Patent ID: 8709222

Claim:
An electrolytic apparatus for removing contaminants from influent water, comprising: a reaction chamber ( 54 , 112 , 114 ) having a means ( 84 , 118 ) for admitting water and means ( 84 , 120 ) for discharging water ( 84 , 120 ); a set ( 110 ) of spaced apart conductive electrodes ( 40 ) in said reaction chamber ( 54 , 112 , 114 ), arranged in first and second groups of electrodes, each group containing a plurality of electrodes, with electrodes ( 40 ) of the first group interleaved in alternating sequence with electrodes ( 40 ) of the second group, defining a flow path in a flow direction between an electrode ( 40 ) of the first group and a juxtaposed electrode of the second group, said flow path extending within said reaction chamber from said means ( 84 , 118 ) for admitting water toward said means ( 84 , 120 ) for discharging water; polarizing means ( 34 , 36 ) for initially, oppositely polarizing at least some of said electrodes ( 40 ) in each of said first and second groups of said set ( 110 ); and turbulence inducers extending transversely to a face of an electrode ( 40 ) and into the flow path, said turbulence inducers selected from the group consisting of a plurality of modular, nonconductive elements ( 158 ) attached to a face of a host electrode ( 40 ) in a position presenting a narrow leading edge toward the direction of flow, with stepped increases in width toward a trailing edge thereof; a plurality of elongated, nonconductive, spaced apart curve-defining elements ( 168 ) positioned longitudinally to the direction of flow; and combinations thereof.