Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Apparatus – Electrolytic
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-11
2001-01-16
Gorgos, Kathryn (Department: 1741)
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Apparatus
Electrolytic
C204S229400, C204S229600, C204S229500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174419
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to an electrolytic water producing apparatus to be used in a medical field, food industry, agriculture or the like, in particular to an electrolytic water producing apparatus which has been improved in keeping a concentration of hypochlorous acid contained in a produced strong acidic liquid constant.
An electrolytic water producing apparatus produces a strong acidic liquid on an anode side and a strong alkaline liquid on a cathode side, respectively, by electrolyzing a chlorine-containing-liquid. In case water contains chlorine, the strong acidic liquid produced on the anode side contains hypochlorous acid having a sterilization ability. Especially, in case a mixture of a solution of chloride, such as sodium chloride or potassium chloride, and water is subjected to electrolysis, a strong acidic liquid produced on the anode side contains several tens of ppm of hypochlorous acid, and shows a low pH of 2.5 to 3.0 and high ORP (oxidation reduction potential) of about +1100 mV. The strong acidic liquid has been known to have a high sterilization effect.
Therefore, the thus produced strong acidic liquid has been used for disinfecting hands or the like in a hospital or sterilizing MRSA causing infection in the hospital in a medical field; for disinfecting or sterilizing kitchen instruments in a food industry; for sterilizing fishes in a marine product processing industry; and for sterilizing O-157. Also, in an agricultural field, the strong acidic liquid obtained by subjecting water containing potassium chloride to electrolysis has been used for disinfection or killing pathogen for melons, vegetables, pears, flowers or the like in a house cultivation, or for sterilizing unhulled rices to thereby reduce an amount of pesticide to be used in considering the environments.
However, in a conventional electrolytic water producing apparatus, there has been a defect such that it is not confirmed whether a strong acidic liquid having a sterilizing effect is produced or not, i.e. hypochlorous acid in the strong acidic liquid has a predetermined concentration. Actually, some of the electrolytic water producing apparatuses which have been sold on the market do not control the concentration of hypochlorous acid. Even if the brochures for the electrolytic water producing apparatuses are referred to, values for covering a very wide range, such as 20 to 50 ppm, have only been cited.
In view of the above, the present invention has been made, and an object of the invention is to provide an electrolytic water producing apparatus, which has been improved in producing an acidic liquid wherein the concentration of hypochlorous acid contained therein is always kept constant.
Another object of the invention is to provide an electrolytic water producing apparatus as stated above, which can be easily maintained and controlled so that a user can use without anxiety.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An electrolytic water producing apparatus of the invention includes a device for supplying raw water; a device for supplying a chloride solution; a device for mixing the supplied raw water and chloride solution; an electrolyzing device for producing a strong acidic liquid on an anode side and a strong alkaline liquid on a cathode side, respectively, by electrolyzing the mixed liquid; a measuring device for measuring a concentration of hypochlorous acid contained in the strong acidic liquid produced on the anode side; and a controlling device for periodically switching polarities of electrodes in the electrolyzing device and, at the same time, controlling electrolytic conditions with an inverse sawteeth pattern inversely corresponding to a sawteeth pattern of the measured concentrations of the hypochlorous acid according to the polarity changes.
The above controlling device can control any one or a plurality of a supply quantity of the raw water; a supply quantity of the chloride solution; and voltage or current to be applied to the anode and cathode in the electrolyzing device.
The inverse sawteeth control pattern may be set in the controlling device beforehand. The inverse sawteeth control pattern may be formed of lines similar to straight lines.
The inverse sawteeth control pattern may be set in the controlling device beforehand by calculating through the controlling device using concentrations of hypochlorous acid in the strong acidic liquid measured by the measuring device under the condition where control of the electrolytic conditions is temporarily stopped at any time.
The concentration of hypochlorous acid in the strong acidic liquid obtained at a time of controlling the electrolytic conditions is measured by the measuring device, and the controlling device may shift the controlling pattern as a whole according to the measured value. The shift quantity may be manually switched.
In the measuring device, a light quantity absorbed by hypochlorous acid ions in a mixture of the strong acidic liquid produced on the anode side and the strong alkaline liquid produced on the cathode side may be measured.
The measuring device may employ an electrochemical sensor according to a constant potential coulometry method or a constant current coulometry method.
Polarities of the electrodes in the electrolyzing device are periodically switched for protection of the electrodes. Therefore, the concentration of hypochlorous acid in the strong acidic liquid is high right after the polarity is switched and thereafter is gradually lowered to form a sawtooth pattern. The sawtooth pattern is repeated whenever the polarity is switched, to form sawteeth pattern. Therefore, an inverse sawteeth control pattern inversely corresponding to the sawteeth pattern is obtained, and when the electrolytic conditions are controlled based on the inverse sawteeth control pattern according to switching of the polarities, the concentration of hypochlorous acid in the strong acidic liquid can be kept constant.
If the control pattern is obtained by measuring the concentration of hypochlorous acid in the strong acidic liquid at a time of shipment of the electrolytic water producing apparatus from a factory or installation thereof to a user's site and the obtained control pattern is set in the control device beforehand, the user need not make any setting operation and can produce the strong acidic liquid containing hypochlorous acid having a predetermined concentration without troublesome operation.
In case the control pattern is obtained by using the measuring device in a state wherein control of the electrolytic condition is temporarily stopped at any desired time and calculating the control pattern using the measured results obtained by the controlling device and the obtained control pattern is set in the controlling device, variations of the concentration of hypochlorous acid in the strong acidic liquid caused by environmental changes, deteriorated electrodes' surfaces due to use for a long period of time or the like, can be offset. Therefore, the electrolytic water producing apparatus of the invention can produce the strong acidic liquid containing hypochlorous acid with a constant concentration.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5304289 (1994-04-01), Hayakawa
patent: 5858201 (1999-01-01), Otsuka et al.
Gorgos Kathryn
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Nicolas Wesley A.
Shimadzu Corporation
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