Energy-efficient flow cell system with self-sustaining power cycle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025313978-A1
Application number	US-202519241250-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 17, 2025
Priority date	Sep 19, 2022
Publication date	Oct 9, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure introduces an innovative green flow cell system for ion extraction and reclamation that significantly reduces energy consumption and environmental impact. The system utilizes at least two cationic selective membranes configured for multiple ion species and is arranged with a unique power supply capable of providing initial startup energy, powering ion extraction, and reclaiming energy during ion reclamation processes. This innovative self-sustaining energy cycle allows the system to operate with minimal external power input. Unlike conventional ion extraction systems, this innovative solution overcomes high energy consumption, limited scalability, and single-directional operation. The system's dual cationic selective membranes, combined with the regeneration of the specific active materials, address the traditional inefficiencies, enabling unprecedented energy efficiency, operational flexibility, and high product purities. By integrating these and other cutting-edge features, this system surpasses existing technologies in efficiency and versatility, opening new possibilities for sustainable ion extraction and purification across a wide range of applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A green flow cell system, comprising:
a first cation-selective membrane with a first selectivity; a second cation-selective membrane with a second selectivity, wherein the second selectivity differs from the first selectivity; and a power supply, wherein the power supply is configured to transport two or more ions based on the first cation-selective membrane and the second cation-selective membrane.

2 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein the system is green in terms of power consumption by utilizing less than 10% of a market value of extracted ions for energy costs.

3 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured for continuous flow operation.

4 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a first cell, wherein the first cell is configured to extract a first predetermined ion.

5 . The green flow cell system of claim 4 , wherein at least one of:
the first cell is configured to increase a concentration of the first predetermined ion; the first cell is configured to decrease a concentration of the first predetermined ion; the first cell is configured to increase the concentration of the first predetermined ion in a first solution and simultaneously decrease the concentration of the first predetermined ion in a second solution; or the first cell is configured to increase the concentration of the first predetermined ion and simultaneously decrease the concentration of a second ion.

6 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first selectivity and the second selectivity is for a specific ion relative to one or more different ions.

7 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein the power supply is configured to provide electrical energy during active operation of the system or the power supply is a charge storage device configured to store electrical energy.

8 . The green flow cell system of claim 4 , wherein the system further comprises a second cell, wherein the second cell is configured to extract a second predetermined ion.

9 . The green flow cell system of claim 8 , wherein at least one of:
the second cell is configured to increase a concentration of the second predetermined ion; the second cell is configured to decrease a concentration of the second predetermined ion; the second cell is configured to increase the concentration of the second predetermined ion in a third solution and simultaneously decrease the concentration of the second predetermined ion in a fourth solution; or the second cell is configured to increase the concentration of the second predetermined ion and simultaneously decrease the concentration of the first predetermined ion.

10 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein:
the system comprises a plurality of flow cells arranged in a cascading configuration; and each flow cell in the cascading configuration is optimized for extracting a specific ion species based on the selectivity of its cation-selective membranes.

11 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein:
the power supply includes a regenerative braking system to capture and store energy during ion reclamation processes; and the stored energy is utilized to power subsequent ion extraction cycles.

12 . The green flow cell system of claim 4 , wherein the first cell and a second cell are configured to increase concentration of the first predetermined ion simultaneously with a decrease of a second predetermined ion.

13 . The green flow cell system of claim 4 , wherein the first cell and a second cell are configured to decrease concentration of the first predetermined ion simultaneously with an increase of a second predetermined ion.

14 . The green flow cell system of claim 8 , wherein the first predetermined ion is the same as the second predetermined ion.

15 . The green flow cell system of claim 8 , wherein the first predetermined ion differs from the second predetermined ion.

16 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein the power supply is configured to recover at least 50% of the energy used for ion extraction during ion reclamation.

17 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a plurality of flow cells arranged in series.

18 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a plurality of flow cells arranged in parallel.

19 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first cation-selective membrane or the second cation-selective membrane comprises a solid electrolyte material.

20 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one anionic selective membrane.

21 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more ions comprise lithium ions and sodium ions.

22 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , further comprising a feed solution inlet and a processed solution outlet.

23 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein the system is modular and scalable to accommodate different ion extraction capacities.

24 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , further comprising a precipitation tank for recovering extracted ions in solid form.

25 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to extract ions from a feed solution containing less than 200 ppm of a preselected target ion.

26 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein the system is contained within a standardized shipping container for easy transportation and deployment.

27 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein the power supply is configured to:
dynamically adjust its output based on real-time ion concentration measurements, and optimizing energy consumption during both extraction phase and reclamation phase.

28 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , further comprising a dual-function electrode system configured to reversibly switch between anodic and cathodic operations, wherein the dual-function electrode system is configured for bidirectional ion transportation across each of the first cation-selective membrane and the second cation-selective membrane without requiring physical reconfiguration of the system.

29 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein the system incorporates a cascading energy transfer mechanism that utilizes the energy released during reclamation of one ion species to at least partially power extraction of another ion species.

30 . The green flow cell system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first cation-selective membrane and the second cation-selective membrane are configured with a gradient structure comprising multiple layers of varying ion selectivity and conductivity for simultaneous extraction of different ion species.

Assignees

• Lyten Inc

Inventors

• Baucom Jesse
• Kolli Sanjeev
• Tuncer Engin
• Vanheusden Karel

Classifications

• C25C7/04

  Diaphragms; Spacing elements · CPC title

• C25C7/02

  Electrodes (consumable anodes for the refining the metals C25C1/00 - C25C5/00); Connections thereof · CPC title

• H01M10/54

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators · CPC title

• C25C1/02 Primary

  of light metals · CPC title