Electrocoagulation system
First Claim
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1. An electrocoagulation system configured for treating a treatment stream, comprising:
- a containment having an inlet and an outlet;
a plurality of plates carried within the containment and configured to provide distributed electrical potential to facilitate formation of an electric field within the containment through which the treatment stream passes;
an elongated fluid pathway configured to direct the treatment stream within the containment, extending from the inlet to the outlet, and in contact with the plurality of plates, said pathway being configured to create a multiplicity of flow regimes in the treatment stream;
a controllable power supply configured to provide variable electric potential to said plurality of plates, at least one plate acting as a cathode and at least one plate acting as an anode, and the system being configured so that a plurality of plates can act as the cathode and a plurality of plates can act as the anode;
the system being configured so that as a treatment stream transits the elongated pathway it can be subjected to a multiplicity of combinations of electrical field regimes and flow regimes, the electrical field regimes being variable independently of the plurality of flow regimes.
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Abstract
An electrocoagulation device for removal of contaminants from a treatment stream including an elongated fluid treatment path in contact with a plurality of electrode plates, and a power supply electrically connected to the plates, wherein the device is configured so that it can provide a variety of electric field regimes to the treatment stream as it passes along the treatment path, and so that it can provide a variety of flow regimes along the fluid treatment path.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. An electrocoagulation system configured for treating a treatment stream, comprising:
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a containment having an inlet and an outlet;
a plurality of plates carried within the containment and configured to provide distributed electrical potential to facilitate formation of an electric field within the containment through which the treatment stream passes;
an elongated fluid pathway configured to direct the treatment stream within the containment, extending from the inlet to the outlet, and in contact with the plurality of plates, said pathway being configured to create a multiplicity of flow regimes in the treatment stream;
a controllable power supply configured to provide variable electric potential to said plurality of plates, at least one plate acting as a cathode and at least one plate acting as an anode, and the system being configured so that a plurality of plates can act as the cathode and a plurality of plates can act as the anode;
the system being configured so that as a treatment stream transits the elongated pathway it can be subjected to a multiplicity of combinations of electrical field regimes and flow regimes, the electrical field regimes being variable independently of the plurality of flow regimes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 41)
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16. An electrocoagulation system configured for remediation of a wastewater treatment stream, comprising:
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a containment having an inlet and an outlet;
a plurality of electrically conductive plates, at least one of which is sacrificial, configured to provide a source of ions and of distributed potential;
an elongated fluid pathway disposed within the containment and extending from the inlet to the outlet, said elongated fluid pathway having along its length a non-constant cross-sectional area and said elongated fluid pathway having contact with at least one of said electrically conductive plates along a majority of its length;
a controllable power supply configured to provide variable and reversible electric potential to said plurality of electrically conductive plates, whereby at least two of said plates are configured to act as both a cathode and an anode by turns, and whereby a multiplicity of electric field regimes can be created along the elongated pathway through which the treatment stream passes, the system being configured so that as the wastewater treatment stream flows along the elongated pathway it is subjected to a multiplicity of electric field regimes, and to a variety of fluid flow regimes. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39)
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37. An electrocoagulation system configured to enable remediation of variable wastewater treatment streams, comprising:
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a containment configured for containing a treatment stream under a pressure different from atmospheric pressure, having an inlet and an outlet;
a plurality of sources of distributed potential, at least one being configured to be able to act as a cathode and at least one being configured to be able to act as an anode;
a controllable switching power supply configured to be able to provide power so as to provide a variable electric field to the treatment stream within the containment;
an elongated fluid pathway disposed within the confinement and extending from the inlet to the outlet, the elongated fluid pathway being in fluid contact with said sources of electrical potential along a majority of its length and being of non-constant cross-sectional area and having at least one abrupt change in crossectional area and at least one abrupt flow direction change;
wastewater treatment streams traveling along the elongated pathway being subjectable to a multiplicity of electrical field and fluid flow regimes.
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38. An electrocoagulation system configured to treat a treatment stream by at least the following process steps:
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confining the treatment stream to an elongated fluid pathway subjecting the treatment stream to a multiplicity of electric field regimes during transit along the elongated fluid pathway, the electric field regimes being controllably alterable for improved treatment of the treatment stream;
subjecting the treatment stream to changing flow regimes during transit along the elongated fluid pathway, the flow regimes and the electric field regimes cooperating to give improved treatment results.
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40. An electrocoagulation system configured to enable treatment of a variable treatment stream, comprising:
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a containment having an inlet and an out let and an elongated fluid pathway from the inlet to the outlet;
means for providing distributed potential and an electric field in the treatment stream along a majority of the elongated fluid pathway;
means for controllably altering the electrical field along the elongated fluid pathway, whereby the treatment stream is subjected to a multiplicity of electric field regimes as it transits the elongated fluid pathway;
means for providing a plurality of fluid flow regimes which the treatment stream is subjected to as it transits the elongated pathway, the system facilitating improved adaptability to variation in the treatments stream, and also being adjustable to facilitate better treatment of a given treatment stream. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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Specification