Patent ID: 8287702

Claim:
A unipolar electrolytic apparatus to activate separate streams of raw water, the apparatus comprising; an anode cell assembly and a cathode cell assembly, the anode cell assembly including an anode electrode and an anode cell solution electrode, a raw water inlet and a treated anolyte outlet; the cathode cell assembly including a cathode electrode and a cathode cell solution electrode, a raw water inlet and a treated catholyte outlet; a power supply that provides a DC pulsed current to the anode cell assembly and the cathode cell assembly, the anode electrode comprising an expanded metal mesh and comprising or being coated with a material providing a low over-voltage and resistance to corrosion, a baffle surrounding the anode electrode, the baffle comprising an electrically non-conductive material to force the water to weave in and out of the expanded metal electrode, the anode cell solution electrode comprising a sheet metal and the anode cell solution electrode surrounding the baffle; and the cathode electrode comprising an expanded metal mesh and comprising or being coated with a material providing a low over-voltage and resistance to corrosion, a baffle surrounding the cathode electrode, the baffle comprising an electrically non-conductive material to force the water to weave in and out of the expanded metal electrode, the cathode cell solution electrode comprising a sheet metal and the cathode cell solution electrode surrounding the baffle; a raw water supply to each of the anode cell and the cathode cell, a treated anolyte take off line from the anode cell and a treated catholyte take off line from the cathode cell, the electrical connections of the cathode solution electrode and the cathode electrode being interchanged to result in the cathode cell behaving like an anode cell in an anode mode, or the electrical connections between the anode solution electrode and the anode electrode being interchanged to result in the anode cell behaving like the cathode cell in a cathode mode, whereby oxidizing reactions occur in the water at both anode cell and cathode cell in the anode mode, such that strong biocides are produced in both the anode cell and the cathode cell, and where reducing reactions occur in the water at both anode cell and cathode cell in the cathode mode, whereby to produce the treated anolyte from the anode cell and the treated catholyte from the cathode cell.