, 2019
Publication date	Oct 8, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system is disclosed for treating a biologically active surface or material and inerting a protected space. Water is delivered to an anode of an electrochemical cell with the anode and a cathode separated by a proton transfer medium separator. A voltage difference is applied between the anode and the cathode to electrolyze water at the anode to form a mixture of protons and ozone. The protons are transferred across the separator to the cathode, and air is delivered to the cathode where oxygen is reduced to generate oxygen-depleted air, which is directed to the protected space. The ozone is transferred to an ozone storage or distribution system, and ozone is transferred from the ozone storage or distribution system to the biologically active surface or material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An inert gas-generating system, comprising:
an electrochemical cell comprising a cathode and an anode separated by a separator comprising a proton transfer medium; a cathode fluid flow path in operative fluid communication with the cathode between a cathode fluid flow path inlet and a cathode fluid flow path outlet; a cathode supply fluid flow path between an air source and the cathode fluid flow path inlet, and an inerting gas flow path in operative fluid communication with the cathode fluid flow path outlet and a protected space; an anode fluid flow path in operative fluid communication with the anode between an anode fluid flow path inlet and an anode fluid flow path outlet; an anode supply fluid flow path between a water source and the anode fluid flow path inlet, and an ozone flow path in operative fluid communication with the anode fluid flow path outlet and an ozone storage or distribution system; and an electrical connection between a power source and the electrochemical cell.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ozone flow path includes a gas-liquid separator that receives a mixture comprising process water, oxygen, and ozone from the anode fluid flow path outlet and outputs a gas comprising ozone to the ozone storage or distribution system.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ozone storage or distribution system is in controllable operative fluid communication with a biologically active surface or material.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the biologically active surface or material includes a water storage tank, or a water distribution system, or a fuel storage tank, or a fuel distribution system.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the water storage tank, water distribution system, fuel storage tank, or fuel distribution system is disposed on-board a vehicle.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the protected space is selected from fuel tank ullage space, a cargo hold, or an equipment bay.

7 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the ozone storage or distribution system is in controllable operative fluid communication with a liquid space or a vapor space of a water storage or supply tank.

8 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the ozone storage or distribution system is in controllable operative fluid communication with a water supply flow path.

9 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising a controller configured to operate the electrochemical cell or direct a gas comprising ozone to the gas-liquid contactor in response to a flow of water on the water supply flow through the gas-liquid contactor.

10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hydrogen source in operative fluid communication with the anode fluid flow path inlet; an electrical connection between the electrochemical cell and a power sink; and a controller configured to operate the water treatment system in alternate modes of operation selected from a plurality of modes including:
a first mode in which process water is directed to the anode fluid flow path inlet, electric power is directed from the power source to the electrochemical cell to provide a voltage difference between the anode and the cathode, and a gas comprising ozone is directed from the anode fluid flow path outlet to the ozone storage or distribution system, and
a second mode in which hydrogen is directed from the hydrogen source to the anode fluid flow path inlet, electric power is directed from the electrochemical cell to the power sink, and the ozone storage or distribution system is isolated from the anode fluid flow path outlet.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the system is disposed on-board a vehicle, and the controller is configured to operate in the first mode continuously or at intervals under normal operating conditions, and to operate in the second mode in response to a demand for emergency electrical power.

12 . A method of treating a biologically active surface or material and inerting a protected space, comprising:
delivering water to an anode of an electrochemical cell comprising the anode and a cathode separated by a separator comprising a proton transfer medium; applying a voltage difference between the anode and the cathode to electrolyze water at the anode to form a mixture comprising protons and ozone; transferring the ozone to an ozone storage or distribution system, and transferring ozone from the ozone storage or distribution system to the biologically active surface or material; delivering air to the cathode and transferring the protons across the separator to the cathode, and reducing oxygen at the cathode to generate oxygen-depleted air; directing the oxygen-depleted air from the cathode of the electrochemical cell to the protected space.

13 . The method of claim 12 , comprising directing a fluid from the anode fluid flow path outlet to a gas-liquid separator, and directing the gas mixture comprising ozone from the cathode fluid flow path outlet and outputs a gas comprising ozone to the ozone storage or distribution system.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising operating the electrochemical cell and directing the gas comprising ozone to the gas-liquid contactor in response to a flow of water on the aircraft water supply flow through the gas-liquid contactor.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the biologically active surface or material includes a water storage tank, or a water distribution system, or a fuel storage tank, or a fuel distribution system.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the biologically active surface or material includes a water storage tank, and the method includes sparging the gas comprising ozone through a liquid space in the water storage tank.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the biologically active surface or material includes a water distribution system, and the method includes contacting gas flowing through the water distribution system with a stream of the gas comprising ozone.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the biologically active surface or material includes a fuel storage tank or a fuel distribution system, and the method includes inerting the fuel storage tank or fuel distribution system, and adding the gas comprising ozone to the fuel tank or fuel distribution system.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein inerting the fuel storage tank or distribution system includes adding an inert gas to the fuel tank or fuel distribution system.

20 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
operating in alternate modes of operation selected from a plurality of modes including:
a first mode in which process water is directed to the anode fluid flow path inlet, electric power is directed from the power source to the electrochemical cell to provide a voltage difference between the anode and the cathode, and a gas comprising ozone is directed from the anode fluid flow path outlet to the ozone storage or distribution system, and
a second mode in which hydrogen is directed from the hydrogen source to the anode fluid flow path inlet, electric power is directed from the electrochemical cell to the power sink, and the ozone storage or distribution system is isolated from the anode fluid flow path outlet.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Pess Matthew
• Rheaume Jonathan
• Perry Michael L

Classifications

• C25B1/24

  Halogens or compounds thereof · CPC title

• C25B9/19

  with diaphragms · CPC title

• C25B15/08

  Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes · CPC title

• C25B15/02

  Process control or regulation · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title