Method, apparatus and system for desalinating saltwater

摘要

The present disclosure is directed at an apparatus, method and plant for desalinating saltwater and contaminated saltwater. The apparatus comprises a stack and a manifolding assembly. The stack comprises a product chamber, a first and second concentrate chamber, an anion exchange membrane forming a boundary between the first concentrate chamber and the product chamber and a cation exchange membrane forming a boundary between the second concentrate chamber and the product chamber. The manifolding assembly comprises product and concentrate manifolding fluidly coupled to the product and concentrate chambers respectively, to convey a saltwater being desalinated to and away from the product chamber, and a concentrate to and away from the concentrate chambers. The stack may include a diluent chamber and adjacent anion or cation exchange membranes between the product chamber, diluent chamber and concentrate chamber to respectively convey anions or cations across multiple chambers. The stack may also contain a rinse chamber bounded by an anion exchange membrane to guard the stack electrodes from scaling cations. A cleaning system for cleaning the stack is also disclosed.

主权项

1. An apparatus for desalinating saltwater comprising:
(a) a stack configured to receive saltwater being desalinated, a diluent of a first ionic concentration and a concentrate of a second ionic concentration greater than the first ionic concentrate, the stack comprising an electrodialysis cell comprising:
(i) a product chamber bounded on one side by a product chamber anion exchange membrane and bounded on another side by a product chamber cation exchange membrane;(ii) a concentrate chamber bounded on one side by a concentrate chamber anion exchange membrane and bounded on another side by a concentrate chamber cation exchange membrane;(iv) a first diluent chamber between the product chamber and the concentrate chamber; and(iv) a second diluent chamber on an opposite side of the product chamber to the first diluent chamber;the electrodialysis cell configured with either:
the product chamber anion exchange membrane and the concentrate chamber anion exchange membrane in alignment either side of the first diluent chamber; orthe product chamber cation exchange membrane and the concentrate chamber cation exchange membrane in alignment either side of the first diluent chamber;whereby under application of a sufficient voltage across the electrodialysis cell cations or anions respectively migrate across the aligned cation exchange membranes or the aligned anion exchange membranes from the product chamber through the first diluent chamber to the concentrate chamber; and (b) a manifolding assembly comprising product, concentrate and diluent manifolding fluidly coupled to the product, concentrate and diluent chambers respectively, to convey the saltwater being desalinated to and away from the product chamber, the concentrate to and away from the concentrate chamber, and the diluent to and away from the diluent chambers.