Waste water treatment method and apparatus
First Claim
1. An electrocell for use in electrochemical separating contaminants from an aqueous solution, said reactor having a divergent inlet stage and an inlet suitable for receiving said aqueous solution containing contaminants and an outlet for discharging effluent, said inlet stage diverging in cross-sectional area from said inlet to said outlet;
- electrodes in electrical communication with said inlet stage in spaced relation and connectable to a source of power for supplying current to said electrodes;
a plurality of discrete fluidizable metal reaction surfaces freely fluidizable within said inlet stage for electrochemically oxidizing said contaminants in said aqueous solution in the presence of said electrodes to isolate said contaminants.
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Abstract
A method for separating contaminants from a aqueous source containing contaminants. In one embodiment, the method involves the use of a high powdered oxidant dissolved within the aqueous system. The gas is dissolved within a reservoir in the aqueous solution and the pressure within the reservoir is controllable. This allows maximum contact of the oxidizing dissolved gas with the contaminant material. Once oxidized, the outlet of the reservoir is adapted to permit hydraulic cavitation. The net effect of the cavitation is to induce a foam formation which foam transports a floc into a separate phase from the aqueous solution. In this manner, the process is effectively a dissolved oxidizing gas mass transfer process. In another embodiment, the process may be augmented by electrocoagulation. This involves the use of an electric cell which is disposed within the reservoir containing the oxidant material. By providing electrodes and exposing the electrodes to a source of current, the contaminants within the aqueous solution are either oxidized or otherwise degraded and this complements the oxidation by the dissolved gaseous oxidant. An apparatus is also disclosed to effect the methods set forth above.
80 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An electrocell for use in electrochemical separating contaminants from an aqueous solution, said reactor having a divergent inlet stage and an inlet suitable for receiving said aqueous solution containing contaminants and an outlet for discharging effluent, said inlet stage diverging in cross-sectional area from said inlet to said outlet;
- electrodes in electrical communication with said inlet stage in spaced relation and connectable to a source of power for supplying current to said electrodes;
a plurality of discrete fluidizable metal reaction surfaces freely fluidizable within said inlet stage for electrochemically oxidizing said contaminants in said aqueous solution in the presence of said electrodes to isolate said contaminants. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- electrodes in electrical communication with said inlet stage in spaced relation and connectable to a source of power for supplying current to said electrodes;
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10. A closed system for separating contaminants from an aqueous solution containing contaminants, comprising:
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an oxidizing stage for oxidizing contaminants in an aqueous solution including;
a closed container containing oxidant and having an inlet in fluid communication with a source of aqueous solution containing said contaminants and an outlet for discharging oxidant and oxidized contaminant; and
an electrocoagulation stage for electrocoagulating oxidized contaminants from said oxidizing stage, said electrocoagulation stage including;
a closed reactor for electrocoagulating oxidized contaminants, said reactor having an inlet in fluid communication with said outlet of said closed container and an outlet for discharging effluent, said reactor configured to diverge from said inlet to said outlet thereof;
electrodes in electrical communication with said reactor, said electrodes being in spaced relation and connectable to a source of power for supplying current to said electrodes; and
a power supply for supplying currents to said electrodes; and
a plurality of discrete fluidizable metal reaction surfaces freely fluidizable within said reactor for electrochemically oxidizing said contaminants in said aqueous solution in the presence of said electrodes to isolate said contaminants. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of separating contaminants from an aqueous solution containing said contaminants, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing an aqueous solution containing said contaminants;
b) oxidizing, in an oxidizing phase, contaminants present in said aqueous solution;
c) electrocoagulating, in an electrocoagulation phase, oxidized contaminants from step b, said electrocoagulation phase including;
providing a reactor having an inlet and an outlet from the said reactor diverging in configuration from said inlet to said outlet, said reactor including electrode means actuable by a power supply;
providing discrete fluidizable metal reaction surfaces within said reactor;
introducing oxidized contaminants and aqueous solution into said inlet of said reactor;
fluidizing said metal reaction surface in said reactor in the presence of electric current;
electrocoagulating contaminants; and
d) separating electrocoagulated contaminants from said aqueous solution. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification