IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,533,635
Granted Patent B2
US 12,533,635 · App. 18/835,935 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Electrodialysis device

Inventors: Kaoru Egawa (Tokyo, JP); Yoshiaki Ito (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
B01D61/46B01D61/0271B01D61/12B01D61/54B01D2313/18B01D2313/903
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,533,635
App. No.
18/835,935
Granted
Jan 27, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

This electrodialysis device comprises: an electrodialyzer stack having a cathode, an anode, and a membrane unit including at least three membranes provided at intervals between the cathode and the anode, wherein a dilution chamber and a concentration chamber is formed between adjacent membranes; a liquid-to-be-treated feed device that causes a liquid to be treated to flow through the dilution chamber to obtain a diluted liquid; a concentrate liquid circulation device for causing a concentrate liquid to be concentrated to circulate through the concentration chamber, a circulation line through which the concentrate liquid flows to return to the concentration chamber after flowing out from the concentration chamber; a drainage line through which the diluted liquid flowing out from the dilution chamber flows; a concentrated solution line for extracting a part of the concentrate liquid circulating through the circulation line from the circulation line; and a narrowing member provided on the circulation line between the branch point at which the concentrated solution line branches from the circulation line and the outlet of the concentration chamber, and which narrows the flow of the concentrate liquid, and/or a narrowing member provided on the drainage line and which narrows the flow of the diluted liquid.

Claims (18)

1 . An electrodialysis device comprising:

an electrodialyzer stack that includes a cathode, an anode, and a membrane unit including at least three membranes provided at intervals between the cathode and the anode, the electrodialyzer stack including at least one dilution chamber and at least one concentration chamber formed between adjacent membranes,

wherein the membrane unit

includes at least two ion exchange membranes that include two ion exchange membranes which are either anion exchange membranes or cation exchange membranes and which are respectively adjacent to the cathode and the anode, and at least one nanofiltration membrane, the at least two ion exchange membranes and the at least one nanofiltration membrane being provided alternately with each other, or

includes at least two nanofiltration membranes that include two nanofiltration membranes respectively adjacent to the cathode and the anode, and at least one ion exchange membrane that is either an anion exchange membrane or a cation exchange membrane, the at least two nanofiltration membranes and the at least one ion exchange membrane being provided alternately with each other, and

the electrodialysis device further comprises:

a treated solution feed device that causes a treated solution to flow through the at least one dilution chamber to obtain a diluted liquid;

a concentrated solution circulation device for causing a concentrated solution to be concentrated to circulate through the at least one concentration chamber;

a circulation line through which the concentrated solution flows to return to the at least one concentration chamber after flowing out from the at least one concentration chamber;

a concentrated solution line for extracting a part of the concentrated solution circulating through the circulation line from the circulation line;

a discharge line through which the diluted liquid flowing out from the at least one dilution chamber flows;

at least one of a throttle member that is provided in the circulation line between a branching point where the concentrated solution line branches from the circulation line and an outlet of the at least one concentration chamber and that throttles a flow of the concentrated solution, or a throttle member that is provided in the discharge line and that throttles a flow of the diluted liquid; and

a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the treated solution to be fed to the at least one dilution chamber,

wherein the at least one throttle member includes the throttle member that throttles the flow of the diluted liquid and is a flow regulation valve that regulates a flow rate of the diluted liquid flowing through the discharge line, and

an opening degree of the flow regulation valve is configured to be controlled based on a detected value of the temperature sensor.

2 . The electrodialysis device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an electric conductivity meter that detects an electric conductivity of the treated solution to be fed to the at least one dilution chamber,

wherein an opening degree of the flow regulation valve is configured to be controlled based on a detected value of the electric conductivity meter.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 6, 2024
From: EGAWA, KAORU; ITO, YOSHIAKI
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 068201/0058 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-018375 · Feb 9, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250153105A1 · May 15, 2025
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