Patent ID: 6270643
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: A01G,B01D,E02D,E04B,E21B

Abstract:
A method of effecting fluid movement in metal reinforced porous materials, the method comprising applying a sequence of voltage pulses between spaced apart first and second electrodes having a region of the porous material therebetween, each said voltage pulse comprising a first portion in which an electoosmotically active first potential difference is applied between said first and second electrodes to effect fluid movement in said region of porous material, and a second portion in which a second potential difference of opposite polarity to said first potential difference is applied between said first and second electrodes; and applying an additional voltage to a metal reinforcement located at least partly in said region of porous material to make the voltage of said metal reinforcement negative with respect to the porous material adjacent thereto for at least part of said sequence of voltage pulses.