Electrogalvanic filter cell

Abstract

Abstract A filter cell for coalescing oil droplets dispersed in a water emulsion, including a perforated tubular core into which the emulsion is injected. A layer of emulsion breaking fibrous metallic material wound about the core through which the emulsion passes. The first metal of which the tubular core is made is different from the metal comprising the fibrous material. The two different metals are selected on the basis of their electrogalvanic potential, such that when the mixture of water and oil droplets passes through the filter, as an electrolyte, there will be developed between the core and the fibrous material an electrical potential which will aid in the separation of the oil into droplets, and coalescing the oil, to provide an improved separation of the oil and water. The outer surface of the core may be coated with an insulating paint or other insulating layer so as to prevent the shorting of the potential generated in the electrolyte between the two dissimilar metals. Additional perforated metallic cylindrical shells and wrappings of fibrous metal can be provided to make a multilayered filter cell, each of the layers comprising a selected pair of metals so as to generate the electrogalvanic potential.

Inventors

• 👤 Leslie L Fowler

Bibliographic Details