Liquid transfer apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus for transferring an electrically conductive liquid from a first container to a second container in which the liquid is maintained at a substantially different electrical potential from the electrical potential of the liquid in the first container without causing significant change in the electrical potential of the liquid in the first container. The apparatus has a liquid transfer chamber with an electrically insulating inner surface, a sprinkler for sprinkling liquid from the first container into an upper portion of the liquid transfer chamber to cause liquid droplets to fall from the upper portion to a lower portion of the chamber, and a second container connected to the lower portion of the liquid transfer chamber to receive liquid therefrom. The liquid in the second container is maintained at a substantially different electrical potential from the electrical potential of liquid in the first container, any flow of electric current from liquid in the second container to liquid in the first container is detected, and adjustable appropriate electrical potential is applied to liquid droplets from the sprinkler to reduce the current flow substantially to zero.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.