Patent ID: 8357283

Claim:
An electric separating apparatus having a separating tank having a bottom; at least one first electrode panel mounted in the separating tank and each one of the at least one first electrode panel having a height; an upper edge; a lower edge extending to the bottom of the separating tank; a second electrode panel mounted in the separating tank, parallel to the at least one first electrode panel and having a height being smaller than that of the at least one first electrode panel; and an upper edge; and a lower edge being above the lower edge of the first electrode panel; an upper separating region formed in the separating tank between the upper edges of the electrode panels and the lower edge of the second electrode panel; and a lower separating region formed in the separating tank between the lower edge of the second electrode panel and the bottom of the separating tank; and an electrical control electrically connected to the electrode panels of the separating tank and having a transformer electrically connected to an A/C source and the electrode panels and having a first side electrically connected to the A/C source; and a second side electrically connected to the electrode panels; a high-power resistor electrically connected to the second side of the transformer and the at least one first electrode panel in series and having two ends; a first A/C transducer electrically connected to the ends of the high-power resistor to detect the voltage between the ends of the high-power resistor; a second A/C transducer electrically connected to the electrode panels in series to detect the voltage between the electrode panels; and a control unit electrically connected to the A/C transducers to determine an electrical impedance of a liquid mixture made by transesterification and charged into the separating tank by receiving currents from the A/C transducers to selectively supply power to the transformer, and the control unit having a normally open contact.