RF Systems for Desalinating Salt Water with Nano-Enhancers Revealed, Kanzius Foundation Receives $500 K for RF Cancer Treatment R&D

In U.S. Patent Application 20090294300,  KC Energy, LLC (Erie, PA) inventors John Kanzius (deceased) and Mary Ann Kanzius divulge systems and methods for desalination of salt water and salt solutions with radio frequency (RF) energy. The system uses RF energy to combust salt water, to produce hydrogen and fresh water.  The system will also volatilize a secondary fuel present in solutions containing salt water, as well as produce and combust hydrogen obtained from salt water or salt solutions.  

An exemplary system includes:  a reservoir for containing a salt water solution or salt water mixture; a reaction chamber having an inlet; a feed line operatively connecting the reservoir to the inlet of the reaction chamber; an RF transmitter having an RF generator in circuit communication with a transmission head, the RF generator capable of generating an RF signal absorbable by the salt water solution or the salt water mixture having a frequency for transmission via the transmission head; and an RF receiver; wherein the reaction chamber is positioned such that some of the salt water solution or salt water mixture is positioned between the RF transmission head and the RF receiver.

It is also believed that RF absorption enhancers may be added to the salt water prior to processing with RF to enhance the effects of the RF energy on the salt water, e.g., enhanced heating, enhanced, combustion, enhanced desalination, etc. The RF absorption enhancers may be particles made from RF absorbing materials that absorb one or more frequencies of an RF electromagnetic signal substantially more than other materials. This may permit the RF signal to heat salt water and salt solutions containing RF absorbing enhancers substantially more than it would salt water (or salt water solution or salt water mixture) that does not contain additional RF absorption enhancers.

Exemplary RF absorption enhancers include particles of electrically conductive material, such as silver, gold, copper, magnesium, iron, any of the other metals, and/or magnetic particles, or various combinations and permutations of gold, iron, any of the other metals, and/or magnetic particles. Examples of other RF absorption enhancers include: metal tubules (such as silver or gold nanotubes or silver or gold microtubes, which may be water-soluble).

Examples of yet other RF absorption enhancers that may be useful include RF absorbing carbon molecules and compounds: fullerenes (any of a class of closed hollow aromatic carbon compounds that are made up of twelve pentagonal and differing numbers of hexagonal faces), carbon nanotubes, other molecules or compounds having one or more graphene layers, and other RF-absorbing carbon molecules and compounds e.g., C60 (also known as a "buckyball" or a "buckminsterfullerene"), C70, C76, C84, buckytubes (single-walled carbon nanotubes, SWNTs), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), and other nano-sized or micro-sized carbon cage molecules and compounds. Such carbon-based particles may be in water-soluble form. Such carbon-based particles may have metal atoms (e.g., nickel atoms) integral therewith, which may affect their ability to absorb RF energy and heat in response thereto.

The methods presented for using RF energy to combust salt water and or to carry out the electrolysis of salt water. An exemplary method includes providing salt water comprising a mixture of water and at least one salt; or a salt water solution comprising a mixture of water and at least one salt and optionally containing (i) at least one additive, or (ii) at least one secondary fuel, or (iii) mixtures thereof.

The salt water or salt water solution having an effective amount of the salt dissolved in the water; providing an RF transmitter having an RF generator in circuit communication with a transmission head, the RF generator capable of generating an RF signal at least partially absorbable by the salt water or salt water component of the solution containing salt water and having at least one frequency for transmission via the transmission head; arranging the transmission head near the salt water or solution containing salt water such that the RF signal transmitted via the transmission head interacts with at least some of the salt water; and transmitting the RF signal via the transmission head for a time sufficient to combust the salt water or to heat the solution containing salt water to volatilize and to combust a secondary fuel source that may be optionally present. If hydrogen gas is created from the salt water or the solution containing salt water by the RF signal, the RF signal may also be transmitted via the transmission head sufficient to combust the hydrogen gas so produced.

FIG. 17 illustrates an exemplary methodology for producing hydrogen from salt water or from solutions containing salt water with RF Systems.

Hydrogen gas is combustible and is therefore a potentially viable fuel source particularly for use in internal combustion engines. Water can be a source of hydrogen gas and unlike crude oil, which is used to produce gasoline, water and particularly seawater has an advantage over crude oil in that it is present on earth in great abundance. Furthermore, the burning of hydrogen produces water, an environmentally clean byproduct.Hydrogen gas is combustible and is therefore a potentially viable fuel source particularly for use in internal combustion engines. Water can be a source of hydrogen gas and unlike crude oil, which is used to produce gasoline, water and particularly seawater has an advantage over crude oil in that it is present on earth in great abundance. Furthermore, the burning of hydrogen produces water, an environmentally clean byproduct.

In a related matter, Pennsylvania State Representative John Hornaman represented Governor Edward G. Rendell in announcing a Department of Community and Economic Development grant of $500,000 to benefit the dream of the late broadcast executive John Kanzius to develop a device to stop cancer in its tracks.

The grant will be shared by the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation, which focuses on awareness and funding of the research using Kanzius’ radio-wave invention, and Industrial Sales & Manufacturing of Erie, which is designing and producing the prototype human-sized scanner beds for human trials. 

Rep. Hornaman, who arranged the first meeting between the Governor and Kanzius in May of 2008, thanked the Governor for the funds and for expediting the process. “I am proud that the Commonwealth is recognizing the incredible promise that this research offers,” he said. “I am also excited when I think about the local development potential and the job opportunities that will be created.

“John Kanzius’ vision was about hope. This grant will fortify his vision and that hope. His invention has the potential to be the greatest cancer break-through in the last half-century,” Hornaman remarked.

James “Jim” Rutkowski Jr., general manager of Industrial Sales & Manufacturing, a local family business involved in the production of the device, spoke about some technical aspects and how the grant will help in the manufacturing of Kanzius’ invention. “Engineering is in progress and this grant from the Commonwealth will certainly assist us in getting the final human-size scanner beds produced so Phase 2 human trials can begin. We owe the Governor and Rep. Hornaman a huge debt of gratitude in getting us all to the next stage,” Rutkowski stated.

Mark Neidig, executive director of the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation, expressed excitement on behalf of his board members, including president Maryann Yochim and member Patrick Fetzner who were also present. "An announcement like this is really great news for all of us. More specifically for the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation, it is another milestone that our project has passed. It will help us get to FDA approval so we can move forward to human trials.

“We celebrate with Industrial Sales and echo all of your expressions of gratitude to Governor Rendell and those who made this funding possible,” Neidig commented. He particularly commended Representative Hornaman for his diligent pursuit of the state funding and for his persistence in urging others to continue contributing generously to this research. “For generations to come, we have the unique ability to keep this hope alive for cancer patients and their families around the world,” he said.

The news conference was held at Industrial Sales & Manufacturing’s laboratory, where Kanzius actually worked on his invention. Rep. Hornaman concluded, “This project began as a local initiative by the local inventive genius of John Kanzius, who was a cancer victim himself; today it is advancing with national recognition and support.”

Porifera Commercializing Carbon Nanotube Membrane for Water Desalination and Carbon Capture

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has exclusively licensed to Porifera Inc. of Hayward a carbon nanotube technology that can be used to desalinate water and can be applied to other liquid based separation.  Carbon nanotubes -- special molecules made of carbon atoms in a unique arrangement -allow liquids and gases to rapidly flow through, while the tiny pore size can block larger molecules, offering a cheaper way to remove salt from water.  The technology could also be used to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants.

"The technology is very exciting," said Olgica Bakajin, who serves as chief technology officer of Porifera. "It's at the right place to take it to the marketplace."  Bakajin formerly worked at LLNL where she was recruited in 2000 as a Lawrence Fellow and then moved on to become chief scientist on the carbon nanotube project along with LLNL chemist Aleksandr Noy, another former Lawrence Fellow. The license was awarded through LLNL's Industrial Partnership Office.

Porifera is developing membranes with vastly superior permeability, durability and selectivity for water purification and other applications in the clean tech sector such as CO_ sequestration. The technology is based on discoveries made at the National Nuclear Security Administration's Lawrence Livermore Lab.

The technology first took off when it was funded by Livermore's Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program and supported by the Science and Technology Principal Directorate. Bakajin and Noy's research originally focused on using carbon nanotubes as a less expensive solution to desalination. The technique was first demonstrated using a nanotube membrane on a silicon chip the size of a quarter.

Recently, the team made up of Bakajin and Noy as well as another LLNL scientist, Francesco Fornasiero, and Porifera scientists Sangil Kim and Jennifer Klare, thought about different applications for the nanotube membranes.

"Carbon sequestration has always been at the back of our minds, as unique properties of carbon nanotube membranes provide critical advantages for potential use in carbon sequestration applications," Noy said. Bakajin agreed the membranes would separate CO2 from nitrogen in power plant emissions. The membranes would transfer the two gases at a different rate so that the CO2 could be separated and sequestered. Sequestering CO2 is a key strategy to help curb global warming.

"We've known about the possibilities for this for quite some time," she said. "The reason it makes sense to do it is because of the unique nanofluidic properties of carbon nanotube pores. We believe that our approach will work and we're looking forward to working with the Lab on this."

Recently, the Laboratory, Porifera, and UC Berkeley received more than $1 million from the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop the carbon capture technique using the nanotubes.

ARPA-E's mission is to develop nimble, creative and inventive approaches to transform the global energy landscape, while advancing America's technology leadership. The grant is for two years. "It's the first time that this kind of grant has been given," Bakajin said. "It's on us to show that it's really worth it. The agency's success is going to depend on how well we do. "

In conjunction with other partners, Porifera also secured $3.3 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a small, portable self-cleaning desalination system that could be used in the field.

"If we can really make this work it is a game-changing technology," Bakajin said. "The goal is to go for any water…it could take out contaminants. It's a real challenge, and the technology has great potential."Porifera Inc. was founded in 2008 with the sole goal of commercializing carbon nanotube membrane technology. The R&D team includes the technology's original inventors.