Turboelectric coagulation apparatus including cassette-style anode assembly

A rotating electrode assembly comprising:

• a shaft having an electrically conductive inner core;
• a first shaft coupler comprising an inner conductive portion and an outer non-conductive portion, the first shaft coupler positioned at an axial end of the shaft, wherein the first shaft coupler is configured to be removably mechanically and wherein the inner conductive portion is electrically coupled to a drive shaft coupler of a drive shaft extending through a sidewall of a housing of an electrocoagulation apparatus, and wherein, when the first shaft coupler is mechanically coupled to the drive shaft coupler, an electrical communication between the drive shaft and the conductive inner core of the shaft is provided via the inner conductive portion and the shaft is axially aligned with the drive shaft and wherein the rotating electrode assembly is removable from the housing when the first shaft coupler is mechanically decoupled from the drive shaft coupler;
• a drive shaft bearing, wherein the axial end of the shaft is mechanically and electrically coupled to the drive shaft bearing within the housing such that the shaft is coaxial with the drive shaft bearing;
• a first rotatable planar electrode extending radially outward from the shaft and in electrical communication with the electrically conductive inner core;
• a second rotatable planar electrode extending radially outward from the shaft and in electrical communication with the electrically conductive inner core;
• a non-conductive bushing disposed between the first rotatable planar electrode and the second rotatable planar electrode and extending around an exterior surface of the electrically conductive inner core;
• and
• a sand trap mounted on an upper portion of a housing, wherein the upper portion of the housing comprises a plurality of ducts providing a fluidic pathway between the sand trap and an internal volume of the housing, the sand trap containing sand to filter abrasives from a fluid contained within the housing via a flow of the fluid from the internal volume of the housing to the sand trap through the plurality of ducts,
• wherein the first rotatable planar electrode and the second rotatable planar electrode are configured to cause electrocoagulation of contaminants in fluid between a stationary electrode in the housing and the first rotatable planar electrode and the second rotatable planar electrode when the first shaft coupler is mechanically and electrically coupled to a second shaft coupler and when current is passed through the first rotatable planar electrode and the second rotatable planar electrode.

An apparatus for removing contaminants from fluids, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing defining an inner volume;
• a rotating electrode assembly rotatably mounted entirely within the inner volume, the rotating electrode assembly including a shaft including:
• a conductive inner core;
• a plurality of rotatable planar electrodes extending radially outward from the shaft and in electrical communication with the conductive inner core;
• and
• a non-conductive bushing extending around the conductive inner core and disposed between an adjacent pair of the plurality of rotatable planar electrodes;
• a stationary electrode mounted within the housing and extending parallel to and between the adjacent pair of the plurality of rotatable planar electrodes;
• a motor bearing extending through the first wall, wherein a first axial end of the shaft is mechanically and electrically coupled to the motor bearing within the inner volume by a split-shaft coupler of the motor bearing disposed within the inner volume of the housing such that the shaft is coaxial with the motor bearing;
• and
• a sand trap mounted on an upper portion of the housing, wherein the upper portion of the housing comprises a plurality of ducts providing a fluidic pathway between the sand trap and an internal volume of the housing, the sand trap containing sand to filter abrasives from a fluid contained within the housing via a flow of the fluid from the internal volume of the housing to the sand trap through the plurality of ducts,
• wherein the split-shaft coupler comprises an inner conductive portion and an outer non-conductive portion, the inner conductive portion providing an electrical communication between the first outer shaft and the conductive core of the inner shaft and a mechanical communication between the first outer shaft and the inner shaft when the inner shaft is coupled to the first outer shaft and the outer non-conductive portion electrically isolating the inner shaft from the fluid contained with the housing;
• and
• wherein the split-shaft coupler provides removal of the rotating electrode assembly from the housing when the inner shaft is decoupled from the first outer shaft.