PFI:AIR - TT: High Throughput Plasma Water Purifier

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating research on plasma interaction with liquid water for the purpose of water purification. This approach to water purification will address the need for technologies with the capability of removing toxic chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, chemical waste products, and pesticides that can not be effectively removed using conventional means.  This high throughput water purifier is important because it has the potential to remove most organic contaminants from water as well as to disinfect the water of harmful viruses and bacteria. The technology can be used in water reuse applications where wastewater can be treated with this plasma method to reduce contaminant levels well below maximum allowable concentrations so that it can be utilized for both potable (drinking) and non-potable applications (such as boiler water, car washing and firefighting). This capability makes communities resilient against drought and even chemical spills. The technology also has the potential to reduce industrial costs and associated environmental damage by treating highly toxic wastewater to the point where it can be reused at the factory.   This project will result in a prototype high throughput plasma purifier and will test the plasma purifier at actual municipal and industrial wastewater plants to demonstrate function and scalability in a real setting. The high throughput plasma purifier has the following unique features: 1) scalability, 2) it does not require consumables to operate, and 3) it drives a multitude of chemical processes in water that rapidly reduce contaminants to carbon dioxide and water. These features provide the advantages of performance, e.g. rapid decomposition of contaminants and cost savings, does not require consumables such as toxic chlorine or peroxide, offers high electrical and chemical conversion efficiency, and provides ease of implementation ranging from point-of-use applications to integration as modules into an actual water treatment plant.  Conventional advanced oxidation methods supporting water treatment applications require the use of toxic consumables to drive specialized reactions to generate oxidants as well as the infrastructure to house and apply the chemicals. The high throughput purifier produces plasma for water treatment using regular air thereby eliminating the need for costly consumables and the associated expense of infrastructure to store and apply such chemicals. This project addresses the technology gap of scalability as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application. Though plasma-based water treatment has been investigated in the past, with impressive decomposition efficiencies, its widespread application has remained elusive. This is due largely to the difficulty in scaling up beyond laboratory demonstration of 10s of ml in fixed volumes to the 10s of liters/min in once-through, flowing water applications. The key innovation of this reactor is the geometrical deconstruction of water into a form such that plasma coverage of water flowing through the reactor is maximized. The surface plasma reacts with the water generating radicals that subsequently treat the core water. In the course of executing this proposed effort, undergraduate and graduate students will be trained in applied science, technology translation, product development, and entrepreneurship. This effort will also administer a hands-on technical workshop aimed at K-12 students with focus on women and under-represented minorities that explores advanced water treatment and entrepreneurship. The project engages a number of key partners. These partners include the a municipal waste water plant, a municipal drinking water plant, a semiconductor manufacturing company, and two engineering consultancies that actually design drinking and waste water plants, and the National Sanitation Foundation. In this manner, municipal drinking water and wastewater, industrial wastewater, and advanced water testing facilities will be made available to this project supporting piloting in a relevant test environment and assessing the effectiveness of treatment based on accepted standards in this technology translation effort from research discovery toward commercial reality.