Water treatment device

Details Water treatment device Water treatment device

2000-12-12

2003-09-30

Phasge, Arun S. (Department: 1741)

Chemistry: electrical and wave energy

Apparatus

Electrolytic

C204S228600, C204S230200, C204S275100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06627053

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new water treatment device capable of sterilizing water stored in various types of pools from large-sized pools such as a swimming pool and a bathtub of a public bath to small-sized pools such as a water supply tank disposed on the roof of a building or the like and a home bathtub.
The swimming pool which is installed indoors or outdoors, or the bathtub of the public bath, for example, must be subjected to sterilization by periodically introducing chlorinated lime, sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), or the like into the water in order to maintain the quality of the water.
However, it has been conventionally necessary for employees in facilities, for example, to perform the work by hand outside the business hours (early in the morning, at midnight, etc.), and moreover, the operation had to be done with great caution since the chlorinated lime or sodium hypochlorite are irritant.
Chlorinated lime is generally in the shape of powder or a shape of a tablet obtained by solidifying the powder. Accordingly, it takes a long time until the chlorinated lime is dissolved to make the concentration thereof uniform after it is introduced into the pool. During the time, the pool cannot be used.
In the case of the water supply tank disposed on the roof of the building or the home bathtub, it depends on only a sterilizing force of chlorine contained in tap water. Particularly in the case of the water supply tank, algae reproduces inside thereof, resulting in degraded water quality.
In the case of the home bathtub, the water is generally exchanged every one or two days, so that it tends to be considered that there is no problem in terms of the water quality. However, the inside of a boiler connected to the bathtub cannot be frequently cleaned. Therefore, various types of germs, mold, and so forth are liable to reproduce. Accordingly, it is feared that the water quality is degraded.
When the water stored in each of the above-mentioned pools is sterilized, the residual chlorine concentration of the water must be in a predetermined range depending on the applications of the pool and the water.
The residual chlorine concentration can be measured using a residual chlorine sensor. In the case of the large-sized pool such as the swimming pool or the public bath, a time lag occurs between the average residual chlorine concentration in the pool and the concentration measured by the residual chlorine sensor.
Specifically, it takes a long time until the residual chlorine concentration in the pool is averaged after chlorinated lime or sodium hypochlorite is introduced into the pool. Even if the residual chlorine concentration is measured by the residual chlorine sensor in a particular place, therefore, a correct measured value cannot be obtained. Accordingly, it takes a long time until the correct measured value can be obtained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide a new water treatment device capable of simply and efficiently sterilizing water stored in various types of pools, described above.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a water treatment device capable of satisfactorily measuring the residual chlorine concentration of water and automatically maintaining the concentration in a desired range with a good response.
The invention as set forth in the claim
1
is directed to a water treatment device comprising electrolyzing and sterilizing means, comprising an electrolytic tank to put water in and an electrode provided in the electrolytic tank in order to electrolyze the water, for pouring water into the electrolytic tank to energize the electrode, and electrolyzing the water, to sterilize the water; a water treating path connected to a pool storing water for pouring the water in the pool into the electrolytic tank and returning to the pool the water in the electrolytic tank; a residual chlorine sensor for measuring the residual chlorine concentration of water; and control means for controlling the energization of the electrode on the basis of the measured value by the residual chlorine sensor.
In the construction as set forth in the claim
1
, the electrode arranged in the electrolytic tank is energized in a state where an electrolyte containing chlorine such as sodium chloride (NaCl), calcium chloride (CaCl
2
), or hydrochloric acid (HCl) is added to the water which has been poured into the electrolytic tank through the water treating path from the pool or a state where no electrolyte is added when the water previously contains an electrolyte for sterilization.
Consequently, the water is sterilized by a chlorine compound such as hypochlorous acid (HClO), its ion (CLO
−
), or chlorine gas (Cl
2
) which is generated by electrolytic reaction, described below, active oxygen (O
2
−
) generated for a very short time in the reaction process, or the like, and is then returned to the pool through the water treating path.
(Anode)
4H
2
O−4e
−
→4H
+
O
2
↑+2H
2
O
2Cl
−
→Cl
2
+2e
−
H
2
O+Cl
2
⇄HClO+H
+
+Cl
−
(Cathode)
4H
2
O+4e
−
→2H
2
↑+4OH
−
(Anode+Cathode)
H
+
+OH
−
→H
2
O
The above-mentioned series of operations is performed only by a worker operating a pump for circulating the water through the water treating path and energizing the electrode without almost passing through human hands or without the worker directly touching the water. If the operation of the pump, the energization of the electrode, or the like is automated utilizing a timer or a residual chlorine sensor, the water treatment can be completely automated.
Therefore, in the construction as set forth in the claim
1
, the water stored in the pool can be simply and efficiently sterilized.
Moreover, the water returned to the pool upon being sterilized by the water treatment device contains only ions having a significantly low concentration. Accordingly, the above-mentioned treatment can be performed periodically even during the business hours of the swimming pool, the public bath, or the like or arbitrarily in accordance with the quality of the water which varies depending on the number of visitors, the weather, the temperature, or the like.
In the swimming pool, the public bath, or the like, therefore, work for introducing chlorinated lime, sodium hypochlorite, or the like to sterilize the water can be entirely omitted, or the number of times of the work can be significantly reduced. Accordingly, the water quality can be kept good while significantly easing the burden on the worker.
In the water supply tank disposed on the roof of the building, for example, the series of work is manually or automatically performed for each predetermined volume of used water, for example, or for each predetermined time period irrespective of the volume of used water, it is possible to prevent the water quality from being degraded by restraining the reproduction of algae.
Furthermore, in the home bathtub or the like, the series of work is manually or automatically performed at the time point where daily bathing is terminated, for example, and prior to draining bath water, it is possible to prevent the water quality from being degraded by restraining the reproduction of germs, mold, or the like in a boiler connected to the bathtub.
In the construction as set forth in the claim
1
, the correlation of the amount of free residual chlorine generated by electrolysis with the amount of applied current (the amount of charge) is utilized, to find a difference between the residual chlorine concentration measured by the residual chlorine sensor and the required residual chlorine concentration previously determined, and find an insufficient amount of residual chlorine from the difference and the quantity of water stored in the pool. Current in an amount required to produce the insufficient amount of chlorine by the electrolysis is supplied to the electrode, thereby making it possible to control the residual

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