Electrical apparatus for treating emulsions

Claim 1

AN ELECTRIC TREATING UNIT FOR AN ELECTRIC TREATER ADAPTED TO TREAT OIL-CONTINUOUS EMULSIONS ELECTRICALLY IN A TANK CONTAINING A BODY OF OILCONTINUOUS MATERIAL, SAID ELECTRIC TREATMENT RESULTING FROM SUBJECTION OF SAID EMULSITON TO AN ELECTRIC FIELD ESTABLISHED BY A HIGH-VOLTAGE SOURCE OF POTENTIAL, SAID ELECTRIC FIELD, COALESCING THE DISPERSED-PHASE MATERIAL OF THE EMULSION INTO MASSES OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO GRAVITATE FROM THE OIL, SAID ELECTRIC TREATING UNIT INCLUDING IN COMBINATION: AN UPPER ELECTRODE STRUCTURE COMPRISING A LARGE IMPERFORATE PLATE HAVING A DOWNWARDLYFACING SMOOTH AND CONTINUOUS SURFACE EXTENDING IMPERFORATELY FROM THE CENTER OF SAID PLATE TO THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, SAID UPPER ELECTRODE STRUCTURE AND SAID SURFACE PROVIDING AN IMPERFORATE CENTRAL CIRCULAR ZONE, AN IMPERFORATE INNER ANNULAR ZONE IMMEDIATELY AROUND SAID CENTRAL ZONE AND AN OUTER IMPERFORATE ANNULAR ZONE IMMEDIATELY AROUND SAID INNER ANNUAL ZONE AND TERMINATING IN A PERIPHERAL EDGE FORMING THE PERIPHERY OF SAID UPPER ELECTRODE STRUCTURE; A LOWER ELECTRODE STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PLATE HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING BELOW SAID IMPERFORATE CENTRAL CIRCULAR ZONE AND HAVING AN INNER ANNULAR PORTION BELOW SAID INNER ANNULAR ZONE OF SAID UPPER ELECTRODE STRUCTURE AND COOPERATING THEREWITH IN DEFINING AN INNER TREATING ZONE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OIL-CONTINUOUS MATERIAL SOLELY BY WAY OF SAID CENTRAL OPENING, SAID LOW ELECTRODE STRUCTURE ALSO COMPRISING AN OUTER ANNULAR PORTION BELOW SAID OUTER IMPERFORATE ANNULAR ZONE OF SAID UPPER ELECTRODE STRUCTURE AND COOPERATING THEREWITH IN DEFINING AN OUTER TREATING ZONE, SAID OTUER ANNULAR PORTION OF SAID LOWER ELECTRODE STRUCTURE BEING INTERSTITIAL TO PROVIDE SPACES THROUGH WHICH SAID