A method for differentially lysing a liquid sample or target material using an augmented oxidizing agent (AOA), which includes a quantity of electronically modified oxygen derivatives (EMODs). The method reduces or eliminates total dissolved solids (IDS), total suspended solids (TSS), Biologic Oxygen Demand (BOD), microbial concentration, biofilms and other content in the liquid target material known or suspected to contain animal fluids, blood and blood cells and suspected or known to contain eukaryotic cells, microbial cells, bacteria, viruses, spores, fungi, prions, organic matter, minerals, proteins or associated structures. The BOD, TDS and TSS can be lowered or eliminated as desired. This action is directly proportional to the quantity of EMODs in the AOS applied to the liquid target material.

The present disclosure describes methods and systems comprising hydrodynamic cavitation, microwave irradiation, and at least one of oxidative sonoelectrolysis and reductive sonoelectrolysis, providing feedstock purification of at least one of water, fluid and mineral. Contaminants, broken down and chemically degraded into smaller and more volatile substances by hydrodynamic cavitation are ultimately destroyed in the course of one or more sonoelectrolysis steps. In various embodiments, at least one of oxidative sonoelectrolysis and reductive sonoelectrolysis is irradiated with microwaves in order to heat the sonoplasma present within acoustic cavitation bubbles to temperatures sufficient to destroy contaminants therein.

A system for treating produced water, for example from a SAGD bitumen production operation, has a treatment unit using chemical oxidation (CO) or electromagnetic treatment (ET) to destroy or degrade organics in the produced water. The treatment module may use CO or ET in combination with biological treatment or sorption processes or both. When the treatment module is used upstream of a steam generator, it reduces fouling in the steam generator and in any blowdown water treatment device. A brine concentrator or a crystallizer may be used to treat the blowdown water. The treatment module may be used in combination with a nanofiltration (NF) or reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filter. Optionally, the produced water may be treated with an ET process such as microwaves directly upstream of a steam generator or upstream of a concentrator or crystallizer in a blowdown water stream.

The present disclosure discloses a microwave flash evaporation process and apparatus and uses thereof. A microwave flash evaporation process, wherein the process makes integration of those technologies for liquid spraying, liquid droplet flash evaporation, microwave enhancement, vacuum steam discharge, and simulation and optimization of multi-mode resonant cavity, wherein through the coupling effect of the microwave, by means of one stage microwave flash evaporation, the effect normally achieved by multi-effect evaporation and flash evaporation is obtained and a liquid droplet micro-system with microwave energy transfer in situ is formed so as to prevent a circulation pump and a steam heat exchange system from being corroded under high temperature and high pressure, and prevent scaling on a heat exchanger, and improve evaporation efficiency. The present disclosure makes integration of those technologies for liquid spraying, liquid droplet flash evaporation, microwave enhancement, vacuum steam discharge, and simulation and optimization of multi-mode resonant cavity, and can be used for performing the processes of effluent disposal, seawater desalination, evaporation concentration of spent liquor of Bayer process, concentration crystallization of chemical production, sterilization of solution, unoil of solution, the rectification separation for various organic mixed solutions, sterilization, unoil and dehydration of solid powder. There is a prospect for this new process of the present disclosure with short technological process to upgrade the evaporation process.

A process for enhanced anaerobic digestion of sludge by alcoholization of food waste, comprising steps of: (1) ethanol prefermentation of food waste—feeding the food waste having been crushed into a uniform grain size into an ethanol production reactor, where the food waste is subjected to rapid and efficient anaerobic fermentation activated by addition of yeast and pH adjustment to produce ethanol and obtain a fermentation broth and a fermentation residue; (2) sludge pretreatment—pretreating the sludge after mixing with the fermentation residue; and (3) methanogenesis of anaerobic digestion—subjecting products resulting from the sludge pretreatment to be mixed with the fermentation broth and then to methanogenesis of anaerobic digestion in a methane production reactor. With this process, the sludge and the food waste can be treated efficiently via multi-phase reactions, and the resource recovery and biogas quality can be enhanced.

A microwave applicator box for breakdown of organic waste materials, is provided comprising: an interior defined by at least one wall; a plurality of inclined grates in an alternating arrangement, including: a first grate extending from a first direction, and a second grate extending from a second direction and underlapping the first grate; vibration devices connected to the grates by arms; wherein the area above the first grate is defined as a Zone A and wherein the area below the first grate and above the second grate is defined as a Zone B; wherein a first waveguide is connected to an opening in the wall in the area of the Zone A; wherein a second waveguide is connected to an opening in the wall in the area of the Zone B; and wherein the interior of the waveguides is in communication with the interior of the microwave applicator box.

A membrane distillation (MD) system consisting of a membrane module and carbon nanotube immobilized membrane for organic solvent separation is disclosed. The MD module includes a feed inlet and outlet, a sweep gas inlet, and a sweep gas outlet. Thermostats are positioned at the feed inlet and outlet to measure the change in temperature. Preferential sorption of the organic on carbon nanotube immobilized membrane contributes to enhanced solvent removal of the MD system. A pervaporation (PV) system consisting of a membrane module and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mixed matrix membranes with graphene oxide (GO)—carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for enhanced purification of the alcohol solution after membrane distillation to remove trace amount of water is disclosed.

A method and apparatus for treating residuals or waste streams from a plant, such as a drinking water treatment plant. The method includes the steps of obtaining plant residuals or waste streams from a water treatment plant and irradiating the plant residuals or waste streams using microwave radiation from a microwave source. The method also includes the step of drying the plant residuals or waste streams to a predetermined moisture, volume, or weight content reduction and disposing of the same.

A pulsed electromagnetic irradiation system for water treatment including raw water supply unit in fluid communication with a reaction vessel, a multimode cavity in which the reaction vessel is partially positioned. A magnetron generator is positioned adjacent the multimode cavity and is electromagnetically coupled with liquid within the reaction vessel. A stirring motor is positioned adjacent a bottom surface of multimode cavity and operatively coupled with the reaction vessel to stir the liquid within reaction vessel. A parabolic arm air cooled condenser is terminally connected to the reaction vessel to be in fluid communication with the reaction vessel. A gravity vacuum funnel, where the gravity vacuum funnel is in communication with a first air/water cooled condenser. The first air/water cooled condenser outputs fresh water to a fresh water storage unit.

A method and a system for producing a change in a medium. The method places in a vicinity of the medium at least one energy modulation agent. The method applies an initiation energy to the medium. The initiation energy interacts with the energy modulation agent to directly or indirectly produce the change in the medium. The system includes an initiation energy source configured to apply an initiation energy to the medium to activate the energy modulation agent.