Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left; 30th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 28th Sept., 1888
1, WILLIAM WEBSTER Junr. of No. 50 Lee Park Blackheath Kent, Electrician and
Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to obtain certain products from sewage, as also from
sea water, by means of electrolyses.
For this purpose I construct a reservoir or tank or a series of the same in which
are contained positive and negative electrodes offering extended surfaces, connected
to the poles of a generator of electric currents, which reservoir I divide into
compartments of unequal size by means of porous tiles, each compartment having an
independent outlet through the walls of the reservoir. If it be desired to obtain
ammonia from sewage, I place iron negative electrodes in the narrower compartments
and positive carbon electrodes in the wider ones. Both sets of compartments are
filled with sewage and the electrodes are connected with the corresponding poles of a
dynamo electric machine or battery, and the sewage is electrolytically acted upon for
a short time. The sewage in the positive compartments is then allowed to run off,
and is replaced by fresh sewage, which is then acted upon in the same manner, and so
on, until there has accumulated in the charge of the negative compartiments sufficient
ammonia produced by the electrolytic action.
The charges in these compartments are then run off into a separate tank to be
subsequently chemically treated, and the compartments are again filled and the
process is repeated.
If on the other hand it be desired to obtain a disinfecting liquor, valuable for
many purposes, the positive carbon electrodes are placed in the smaller compartments
and the negative electrodes in the larger ones. The charges in the positive compart-
ments are in this case retained for a length of time while the contents of the negative
compartments are renewed at short intervals after having been subjected to the
electrolytic treatment as above described. After a certain time the contents of the

page_text: positive compartments will be found to be charged with various compounds of Chlorine
of a highly oxydizing nature and consequently well suited for disinfecting purposes.
Sea water may also be treated in the same way as above described for producing a
highly oxydizing or disinfecting liquor therefrom.
In these processes the liquid acted on, if allowed to get warm, will give off the
gases and in that case the narrow passage must be closed in on the top so as to be air
tight and be provided with a tube leading from this, of some non corrosive material
in the case of the chlorine compound, and iron in the case of ammonia, which tube
must dip under water in a suitable vessel so that the gases may be absorbed, the
shape of the tube being like a syphon; care must be taken that the tube must not be
too far under the water or it will create pressure in the narrow compartment which
would drive the water through the porous tiles.
The ammonia in the act of forming in the sewage precipitates the suspended matter
and also part of the carbonate of calcium.
Dated this 17th day of November 1887.

page_text: Improvements in the Electrolytic Treatment of Sewage and Sea
Water for the Production of Certain Products therefrom and
Apparatus therefor.
I, WILLIAM WEBSTER Junior of 50 Lee Park Blackheath Kent, Electrician and
Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
I
My invention has for its object the decomposition of sewage or sea water, more
particularly with a view to obtain certain products therefrom. For this purpose
construct a reservoir or tank, or a series of the same, which I divide into compartments
which may be either of equal or unequal size by means of porous tiles, each compart-
ment having an independent outlet through the walls of the reservoir, or otherwise.
If it be desired to obtain ammonia from sewage I place iron negative electrodes in
the narrower compartments and positive carbon electrodes in the wider ones.
sets of compartments are filled with sewage, and the electrodes are connected with
the corresponding poles of a dynamo electric machine or battery and the sewage is
electrolytically acted upon for a short time.
Both
The sewage in the positive compartments is then allowed to run off and is replaced
by fresh sewage which is then acted upon in the same manner, while the charge in
the negative compartments is retained and so on, until by the continued electrolytic
action in the negative compartments sufficient ammonia has been produced whereupon
the charges of these compartments are run off into a separate tank, to be subsequently
treated for obtaining the ammonia, and the compartments are again filled with fresh
sewage and the process is repeated.
If on the other hand it be desired to obtain a disinfecting liquor, valuable for many
purposes, the positive carbon electrodes are placed in the smaller compartments and
the negative electrodes in the larger ones.
The charges in the positive compartments are in this case retained for a length of
time while the contents of the negative compartments are renewed at short intervals
after having been subjected to the electrolytic treatment as above described. After
a certain time the contents of the positive compartments will be found to be charged
with various compounds of chlorine of a highly oxydizing nature and consequently
well suited for disinfecting purposes. Sea water may also be treated in the same way
as above described for producing a highly oxidizing or disinfecting liquor therefrom.
The accompanying drawings shew various arrangements for carrying out the above
described electrolytic process. Fig. 1 shews a part plan of one arrangement, Fig. 2
shews a section on line X X, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shews a section on line Y Y.
A is a reservoir or tank divided by porous tile partitions a, a, a, into long and
comparatively narrow compartments b, b, b, and c c c having openings at each end
through which sewage, can be admitted and discharged, which openings are provided
with suitable closing valves d, d, d, of which only those at the discharge end are

page_text: shewn. In the compartments b, b, b are placed positive electrodes e, e e, having very
extended surfaces, and which are made of carbon in any suitable manner, while in the
compartments c, c c are placed negative electrodes fff formed of iron plates, the
electrodes e e e being connected by conductors g to the positive pole of an electrical
generator, and the electrodes fff by conductors g' to the negative pole thereof.
The supply openings of all the compartments, may communicate with a common
supply channel but at the discharge end the positive compartments b, b, communicate
through their valves d with a channel h leading to a settling tank B while the negative
compartments c, c, have tubular conduits i, i, leading from their discharge openings
across the channel h into a channel & which leads into the settling tank C.
Thus, all the positive and negative compartments having been filled with sewage
their contents are subjected for a certain length of time to the action of an electric
current passing through the electrodes e f after which the contents of the positive
compartments are discharged into the tank B while the contents of the negative
compartments are retained.
The compartments are then again charged with fresh sewage, which is again
discharged after a short time and so on, until the contents of the negative compart-
ments c are found to be sufficiently charged with ammonia, generated at the negative
electrode, when they are in their turn discharged into the tank C to be further
dealt with.
The porous partitions a a may be conveniently constructed of porous earthenware
slabs supported between grooved uprights, as shewn.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew respectively a plan and a cross section of another arrangement
in which the porous partitions a a are made of a continuous zig zag shape so as to
form spaces closed at the end ¹¹ and all communicating with the space b² at the
other end, which is enclosed by the partition a, and communicates by an inlet h with
a supply channel and by an outlet i with a settling tank B.
The zig zag partition also forms other spaces c c alternating with b b which are
closed at the ends c¹ and communicate at the open ends with the space c² the space
being in communication with an inlet ; from a supply channel, and an outlet k to a
settling tank C.
In the spaces b b are placed the positive electrodes e e and in the spaces c c the
negative electrodes ff, these being connected to a generator of electricity by
conductors g g whereby the above described electrolytic action is set up, the two
compartments being charged with the liquid to be treated, and the contents of either
the positive or the negative one being retained for a longer time while the other is
charged at short intervals according to the nature of the product desired to be
obtained.
Figs. 6 and 7 shew respectively a plan and a cross section of a modification of the
last described arrangement in which the porous partitions a a are all carried up to the
left hand side of the tank but stop short some distance from the right hand side, the
space b between every alternate pair of partitions being enclosed at that end by a
wall as shewn, thus forming these spaces into separate positive compartments or
cells containing the positive electrodes e while the other alternate spaces c constitute
the negative compartments containing the negative electrodes f.
These latter compartments all have a common supply and discharge j, k, as before,
while each of the compartments 66 has a separate supply and discharge h and i.
Figs. 8 and 9 shew respectively a plan and longitudinal section of a construction of
electrolytic apparatus suitable for dealing with comparatively small quantities of liquid
according to my invention. In this case the tank A has porous pots a a placed in
it in which are situated either the positive or negative electrodes b b while the
negative or positive electrodes c c are situated in the tank A. itself. The latter is
charged and discharged at shorter intervals through openings and i, while the
porous pots are charged through lateral spouts j and are discharged through either
separate siphons or a compound siphon.
If sewage is to be treated for obtaining ammonia, the negative electrodes are
placed in the porous pots a these being of comparatively small capacity as compared

page_text: with the capacity of the tank, the contents of the latter being renewed at short
intervals while that of the former is retained for a longer time in order to accumulate
the required amount of ammonia.
If on the other hand sea water is to be treated for the production of chlorine, the
positive electrodes are placed in the porous pots, so that by the electrolytic action
chlorine is there evolved and accumulated.
In all the above described arrangements the compartments in which the accumu-
lation of either ammonia or chlorine takes place should be closed by hermetically
fitting covers if the contents are liable to become warm, in which case some of the
evolved gases would be given off, and pipes lead from these compartments into
vessels containing liquid capable of absorbing these gases, the pipes being allowed to
dip only slightly into this liquid in order that a pressure may not be created in the
closed compartments which would force the liquid therein through the porous
partitions or pots.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The method of treating sewage and sea water by electrolysis for the decomposition
thereof and for the production of certain products therefrom, wherein the liquid to be
treated is introduced into two compartments of a tank separated from each other by
a porous partition, and containing respectively a positive and a negative electrode
connected to the positive and negative poles of a generator of electricity, so that the
bodies of liquid in the two compartments will be acted upon respectively by the
positive and negative electrodes, the one such body being retained in its compartment
for a length of time, for the accumulation of either ammonia or chlorine therein
while the body of liquid in the other compartment is discharged and renewed from
time to time substantially as herein described.
2. The method of obtaining ammonia from sewage by electrolytic action by
introducing the sewage into a tank divided by one or more pourous partitions or
porous pots into two compartments or two sets of compartments, of which the one
compartment or set of compartments is made smaller than the other or others and
contains or contain a negative electrode, while the other or others contains or contain
a positive electrode, the liquid in the negative compartment or set of compartments
being retained for some time therein in order to accumulate the ammonia evolved by
the negative electrode, while the liquid in the positive compartment or set of
compartments is discharged at shorter intervals substantially as herein described.
3. The method of obtaining chlorine from seawater by electrolytic action by
introducing the same into a tank divided by one or more porous partitions or porous
pots, into two compartments or two sets of compartments, of which the one compart-
ment or set of compartments is made smaller than the other or others, and contains or
contain a positive electrode while the other or others contains or contain a negative
electrode, the water in the positive compartment or set of compartments being retained
for some time therein in order to accumulate the chlorine evolved by the positive
electrode while the water in the negative compartment or compartments is discharged
and renewed at shorter intervals, substantially as herein described.
4. The use for treating sewage and sea water in the manner referred to in the
preceding claims, of electrolytic apparatus constructed and operating substantially as
herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
DL1
021
1
T
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.