# US 9,656,884 B2 · Bipolar cell for a reactor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,656,884 B2 - Document ID: US9656884B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/878,208 - Filed: 2011-10-13 - Published: 2014-02-27 - Granted: 2017-05-23 - Earliest claimed: 2010-10-14 - Assignees: Element Six Limited - Applicants: John Robert Brandon; Paul Cullen - Inventors: John Robert Brandon; Paul Cullen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9656884B2 ## CPC - C02F 1/46109: {Electrodes} - C02F 1/46104: {Devices therefor; Their operating or servicing} - C25B 11/036: Bipolar electrodes - C25B 11/043: Carbon, e.g. diamond or graphene - C02F 2001/46128: {Bipolar electrodes} - C02F 2001/46133: {characterised by the material} - C02F 2201/004: Seals, connections - C02F 2201/4611: Fluid flow - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - C25B: ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR (anodic or cathodic protection C23F13/00; single-crystal growth C30B) ## Abstract A bipolar cell for a reactor for treatment of electrolyte such as waste water and effluent or for electrosynthesis comprises end electrodes and at least one bipolar electrode therebetween. The or each bipolar electrode comprises a diamond sheet. The cell includes a porous support structure, for example in the form of spacers, a lattice of plastic rods, or a woven mesh, between each end electrode and the adjacent diamond sheet, there being porous support structure between the or each pair of adjacent diamond sheets, the support structures acting to contact or support the or each diamond sheet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A bipolar cell for a reactor, the cell comprising end electrodes and at least one bipolar electrode therebetween, the or each bipolar electrode comprising a diamond sheet, the cell including a porous support structure between each end electrode and the adjacent diamond sheet and, where there is more than one diamond sheet, there being a porous support structure between the or each pair of adjacent diamond sheets, the support structures acting to contact and support the or each diamond sheet; the cell further comprising a cell body having a cylindrical bore to accommodate the at least one bipolar electrode, an array of holes forming an inlet to the cell body through which untreated effluent enters the cell and an array of holes forming an outlet from the cell body through which treated effluent exits the cell, the holes of inlet and outlet arrays of holes being substantially uniformly distributed across the full height of the cylindrical bore in the cell body in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the at least one bipolar electrode, the inlet and outlet being arranged such that effluent flow from the inlet to the outlet is evenly distributed and substantially parallel to the plane of the at least one bipolar electrode; wherein the porous support structure supports the or each diamond sheet at sufficient points to reduce the risk of a fracture in use; and wherein the porous support structure is configured to increase turbulence in the cell. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A bipolar cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein each support structure is resilient. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A bipolar cell as claimed in claim 2, wherein each support structure comprises a mesh or felt. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A bipolar cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein each support structure comprises a body perforated with through channels. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A bipolar cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein each support structure comprises a lattice of rods. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A bipolar cell as claimed in claim 5, wherein the lattice is arranged so that the rods are at an acute angle to the direction of flow through the cell. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A bipolar cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support structures have pores which decrease in size from the inlet to the outlet of the cell. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A bipolar cell for a reactor as claimed in claim 1, the cell further comprising a cassette comprising a plurality of diamond electrode sheets mounted spaced from one another in a stack, the cassette being mounted in the cell body by resilient means, the resilient means being arranged to resiliently absorb movement perpendicular to the electrode sheets. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) An electrode cell as claimed in claim 8, wherein the resilient means comprises at least one spring. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) An electrode cell as claimed in claim 8, wherein the electrode sheets are mounted together in the cassette by tie means. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) An electrode cell as claimed in claim 10, wherein the tie means comprises at least one rod through the stack of electrode sheets. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) An electrode cell as claimed in claim 11, wherein, where the electrode sheets are spaced apart by spacing means therebetween, the or each rod carries the or each spacing means. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell comprises a backing plate to make electrical contact with each end diamond electrode.