Oxidant generator

• US 4,976,842 A
• Filed: 05/01/1989
• Issued: 12/11/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ozone Processes Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Envirodynamics Limited
• Inventors: Fowler, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valentine, Donald R.
• Application Number:
  US07/345,891
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 204/237, 204/260, 204/263-266, 204/273, 204/261
• US Class Current: 204/252
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4674 with halogen or compound of halogens, e.g. chlorine, bromine
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/19 with diaphragms

Abstract

An electrolytic oxidant generator including an anode and cathode within different chambers separated by an ion permeable membrane, and a mixer for circulating saline solution within the anode chamber to enhance dispersal of salt in the solution and maintain the saline solution at high density throughout that chamber. The generator preferably includes an outer shell and a tubular member extending generally vertically within the shell and separating the anode and cathode chambers, with the side wall having a curving portion containing at least one aperture curving with the wall, and with the membrane being secured to and curving with the wall and bridging across the aperture. The inner chamber may take the form of a unit which is removable upwardly from the shell and interfits with the shell in locating relation upon downward movement thereinto. The anode and/or cathode can be connected to the side wall of the inner unit and have their lower ends insertible in interfitting relation into locating socket recesses carried by that wall.

Claims

1. An oxidant generator comprising:

a shell for containing a saline solution;

a tubular member extending generally vertically within said shell and having a side wall dividing the shell into a first chamber within the tubular member and a second chamber at the outside of said tubular member;

an anode in one of said chambers and a cathode in the other chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

said side wall of the tubular member having a portion which curves as it advances horizontally about said first chamber and which contains at least one aperture curving with the wall and through which said chambers are in communication with one another;

an ion permeable membrane secured to said wall and bridging across said aperture and which curves essentially in correspondence with the wall and aperture and is adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber while resisting movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber; and

an adhesive securing the periphery of said membrane to said curving portion of said side wall about said aperture.

2. An oxidant generator as recited in claim 1, in which said side wall of the tubular member and said aperture and said ion permeable membrane disposed across the aperture curve cylindrically about an essentially vertical axis.

3. An oxidant generator as recited in claim 1, in which said anode and said cathode extend essentially vertically at opposite sides of said curved membrane.

4. An oxidant generator comprising:

a shell for containing a saline solution;

a tubular member extending generally vertically within said shell and having a side wall dividing the shell into a first chamber within the tubular member and a second chamber at the outside of said tubular member;

an anode in one of said chambers and a cathode in the other chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

said side wall of the tubular member having a portion which curves as it advances horizontally about said first chamber and which contains at least one aperture curving with the wall and through which said chambers are in communication with one another; and

an ion permeable membrane secured to said wall and bridging across said aperture and which curves essentially in correspondence with the wall and aperture and is adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber while resisting movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

one of said anode and cathode being a conductive plate extending essentially vertically near said curved wall and membrane and having a generally V-shaped horizontal section defining two portions thereof disposed at a small angle to one another to follow approximately the curvature of said curved wall.

5. An oxidant generator comprising:

a shell for containing a saline solution;

a unit contained within said shell and having a side wall which extends about and defines a first chamber within the unit and which separates said first chamber from a second chamber about the unit;

an anode in one of said chambers and a cathode within the other chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

said side wall containing at least one aperture through which said chambers are in communication with one another;

an ion permeable membrane secured to said side wall and bridging across said aperture and adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber while resisting movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

said unit, including said side wall thereof and said membrane, being insertible downwardly into said shell and removable upwardly therefrom for repair or replacement;

at least one of said anode and cathode being connected to said side wall of said unit.

6. An oxidant generator comprising:

a shell for containing a saline solution;

a unit contained within said shell and having a side wall which extends about and defines a first chamber within the unit and which separates said first chamber from a second chamber about the unit;

an anode in one of said chambers and a cathode within the other chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

said side wall containing at least one aperture through which said chambers are in communication with one another;

an ion permeable membrane secured to said side wall and bridging across said aperture and adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber while resisting movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

said unit, including said side wall thereof and said membrane, being insertible downwardly into said shell and removable upwardly therefrom for repair or replacement; and

locating means carried by said removable unit;

one of said anode and cathode being movable into interfitting relation with said locating means by downward movement relative to said unit, for retention by said means in a predetermined position relative to the unit.

7. An oxidant generator comprising:

a shell for containing a saline solution;

a unit contained within said shell and having a side wall which extends about and defines a first chamber within the unit and which separates said first chamber from a second chamber about the unit;

an anode in one of said chambers and a cathode within the other chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

said side wall containing at least one aperture through which said chambers are in communication with one another;

an ion permeable membrane secured to said side wall and bridging across said aperture and adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber while resisting movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

said unit, including said side wall thereof and said membrane, being insertible downwardly into said shell and removable upwardly therefrom for repair or replacement;

said anode and cathode extending generally vertically at opposite sides of said side wall and at opposite sides of said membrane; and

locating means carried by said removable unit forming an upwardly facing socket recess into which a lower portion of said anode or cathode is insertible downwardly in interfitting relation for retention by said socket recess against horizontal displacement relative to said side wall and said membrane.

8. An oxidant generator comprising:

a shell for containing a saline solution;

a unit contained within said shell and having a side wall which extends about and defines a first chamber within the unit and which separates said first chamber from a second chamber about the unit;

an anode in one of said chambers and a cathode within the other chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

said side wall containing at least one aperture through which said chambers are in communication with one another;

an ion permeable membrane secured to said side wall and bridging across said aperture and adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber while resisting movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

said unit, including said side wall thereof and said membrane, being insertible downwardly into said shell and removable upwardly therefrom for repair or replacement;

said anode and cathode extending generally vertically at opposite sides of said side wall and at opposite sides of said membrane;

locating means carried by said removable unit forming upwardly facing socket recesses into which lower portions of said anode and cathode are insertible downwardly in interfitting relation locating the anode and cathode against horizontal displacement relative to said side wall and said diaphragm; and

a fastener connecting an upper end of said cathode to said side wall of said unit.

9. An oxidant generator as recited in claim 8, including a terminal fastener connected to a side wall of said shell, and a conductor extending radially between said unit and said side wall of said shell and electrically connecting said first mentioned fastener and said terminal fastener.

10. An oxidant generator as recited in claim 9, in which said anode has an upper end portion extending radially outwardly from said side wall of said unit to a side wall of said shell, there being a terminal fastener connected to said side wall of the shell and connected electrically to said upper end portion of said anode.

11. An oxidant generator comprising:

a shell for containing a saline solution;

a unit contained within said shell and having a side wall which extends about and defines a first chamber within the unit and which separates said first chamber from a second chamber about the unit;

an anode in one of said chambers and a cathode within the other chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

said side wall containing at least one aperture through which said chambers are in communication with one another;

an ion permeable membrane secured to said side wall and bridging across said aperture and adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber while resisting movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

said unit, including said side wall thereof and said membrane, being insertible downwardly into said shell and removable upwardly therefrom for repair or replacement;

said anode and cathode extending generally vertically at opposite sides of said side wall and at opposite sides of said membrane;

locating means carried by said removable unit forming upwardly facing socket recesses into which lower portions of said anode and cathode are insertible downwardly in interfitting relation locating the anode and cathode against horizontal displacement relative to said side wall and said diaphragm;

said anode having an upper end portion extending radially outwardly from said side wall of said unit to a side wall of said shell; and

a terminal fastener connected to said side wall of the shell and connected electrically to said upper end portion of said anode.

12. An oxidant generator comprising:

a shell for containing a saline solution;

an ion permeable membrane separating first and second chambers in the shell;

an anode in one of said chambers and a cathode within the other chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

said membrane being adapted to pass sodium ions toward said cathode while resisting movement of sodium hydroxide toward the anode; and

locating means in the shell;

said locating means forming two upwardly facing socket recesses at opposite sides of said membrane into which lower portions of said anode and cathode respectively are insertible downwardly in interfitting relation for retention by said socket recesses against horizontal displacement in the shell.

13. An oxidant generator comprising:

means forming an anode chamber for containing a saline solution and a cathode chamber communicating with the anode chamber;

an anode in said anode chamber and a cathode in said cathode chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

an ion permeable membrane between said chambers adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber and resist movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

means for withdrawing the oxidant gases from an upper portion of said anode chamber; and

means for circulating said saline solution within said anode chamber, to enhance the dispersal of salt and maintain the saline solution at high density throughout the anode chamber, and to displace the oxidant gases from the anode for movement upwardly within the saline solution to its surface;

said anode chamber being disposed about said cathode chamber;

said circulating means being operable to produce movement of the saline solution within said anode chamber generally circularly about the cathode chamber.

14. An oxidant generator comprising:

means forming an anode chamber for containing a saline solution and a cathode chamber communicating with the anode chamber;

an anode in said anode chamber and a cathode in said cathode chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

an ion permeable membrane between said chambers adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber and resist movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

means for withdrawing the oxidant gases from an upper portion of said anode chamber; and

means for circulating said saline solution within said anode chamber, to enhance the dispersal of salt and maintain the saline solution at high density throughout the anode chamber, and to displace the oxidant gases from the anode for movement upwardly within the saline solution to its surface;

said circulating means being operable to produce motion of said saline solution along an inclined path to move simultaneously downwardly and horizontally and thereby disperse the salt of the saline solution both vertically and horizontally in the anode chamber.

15. An oxidant generator comprising:

means forming an anode chamber for containing a saline solution and a cathode chamber communicating with the anode chamber;

an anode in said anode chamber and a cathode in said cathode chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

an ion permeable membrane between said chambers adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber and resist movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

means for withdrawing the oxidant gases from an upper portion of said anode chamber; and

means for circulating said saline solution within said anode chamber, to enhance the dispersal of salt and maintain the saline solution at high density throughout the anode chamber, and to displace the oxidant gases from the anode foe movement upwardly within the saline solution to its surface;

said circulating means including a vaned rotor contacting the saline solution in said anode chamber, and a motor driving said rotor.

16. An oxidant generator comprising:

means forming an anode chamber for containing a saline solution and a cathode chamber communicating with the anode chamber;

an anode in said anode chamber and a cathode in said cathode chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

an ion permeable membrane between said chambers adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber and resist movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

means for withdrawing the oxidant gases from an upper portion of said anode chamber; and

means for circulating said saline solution within said anode chamber, to enhance the dispersal of salt and maintain the saline solution at high density throughout the anode chamber, and to displace the oxidant gases from the anode for movement upwardly within the saline solution to its surface;

said circulating means including a vaned rotor contacting the saline solution within said anode chamber and mounted to turn about an inclined axis advancing simultaneously downwardly and horizontally to cause both downward and horizontal movement of the saline solution, and a motor driving said rotor about said axis.

17. An oxidant generator comprising:

means forming an anode chamber for containing a saline solution and a cathode chamber communicating with the anode chamber;

an anode in said anode chamber and a cathode in said cathode chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

an ion permeable membrane between said chambers adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber and resist movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

means for withdrawing the oxidant gases from an upper portion of said anode chamber; and

means for circulating said saline solution within said anode chamber, to enhance the dispersal of salt and maintain the saline solution at high density throughout the anode chamber, and to displace the oxidant gases from the anode for movement upwardly within the saline solution to its surface;

said anode chamber extending essentially circularly about said cathode chamber;

said circulating means including a vaned rotor contacting the saline solution within said anode chamber and power driven rotatably to produce movement of said saline solution within the anode chamber and about said cathode chamber.

18. An oxidant generator as recited in claim 17, in which said vaned rotor is mounted to turn about an inclined axis and acts to cause movement of the saline solution along that inclined axis within the anode chamber to simultaneously advance downwardly and generally circularly about the cathode chamber.

19. An oxidant generator comprising:

means forming an anode chamber for containing a saline solution and a cathode chamber communicating with the anode chamber;

an anode in said anode chamber and a cathode in said cathode chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

an ion permeable membrane between said chambers adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber and resist movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

means for withdrawing the oxidant gases from an upper portion of said anode chamber; and

means for circulating said saline solution within said anode chamber, to enhance the dispersal of salt and maintain the saline solution at high density throughout the anode chamber, and to displace the oxidant gases from the anode for movement upwardly within the saline solution to its surface;

said means forming said chambers including an outer shell having a top wall;

said circulating means including a vaned rotor contacting the saline solution within said anode chamber, a shaft extending downwardly through a top wall of said shell and carrying said rotor, and a motor at the upper side of said shell driving said shaft and rotor to produce circulation of the saline solution.

20. An oxidant generator as recited in claim 19, including a tubular busing carried by said top wall of the shell and through which said shaft extends downwardly into the shell, and a water deflecting element carried by said shaft of said tubular element and disposed essentially across the upper side of said tubular bushing to resist the flow of water downwardly between the shaft and bushing into the interior of the shell.

21. An oxidant generator comprising:

means forming an anode chamber for containing a saline solution and a cathode chamber communicating with the anode chamber;

an anode in said anode chamber and a cathode in said cathode chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

an ion permeable membrane between said chambers adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber and resist movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

means for withdrawing the oxidant gases from an upper portion of said anode chamber; and

means for circulating said saline solution within said anode chamber, to enhance the dispersal of salt and maintain the saline solution at high density throughout the anode chamber, and to displace the oxidant gases from the anode for movement upwardly within the saline solution to its surface;

said means forming said chambers including an outer shell having a top wall;

said circulating means including a vaned rotor contacting the saline solution within said anode chamber and mounted to turn about an inclined axis, a shaft carrying said vaned rotor and extending along said inclined axis and upwardly through an opening in said top wall of the shell, and a motor at the exterior of the shell driving said shaft and rotor about said inclined axis and in a direction causing the rotor to produce movement of the saline solution along said inclined axis downwardly and also horizontally to disperse the salt of the saline solution throughout the solution.

22. An oxidant generator comprising:

means forming an anode chamber for containing a saline solution and a cathode chamber communicating with the anode chamber;

an anode in said anode chamber and a cathode in said cathode chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

an ion permeable membrane between said chambers adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber and resist movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

means for withdrawing the oxidant gases from an upper portion of said anode chamber; and

means for circulating said saline solution within said anode chamber, to enhance the dispersal of salt and maintain the saline solution at high density throughout the anode chamber, and to displace the oxidant gases from the anode for movement upwardly within the saline solution to its surface;

said means forming said chambers including an outer shell having a tubular member extending generally vertically within said shell, with said anode chamber extending generally circularly about the tubular member and with the cathode chamber being contained within said tubular member;

said circulating means including a vaned rotor contained within said anode chamber and contacting said saline solution therein and mounted to turn about an inclined axis to produce movement of the saline solution along said inclined axis downwardly and also circularly about said tubular member and cathode chamber, a shaft connected to said rotor and extending upwardly along said inclined axis through an opening in the top wall of said shell, and a motor connected to said shaft at the exterior of the shell and driving the inclined shaft and rotor about said inclined axis.

23. An oxidant generator as recited in claim 22, including an inclined tubular bushing disposed about said shaft and connected to said top wall of the shell, and a water deflecting element carried by said shaft above said inclined tubular bushing and projecting laterally to a peripheral edge beyond said bushing and acting to block the flow of water downwardly between said tubular element and shaft.

24. An oxidant generator comprising:

a shell for containing a saline solution;

a unit contained within said shell and having a side wall which extends about and defines a first chamber within the unit and which separates said first chamber from a second chamber about the unit;

an anode in one of said chambers and a cathode within the other chamber to be energized by a power source for production of oxidant gases at the anode and sodium hydroxide at the cathode;

said side wall containing at least one aperture through which said chambers are in communication with one another;

an ion permeable membrane secured to said side wall and bridging across said aperture and adapted to pass sodium ions from said anode chamber to said cathode chamber while resisting movement of sodium hydroxide from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber;

said unit, including said side wall thereof and said membrane, being insertible downwardly into said shell and removable upwardly therefrom for repair or replacement;

said anode and cathode extending generally vertically at opposite sides of said side wall and at opposite sides of said membrane; and

locating means carried by said removable unit forming upwardly facing socket recesses into which lower portions of said anode and cathode are insertible downwardly in interfitting relation locating the anode and cathode against horizontal displacement relative to said side wall and said diaphragm.