Patent ID: 7087176

Claim:
An apparatus for the high pressure electrocoagulative treatment of viscous fluids, including suspensions, emulsions or sludge, the apparatus comprising: (a) An electrocoagulation vessel capable of sustaining elevated pressure, the electrocoagulation vessel having a frame and a plurality of electrocoagulation spacer plates capable of being separated, the frame comprising a head stock, a tail stock, and a plurality of side rails operable to connect to the head stock and to the tail stock, the plurality of electrocoagulation spacer plates being moveably supported by at least one side rail, the vessel including a push plate moveably supported by at least one side rail maintainable in an orientation generally parallel to the electrocoagulation spacer plates when the vessel is in a closed position, the head stock further defining a port capable of allowing fluids to pass out of the electrocoagulation vessel, the plurality of spacer plates further defining a plurality of internal cavities such that, when the spacer plates are brought into contact with each other, the plurality of internal cavities form a cavity chamber; (b) A plurality of electrodes in contact with at least a portion of the plurality of electrocoagulation spacer plates; (c) An electric conduit including electrical contact terminals being connectable to a power supply and capable of receiving an applied voltage, the electric conduit operable to allow the applied voltage from the power supply to the terminal connections to be applied to at least a portion of the plurality of electrodes, the electrodes capable of contacting the fluid and causing electrical current to flow through the fluid; and (d) Means for moving the plurality of electrocoagulation spacer plates between an open position and a closed position.