US 5,635,059 A · Method and apparatus for water treatment and purification using gas ion plasma source and disinfectant metal ion complexes

Abstract

A system for disinfecting water streams comprises a source of ionized plasma, that is, a stream of air including ionized oxygen and nitrogen gas molecules, including ozone, and an additional source of metal ions. The gas plasma is introduced into the water stream upstream of the metal ion stream to produce a variety of oxidizing, coagulating, and disinfecting reactions. Further, the metal ions combine with the gas ions to form additionally known disinfectant compounds. The source of ionized gas molecules is an ultraviolet lamp juxtaposed to a coil providing electric and/or magnetic fields, to excite and ionize oxygen and nitrogen molecules of the air. The sacrificial electrodes may comprise alloy members of the metal elements to be provided to the water stream. A DC potential applied to the electrodes is uniformly reversed at intervals, to encourage sacrificial erosion thereof. The system may be provided as a retrofit disinfectant, coagulation, and purification plant for swimming pools or like closed loop domestic or industrial water systems, or used for non-chemical treatment of drinking water and/or non-chemical purification treatment for environmental water purification and safe discharge applications, replacing chlorination and other conventional chemical coagulation treatments.

Claims22

Dependent claims

Apparatus for removing pollutants, impurities, organics, and other undesirable components from a water stream, comprising:

means for defining a stream of atmospheric air;
means for exposing said stream of atmospheric air to ultraviolet radiation including components between 160-185 and 250-265 nm and to infrared radiation of predetermined energy content, while passing said stream of air through coil means connected to power supply means, such that said stream of air is simultaneously exposed to a magnetic field and to said ultraviolet and infrared radiation, whereby a stream of air including ionized gas molecules, including ionized oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules is generated;
means for introducing said stream of air including ionized gas molecules to said water stream;
means for providing a stream of ions of elements which, when chemically combined with said ionized gas molecules, form compounds having one or more of bactericidal, viricidal, algicidal and fungicidal disinfection properties;
means for mixing said water stream, having had said stream of ionized gas molecules introduced thereinto, with said stream of ions of elements under circumstances such that said compounds are formed in situ and one or more of bacteria, viruses, algae, and fungi in said water stream are killed;
and
means for filtering said water stream after said exposure step, to remove said killed bacteria, viruses, algae, and fungi therefrom.

4 more elements

A water treatment and disinfecting system for retrofit applications and the like, comprising:

means for ionizing gas molecules in an atmospheric air stream and supplying said air stream to an outlet,
said means for ionizing gas molecules comprising at least one lamp driven by a first power supply to emit both ultraviolet and infrared radiation, and at least one coil means connected to a second power supply means to emit a magnetic field, both said lamp and said coil means being disposed in a container defining an air flow path from an intake to said outlet, said coil means being disposed around at least a portion of said air flow path, and said at least one lamp being disposed such that a stream of atmospheric air drawn through said container is simultaneously exposed to radiation from said ionizing lamp and to a magnetic field emitted by said coil means for an average residence time of at least on the order of one minute, whereby a significant fraction of the oxygen and nitrogen atoms of said air stream are ionized thereby;
a conduit comprising a venturi, for being interposed in a preexisting water line, said venturi having a throat and an inlet connected to the outlet of said means for ionizing, said inlet being disposed downstream of the throat of said venturi, whereby said air stream is drawn into and mixed with water flowing in said water line by negative relative pressure experienced at said inlet in said venturi;
at least one pair of electrodes disposed in said conduit downstream of said inlet in said venturi, whereby ionized gas molecules in said air stream having been mixed with said water stream are exposed to said electrodes;
and
third power supply means for applying a DC potential across said electrodes.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for water treatment and purification using gas ion plasma source and disinfectant metal ion complexes

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for water treatment and purification using gas ion plasma source and disinfectant metal ion complexes

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22