Diagnostic methods and apparatus for electrodialysis
The present disclosure is directed to ion-exchange systems and devices that can monitor key parameters related to the performance of the ion-exchange device. Specifically, the ion-exchange systems and devices disclosed herein can provide real time voltage drop across groups of membrane pairs using diagnostic spacer borders between the pairs. In addition, the ion-exchange systems and devices disclosed herein can monitor the compression force applied by the compression plates holding the ion-exchange systems and devices together.
1. A diagnostic spacer border for an ion exchange device comprising:
a protrusion extending from a first side of the spacer border and away from an internal cavity of the spacer border;
a groove in a surface of the spacer border and along the first side of the spacer border;
an electrode, wherein at least a portion of the electrode is in the groove; and
a wire lead connected to the electrode.
2. The spacer border of claim 1 , further comprising an internal cavity, wherein a portion of the electrode protrudes from the groove into the internal cavity.
3. The spacer border of claim 1 , wherein the wire lead and the electrode are connected by a solder joint.
4. The spacer border of claim 1 , wherein the groove comprises a cured polymer solution.
5. The spacer border of claim 1 , wherein the wire lead is connected to the electrode on the protrusion.
6. The spacer border of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is coated with a graphitic mixture.
7. The spacer border of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is a wire electrode.
8. The spacer border of claim 7 , wherein the wire electrode comprises titanium, platinum, or gold.
9. The spacer border of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is a graphite electrode.
10. The spacer border of claim 1 , wherein the electrode comprises a graphite electrode and a wire electrode.
11. A method of making a diagnostic spacer border for an ion exchange device comprising:
etching a groove into a surface of a spacer border having an internal cavity;
inserting a first portion of an electrode into the groove of the spacer border such that a second portion of the electrode protrudes from the groove into the internal cavity;
applying a curable polymer solution to the groove;
curing the curable polymer solution; and
connecting a wire lead to the first portion of the electrode.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wire lead is connected to the first portion of the electrode by soldering a solder joint between the wire lead and the first portion of the electrode.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the etching is laser etching or chemical etching.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the electrode is a wire electrode.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the wire electrode comprises titanium, platinum, or gold.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the electrode is a graphite electrode.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the electrode comprises a graphite electrode and a wire electrode.
18. An ion-exchange device comprising:
a pair of electrodes comprising an anode and a cathode;
a first ion exchange membrane and a second ion exchange membrane between the pair of electrodes,
a diagnostic spacer border between the first ion exchange membrane and the second ion exchange membrane, the diagnostic spacer border comprising:
a groove in a surface of the spacer border;
an embedded electrode, wherein at least a portion of the embedded electrode is in the groove; and
a wire lead connected to the embedded electrode.
19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the first ion exchange membrane is a cation exchange membrane and the second ion exchange membrane is an anion exchange membrane.