1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrolytic cells, and more specifically to a disposable electrolytic cell that utilizes metallic particles and fines, utilized in treating wastewater.
2. Description of Related Art
The treatment of wastewater often requires the use of a polymer or metal hydroxide to coagulate the colloidal solids so that they can be filtered and/or removed from the system. Coagulants can be produced electrolytically by a process known as electro-coagulation.
Numerous types of wastewater treatment systems exist, some of which employ electro-coagulation. Electro-coagulation has been proven for many years to be an excellent method for the coagulation and oxidation of solids in wastewater versus the use of chemicals and biological means to do the job. However, one set of the problems has been the cost and maintenance of the cells used, and this has kept this technology from commercial use.
Historically, systems employing electrolytic technology have had other disadvantages, namely, an impermeable oxide film forms on the cathode leading to the loss of cell efficiency and requiring frequent maintenance which is time consuming and costly, and analyzing cell efficiency and maintaining efficiency is often not addressed. Electrolytic cells are generally utilized for the treatment of wastewater to produce polymer or metal hydroxide to coagulate the colloidal solids. Typically, the electrolytic cells are utilized to generate metal hydroxides from metallic anodes.
Conventional electrolytic cells consist of plates that are stacked or positioned so that the electrolyte passes between the plates. Other profiles may use anodes of ¼″ to ½″ in a packed bed electrolytic cell. However, current cell designs using plates are not energy efficient and require costly maintenance in order to keep the cell operating for long periods of time. Unfortunately, plate style electrodes (anodes) do not decompose completely before they need to be serviced or replaced.
Electrolytic coagulation and oxidation take place in a cell where electrical current is passed between the anode and cathode. During the exchange of electrons, the anodes decompose to form a metal hydroxide while the cathode is coated with a non-conductive film. It is the decomposition of the anode that produces the metal hydroxide used to coagulate the suspended particles in the electrolyte (wastewater).
While other methods have attempted to solve these problems, none have utilized or disclosed a system or method utilizing a disposable electro-coagulation cell and analytical system.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for an electrolytic cell that will produce metal hydroxides in solution more efficiently than the use of chemical coagulants or other types of electrolytic cell equipment.
Briefly described, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and meets the recognized need for such a device by providing disposable electrolytic cells that are designed to utilize small metal pieces and fines as bipolar electrodes in a packed bed configuration, and to utilize scrap metal as anodes in a disposable basket or cartridge, thereby eliminating the high cost of maintenance and improving the energy efficiency associated with the decomposition of metal to its hydroxide form. The use of metal pieces or fines that decompose completely and do not need to be serviced before they are discarded, contrasts with the high cost of service needed to maintain a plate system.
According to its major aspects and broadly stated, the present invention in its preferred form is a disposable electrolytic cell that produces metal hydroxides in solution from metal fines more efficiently than the use of chemical coagulants or other types of EC equipment. The metal fines are impregnated in an open cell or reticulated foam material and rolled into a cylindrical shape having a fixed electrode in the center and outer portions of the cylinder. An electrolytic sponge allows the use of metal fines that decompose completely. Basket cells with larger metal pieces disposed therein in a packed bed configuration may alternatively be utilized. Further, the electrolytic sponge or basket cells are disposable.
More specifically, the disposable electrolytic cell allows the use of metal fines that are more energy efficient in their decomposition than chemical coagulants or other types of EC equipment.
The open cell foam or sponge is fabricated from any materials that allow the metal fines to migrate throughout the cellular structure. Any sponge or open cell material is utilized that can be cut or fashioned into any shape and inserted into a housing that will accommodate the introduction of wastewater (electrolyte) and allow the bipolar electrodes to react upon application of an electric current.
The metal fines comprise any metal type or non-metal material, such as, for exemplary purposes only and without limitation, machining shavings or particles that are smaller than the pore size of the cell structure in the open cell material. The cell structure holds the metal particles in place after the material is rolled into cylinder. The electrolytic sponge or basket cells hold the metal fines or non-metal material in the reactive range of the cell. Since the sponge has two sides, the interior is accessible from either side resulting in a bipolar electrode.
Disposable basket and cartridge cells hold the metal pieces and fines in the reactive zone of the cell. Bipolar electrodes have a greater surface area for the space they occupy and take less energy to decompose to a metal hydroxide than the most common plate cell configuration.
Electrolytic sponge may alternatively be utilized in a plate configured cell or in any shape to accommodate the movement of water through the sponge while introducing an electrical current through the cell.
As the anodes decompose, the cathode in the same cell is coated with a resistive film that prevents the passage of current and the decomposition of the anode over time. This coating of a resistive film takes place at a slower pace as the size of the anode decreases, resulting in complete decomposition before replacement becomes necessary.
Accordingly, disposable electrolytic cells lower fabrication and maintenance costs by using low cost expendable materials. The anodes used in the disposable cells are generally produced from scrap metal chips, turnings and fines generated from machining metal parts. Small pieces of metal can be decomposed more quickly with less energy than solid plates. Efficiency in energy to decompose metal in an electrolyte (water) is directly related to the profile of the electrodes (bipolar anodes) utilized in the electrolytic cell. The more surface area exposed to the exchange of electrons, the higher the efficiency achieved in decomposition (consumption) of the metal (anode) to the hydroxide state.
To make the disposable electrolytic cells of the preferred embodiment, the open cell foam or sponge like materials are impregnated with metal fines or any conductive materials. After the sponge or open cell material is impregnated with metal fines, the sponge or open cell material is cut and/or fashioned into a selected shape and inserted in the housing, wherein the housing accommodates the introduction of wastewater (electrolyte) and permits electrical connections to the fixed electrodes.
The impregnated sponge is rolled around a fixed electrode (bar or pipe) until it forms a cylinder of the desired size to fit into the housing, much like a filter cartridge. The outside of the cylinder is wrapped with a perforated metal screen and the cartridge is inserted into the housing. The inner and outer fixed electrodes are subsequently connected to a power source.
Accordingly, a feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to be utilized in any industry where the production of a metal hydroxide, oxygen or hydrogen may be required.
Another feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to eliminate the maintenance associated with electrodes in electrolytic cells.
Still another feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to quickly replace disposable electrolytic cells.
Yet another feature and advantage of the present invention is that low cost electrolytic cells can be manufactured as disposable baskets or cartridges.
Yet still another feature and advantage of the present invention that it automatically connects disposable electrolytic cells without hard wiring.
A further feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to pass an electrolyte (wastewater) through a cell without restricting the flow.
Still a further feature and advantage of the present invention is that it can utilize inexpensive scrap anode materials.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description and claims when read in light of the accompanying drawings.
The present invention will be better understood by reading the Detailed Description of the Preferred and Selected Alternate Embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing figures, in which like reference numerals denote similar structure and refer to like elements throughout, and in which:
In describing the preferred and selected alternate embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated in
Referring now to
The anode and cathode are in electrical communication with a power source, wherein the anode is connected to the negative terminal of the power source and the cathode is connected to the positive terminal of the power source.
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now more particularly to
Turning now to
Turning now to
Returning now to
The metal fines comprise any metal type or non-metal material, such as, for exemplary purposes only and without limitation, machining shavings or particles that are smaller than the pore size of the cell structure in the open cell material. The cell structure holds the metal particles in place after the material is rolled into cylinder. The electrolytic sponge or basket cells hold the metal fines or non-metal material in the reactive range of the cell. Since the sponge has two sides, the interior is accessible from either side resulting in a bipolar electrode.
Disposable basket and cartridge cells hold the metal pieces and fines in the reactive zone of the cell. Bipolar electrodes have a greater surface area for the space they occupy and take less energy to decompose to a metal hydroxide than the most common plate cell configuration.
Electrolytic sponge may alternatively be utilized in a plate configured cell or in any shape to accommodate the movement of water through the sponge while introducing an electrical current through the cell.
As the anodes decompose, the cathode in the same cell is coated with a resistive film that prevents the passage of current and the decomposition of the anode over time. This coating of a resistive film takes place at a slower pace as the size of the anode decreases, resulting in complete decomposition before replacement becomes necessary (best shown in
Accordingly, disposable electrolytic cells lower fabrication and maintenance costs by using low cost expendable materials. The anodes used in the disposable cells are generally produced from scrap metal chips, turnings and fines generated from machining metal parts. Small pieces of metal can be decomposed more quickly with less energy than solid plates. Efficiency in energy to decompose metal in an electrolyte (water) is directly related to the profile of the electrodes (bipolar anodes) utilized in the electrolytic cell. The more surface area exposed to the exchange of electrons, the higher the efficiency achieved in decomposition (consumption) of the metal (anode) to the hydroxide state.
To make the disposable electrolytic cells of the preferred embodiment, the open cell foam or sponge like materials are impregnated with metal fines or any conductive materials. After the sponge or open cell material is impregnated with metal fines, the sponge or open cell material is cut and/or fashioned into a selected shape and inserted in the housing, wherein the housing accommodates the introduction of wastewater (electrolyte) and permits electrical connections to the fixed electrodes.
The impregnated sponge is rolled around a fixed electrode (bar or pipe) until it forms a cylinder of the desired size to fit into the housing, much like a filter cartridge. The outside of the cylinder is wrapped with a perforated metal screen and the cartridge is inserted into the housing. The inner and outer fixed electrodes are subsequently connected to a power source.
The foregoing description and drawings comprise illustrative embodiments of the present invention. Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only, and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention.
Merely listing or numbering the steps of a method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of that method. Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Although specific terms may be employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein, but is limited only by the following claims.
The present application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/414,352, entitled “Disposable Electrolytic Cell Configurations and their Bi-polar Electrode Profiles”, filed Nov. 16, 2010, and claims priority thereto and the full benefit thereof. Application 61/414,352 is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61414352 | Nov 2010 | US |