Patent ID: 11919785
Assignee: EBB CARBON, INC.
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  B  H  Y | IPC B  C  H

Claim 18:
19. An electrochemical ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) system comprising:
a BPED system comprising:
a buffering system comprising a salt buffer tank configured to store a feedstock solution, an acid buffer tank configured to store an acid solution, and a base buffer tank configured to store a base solution,
an electrodialysis apparatus comprising at least one salt chamber, at least one acid chamber, at least one base chamber, at least one first ion-permeable membrane disposed between the salt chamber and the acid chamber, a second ion-permeable membrane disposed between the salt chamber and the base chamber, and
a flow control system comprising a plurality of flow lines connected between the buffering system and the electrodialysis apparatus; and

a control circuit configured to control the BPED to perform base generating operations during first time periods and descaling maintenance operations during second time periods, wherein:
during each said base generating operation, the control circuit controls the flow control system to direct a salt stream comprising a portion of the feedstock solution from the salt buffer tank through the at least one salt chamber, to direct an acid stream comprising at least a portion of the acid solution from the acid buffer tank through the at least one acid chamber, and to direct a base stream comprising a portion of the base solution from the base buffer tank through the at least one base chamber, and the control circuit controls the electrodialysis apparatus to electrochemically process the salt stream passing through the at least one salt chamber in a way that increases an amount of acid in the acid stream and the amount of base substance in the base stream, whereby scaling material is produced on the first ion-permeable membrane and the second ion-permeable membrane; and
during each said descaling maintenance operation, the control circuit controls the flow control system to direct the acid stream from the acid buffer tank through the at least one salt chamber and the at least one base chamber until the scaling material is removed from the first ion-permeable membrane and second ion-permeable membrane.