Abstract: An alkali-ion battery is provided that includes an anhydrous alkaline salt as an active cathode material, where the alkaline salt may be, for example, a lithium sulfate salt, sodium sulfate salt or potassium sulfate salt, as the active cathode material. In some such batteries, the inter-conversion of sulfate to persulfate occurs during charging and discharging of the battery, respectively.

Abstract: An alkali-ion battery is provided that includes an anhydrous alkaline salt as an active cathode material, where the alkaline salt may be, for example, a lithium sulfate salt, sodium sulfate salt or potassium sulfate salt, as the active cathode material. In some such batteries, the inter-conversion of sulfate to persulfate occurs during charging and discharging of the battery, respectively.

Abstract: A flow battery that includes an electrode and a catholyte including a sulfate solution where, during charge of the flow battery, the sulfate solution becomes a persulfate solution, and during discharge of the flow battery, the persulfate solution becomes a sulfate solution. The electrode may be an anolyte, or it may be an amorphous metal electrode.

Abstract: A system and method for the reduction of NOx and CO contaminants using an ion-exchange resin media having lower-valency ions of the transitional metal elements, such as ferrous ions, cuprous ions and/or manganese ions, such that gases containing NOx and/or CO contaminants may be passed over the media so that the contaminants are absorbed by the lower-valency ions of the transitional metal elements, the media configured so that it can be regenerated to remove the NOx and/or CO contaminants. Regeneration includes exposing the media to a heated stream of hydrogen gas or exposing the media to hydrogen ions in an electrochemical cell.

Abstract: A system and method for the reduction of NOx and CO contaminants using an ion-exchange resin media having lower-valency ions of the transitional metal elements, such as ferrous ions, cuprous ions and/or manganese ions, such that gases containing NOx and/or CO contaminants may be passed over the media so that the contaminants are absorbed by the lower-valency ions of the transitional metal elements, the media configured so that it can be regenerated to remove the NOx and/or CO contaminants. Regeneration includes exposing the media to a heated stream of hydrogen gas or exposing the media to hydrogen ions in an electrochemical cell.

Abstract: A flow battery that includes an electrode and a catholyte including a sulfate solution where, during charge of the flow battery, the sulfate solution becomes a persulfate solution, and during discharge of the flow battery, the persulfate solution becomes a sulfate solution. The electrode may be an anolyte, or it may be an amorphous metal electrode.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a renewable energy generation and storage system and method is provided for storing both electrical and thermal energy that includes a forward osmosis system for drawing water across a membrane such that the water drawn across the membrane is used to dilute an osmotic ionic draw solution and the diluted osmotic ionic draw solution is used to drive a hydro-turbine; an FO-EED separation system for separating the drawn water from the ionic draw solution using renewable electrical energy and an osmotic polymer introduced in the FO-EED system during use, so that the ionic draw solution is re-concentrated by using electrical energy, such that the water from the ionic solution combines with the concentrated osmotic polymer; a coalescer configured to receive compressed CO2 to separate the water from the polymer by having the polymer absorb the compressed CO2 during use; and using thermal energy for separating the CO2 from the polymer, thereby regenerating a concentrated polymer solution.

Abstract: A system and method for generating power from waste heat, the system including (1) a forward osmosis module having an FO membrane a water inlet, a water outlet, a draw solution solute inlet and a diluted draw solution outlet; (2) a hydro-turbine using the diluted draw solution for generating power; (3) a CO2 absorption reactor to permit the introduction of compressed CO2 into the diluted draw solution to cause substantial separation of draw solution solute from the water, which water can be processed for subsequent recycling to the FO module, the CO2 absorption reactor configured to discharge a mixture of separate draw solution solute and absorbed CO2; and (4) a heat exchanger for transferring waste heat from an incoming heated fluid to the mixture of draw solution solute and CO2.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a renewable energy storage system includes a forward osmosis system, a hydro-turbine, and a separation (e.g., CEDI) system powered by one or more natural regenerating energy sources, such as wind or solar. In another embodiment, a renewable energy storage system includes a forward osmosis system, a hydro-turbine, a solar thermal heat exchanger through which the diluted osmotic draw solution can be directed for purposes of heating up the draw solution, and a solvent-water separator configured to separate the draw solution from the water. One example method includes drawing water across a forward osmosis membrane in a forward osmosis system such that the water drawn across the membrane dilutes an osmotic draw solution; directing the diluted osmotic draw solution to drive a hydro-turbine to produce energy; and separating the water from the draw solution using one or more natural regenerating energy sources.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a renewable energy generation and storage system and method is provided for storing both electrical and thermal energy that includes a forward osmosis system for drawing water across a membrane such that the water drawn across the membrane is used to dilute an osmotic ionic draw solution and the diluted osmotic ionic draw solution is used to drive a hydro-turbine; an FO-EED separation system for separating the drawn water from the ionic draw solution using renewable electrical energy and an osmotic polymer introduced in the FO-EED system during use, so that the ionic draw solution is re-concentrated by using electrical energy, such that the water from the ionic solution combines with the concentrated osmotic polymer; a coalescer configured to receive compressed CO2 to separate the water from the polymer by having the polymer absorb the compressed CO2 during use; and using thermal energy for separating the CO2 from the polymer, thereby regenerating a concentrated polymer solution.

Abstract: A method is provided for using forward osmosis to remove impurities dissolved in an aqueous-based feed solution, where the method includes directing a solvent past a first side of a forward osmosis membrane and the feed solution is directed past a second side of the forward osmosis membrane, the solvent having a higher osmotic pressure than the feed solution so as to draw water across the membrane thereby diluting the solvent and concentrating the impurities in the feed solution, where the solvent is an amine-terminated branched PEG, such as amine-terminated glycerol ethoxylate, amine-terminated trimethylolpropane ethoxylate, or amine-terminated pentaerithritol ethoxylate, for example. The method further includes regenerating the solvent by exposing the diluted solvent to a gas containing CO2, whereby the CO2 is absorbed by the solvent, facilitating substantial separation of the solvent from water.

Abstract: Methods of reducing the water content of a wet gas are presented. In one case, the method includes exposing the gas to an amine-terminated branched polymer solvent to remove a substantial portion of the water from the wet gas, exposing the diluted solvent to carbon dioxide to phase separate the solvent from the water, and regenerating the solvent for reuse by desorbing the carbon dioxide by the application of heat. In another case, the method includes exposing the gas to a cloud-point glycol solvent to remove a substantial portion of the water from the wet gas, heating the diluted solvent to above a cloud point temperature for the solvent so as to create a phase separation of the solvent from the water so as to regenerate the solvent for reuse, and directing the regenerated solvent to a new supply of wet gas for water reduction.

Abstract: A method is provided for using forward osmosis to remove impurities dissolved in an aqueous-based feed solution, where the method includes directing a solvent past a first side of a forward osmosis membrane and the feed solution is directed past a second side of the forward osmosis membrane, the solvent having a higher osmotic pressure than the feed solution so as to draw water across the membrane thereby diluting the solvent and concentrating the impurities in the feed solution, where the solvent is an amine-terminated branched PEG, such as amine-terminated glycerol ethoxylate, amine-terminated trimethylolpropane ethoxylate, or amine-terminated pentaerithritol ethoxylate, for example. The method further includes regenerating the solvent by exposing the diluted solvent to a gas containing CO2, whereby the CO2 is absorbed by the solvent, facilitating substantial separation of the solvent from water.

Abstract: A system and method for generating power from waste heat, the system including (1) a forward osmosis module having an FO membrane a water inlet, a water outlet, a draw solution solute inlet and a diluted draw solution outlet; (2) a hydro-turbine using the diluted draw solution for generating power; (3) a CO2 absorption reactor to permit the introduction of compressed CO2 into the diluted draw solution to cause substantial separation of draw solution solute from the water, which water can be processed for subsequent recycling to the FO module, the CO2 absorption reactor configured to discharge a mixture of separate draw solution solute and absorbed CO2; and (4) a heat exchanger for transferring waste heat from an incoming heated fluid to the mixture of draw solution solute and CO2.

Abstract: Methods of reducing the water content of a wet gas are presented. In one case, the method includes exposing the gas to an amine-terminated branched polymer solvent to remove a substantial portion of the water from the wet gas, exposing the diluted solvent to carbon dioxide to phase separate the solvent from the water, and regenerating the solvent for reuse by desorbing the carbon dioxide by the application of heat. In another case, the method includes exposing the gas to a cloud-point glycol solvent to remove a substantial portion of the water from the wet gas, heating the diluted solvent to above a cloud point temperature for the solvent so as to create a phase separation of the solvent from the water so as to regenerate the solvent for reuse, and directing the regenerated solvent to a new supply of wet gas for water reduction.

Abstract: A system for treatment of a brine feed, the system including a hybrid reactor, the reactor having a plurality of forward osmosis membranes configured to permit the passage of a draw solution solute through the middle of the membrane to draw water across the membrane wall from the brine feed so as to generate diluted solute, and a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies configured to separate ions of the salt in the brine feed to concentrate the salt ions, each membrane electrode assembly having an anion exchange membrane and a cation exchange membrane; whereby each membrane electrode assembly houses a plurality of forward osmosis membranes therewithin.

Abstract: A method of removing acid gases from a gaseous stream is provided. The acid gases may include carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and/or sulfur dioxide, by example. Embodiments of the method include mixing an amine-terminated branched polymer solvent with the gaseous stream, resulting in the substantial absorption of at least some of the acid gases. The solvent is an amine-terminated branched PEG, such as by example amine-terminated glycerol ethoxylate, amine-terminated trimethylolpropane ethoxylate, and/or amine-terminated pentaerithritol ethoxylate. Embodiments of the present inventive methods further include regenerating the solvent using electrolysis.

Abstract: Fluid desalination systems that include an FO reactor and an electrodeionization reactor with improved membranes and solvents, and a method of using such systems, are provided. A fluid having a first salt concentration is directed to the FO reactor, which uses a solute to draw salt away from the fluid across a membrane into the solute, where the electrodeionization reactor is salinized solute fluid and (i) generate substantially desalinated fluid and (ii) regenerate the solute for return to the forward osmosis reactor. The electrodeionization reactor is configured to draw positive and negative ions of the solute across cationic and anionic membranes, respectively, by applying a voltage across electrodes sandwiching the cationic and anionic membranes. In some cases, the cationic and anionic membranes are porous gelled polymer electrolyte membranes, wherein a saturated solution of the salinized solute fluid is absorbed.

Abstract: A method of removing gaseous organic sulfide contaminants from gaseous mixtures is provided where the method includes dissolving the organic sulfide contaminants in a solution of an acid-based catalyst to permit cleavage of the sulfur atom from the organic sulfide molecule, such that the cleaved sulfur atom can be further reduced electrochemically to elemental sulfur or alkali metal polysulfides.

Abstract: A method of purifying high temperature water utilizing forward osmosis is described comprising exposing the fluid to a semi-permeable membrane comprising a material capable of functioning effectively at 70-85° C., the membrane comprising a feed-solution-facing surface and a draw-solution-facing surface; directing a draw solution comprising at least one organic liquid solute and a solvent to the draw-solution-facing surface of the semi-permeable membrane, such that a quantity of the fluid is drawn by osmotic pressure across the semi-permeable membrane into the draw solution, leading to said fluid having a higher concentration of dissolved solids than prior to exposure to the semi-permeable membrane, and leading to the draw solution being more diluted than prior to being directed to the semi-permeable membrane; and boiling the draw solution so as to separate the organic liquid solute from the fluid drawn across the semi-permeable membrane for recirculation of the organic liquid solute.