Electrolytic chemical generator

• US 6,368,472 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1999
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Byron Duvon Mcguire
• Original Assignee: Byron Duvon Mcguire
• Inventors: McGuire, Byron Duvon
• Primary Examiner(s): Valentine, Donald R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nicolas, Wesley A.
• Application Number:
  US09/433,502
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 205/620, 205/621, 205/626, 205/618, 204/252, 204/263, 204/265, 204/266, 204/275.1, 204/277, 204/278
• US Class Current: 204/252
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/46104 Devices therefor; Their operating or servicing
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4674 with halogen or compound of halogens, e.g. chlorine, bromine
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/763 Devices for the addition of such compounds in gaseous form
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46133 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46142 Catalytic coating
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/46115 Electrolytic cell with membranes or diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/19 with diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

An apparatus for generating electrolytic products, including chlorine and ozone, that includes an electrolytic cell having a cathode in a cathode chamber, an anode in an anode chamber, an electrode chamber separating element disposed between the cathode and anode and sight tubes for visualizing the amount of catholyte and anolyte in the electrolytic chambers is provided. The cathode and the anode include first sides, that are contained within the electrode chambers and participate in the cell'"'"'s oxidation-reduction reactions, and second sides that project outside of the electrode chambers and which may serve as replacement surfaces for the first sides.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating at least one chemical by electrolysis comprising:

an anode plate;

a cathode plate opposing said anode plate;

at least one sealing gasket interposed between said cathode plate so as to form a reaction chamber between said anode plate and said cathode plate;

an anolyte reaction chamber attached to said anode plate essentially directly opposite said sealing gasket, said anolyte reaction chamber being in fluid communication with said anode plate;

a catholyte reaction chamber attached to said cathode plate essentially directly opposite said sealing gasket, said catholyte reaction chamber being in fluid communication with said cathode plate;

at least one tubular member in fluid communication with said anolyte reaction chamber, wherein said tubular member is composed of a transparent material and is attached to said anolyte reaction chamber such that the volume of a first liquid present in said anolyte reaction chamber can be determined by the volume of the first liquid present in said anolyte reaction chamber tubular member; and

at least one tubular member in fluid communication with said catholyte reaction chamber, wherein said tabular member is composed of a transparent material and is attached to said catholyte reaction chamber such that the volume of a second liquid present in said catholyte reaction chamber can be determined by the volume of the second liquid present in said catholyte reaction chamber tubular member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said anode plate is composed of carbon, graphite, titanium, expanded titanium, zirconium, expanded zirconium, hafnium, expanded hafnium, niobium, expanded niobium, nickel, expanded nickel, chromium, expanded chromium, a transition metal, a metal alloy, or a combination thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said anode plate is composed of expanded titanium.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said anode plate includes a catalytic cracking coating.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said coating includes zirconium, niobium, silver, hafnium, platinum, tantalum, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, gold, tin, titanium oxide, ruthenium oxide, iridium oxide, tantalum oxide or a combination thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said anode plate has a first reactive section which is sized to be not greater than one-half of said anode plate, and which has a second reactive section which is sized to be not greater than one-half of said anode plate and which does not include any portion of said first reactive section.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said anode plate can be repositioned to place said second reactive section between said anode sealing gasket and said anolyte sealing gasket.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cathode plate is composed of stainless steel, titanium, expanded titanium, zirconium, expanded zirconium, hafnium, expanded hafnium, niobium, expanded niobium, nickel, expanded nickel, chromium, expanded chromium, a transition metal, a metal alloy, or a combination thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said cathode plate is composed of expanded titanium.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said a cathode plate has a first reactive section which is sized to be not greater than one-half of said cathode plate, and which has a second reactive section which is sized to be not greater than one-half of said cathode plate and which does not include any portion of said first reactive section.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said cathode plate can be repositioned to place said second reactive section between said cathode sealing gasket and said catholyte sealing gasket.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further including an electrode-chamber-separating element interposed between said anode plate and said cathode plate.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said electrode-chamber-separating element is a diaphragm, a membrane, a permeable membrane, an ion-exchange membrane, a perfluorinated membrane, a ceramic plate, or a combination thereof.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said anolyte reaction chamber has a free end, and the free end includes a cap.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said anolyte reaction chamber tubular member is composed of polyvinyl chloride.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said anolyte reaction chamber tubular member is composed of polyethylene.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said catholyte reaction chamber tubular member is composed of polyvinyl chloride.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said catholyte reaction chamber tubular member is composed of polyethylene.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a means for introducing fresh water into the catholyte reaction chamber.

20. An apparatus for generating at least one chemical by electrolysis comprising:

an anode plate, having a first reactive section which is sized to be not greater than one-half of said anode plate, and having a second reactive section which is sized to be not greater than one-half of said anode plate and which does not include any portion of said first reactive section;

a cathode plate opposing said anode plate, said cathode plate having a first reactive section which is sized to be not greater than one-half of said cathode plate and having a second reactive section which is sized to be not greater than one-half of said cathode plate and which does not include any portion of said first reactive section;

at least one sealing gasket interposed between said first reactive section of said anode plate and said first reactive section of said cathode plate so as to form a reaction chamber between said anode plate and said cathode plate;

an anolyte reaction chamber attached to said anode plate essentially directly opposite said sealing gasket, said anolyte reaction chamber being in fluid communication with said anode plate;

a catholyte reaction chamber attached to said cathode plate essentially directly opposite said sealing gasket, said catholyte reaction chamber being in fluid communication with said cathode plate;

at least one tubular member in fluid communication with said anolyte reaction chamber, wherein said tubular member is composed of a transparent material and is attached to said anolyte reaction chamber such that the volume of a first liquid present in said anolyte reaction chamber can be determined by the volume of the first liquid present in said anolyte reaction chamber tubular member; and

at least one tabular member in fluid communication with said catholyte reaction chamber, wherein said tubular member is composed of a transparent material and is attached to said catholyte reaction chamber such that the volume of a second liquid present in said catholyte reaction chamber can be determined by the volume of the second liquid present in said catholyte reaction chamber tubular member.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said anode plate is composed of carbon, graphite, titanium, expanded titanium, zirconium, expanded zirconium, hafnium, expanded hafnium, niobium, expanded niobium, nickel, expanded nickel, chromium, expanded chromium, a transition metal, a metal alloy, or a combination thereof.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said anode plate includes a catalytic cracking coating composed of zirconium, niobium, silver, hafnium, platinum, tantalum, rhodium iridium, ruthenium, gold, tin, titanium oxide, ruthenium oxide, iridium oxide, tantalum oxide or a combination thereof.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said cathode plate is composed of stainless steel, titanium, expanded titanium, zirconium, expanded zirconium, hafnium, expanded hafnium, niobium, expanded niobium, nickel, expanded nickel, chromium, expanded chromium, a transition metal, a metal alloy, or a combination thereof.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said anode plate can be repositioned to place said second reactive section between said anode sealing gasket and said anolyte sealing gasket.

25. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said cathode plate can be repositioned to place said second reactive section between said cathode sealing gasket and said catholyte sealing gasket.

26. An apparatus for generating at least one chemical by electrolysis comprising:

an anode plate, having a first reactive section which is sized to be not greater than one-half of said anode plate, and having a second reactive section which is sized to be not greater than one-half of said anode plate and which does not include any portion of said first reactive section;

a cathode plate opposing said anode plate, said cathode plate having a first reactive section which is sized to be not greater than one-half of said cathode plate and having a second reactive section which is sized to be not greater than one-half of said cathode plate and which does not include any portion of said first reactive section;

an electrode-chamber-separating element interposed between said anode plate and said cathode plate;

an anolyte reaction chamber in fluid communication with said anode plate;

a catholyte reaction chamber in fluid communication with said cathode plate;

at least one anode sealing gasket interposed between said anode plate and said separating element, said anode gasket abutting said first reactive section of said anode plate so as to form a first transfer chamber between said first reactive anode section and said separating element, said transfer chamber accommodating a predetermined volume of anolyte;

at least one anolyte reaction chamber sealing gasket interposed between said anode plate and said anolyte reaction chamber, said anolyte gasket abutting said first reactive section of said anode plate essentially directly opposite said anode gasket;

at least one cathode sealing gasket interposed between said cathode plate and said separating element, and abutting said first reactive section of said cathode plate so as to form a second transfer chamber between said first reactive cathode section and said separating element, said transfer chamber accommodating a predetermined volume of catholyte;

at least one catholyte reaction chamber sealing gasket interposed between said cathode plate and said catholyte reaction chamber, said catholyte gasket abutting said first reactive section of said cathode plate essentially directly opposite said cathode gasket;

at least one tubular member in fluid communication with said anolyte reaction chamber, wherein said tubular member is composed of a transparent material and is attached to said anolyte reaction chamber such that the volume of a first liquid present in said anolyte reaction chamber can be determined by the volume of the first liquid present in said anolyte reaction chamber tabular member, and

at least one tubular member in fluid communication with said catholyte reaction chamber, wherein said tubular member is composed of a transparent material and is attached to said catholyte reaction chamber such that the volume of a second liquid present in said catholyte reaction chamber can be determined by the volume of the second liquid present in said catholyte reaction chamber tubular member.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said anode plate is composed of carbon, graphite, titanium, expanded titanium, zirconium, expanded zirconium, hafnium, expanded hafnium, niobium, expanded niobium, nickel, expanded nickel, chromium, expanded chromium, a transition metal, a metal alloy, or a combination thereof.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said anode plate includes a catalytic cracking coating composed of zirconium, niobium, silver, hafnium, platinum, tantalum, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, gold, tin, titanium oxide, ruthenium oxide, iridium oxide, tantalum oxide or a combination thereof.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said cathode plate is composed of stainless steel, titanium, expanded titanium, zirconium, expanded zirconium, hafnium, expanded hafnium, niobium, expanded niobium, nickel, expanded nickel, chromium, expanded chromium, a transition metal, a metal alloy, or a combination thereof.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said electrode-chamber-separating element is a diaphragm, a membrane, a permeable membrane, an ion-exchange membrane, a perfluorinated membrane, a ceramic plate;

or a combination thereof.

31. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said anode, plate can be repositioned to place said second reactive section between said anode sealing gasket and said anolyte sealing gasket.

32. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said cathode plate can be repositioned to place said second reactive section between said cathode sealing gasket and said catholyte sealing gasket.