Patent ID: 7628927

Claim:
A reactor for removing chemical and biological contaminants from a contaminated fluid while minimizing the potential for producing disinfection by-products, sludges, and harmful residue, the reactor comprising: a sequential, multi-stage reaction vessel having an upper end region and a lower end region, the vessel having a fluid inlet port located proximate the upper end region into which the contaminated fluid may pass; a fluid outlet port located proximate the lower end region through which treated liquid may exit the reactor; a gas inlet port located proximate the lower end region; a gas outlet port located proximate the upper end region, the inlet and outlet ports being sized to permit a continuous flow, a plurality of stacked reaction chambers positioned between the upper and the lower end regions, at least some of the reaction chambers having a sieve tray and flange assembly, the sieve tray having holes up through which a gaseous phase may pass; a gas phase electrode and an electrical power supply capable of producing pulsed electrical discharges connected thereto; a liquid phase electrode supported by the sieve tray, the electrodes creating therebetween a pulsed corona discharge for generating reactive species in situ and destroying bacterial contaminants in the liquid, heat generated by the corona being substantially dissipated by liquid flow, a reactive specie being transferred across a gas-liquid interface; and a weir-downcomer tube having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being situated above a level of liquid in an associated chamber, the lower portion being situated below a level of liquid in an reaction chamber next below, the weir-downcomer tube minimizing or preventing back flow of liquid from a reaction chamber to an upstream reaction chamber, a gas-liquid interface in at least some of the chambers being substantially flat.