US 12,145,870 B2
Systems and methods for disinfecting fluids
Jianfeng Zhou, Atlanta, GA (US); and Xing Xie, Atlanta, GA (US)
Assigned to Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on Feb. 5, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/782,430.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/801,176, filed on Feb. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0247695 A1, Aug. 6, 2020
Int. Cl. C02F 1/461 (2023.01); C02F 101/30 (2006.01)
CPC C02F 1/46109 (2013.01) [C02F 2001/46133 (2013.01); C02F 2001/46171 (2013.01); C02F 2101/30 (2013.01); C02F 2201/46105 (2013.01); C02F 2303/04 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A low voltage electroporation disinfection system for disinfecting a fluid comprising:
a non-porous outer electrode having an inner surface at an inner diameter D and defining an internal cavity and at least a portion of a flow path in a flow path direction;
a non-porous center electrode positioned coaxially within the internal cavity and having an outer surface at an outer diameter d and comprising surface area members, the center electrode extends within the flow path along at least a portion of a longitudinal axis of the outer electrode;
a voltage supply configured to:
supply a voltage across the outer electrode and center electrode via an electrical current in a current path direction; and
generate a non-uniform electric field distribution on a cross-sectional plane of the system;
a flow path inlet positioned proximate a first end of the outer electrode and configured to allow a fluid to pass from an area external to the internal cavity into the internal cavity; and
a flow path outlet positioned proximate a second end of the outer electrode and configured to allow the fluid to pass from the internal cavity into an area external to the internal cavity;
wherein the flow path direction is perpendicular to the current path direction;
wherein an enhancement factor of electric field f is defined as:

OG Complex Work Unit Math
wherein the surface area members comprise copper oxide nanowires (CuONW) with a polydopamine (PDA) thin-layer coating configured to enhance the center electrode stability and reduce copper release into the fluid;
wherein the system provides for electric field enhancement via:
the coaxial arrangement of the center electrode with the surface area members within the outer electrode; and
the increase in f with a reduction of the outer diameter d of the center electrode, which leads to an attendant increase in a gap distance defined between the outer surface of the center electrode and the inner surface of the outer electrode; and
wherein the outer electrode, center electrode, voltage supply, flow path inlet, and flow path outlet are configured to cooperatively limit the fluid flow through the internal cavity with a hydraulic retention time sufficient to reduce a living contaminant in the fluid at an inactivation efficiency of log 1 or greater.