SYSTEM FOR WATER DISINFECTION AND SEPARATION OF CONTAMINANTS

Abstract: System for water disinfection and separation of water contaminants formed by a set of metallic electrodes (9), long in relation to their section, disposed in a circle with (+) and (-) polarities fed by a low voltage continuous current source. The electrodes are fixed suspended from an electrically isolant plate (1) forming an open cage bottom, the water to be treated entering by the cage bottom and spreading radially (10) through the spaces between the electrodes. In a preferred form of application, the electrodes are disposed inside the sand filter suspended from plate (1) which substitutes the filter's lid or cover.

Description: DESCRIPTION "SYSTEM FOR WATER DISINFECTION AND SEPARATION OF CONTAMINANTS" 1. General It is knfown that ions (positive) of certain metals, drawn by water contaminants (negative) - like algae, bacteria, fungi, virus, microorganisms in general - destroy them. Such contaminants aggregate, then, in bigger particles (flocculation) attaining enough size to be retained, for example, in ordinary sand filters. This effect of the lowest quantities of metallic ions (oligodinamic effect) on the organic matter in the water was identified by the Swiss botanist Naageli, already in 1880. The metal ions form very slowly by dissolution of the metal in water; such process can be accelerated and controlled by electric power. This method is used in very different treatments like drinkable water or industrial effluents, including swimming-pools. In swimming-pools, the aim is to reduce drastically or eliminate, the use of chemicals, with all the resulting advantages to the health and comfort of the bathers. The ion production is proportional to the intensity of a continuous current between metallic electrodes immersed in the water being treated, that works as an electrolyte. The electrodes, acting as anodes, release positive ions. Instead of all ions deposing on the cathode, some of them should disperse in the water to be treated. To equalise the resulting electrode consumption and promote the electrodes' cleaning, the polarity of the electrodes is inverted periodically (the anodes becoming cathodes and vice-versa) . 2. State of the art As it was referred, the general principle explored on the present invention dates from 1880, and one can find in the market systems using metallic electrodes immersed in the water being treated forming two groups, one connected to the positive pole (+) and the other to the negative pole (-) of the source of continuous current attaching on with the filtration pump. The electrodes are usually placed in a box installed in the pressure piping, between the pump and the filter. 3 - Patent novelty. Description The new solution of the present patent is basically characterised by: a) Geometrical lay-out of the electrodes and their proportions allowing a water flow through the space between the electrodes with and uniform high radial velocity. With this lay-out the set of electrodes may be considered an electrical condenser. In the preferred form of realisation the electrodes are not installed in a separate box mounted on the piping, but on the lid of the filter itself, located between the pump and the filtering sand bed. The electrodes - that are much longer and in greater number, then usually, given the great filter dimensions - are disposed in circle forming a kind of cage without bottom. Thus, the strong water current in the free spaces between electrodes, drags better the ions released from the anodes and ionises more efficiently the water contaminants. The electrodes are at times changed from positive to negative polarity and behave as an electric condenser. From there follows - on the occasion of polarity reversal - a strong automatic current intensity rise that increases the detachment effect of the inorganic (Ca, Mg, etc.) or organic ions that might have set on the electrodes. In a preferred form of the invention, the polarity reversal is performed automatically. Thus, not only adherence cleanings are executed in much shorter intervals, but it is also assured that throughout the time, all electrodes operate during equal periods as anodes and as cathodes, becoming equally worn out and increasing their duration. In other realisations, this periodic increase of intensity with cleaning purposes, must be performed manually; that, being unfrequent, creates, as a consequence, the need for manual cleaning of the electrodes, whenever the system's efficiency decreases. With this system the water coming from the pump, ascends axially through the (non-existent) electrodes cage bottom, getting out radially through the small free spaces between them, attaining there high speeds that complement mechanically the electrical cleaning action just referred. It is also obtained a stronger drag of the ions released by the anodes (that instead of deposing mainly on the cathodes) are dispersed through the water to be treated in a greater proportion. b) Use of cheaper and easier to work materials for electrodes Of the said lay-out of the electrodes among themselves and between those and the water flow to be treated, results an important efficiency increase. In contrast with other realisations, that use, electrolytic high purity copper (Cu) electrodes and silver (Ag) , in this case is used the brass (Cu + Zn) much cheaper and easier to work. This cheap alloy makes also possible the use of the system described in this invention, to prevent formation of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) incrustations on the pipes. c) Elimination of the electrodes'box Since the electrodes are mounted on the filter cover itself (movable too access to the sand) according to figure 2, the installation on existing swimming-pools is very easy. It may even be executed by the owner himself that would replace the original filter lid by the plate with the electrode set. On all the other known systems, an electrodes'box for ionisation must be intercalated on the piping. When - what seldom occurs - the closing system of the filter lid renders impossible its substitution by the plate with the electrodes, then the said electrodes can be installed on a box, forming the same electrodes'cage; the water entering by the cage bottom and coming out radially through all it's surrounding area, between the electrodes. In spite of, in this case, the tubing cut being not avoided, the installation is now easier by the circumstance that the box is placed in substitution of the curve (at 90°) that exists at the pump exit. The forms of realisation of the system are presented on the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a general scheme of water circulation and filtering where the system is installed, - Figure 2 is an elevational view of the filter and the system, - Figure 3 is a general scheme of water circulation and filtering where the system is installed, on a different application, - Figure 4 is a plant and cut of the lid (1) execution, in a form of realisation of the invention, - Figure 5 is the plant and cut of the electrodes (9) and a cut of a covering lid of the electric wires in a form of realisation of the invention. Referring to figure 1, there is shown the lid or cover piece (1) where the electrodes are installed in the filter (2) connected to the source of continuous current (3) that, on its turn, is fed in alternate current of the case (4), that simultaneously feeds the pump motor. When the clock switches the pump begins the electrode feeding, stopping when the pump stops. The case (3) has a regulator (6) that allows electrode tension variation from 0 to 15 volts. The case (3) may have a voltmeter (7) and has always an amperimeter (8), allowing to regulate the intensity of ionisation. On figure 2, there is shown the lid (1) with the electrodes (9) alternately interconnected in (+) and (-) sets. The water flow (10) enters axially to the inside of the electrode cage (9) and comes out radially through the intervals between them. In the figure, there is also represented the source of continuous current (3) with the regulator (6), the voltmeter (7), the amperimeter (8) and the general switch (11) . On figure 3, there is shown another invention execution plan, wherein the lid (1) is incorporated in a box (12) installed on the compression pipe elbow between the bomb (5) and the filter (2) .

Claims: CLAIMS 1. System for water disinfection and separation of contaminants, namely organic and some inorganic, like iron (Fe) using positive ions released from electrodes that bind to the contaminants (like algae, bacteria, virus, and fungi, with negative electric charge) , killing them and promoting their aggregation (flocculation) in particles big enough to decant or be retained in ordinary filters (sand filters, for example) , the water to be treated flows through the spaces between (+) and (-) metallic electrodes connected to a low tension continuous current source, the electric current flows from the negative electrodes (cathodes) to the positive electrodes (anodes) through the water (electrolyte) by the release of metallic ions which move from the anodes to the cathodes, however this is opposed by the water flow that drags some ions to the pool of the water to be treated, this system is characterised by the fact that the elongated rod electrodes (9) , (lengths of 100 to 250 mm and 10 to 25 mm diameters) are made of brass (Cu/Zn) disposed in circle, at distances of 4 to 10 mm, from each other, with (+) and (-) polarities, forming a bottomless cage, its upper part being a plate (1) of non¬ conducting material to where the electrodes are fixed (Figure 2), the flow of water to be treated enters axially, through the open bottom of the electrode cage and radially spreads (10), out through the narrow free spaces between the electrodes (9) . 2. System for water disinfection and separation of contaminants, according to claim 1, characterised by the disposition of the electrodes forming a cylindrical cage, their dimensions and the small distances between them, enabling to work as an electric condenser, the periodical polarity commutations of the current, provokes "condenser discharges" that originate intensity increases able to detach the adherences that otherway would tend to stay on the electrodes isolating them. 3. System for water disinfection and separation of contaminants, according to claims 1 and 2, characterised by the commutation of the polarity of the current being commanded by a time controlled automatic system. 4. System for water disinfection and separation of contaminants, according to claims 1, 2 and 3, characterised by the electrode fixation plate (1) to constitute, at the same time, the filter's lid or cover (figure 2), the electrodes being thus suspended from the cover, of the filter, with the ascendant water flow entering axially by the open bottom of the electrode cage and getting out radially (10), by the surrounding area, through the narrow free spaces between electrodes. 5. System for water disinfection and separation of contaminants, according to the former claims, characterised by electrode material being constituted by ordinary copper alloy, like brass (Cu + Zn) , sometimes complemented with aluminium (Al) or cadmium (Cd) . 6. System for water disinfection and separation of contaminants, according to claims 1 to 3 and 5, characterised by the electrodes being fixed on the cover piece of an ionisation chamber or box (12) inside which the electrodes stay, these conditions reproduce totally those referred in claims 1 , 2, 3 and 5, the ionisation case or box (12) is preferably installed on the pump outlet, before the filter (2) .

Inventors: SILVA BENTO JULIO, SILVA BENTO, JULIO
Applicants: SILVA BENTO JULIO, SILVA BENTO, JULIO
Application year: 1996
Main classification: C02F1
IPC codes: C02F1