Patent ID: 7611618

Claim:
A method of operating an electrolysis system comprising the steps of: positioning a membrane within an electrolysis tank, said membrane separating said electrolysis tank into a first region and a second region; filling said electrolysis tank with water and an electrolyte; positioning at least one pair of low voltage electrodes of a first type within said electrolysis tank, wherein said at least one pair of low voltage electrodes of said first type are fabricated from a first material, wherein each pair of low voltage electrodes of said first type includes at least one low voltage cathode electrode of said first type and at least one low voltage anode electrode of said first type, wherein each low voltage cathode electrode of said first type is positioned within said first region and each low voltage anode electrode of said first type is positioned within said second region; positioning at least one pair of low voltage electrodes of a second type within said electrolysis tank, wherein said at least one pair of low voltage electrodes of said second type are fabricated from a second material, wherein said first material is different from said second material, wherein each pair of low voltage electrodes of said second type includes at least one low voltage cathode electrode of said second type and at least one low voltage anode electrode of said second type, wherein each low voltage cathode electrode of said second type is positioned within said first region and each low voltage anode electrode of said first second is positioned within said second region; positioning at least one pair of high voltage electrodes within said electrolysis tank, wherein each pair of high voltage electrodes includes at least one high voltage cathode electrode and at least one high voltage anode electrode, wherein each high voltage cathode electrode is positioned within said first region and each high voltage anode electrode is positioned within said second region; positioning said low voltage electrodes of said first and second types and said high voltage electrodes within said electrolysis tank such that each low voltage electrode of said at least one pair of low voltage electrodes of said first type and each low voltage electrode of said at least one pair of low voltage electrodes of said second type is positioned between said at least one pair of high voltage electrodes; applying a low voltage to said at least one pair of low voltage electrodes of said first type and to said at least one pair of low voltage electrodes of said second type, wherein said applied low voltage is pulsed at a first frequency and with a first pulse duration; and applying a high voltage to said at least one pair of high voltage electrodes, wherein said applied high voltage is pulsed at said first frequency and with said first pulse duration, and wherein said high voltage applying step is performed simultaneously with said low voltage applying step.