IP Library Granted Patent US 12,180,103
Granted Patent B2
US 12,180,103 · App. 16/287,203 · Granted Dec 31, 2024

Treatment of saline water for agricultural and potable use and for generation of disinfectant solution

Inventors: Gary C Ganzi (Lexington, MA); Joshua Griffis (Ashburnham, MA); Simon Dukes (Chelmsford, MA); Li-Shiang Liang (Harvard, MA); Darren Adrian Dale (Chesterfield, GB); Michael Shaw (Bedford, NH); Paul Beddoes (Shirehampton, GB); George Gu (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
C02F9/00C02F1/20C02F1/442C02F2001/46128C02F1/4674C02F1/4693C02F1/66C02F1/74C02F2101/106C02F2101/108C02F2101/163C02F2103/08C02F2201/46115C02F2201/4612C02F2209/005C02F2209/06C02F2301/043
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,180,103
App. No.
16/287,203
Granted
Dec 31, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A water treatment system for producing potable water and water for irrigation from saline water, the system includes an electrodialysis apparatus including one or more monovalent selective membranes and having an inlet fluidly connectable to a source of water to be treated, a diluate outlet, and a concentrate outlet, a nanofiltration apparatus positioned downstream of the electrodialysis apparatus and having an inlet fluidly connectable to the diluate outlet of the electrodialysis apparatus, a permeate outlet, and a retentate outlet, and an electrolyzer in fluid communication with one of the concentrate outlet and the retentate outlet, and configured to generate a product stream including one or more of chlorine gas, hypochlorite ion, sodium hydroxide, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or sodium hypochlorite.

Claims (17)

1. A water treatment system for producing potable water and water for irrigation from saline water, the system comprising:

a nanofiltration apparatus having an inlet fluidly connectable to a source of water to be treated, a permeate outlet, and a retentate outlet;

an electrodialysis apparatus positioned downstream of the nanofiltration apparatus and including one or more monovalent selective membranes, an inlet fluidly connectable to the retentate outlet of the nanofiltration apparatus, a diluate outlet, and a concentrate outlet; and

an electrolyzer in fluid communication with the concentrate outlet and configured to generate a product stream including one or more of chlorine gas, hypochlorite ion, sodium hydroxide, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or sodium hypochlorite.

2. The water treatment system of claim 1 , further comprising a product holding tank fluidically connected downstream of the electrolyzer.

3. The water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzer includes a plurality of concentric tube electrode (CTE) electrochemical cells each having an anode-cathode pair disposed substantially concentrically.

4. The water treatment system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of CTE cells are fluidically connected in series.

5. The water treatment system of claim 1 , further comprising a source of pH adjustment agent in fluid communication with an inlet of the electrolyzer.

6. The water treatment system of claim 5 , wherein the source of pH adjustment agent includes an electrodialysis system.

7. The water treatment system of claim 6 , wherein the electrodialysis system included in the source of pH adjustment agent includes bipolar membranes.

8. The water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the electrodialysis apparatus is configured to produce potable water.

9. The water treatment system of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid oxygenation system in fluid communication between the electrodialysis apparatus and the electrolyzer.

10. The water treatment system of claim 1 , further comprising an irrigation distribution system fluidly connectable to the retentate outlet of the nanofiltration apparatus and with the diluate outlet of the electrodialysis apparatus.

11. The water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the electrodialysis apparatus is configured to produce diluate having a sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) value of less than about 10.

12. The water treatment system of claim 11 , wherein the nanofiltration apparatus is configured to produce retentate having a SAR value less than the SAR value of the diluate.

13. The water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the electrodialysis apparatus is configured to produce diluate having a higher ratio of divalent cations including magnesium and calcium to monovalent cations including sodium and a lower total concentration of ions than in the water to be treated.

14. The water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the inlet of the electrodialysis apparatus is configured to provide the retentate from the nanofiltration apparatus to both diluate and concentrate compartments of the electrodialysis apparatus.

Assignments (2)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 26, 2023
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EVOQUA WATER TECHNOLOGIES LLC; NEPTUNE BENSON, INC.
Reel/Frame 063787/0943 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 7, 2021
From: EVOQUA WATER TECHNOLOGIES LLC; NEPTUNE BENSON, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055848/0689 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation In Part PCTUS2018047034 · Aug 20, 2018
Provisional Application 62547971 · Aug 21, 2017
Provisional Application 62635731 · Feb 27, 2018
Related Publication 20190263697A1 · Aug 29, 2019