Patent ID: 7662267
Filing Date: 2010-02-16
Classification: B01D,C02F,Y02A

Abstract:
1. An electrodialysis apparatus comprising a membrane stack defining a plurality of diluting compartments, alternating with a plurality of concentrating compartments, whereby each diluting compartment is adjacent to a concentrating compartment along at least one diluting compartment side, and each concentrating compartment is adjacent to a diluting compartment along at least one concentrating compartment side, diluting compartment and concentrating compartment spacers, at least an electrode compartment, at least an electrode pair for establishing an electric current across said stack, and inlets and outlets for flowing liquids to or from the stack, said stack further comprising at least one subsystem selected from the group consisting of: a) a manifold system comprising at least a product outlet manifold which is internal to said stack and intersects a plurality of the compartments, said product outlet manifold being configured to receive product streams from a plurality of the diluting compartments in said stack and also to serve as an internal inlet manifold for feeding effluent portions of said product streams to a plurality of the concentrating compartments in said stack where the manifold intersects such concentrating compartments without said effluent portions leaving the stack whereby portions of product streams from a plurality of diluting compartments in said stack flow into and through a plurality of concentrating compartments in said stack in a flow direction that is substantially opposite to a direction of fluid flow in said diluting compartments; and, b) a manifold system comprising at least a product outlet manifold which is internal to said stack and intersects a plurality of the compartments, said product outlet manifold being configured to receive product streams from a plurality of diluting compartments in said stack and also to serve as an internal inlet manifold for feeding effluent portions of said product streams to one or more electrode compartments in said stack where the manifold intersects such electrode compartments without said effluent portions leaving the stack whereby portions of product streams from a plurality of diluting compartments in said stack flow into and through one or more electrode compartments in said stack.