Electrochemical DLE Control Platform

Real-time control for electrochemical lithium extraction

EELI closes the control loop on DLE electrode cycles, recovering more lithium from brine chemistries that fixed setpoints and evaporation ponds leave behind.

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The Control Gap

Fixed setpoints fail when brine chemistry varies

Most DLE deployments treat electrode potential as a commissioning parameter. That assumption breaks down when feed composition shifts, temperature swings, or fouling begins.

Brine composition drift

Continental and geothermal brines change composition with seasonal recharge, drawdown depth, and wellfield mixing. A setpoint calibrated at commissioning can be 15-30% off by mid-season.

Electrode cycle mismatch

Intercalation and elution phases have different optimal potential windows. Running both at a single midpoint wastes capacity and shortens electrode life through uneven lattice stress.

Yield loss compounds

A 5% daily under-recovery from suboptimal setpoints adds up to months of lost production capacity across a full year of operation, with no visible alarm and no obvious root cause.

The EELI Platform

Adaptive control that reads the electrode, not the clock

EELI integrates inline ionic sensors, real-time state estimation, and closed-loop potential control into the electrode cycle. Every intercalation and elution phase runs at the voltage that the current brine and electrode state actually require.

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Real-time electrode state estimation

On-stack sensors feed a continuous model of Li+ loading fraction, allowing potential adjustments mid-cycle rather than at cycle boundaries.

Feed-forward brine compensation

Upstream inline sensors provide 12-40 minute lead time on incoming composition changes, allowing setpoint pre-adjustment before the brine front reaches the electrode stack.

Fouling onset detection

Signature drift in the electrochemical impedance spectrum identifies silica or carbonate deposition before it compresses active surface area or forces a shutdown.

Validated Performance

Results from controlled pilot operations

89%
Electrode Cycle Efficiency
vs. 64-72% fixed-setpoint baseline
98:1
Li/Mg Selectivity
across continental brine feed
3x
Electrode Cycle Lifetime
measured vs. fixed-setpoint operation

Internal validation across 3 brine chemistries. 2024 EELI pilot program, Nevada.

Applications

Built for the full range of brine environments

EELI's adaptive control architecture has been validated across the three main categories of lithium brine feedstock, each with distinct chemistry and operating conditions.

Continental Brines

Salar and playa lake brines with high Mg/Li ratios and seasonal composition shifts. Adaptive selectivity control keeps recovery consistent through drawdown cycles.

Geothermal Brines

High-temperature fluids with silica, boron, and sulfur content that challenge fixed electrode configurations. EELI adjusts potential windows and cycle timing to the fluid chemistry.

Produced Water

Oilfield co-produced water with low lithium concentrations and high TDS variability. EELI makes extraction viable at concentration levels where fixed-setpoint DLE is uneconomical.

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Field Validation
Cycle efficiency went from 68% on commissioning-era setpoints to 89% after EELI took over the control loop. That delta translates directly to lithium carbonate output per quarter.
Process Engineering Lead, continental brine pilot project (2024 EELI pilot program, Nevada)
+21pp
Improvement in electrode cycle efficiency over fixed-setpoint baseline during 6-month Nevada pilot
-63%
Reduction in unplanned electrode maintenance intervals through fouling onset detection
3
Brine chemistry types validated: continental salar, geothermal, and produced water streams
Common Questions

How EELI integrates with DLE operations

EELI's control architecture is electrode-agnostic. Current deployments use lambda-MnO2 and FePO4-based intercalation materials, but the state estimation model can be parameterized for any electrode chemistry that responds to potential control.
Initial sensor commissioning and control loop handoff runs 4-6 weeks depending on site readiness. Full optimization against your specific brine chemistry takes an additional 2-3 months of closed-loop operation.
No. EELI sits as a supervisory layer above your existing PLC. It sends setpoint updates to the PLC at cycle boundaries and can push mid-cycle corrections, but your existing safety logic and emergency shutoffs remain authoritative.

Bring adaptive control to your DLE process

EELI works with DLE operators at the process engineering level to scope a pilot integration, validate against your brine chemistry, and establish a baseline for cycle efficiency improvement.

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