Liquid purification or separation – With preliminary chemical manufacture
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-24
2003-02-25
Hoey, Betsey Morrison (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
With preliminary chemical manufacture
C210S244000, C204S194000, C204S232000, C204S271000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06524475
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to water disinfecting systems, and more particularly, to an apparatus for generating disinfecting solutions to be added to potentially contaminated water to render that water potable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Maintaining the sterility of drinking water supplies is a major factor in reducing the health risks to human populations. While large metropolitan water systems can make use of highly toxic chlorine gas for sterilizing drinking water, such systems are impractical in remote locations, which lack highly trained personnel and the equipment to maintain the systems. There are many settings in which sophisticated systems are not practical. For example, campers or military personnel in the field cannot be expected to operate such a system to provide potable drinking water from streams or other potentially contaminated water sources. To be effective in such rural settings, a system must be capable of running for long periods of time with little or no maintenance. In addition, the raw materials required by the system must be readily available.
Systems based on the electrolytic production of chlorine and/or other chlor-oxygen species based germicidal agents are particularly attractive for use in the present invention. These systems require only electricity and common salt as raw materials. One such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,208 to Gram, et al. entitled
Electrolytic Method and Cell for Sterilizing Water,
which is incorporated herein by reference. The system of the present invention utilizes an electrolytic cell to generate an oxidant solution including chlorine in the form of hypochlorous acid and other chlor-oxygen species. Other embodiments of the present invention produce an oxidant solution that is predominantly sodium hypochlorite. The oxidant solution is produced from a brine solution using common salt. This oxidant solution may be added directly to the drinking water at a dilution ratio compatible with the concentration of the oxidant produced in the device and the demand of the water. The oxidant produced is more effective at inactivation of microorganisms than is conventional chlorination technology, including chlorine gas, sodium hypochlorite, and calcium hypochlorite. At adequate dilution ratios, the water is sterilized without causing the water to become unpalatable. This technology is particularly attractive because of its simplicity and long maintenance free operation time. Studies have been conducted to demonstrate the microorganism inactivation effectiveness of the oxidant, commonly referred to as mixed-oxidant solution. Linda V. Venczel, Michael Arrowood, Margaret Hurd, and Mark D. Sobsey with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C. have conducted research and published a paper entitled,
Inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts and Clostridium perfringens Spores by a Mixed-Oxidant Disinfectant and by Free Chlorine,
published in
Applied and Environmental Microbiology,
April 1997, p. 1598-1601.
The systems based on mixed-oxidant production have been used successfully in rural communities with small water supplies to larger municipal water systems treating millions of gallons per day. These larger systems are not well suited for use by individual campers and personnel in the field who must treat small quantities of water on a daily basis. The mixed oxidant systems designed to date are applicable to large quantities of water and are large and heavy. In addition, these systems require quantities of electrical power that are not practical at the mesoscale, or individual person level.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a portable oxidant generator comprising at least one cell wherein the cell comprises at least two electrodes wherein at least one electrode comprises at least one cathode and at least one anode. In a preferred embodiment, the oxidant generator comprises a circuit for providing an electrical potential between at least one of the at least one cathode and at least one of the at least one anode. In such an embodiment, the circuit comprises electricity that originates from an energy source, such as, but not limited to, energy sources comprising mechanical sources, chemical sources, magnetic sources, pressure sources and/or electromagnetic radiation sources. In a preferred embodiment, oxidant generation relies on an electrolyte solution that is placed in a cell wherein an applied electrical potential causes electrical charge to pass to the electrolyte solution thereby generating at least one oxidant in the electrolyte solution. According to the present invention, electrolyte and/or electrolyte solution resides in a cell that generates oxidant in a batch mode and/or electrolyte and/or electrolyte solution passes through a cell that generates oxidant in a continuous mode. In a preferred embodiment, an electrolyte solution resides in a cell that generates oxidant in a batch mode. In such a preferred embodiment, individual aliquots of batch mode generated oxidants are added to a liquid in an effort to disinfect the liquid. Of course, oxidants generated by the apparatus and method of the present invention are suitable for disinfecting, bleaching and/or degrading liquid as well as other material, such as, but not limited to, human and/or animal body parts and food and material contained in a liquid. Oxidants generally comprise chemically reactive species capable of oxidizing a substance by, for example, accepting electrons. Therefore, the oxidants generated by the apparatus of the present invention comprise many uses.
In a preferred embodiment, the portable generator comprises an annular cell comprising an inner annular surface and an outer annular surface. In a preferred embodiment, the annular cell comprises at least one electrode positioned on the inner annular surface and/or at least one electrode positioned on the outer annular surface. Such electrodes optionally comprise the surface and/or electrodes in contact with the surface, for example, pins and/or plates. In a preferred embodiment, the at least one of the at least two electrodes comprises at least one catalyst. For example, in embodiments comprising a catalyst, a catalyst optionally comprises at least one Group VIIIB element of the Periodic Table of Elements and/or compounds thereof and preferably, at least one catalyst comprises ruthenium oxide.
According to the present invention, an electrical charge is delivered to a solution and/or substance comprising, for example, electrolyte. In a preferred embodiment, the circuit delivers a controlled electrical charge to an electrolyte solution. In an alternative embodiment, the oxidant generating apparatus measures and/or signals a characteristic of oxidant generation that terminates electrical charge delivery and/or notifies a user to terminate electrical charge delivery. In a preferred embodiment, the portable oxidant generator comprises a circuit that measures the electrical charge passed to an electrolyte solution and/or other electrolytic substance, for example, but not limited to, a gel and/or a solid.
In a preferred embodiment, the portable generator further comprises an output device for outputting information. For example, an output device for outputting information optionally comprises at least one output such as tactile, auditory, olfactory and visual outputs. Alternatively, the output comprises an electromagnetic output comprising, for example, electromagnetic radiation. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, information comprises at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of electrical charge, energy level, remaining energy, electrolyte level, remaining electrolyte, integrity of said portable generator, temperature, total dissolved solids, conductivity, pH, ion concentration, residual oxidant, and oxidation-reduction potential. The generator of the present invention optionally comprises a circuit for measuring at least one condition selected from the group consisting of temperature, to
Cushman Timothy A.
Herrington Rodney E.
Hickerson John K.
Mitchke Curtis M.
White John F.
Fain Katy C.
Hoey Betsey Morrison
Miox Corporation
Peacock Deborah A.
Peacock Myers & Adams P.C.
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