Abstract The waste sewage that accumulates from humans, animals and vegetables is first diluted with water to provide a product comprising twenty parts water to one part solids by weight. This diluted product is subjected to a macerating and comminuting and mixing operation that breaks down the lumps in the solids to a size where they are either dissolved or carried in suspension. From the macerator, the fluid is moved up through a screen chamber having a screen of 1/8 inch to remove any heavy, large particles therein and is next pumped into non-conductive electrolytic cell containers. An overflow connection returns any gas and excess liquid into the screening chamber. In the electrolytic cell, the fluid is passed up and down between a plurality of electrode plates of platinum-coated titanium, that are essentially unattacked by the fluid contents and do not contribute any of their metal to the reaction, which are so connected that current flows across the flow of fluid repeatedly with only one end electrode of the plurality connected to the positive side of a direct current source and the other end electrode connected to the negative side of the current source. Enough voltage is supplied to maintain a current flow of 0.25 to 1.0 amperes per square inch of electrode surface. Thus the fluid is passed repeatedly across the current path and is subjected to a continuously step-by-step changing of the level of potential with respect to the original ground voltage of the fluid entering the cell. In each passage across the current, the fluid is changed by the reactions and most of the gases evolved are removed from the field of reaction upward so as to present a newly constituted fluid to the next passage. The effluent from the cell is cleared of the solids by a skimming and filtering action to recover the water for re-use and the solids for return to earth.
A method of treating sewage and recovering reusable water and solids substantially free of live bacteria which comprises: a. diluting the sewage with water to greater than 20 parts water to one part solids by weight; b. macerating the diluted material to reduce the solids therein to free any contained hard solids heavier than water and to break up the other solids to an extent that they are carried in suspension; c. passing the diluted macerated sewage upwardly through a screen thereby separating the non-suspended solids from the liquid that have not been reduced in size by maceration, d. adjusting the chloride salt content of the sewage to between a minimum of 0.05% and a maximum of 3.5% by weight; e. passing the screened sewage in a serpentine path progressively between a series of parallel electrodes that are not attacked by the sewage; f. applying an electrical voltage across end electrodes of the series of sufficient magnitude to create a varying voltage potential between adjacent intermediate electrodes so that each intermediate electrode serves as a cathode with respect to one adjacent electrode and as an anode with respect to the other adjacent electrode and so that the electrical current flow between adjacent electrodes through the sewage is between 0.25 and 1.0 amps per square inch of electrode surface; g. removing evolved gases as the sewage progressively passes between the electrodes; and h. separating the liquid and suspended solids after the sewage passes between the electrodes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
245 words
A method of treating sewage and recovering reusable water and solids substantially free of live bacteria which comprises: a. diluting the sewage with water to greater than 20 parts water to one part solids by weight; b. macerating the diluted material to reduce the solids therein to free any contained hard solids heavier than water and to break up the other solids to an extent that they are carried in suspension; c. passing the diluted macerated sewage upwardly through a screen thereby separating the non-suspended solids from the liquid that have not been reduced in size by maceration, d. adjusting the chloride salt content of the sewage to between a minimum of 0.05% and a maximum of 3.5% by weight; e. passing the screened sewage in a serpentine path progressively between a series of parallel electrodes that are not attacked by the sewage; f. applying an electrical voltage across end electrodes of the series of sufficient magnitude to create a varying voltage potential between adjacent intermediate electrodes so that each intermediate electrode serves as a cathode with respect to one adjacent electrode and as an anode with respect to the other adjacent electrode and so that the electrical current flow between adjacent electrodes through the sewage is between 0.25 and 1.0 amps per square inch of electrode surface; g. removing evolved gases as the sewage progressively passes between the electrodes; and h. separating the liquid and suspended solids after the sewage passes between the electrodes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein the gases evolved from the liquid leaving the first pair of anode-cathode electrodes is reintroduced into the liquid and passed between the last anode-cathode pair of electrodes before final removal of the gases from the liquid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein the anodes and cathodes are characterized by having a surface of the platinum group of metals.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein the anodes and cathodes comprise titanium plates coated with platinum.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein the liquid is introduced initially into a cell containing the anode-cathode pairs at ground potential and gradually raised in potential, then lowered gradually in potential while in the cell and discharged from the cell at about ground potential.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein the anode-cathode pairs of electrodes are concentric sleeves with each cathode surface being substantially larger in surface area than its anode.