Electro-chemical system for liquid filtration

Claim 2

A filter device for recirculating liquid filtration comprising: a liquid filtrant receiving cylinder having a bore extending longitudinally thereof, means for connecting to one end of said cylinder bore the source of liquid filtrant, means for sealing off the other end of said cylinder, a cross tube connected to said cylinder and extending across said bore, said cross tube having a width that is less than the width of said bore, said cross tube having its external surfacing in sealed relation thereabout with said cylinder at either end of said tube and having one end thereof projecting from said cylinder, a tubular mandrel mounted in said tube and extending substantially coextensively with said tube, with the portions of said cross tube and said mandrel disposed within said cylinder each being formed to define multiple liquid passing apertures thereabout, and an elongate composite filter sheeting convoluted about said mandrel and filling the space between same and said cross tube, said composite filter sheeting comprising: a pair of foraminous electrically conductive sheets separated by a sheet of fibrous filtration material, means for electrically connecting said foraminous sheets to a source of direct current electrical energy in anode and cathode polarizing relationship, and means for discharging filtered liquid from within said mandrel.

Claim 3

The filter device set forth in claim 1 including: a filter unit disposed across said bore of said cylinder between said one end of same and said cross tube, said filter unit comprising: a pair of foraminous electrically conductive sheets separated by layers of fibrous filtration material, and means for electrically connecting said foraminous sheets to a source of direct current electrical energy in anode and cathode relation.

Claim 4

The filter device set forth in claim 2 wherein: said layered filter unit fibrous material is effective to filter out particle sizes down to about five microns, and said composite filter sheeting fibrous material is effective to filter out particle sizes down to the 0.5 to one micron range, said sources of electrical energy providing a direct current charge in the range of from about twelve to about twenty-four volts and five to fifty amperes.

Claim 5

The filter device set forth in claim 2 wherein: said means for discharging the filtered liquid from within said mandrel comprises: a tubular fitting connected to one end of said mandrel in filtered liquid receiving relation thereto, said fitting having disposed in same a gas injector head facing in the direction of flow of the filtered liquid, said gas head being connected to a source of oxidizing and/or ambient air gas, and means for substantially uniformly dispersing the gas from said head into the filtered liquid including means for effecting turbulant mixing of the gas and liquid in an annular manner downstream of and adjacent said head.

Claim 6

The filter device set forth in claim 4 including: means for reversing the liquid flow through said device to backwash regenerate same, said gas head being connected to a source of oxidizing gas and/or ambient air under pressure for gaseous scouring of said composite filter sheeting during backwash regeneration.

Claim 7

The filter device set forth in claim 2 including: means for reversing the liquid flow through said device to backwash regenerate same.

Claim 8

The filter device set forth in claim 2 wherein: said means for discharging filtered liquid from within said mandrel comprises: said mandrel having its ends each connected to a tubular fitting for liquid flow therefrom.

Claim 9

A modular recirculating filter device for liquid filtration comprising: a liquid filtrant receiving cylinder having a bore extending longitudinally thereof, means for connecting to one end of said cylinder bore the source of liquid filtrant, means for sealing off the other end of said cylinder, a cross tube connected to said cylinder and extending across said bore, said cross tube having a width that is less than the width of said bore, said cross tube having its external surfacing in sealed relation thereabout with said cylinder at either end of said tube and having one end thereof projecting from said cylinder, a tubular mandrel mounted in said tube and extending substantially coextensively with said tube, with the portions of said cross tube and said mandrel disposed within said cylinder each being formed to define multiple liquid passing apertures thereabout, and an elongate composite filter sheeting convoluted about said mandrel and filling the space between same and said cross tube, said composite filter sheeting comprising: a pair of foraminous electrically conductive sheets separated by a sheet of fibrous material, means for electrically connecting said foraminous sheets to a source of direct current electrical energy in anode and cathode relation, and means for discharging filtered liquid from within said mandrel, a filter unit disposed across said bore of said cylinder between said one end of same and said cross tube, said filter unit comprising: a pair of foraminous electrically conductive sheets separated by layers of fibrous filtration material, and means for electrically connecting said foraminous sheets to a source of direct current electrical energy in anode and cathode relation, said layered filter unit fibrous material being effective to filter out particle sizes down to about five microns, and said composite filter sheeting fibrous material being effective to filter out particle sizes down to the 0.5 to one micron range, said source of electrical energy providing a direct current charge in the range of from about twelve to about twenty-four volts and five to fifty amperes, said means for connecting the source of liquid filtrant to said one end of said cylinder including a first liquid directional flow reversing valve, said means for discharging the filtered liquid from said mandrel including a second liquid flow reversing valve, and means for simultaneously positioning said valves for filtering flow of the filtrant through said device in one position thereof, and for solids removal backwash liquid flow through said device in a second reverse position thereof.

Claim 10

A modular recirculating filter device for liquid filtration comprising: a liquid filtrant receiving cylinder having a bore extending longitudinally thereof, means for connecting to one end of said cylinder bore the source of liquid filtrant, means for sealing off the other end of said cylinder, a cross tube connected to said cylinder and extending across said bore, said cross tube having a width that is less than the width of said bore, said cross tube having its external surfacing in sealed relation thereabout with said cylinder at either end of said tube and having one end thereof projecting from said cylinder, a tubular mandrel mounted in said tube and extending substantially coextensively with said tube, with the portions of said cross tube and said mandrel disposed within said cylinder each being formed to define multiple liquid passing apertures thereabout, and an elongate composite filter sheeting convoluted about said mandrel and filling the space between same and said cross tube, said composite filter sheeting comprising: a pair of foraminous electrically conductive sheets separated by a sheet of fibrous material, means for electrically connecting said foraminous sheets to a source of direct current electrical energy in anode and cathode relation, and means for discharging filtered liquid from within said mandrel, a filter unit disposed across said bore of said cylinder between said one end of same and said cross tube, said filter unit comprising: a pair of foraminous electrically conductive sheets separated by layers of fibrous filtration material, and means for electrically connecting said foraminous sheets to a source of direct current electrical energy in anode and cathode relation, said layered filter unit fibrous material being effective to filter out particle sizes down to about five microns, and said composite filter sheeting fibrous material being effective to filter out particle sizes down to the 0.5 to one micron range, said source of electrical energy providing a direct current charge in the range of from about twelve to about twenty-four volts and five to fifty amperes, said means for connecting the source of liquid filtrant to said one end of said cylinder including a first liquid directional flow reversing valve, said means for discharging the filtered liquid from said mandrel including a second liquid flow reversing valve, and means for simultaneously positioning said valves for filtering flow of the filtrant through said device in one position thereof, and for solids removal backwash liquid flow through said device in a second reverse position thereof.

Claim 11

The modular filter device set forth in claim 8 wherein: said means for discharging the filtered liquid from within said mandrel comprises: a tubular fitting connected to one end of said mandrel in filtered liquid receiving relation thereto, said fitting having disposed in same a gas injection head facing in the direction of flow of the filtered liquid, means for connecting said gas head to a source of oxidizing and/or ambient air gas under pressure, and means for substantially uniformly dispersing the gas from said head into the filtered liquid including means for effecting turbulent mixing of the gas and liquid in an annular manner downstream of and adjacent said head, said head being disosed between said one end of said mandrel and said second valve, whereby on said reverse backwash liquid flow through said device the dispersed gas effects gas scrubbing and hydraulic pulsation in said fibrous material of said composite filter sheeting and said filter unit for solids removal regeneration of same.

Claim 14

The method set forth in claim 10 wherein: oxidizing and/or ambient air gas is injected into the recirculating filtrate and uniformly mixed therein for the purpose of additional oxidation-coagulation of dissolved solids into larger more filtrable particle size.

Claim 15

The method set forth in claim 11 including: sensing the pressure of the pressure flow upstream of the two filtering steps, and when the pressure of same reaches a predetermined maximum, reversing the liquid flow to backwash the solids from the filter material, and while the backwashing step is proceeding, gas scrubbing the fibrous material for removing the filtered out solids therefrom.

Claim 16

The method set forth in claim 12 wherein: in practicing the gas scrubbing step the fibrous material is expanded and vibrated.

Claim 17

A filter device for recirculating liquid filtration comprising: a liquid filtrant receiving cylinder having a bore extending longitudinally thereof, means for connecting to one end of said cylinder bore the source of liquid filtrant, means for sealing off the other end of said cylinder, a filter unit disposed across said bore of said cylinder between said one ends of same, said filter unit comprising: a pair of foraminous electrically conductive sheets separated by layers of fibrous filtration material, means for electrically connecting said foraminous sheets to a source of direct current electrical energy in anode and cathode relation for polarizing same, said layered filter unit fibrous material being effective to filter out particle sizes down to about five microns, means for discharging the filtrate from the cylinder downstream of said filter unit, means for reversing the liquid flow through said device to backwash regenerate same, and means for air scrubbing said filter unit when being backwashed.

Claim 18

A filter device for recirculating liquid filtration comprising: a liquid filtrant receiving cylinder having a bore extending longitudinally thereof, means for connecting to one end of said cylinder bore the source of liquid filtrant, means for sealing off the other end of said cylinder, a filter unit disposed across said bore of said cylinder between said one ends of same, said filter unit comprising: a pair of foraminous electrically conductive sheets separated by layers of fibrous filtration material, means for electrically connecting said foraminous sheets to a source of direct current electrical energy in anode and cathode relation for polarizing same, said layered filter unit fibrous material being effective to filter out particle sizes down to about five microns, means for discharging the filtrate from the cylinder downstream of said filter unit, means for reversing the liquid flow through said device to backwash regenerate same, and means for air scrubbing said filter unit when being backwashed.