Apparatus for treatment of fluids with electric fields

Abstract

Abstract FLUIDS, SUCH AS WATER, ARE SUBJECTED TO AN ELECTROSTATIC FIELD BETWEEN A PAIR OF SPACED, OPPOSITELY CHARGED ELECTRODES, ONE OF THE LATTER BEING INSULATED FROM THE FLUID WHILE THE OTHER ELECTRODE IS IN CONTACT WITH THE FLUID. DEPENDING UPON THE EFFECT DESIRED, THE FLUID MAY THEN BE TREATED BY FLOWING THE SAME BETWEEN A SECOND PAIR OF SPACED, OPPOSITELY CHARGED ELECTRODES, BOTH OF THESE ELECTRODES BEING INSULATED FROM THE FLOWING FLUID. AS A FURTHER OPTIONAL TREATMENT, THE FLUID IS CAUSED TO FLOW BETWEEN ANOTHER PAIR OF SPACED, INSULATED ELECTRODES, THE LATTER BEING CONNECTEED TO A SOURCE OF ALTERNATING POTENTIAL TO ESTABLISH AN ALTERNATING ELECTRIC FIELD BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES. WATER SUBJECTED TO THE INITIAL ELECTROSTATIC TREATMENT UNDERGOES A REDUCTION IN SURFACE TENSION AND APPARENT NEUTRALIZATION OF CHARGED DISSOLVED PARTICLES THEREIN. THE SUBSEQUENT FIELD TREATMENTS, IT IS BELIEVED, EFFECTS NUCLEATION OR COAGULATION OF DISSOLVED IMPURITIES AND BREAKS MOLECULE CLUSTERS TO AID THE NUCLEATION OR COAGULATION ACTION. MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY IS OBTAINED BY CONTROLLING THE DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC CHARGES ON THE ELECTRODES; SHARP EDGES OR BENDS IN THE ELECTRODES OUTSIDE OF THE REGIONS THEREBETWEEN THROUGH WHICH THE FLUID FLOWS ARE AVOIDED AND THE ELECTRODES ARE ISOLATED FROM GROUND POTENTIAL. IN TUBULAR ELECTRODE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION, INSULATED SUPPORTS ARE EMPLOYED TO PROVIDE GREATER SPACING BETWEEN THE OPPOSITELY CHARGED ELECTRODES OUTSIDE OF THE FLUID FLOW REGION THAN WITHIN SUCH REGION IN ORDER TO CONCENTRATE THE ELECTRIC CHARGGES ON THE ELECTRODES WITHIN THE REGION OF FLUID FLOW SO THAT FLUID IS SUBJECTED TO THE GREATEST CHARGE DENSITY. SUSPENDED AND NUCLEATED OR COAGULATED MATTER MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE FLUID AFTER THE ELECTRIC FIELD TREATMENTS THROUGH THE USE OF A FILTER OR, ALTERNATIVELY, BY DISCHARGING THE FLUID AGAINST AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE SURFACE AT GROUND POTENTIAL MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE FLUID. THIS LATTER METHOD CAUSES THE SUSPENDED AND NUCLEATED OR COAGULATED MATTER TO BE DEPOSITED FROM THE FLUID AND THUS READILY PERMITS SEPARATION AND REMOVAL.

Inventors

• 👤 Arthur S King

Bibliographic Details