Apparatus for generating chlorine gas

• US 4,744,877 A
• Filed: 05/14/1987
• Issued: 05/17/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paramount Leisure Industries, Inc. (Hayward Industries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Robert E. Maddock
• Inventors: Maddock, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valentine, Donald R.
• Application Number:
  US07/049,575
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 204/271, 204/128, 204/266, 204/252
• US Class Current: 204/266
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/19 with diaphragms

Abstract

Electrolytic chlorine gas generating apparatus including a housing, a volume of water inside the housing, a hollow salt cell disposed in the water in the housing, a volume of sat particles and of water in the salt cell, an anode mounted in the housing contacting salt solution in the salt cell, a cathode mounted in the housing, means for causing current to flow between the anode and cathode to generate chlorine gas at the anode, and a line attached to the housing to carry away chlorine gas produced by the anode. The apparatus, when the water level in the salt cell becomes low and the top of the salt solidifies into a "dome", prevents chlorine gas from accumulating beneath the solidified salt dome and exploding. In addition, the apparatus, by preventing direct contact of salt particles with the anode, minimizes or eliminates corrosion of and the formation of a coating of solid electrolytic by-product material on the anode, thereby minimizing maintenance of the apparatus and extending the operational life of the anode.

Claims

1. The Apparatus for electorlytically generating chlorine gas from a salt solution, comprising:

(a) hollow housing means for holding a volume of water and including;

(i) an outer wall having an upper portion and a lower portion,

(ii) a base connected to said lower portion, and

(iii) cover means mounted on said upper portion of said housing means;

(b) an elongate hollow salt cell spaced apart from said outer wall and having a window formed therein;

(c) a first aqueous solution of sodium ions intermediate said salt cell and said outer wall;

(d) a second aqueous salt solution inside said hollow salt cell and having an upper surface;

(e) an elongate hollow salt spacer carried in said housing means inside and spaced apart from said salt cell, and including a plurality of spaced apart perforations formed therein, said second solution being both intermediate said spacer and salt cell and being inside said spacer;

(f) a volume of salt inside said salt spacer and having an upper surface;

(g) anode means mounted in said housing means adjacent said window and intermediate said salt cell and said salt spacer, said salt spacer extending upwardly from said anode means to a point above said upper surface of said second solution and said upper surface of said salt, said perforations in said spacer being intermediate said anode and said upper surface of said salt;

(h) cathode means mounted in said housing means adjacent and spaced apart from said anode and intermediate said anode and said housing; and

,

(i) membrane means intermediate said anode and cathode means and covering said window to generally separate said second solution in said salt cell from said first solution, said membrane permitting sodium ions to migrate outwardly from said second solution through said membrane means into said first solution intermediate said salt cell and outer wall;

salt ions from with said salt spacer moving outwardly through said perforations and downwardly intermediate said salt spacer and salt cell through said second solution to contact said anode means to produce chlorine gas rising upwardly intermediate said salt cell and salt spacer through said second aqueous solution and traveling near said perforations and through said salt ions moving outwardly from said perforations to said upper surface of said second aqueous solution, and

said perforations permitting chlorine gas collecting inside said salt spacer when said upper surface of said salt is solid to outwardly escape through at least one of said perforations into said second aqueous solution intermediate said spacer and salt cell and rise to said upper surface of said second aqueous solution.