Electric treater

Claim 1

AN ELECTRIC TREATER FOR TREATING OIL-CONTINUOUS DISPERSIONS TO SEPARATE PARTICLES OF A DISPERSED-PHASE MATERIAL DISPERSED THEREIN, SAID TREATER COMPRISING: A CONTAINER HAVING UPPER, INTERMEDIATE AND LOWER ZONES, SAID CONTAINER PROVIDING MEANS FOR INTRODUCING THE DISPERSION IN TO SAID LOWER ZONE, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING SEPARATED DISPERSED-PHASE MATERIAL FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID LOWER ZONE AND MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING TREATED OIL FROM SAID UPPER ZONE; UPRIGHT ELECTODE MEMBERS IN SAID INTERMEDIATE ZONE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID CONTAINER PROVIDING UPRIGHT SIDE-BY-SIDE PASSAGES BETWEEN SAID LOWER AND UPPER ZONES, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID UPRIGHT PASSAGES BEING AN OPEN-TOP ELECTRODE-SUPPORT PASSAGE, THE OTHER UPRIGHT PASSAGES BEING TREATING PASSAGES, ALL OF SAID PASSAGES OPENING DOWNWARDLY ON SAID LOWER ZONE; MEANS FOR METERING THE FLOW OF TREATED OIL FROM SAID TREATING PASSAGES INTO SAID UPPER ZONE COMPRISING A PLATE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID CONTAINER TRAVERSING THE TOPS OF SAID UPRIGHT ELECTRODE MEMBERS, SAID PLATE PROVIDING METERING HOLES FOR THE TREATED OIL MOVING FROM SAID TREATING PASSAGES TO SAID UPPER ZONE; AN INSULATOR HOUSING STRUCTURE INTERCONNECTING AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE TOP OF SAID CONTAINER AND SAID PLATE IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH EACH ELECTRODE-SUPPORT PASSAGE PROVIDING THEREIN AN ENTRAPMENT SPACE OPENING ON SUCH ELECTRODE-SUPPORT PASSAGE THROUGH THE OPEN TOP THEREOF; AN INSULATOR SUPPORT RING MOUNTED WITHIN THE ENTRAPMENT SPACE OF EACH INSULATOR HOUSING; A CYLINDRICAL INSULATOR OF REALTIVELY LARGE DIAMETER HAVING A CENTRAL PASSAGE COAXIAL WITH THE CORRESPONDING INSULATOR SUPPORT RING AND HAVING UPPER AND LOWER ANNULAR FACES RESPECTIVELY AT ITS UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, SAID LOWER FACE BEING SUPPORTED ON SAID INSULATOR SUPPORT RING; AN ELECTRODE SUPPORT PLATE BRIDGING ACROSS SAID CENTRAL PASSAGE AND SUPPORTED BY SAID UPPER ANNULAR FACE; AN ELONGATED ELECTRODE SUPPORT MEMBER HUNG FROM THE CENTER OF SAID ELECTODE SUPPORT PLATE OF A LENGTH TO EXTEND THEREFROM COMPELTELY THROUGH THE CORRESPONDING ELECTRODE-SUPPORT PASSAGE INTO SAID LOWER ZONE, THE OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID CYLINDIRCAL INSULATOR BEING AT LEAST SEVERAL INCHES TO PROVIDE LATERAL STABILITY FOR SAID ELECTRODE SUPPORT PLATE AGAINST TIPPING, THE DIAMETER OF SAID ELONGATED ELECTRODE SUPPORT MEMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE INNER DIAMETER OF SAID CYLINDRICAL INSULATOR; A FORAMINOUS STRUCUTRE IN SAID LOWER ZONE BELOW THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID PASSAGES ELECTICALLY CONNECTED TO AND SUPPORTED BY THE LOWER END OF SUCH SUPPORT MEMBER; A PLURALITY OF UPSTANDING ROD ELECTRODES ATTACHED RIGIDLY TO SAID FORAMINOUS STRUCTURE EXTENDING UPWARD IN SAID TREATING PASSAGES HAVING UPPER ENDS TERMINATING BELOW SAID PLATE; AND A HIGH-VOLTAGE SOURCE OF POTENTIAL HAVING TERMINALS RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID ELECTRODE SUPPORT MEMBER AND SAID UPRIGHT ELECTRODE MEMBERS ESTABLISHING HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS IN SAID TREATING PASSAGES.