Patent ID: 11884562
Assignee: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY
Field: Environmental technology (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C | IPC C

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus for removing or eliminating urea from an aqueous solution, the apparatus comprising:
at least one reactor cell having an interior capable of containing a quantity of the aqueous solution;
at least one urea oxidation electrode disposed in the interior of the reactor cell;
at least one water reduction electrode disposed in the interior of the reactor cell, the water reduction electrode being configured to produce hydroxide anions at least in the aqueous solution in a first volume in the reactor cell at least when the reactor cell contains the aqueous solution and is in operation;
at least one counter electrode positioned so as to be in contact with a second volume configured to contain at least a portion of the aqueous solution, the aqueous solution in the second volume being in fluid communication with the aqueous solution in the first volume in the reactor cell when the apparatus is supplied with the aqueous solution; and
at least one power supply configured to apply one or more voltages between the counter electrode and the water reduction electrode, and between the urea oxidation electrode and the counter electrode,
wherein the first volume is in contact with at least a portion of the urea oxidation electrode such that the aqueous solution in the first volume is in contact with at least the portion of the urea oxidation electrode, wherein the urea oxidation electrode and the water reduction electrode are arranged in sufficiently close proximity such that the action of the water reduction electrode produces a hydroxide anion concentration in the aqueous solution in the first volume, and the hydroxide anion concentration is sufficiently high, in the aqueous solution in the first volume, in order for a process for urea removal from the aqueous solution to proceed when the apparatus is in operation.