A dewatering apparatus for cellulosic materials includes a chamber for an aqueous solution of a cellulosic material, an inner electrode in the chamber, an outer electrode in the chamber about the inner electrode, and a power supply connected to the inner electrode and the outer electrode applying a voltage potential across the electrodes to remove water associated with the aqueous solution and to dewater the cellulosic materials.

A water treatment apparatus including an underwater plasma discharge module is provided. The water treatment apparatus includes a dissolved air flotation device configured to remove foreign matter contained in water and an underwater plasma discharge module disposed at a preceding stage of the dissolved air flotation device and configured to cause a portion of the water to be introduced into the dissolved air flotation device to perform underwater plasma discharging, wherein the dissolved air flotation device comprises a mixing and coagulation basin configured to coagulate or flocculate the foreign matter contained in the water to form and grow flocs of the foreign matter, and a flotation basin configured to raise and remove the flocs by supplying microbubbles to the water passing through the mixing and coagulation basin.

A water disinfection system preferably includes a battery compartment, a control printed circuit board (PCB) to manage several parameters including timing, voltage rate, and user-interface. A high voltage power supply is coupled to a set of electrodes to cause an electric discharge. The electric discharge results in a series of reactions in the water that eliminate bacteria and viruses, dissolves organic material, and oxidizes inorganic compounds.

An electrochemical cell for wastewater treatment is disclosed comprising a catalyst coated membrane, an open pore mesh placed next to the catalyst coated membrane, on each side of the membrane, and a compression frame placed next to each of the open pore meshes. The open pore meshes and the compression frames are made of a conductive material. Each compression frame has compression arms spread within the area delimited by the perimeter of the frame to apply a uniform compression force across the anode and cathode active areas through fasteners which protrude through the compression arms, the open pore meshes and the catalyst coated membrane. A stack comprising at least one such electrochemical cell is immersed in a reactor tank containing the wastewater to be treated.

A method for removing ammonia nitrogen in an aqueous solution is provided in the present invention. The method includes performing an electrolysis reaction using an electrolysis device, such that the ammonia nitrogen is converted into nitrogen gas, nitrate or nitrite. The electrolysis device includes an anode including metal nickel, nickel hydroxide or nickel oxyhydroxide, and a cathode including metal copper. The method has high selectivity of converting the ammonia nitrogen into the nitrogen gas.

The present disclosure provides a device comprising or configured to comprise composite resin electrodes. Further provided are methods of using the device for selectively removing dissolved ions from water.

A method for operating a wastewater treatment system is disclosed wherein the wastewater treatment system comprises at least one electrochemical cell comprising dimensionally stable electrodes having the same catalyst composition, the electrodes being immersed in wastewater and being connected to a power supply and wherein the voltage at the power supply is monitored and the polarity of the electrochemical cell(s) is reversed when the recorded voltage increases by a predetermined voltage difference. The wastewater treatment system can comprise at least one electrochemical cell which is kept inactive while the active electrochemical cells are operating. The inactive cell(s) can be activated when all the electrodes of the active cells are consumed as indicated by another increase in voltage at the power supply after the polarity of the active cells has been once reversed.

An oxidant production apparatus comprises an electrochemical reactant reservoir, an electrolysis compartment, a porous first electrode and a second electrode. The porous first electrode defines a boundary between the reservoir and the electrolysis compartment and is configured to allow an electrochemical reactant to pass from the reservoir, through the first electrode and into the electrolysis compartment. The second electrode disposed at least substantially in the electrolysis compartment and spaced apart from the first electrode. The apparatus is configured to produce an oxidant in an electrochemical reaction when a voltage is applied across the first and second electrodes and a current is passed through the first and second electrodes and an electrolyte disposed in the electrolysis compartment.

A system and method for algal harvesting and destabilization are provided. The system includes a multifunctional reactive electrochemical membrane (REM). The application of an electrical current generates reactive species at the REM surface and oxidizes algae and soluble organic compounds. This novel type of membrane filtration avoids the use of harmful chemical additives. In addition, it provides the benefits of avoiding polymer aging, membrane fouling, and high costs caused by high transmembrane pressures and frequent membrane cleaning. Traditional membrane separation that significantly suffers from membrane fouling due to either the formation of a cake layer of algal cells, or more commonly due to organic matter adsorption onto the membrane surface is significantly avoided.

A water treatment system including a reaction chamber having an anode and a cathode is presented. The reaction chamber is configured to conduct an electrocoagulation reaction between the anode and the cathode. The water treatment system also includes an external ion generator, separate from the anode, configured to provide free metal ions to the water treatment system.