CA1110999A - Water treating apparatus and methods - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An apparatus and method for treating fresh water by producing a magnetic field in proximity to a flow of such water within a water conduit having an electrically conductive portion connected electrically to earth. The magnetic field has north and south poles spaced apart in the direction of water flow, with its overall effective south magnetic polarity located upstream of its overall effective north magnetic polarity.

Description

.k9~

B~CKGROUNI~ OF THE INVENTION
~ lis inYention relates to a novel apparatus and method for t~e treatment oE fresh water, and more particularly to an a~paratus and method for softening such water by the production of a magnetic field adjacent to a flow thereof under specified conditions~
The principal water softenin~ processes in use today are the cold lime-soda process and the cation exchange process.
They involve chemical reaction and exchange, respec~ively, to remove chemicals which make water "hard". Consequently, certain chemicals are consumed by tihe processes on a continuous basis while others are collected, resulting in a considerable on-going expense of chemical supply and disposal. l~e purchase price and maintenance cost of the apparatus required are also considerable.
Several devices of which I am a~are have been proposed for the magnetic filtration or separation of metallic particles from liquids. These devices are disclosed in the following United States Patents:
Patent No nventor Issued 3,170,871 Saburo Miyata Moriya February 23, 1965 3,186,549 D. W. Botsti~er June 1, 1965 1 Patel-t_No. Inve~tor Issued

2 3,567,026 Henry H. Kolm March 2, 1971

3 ¦ 3,608,718 William ~1. Aubrey, Jr., et al September 2~, 1971

4 l 4,025,432 Jo~n J. Nolan & Peter G.
51 ~arston May 2~, 1977 61 f those, Kolm and Aubrey relate primarily to the removal of 71 metallic ore from a slurry, while the other three are directed ôl to the removal of metallic impurities from a fuel system or a 9¦ system of circulating fluid such as oil. The devices disclosed 10¦ there are not suited to the softening of water.
11¦ United States Patent No. 3,511,776, issued to Avampato, 12¦ discloses a method and device for removing ions from sea water 13¦ with the aid of applied ~agnetic ficlds. ~aCl alone can be re-14¦ moved thereby, or other salts can be removed as well to yield 15¦ "soft" water. Ihe sea water is passed through transparent pipes 16¦ where it is irradiated and subjected to magnetiC fielcls whose 17¦ poles are located essentially within a plane perpendicular to 18¦ the direction of water flow. A high concentration of ions is 19¦ thus produced, which ions are drawn to the outer annular regions 20¦ of flow adjacent the side walls of the pipes. Water having a 21¦ relatively low concentration of salts is then withdrawn from the 22¦ axial regions of the respective pipes. After several repetitlons 231 of this process, fresh water of the desired purity and softness 24 is obtained. This device is relatlvely complex and expensive for use in softening water.

27 SU~RY OF TH~ INVFNTION

29 The present inventlon relates to a novel method and a~paratus for the softening or other treatment of fr~sh water 31 by producing a magnetic field ln proximity to a flo~ of such 32 wat~r within a water conduit having an electrically conductive - . ~ . . ~

1 portion connected electrically to earth. The magnetic field 2 has north and south poles ~paced apart in the direction of water 3 flow, with its overall effective sou~h magnetic polarit~ locat~d 4 upstream of its overall effective north magnetic polarity. This orientation of the magnetic field ls critical to the sof~ening 6 operation.
7 The present invention can operate from the exterior of 8 a conventional electrically conductive water sup~ly pipc ~ithout 9 disrupting the continuity of the pipe. A device may be easily installed by attachment to the exterior of the pipe. Furthermore, ll there does not seem to be a problem with scale bui~dup within the 12 pipe because the device apparently does not extract chemicals 13 from the wate~ in the softcning process.
14 The prior art devices known to me are basically irrele-vant to an analysis of the present invention, and at any rate 16 do not teach the application of the particular magnetic field 17 required to soften water in this way. Most of the patents are 18 also silent on the existence of an electrically conductive conduit l9 portion connected to earth~
While not bound by any theory, it is believed that the 21 instant invention operat~s by supplying electrons from an electri-22 cal ground to the undesired cations in the water, causirlg the 23 cati~ns to be transformed into whole molecules. The whole mole-24 cules are, of course, more stable than the ions. Water in this state exhibits tlle properties of soft water despitc the fact that 26 the substances extracted by other soEtening processes are still 27 present. This is because tho~e substances in the form of ~hole 28 molecules are much more stable than their corresponding cations.
29 For example, they do not deposit out freely in pipes and on plumb-ing fixtures and do not interfere with the solubility and effec-31 tiveness of detergents and other productsO Furtherl~ore, they 32 are harmless from a health standpoint~

1 ~RI~' DE~CRII"rION OI__'r~lE DRAI~IIN~
2 l'he above and other eatures and objects of the inven-3 tion will bc better understood from the following detailed dcscrip-4 tlon of the typical embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:
6 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a w~tcr so~tenin~ system 7 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present in-8 vention, supplyin~ treated water to a building;
Fig. 2 i5 a perspective, exploded view of the water softening device included in the system o Fi~. l;
11 Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the device includ~d in 12 the system of ~ig. 1, taken along the vertical plane which in-13 cludes the a.Yls oL the pipe;
14 Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and ~6 Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a second em~odiment of 17 a device constructed in accordance with the teachings of the pre-18 sent invention, taken along a vertical plane that includes the 19 axis of the pipe.

21 DESCRIPTION O~ THE PREFERRED Æ~ODI~ENTS
22 Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, and 23 particularly Fig. 1, a water treatment device 10 embodying the 24 teaclings of the present invention is shown attached to the ex-terior surface of a water pipe 12. The pipe 12 is supplied by 26 a col~nercial water source 13 and feeds into a water distribution 27 system 14 within a building 15. The wat~r distribution system 28 14 compri~es a plurality of faucets and other outlets. Pipe 12 29 has an electrically conductive portion in contact with the flow of ~Jater therethrough, which portion is connected -to ground. In 31 the most common case where pipe 12 is made entirely of a conduc-32 tive material, such as steel, iron or copper, and the pipe is . . . . ... ~._._ . __ ... _ _ _ _ _ . . _.................... .. ..

1 underground as it approaches the building, the pipe itself can provil l~
2 the connection to ground. Otherwise, a ground wire 16 is required.
3 Fig. 2 illustrates the water treatment device 10, which structu re 4 includes a magnetic structure desiynated generally by the numeral 18

5 The structure 18 operates to produce the desired magnetic field in

6 proximity to the pipe 12. It comprises three similar flat permanent

7 nagnets 20 (desirably ceramic magnets) of rectangular cross-section, 81 ach with its magnetic poles located at opposite rectangular sides 9 22. The permanent magnets 20 are arranged with their side surfaces 10 22 in parallel planes disposed transversely of the axis 112 of the 11 pipe, and with similarly transverse flat pole members 24 laminated 12 therebetween. The pole members 24 are constructed of a ferromagneti 13 naterial exhibiting a low magnetic retentivi~y under the conditions 1~ encountered in its use in the instant invention, including the 15 nagnetic field applied thereto by the permanent magnets 20.
16 Specifically, the pole members 24 preferably have lower retentivity 17 than the permanent magnets 20. The poles of the outer magnets 18 are reversed from those of the inner magnet, causing the two side 19 surfaces 22 abutting a particular pole member 24 to be of like 20 magnetic polarity. This combination of the magnets 20 and the 21 pole members 24 may be cemented together or otherwise retained 22 in a laminated condition. The two pole members 24 are therefore 23 heavily magnetized and are of opposite polarity. Each of the pole 24 embers 24 has an extension 26 projecting downwardly from the 25 laminated region of the magnetic structure 18, with a partial 26 cylindrical recess 28 positioned about a common axis which is 27 erpendicular to the planes of the laminations. The recesses 28 28 re therefore able to engage the conventional water pipe 12 such 29 hat the outer surface 30 of the pipe is snugly received therein.
A relatively thin metallic strip 32 completes the magnetic 31 ircuit between the opposite poles at the two surfaces 22 nearest 32 he respective ends of the lamina-ted magnetic structure 18.

I ~ 3~

l The strip 32 is preferably constructed of a ferromagnetic 2 material which exhibits a lower magnetic retentivity than 3 the permanent magnets 20. A portion of strip 32 is coextensive with one of the side surfaces 22 and is cemen-ted or otherwise retained thereto. From there, strip 32 passeq over the top of 6 the structure 18 and over the other slde surface 22 where lt ls 7 similarly flxed in place. The segment of strip 32 which passes

8 ¦over the top of the structure 18 is spaced therefrom to avoid . magnetically short-circuiting the field of the pole members 24.
An insulative member 34 fills that space to prevent a magnetlc ll short circuit from attracted foreign partic~es. A thln coa~ing 12 36 of electrically insulative material covers the entire magnet~c 13 structure 18.
l~ The device described above can be seen to produce a magnetic field emanating from a pair of magnetic poles at members 16 24. The greatest magnetic flux density is adjacent the extensions 17 26 of pole mer~ers 24. A relatively strong constant magnetic 18 field i8 thu~ produced ad~acent the recesses 28 which receive pipe 12.
Re~erring now to Figs. 2 through 4, the magnetic etruc- ¦
21 ture 18 is shown installed on the pipe 12 in the orientation 22 which acts to soften water flowing therethrough in the direction 23 indicated. The pipe 12 is received within the recesses 28 such 24 that the pole member 24 which is magnetized to a south polarity is located upstream of the one n~gnetized to a north polarity.
26 The operative portlon 18 is protected from moisture and foreign 27 matter and is held onto the pipe 12 by a two-piece interfitting 28 houslng 38. The houslng 38 has a lower half 40 with a square 29 base 42 and four vertical side walls 44. Two opposing side walls 44 are each provided with vertical slots 46 slightly wider than 31 the pipe 12 and extending down from the top edge of those walls.

32 The base of each slot 46 is semi-circular in shape to snugly re-l -6- \

9~9 1 ceive the pipe 12. l~e two side walls 44 which are not slotted 2 are provided at the top center of their outer surfaces with a 3 series of horizontal teeth 48 displaced a small distance verti- ¦
4 cally from each other. The ribs 48 are for the releasable en- ¦
gagement of the lower half 40 of housing 38 with the upper half 50 ¦
6 of that housing.
7 The upper half 50 has a square to~ 52 and four downwardly 8 extending vertical side walls 54. The upper half 50 is dimensioned g to receive the magnetic structure 18 such that the extensions 26 of pole members 24 pro;ect downwardly therefrom. The magnetic 11 structure 18 ls secured within the upper half 50 by a mass of 12 non-magnetic electrically insulative potting material 55 which 13 is moded in place therebetween in the region ad~acent the square 14 top 52. Two opposing side walls 54 are provided with semi-circular recesses 56 aligned with the recesses 28 of pole members 24 for 16 reception of the pipe 12. The other two side wall~ 54 are provid-17 ed on their inner surfaces with a series of horizontal teeth 58 18 for engagement with the teeth 48 described above.
19 The upper half 50 of the housing 38 is sufficiently large to fit partially over and thereby engage the lower half 40 21 of that housing. The housing 38 may therefore be assembled by 22 engaging the two halves about the pipe 12. The pipe 12 is re- ¦
23 ceived within the slots 46 of the lower half 40 and the recesses 24 56 of the upper half 50. The housing 38 is retained in this assembled condition by the frictional engagement of the outwardly 26 projecting teeth 48 with the inwardly pro~ecting teeth 58. If the 27 pi~e is made o~ a magnetically conductive material, the field 28 emanating from the pole members 24 aids in holding the magnetic 29 structure 18 against the pipe.
Fig. 5 illustrates a different embodiment oE the in-31 vention. It differs from~that described above principally in the 32 use of two simllar magnetic structures 60 and 62 rather than the ,1 I ~ ., 1 single magnetic structure 18 of Flgs. 2 through 4. ~he structure 2 60 ls identical to the structure 18, while the structure 62 di~-3 fers therefrom by the addition of a pair of opposing outward-pro-4 Jecting end flanges 64. The flanges 64 serve to locate the struc-ture 62 laterally within a somewhat enlarged upper half 66 of a 6 housiny 68, and to retain it vertically therein by frictional 7 engagement with a series of teeth 70 on the,interior wall of the 8 upper half 66.
9 ~ The magnetic structures 60 and 62 are located diametri-cally opposite one another about a pipe 72 which may be identical 11 to the pipe 12, with the overall effectlve south pole of each 12 structure upstream of its overall effective north pole, This con-13 figuration is used when additional magnetic field strength and 14 greater field uniformity is deslred.
The housings 38 and 68 may be made of any durable mater-16 ial, although a high grade of plastic is preferable due to its 17 moisture and corrosion resistive qualities. It is also non-mag-18 netic and will not interfere with the magnetic field created, 19 In operation, the water which flows within the pipes 21 12 and 72 past the location of the device 10 is exposed to the 22 overall effective magnetic field of the device, The water passes from a region of predominant south magnetic polarity to one of 23 predominant north magnetic poiarity, thus moving generally against the magnetic lines o force. This relationship between the water Z flow and the magnetic polarity has been found to be necessary to 6 the water so~tening operation o~ the device 10. It has also been 27 found that the instant invention will function only when the water 28 pipe 12 has its el~ctrically conductive portion in contact with 29 the flow of water and electrically connected to earth.

31 While certain specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed as typical, the invention is of course not limited 32 to thei partlcular torms, buO rather is appllcable broadly to _ ___.____ __ __ _ !

,.~1 l all such variations a~ fall within the scope of the appended 2 claims. As an example, lt is contemplated that an electromagnet 3 capable of producing the desired field nlay be used in place of ~ the permanent magnets ~escribed above with no loss of effective- ¦
ness. ~le only limltation would be that the devlce be located 6 near a source of electrical energy.

...9 11 .

2l `3 _g_ . . . . . .... __ _.. . . , __ _ . . __.... , , ... . ~ .... ....
'

Claims (16)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A device for treating fresh water flowing through a conduit comprising:
a first permanent magnet to be received at a side of the conduit and having north and south poles which are spaced apart in the direction of water flow through the conduit;
a second permanent magnet received at one axial side of the first permanent magnet and having north and south poles spaced apart in the direction of fluid flow, with the south pole of the second magnet facing axially toward the south pole of the first magnet;
a third permanent magnet located at a second axial side of said first magnet and having magnetic poles spaced apart in the direction of water flow, with the north pole of the third magnet facing axially toward the north pole of said first magnet;
a first ferromagnetic element received axially be-tween said first and second magnets and forming a net south pole projecting radially inwardly beyond said first and second magnets and toward the conduit and into close proxi-mity thereto; and a second ferromagnetic element received axially be-tween said first and third magnets and forming a net north pole projecting radially inwardly beyond said first and third magnets and into close proximity to said conduit; and a flux return path structure having two end portions received adjacent the north pole of said second magnet and the south pole of said third magnet and having a connector portion joining said end portions at a location spaced from the conduit.

2. A device as recited in claim 1, including an insulating material interposed radially between said connector portion of said flux return path structure and radially outer surfaces of the three magnets.

3. A device as recited in claim 1, including a housing element received about and containing said magnets and said ferromagnetic elements and said flux return path structure and having an open side at which said ferromag-natic elements are receivable in close proximity to the conduit.

4. A device as recited in claim 3, including a part receivable at said open side of said housing element with said conduit therebetween and movable toward said housing element, and means for securing said housing ele-ment and part together and about the conduit.

5. A device as recited in claim 3, including a part receivable at said open side of said housing element with said conduit therebetween and movable toward said housing element, and detenting means on said housing element and said part detenting them against separation as a result of movement of the housing element and part relatively toward one another and about the conduit.

6. A device as recited in claim 5, in which said part forms a second housing element having an open side facing toward said first mentioned housing element, said two housing elements being formed of non-conductive material and having walls with recesses for partially receiving and embracing opposite sides of said conduit, said two housing elements having resiliently deflectable wall portions with teeth forming said detenting means engageable with one another as a result of movement of the two housing elements toward one another to lock the housing elements against relative separation.

7. A device as recited in claim 1, in which said first and second ferromagnetic elements project radially inwardly farther than said end portions of said flux return path structure.

8. A device as recited in claim 1, in which there are no ferrmagnetic parts of said device other than said first and second ferromagnetic elements which project in-wardly as far as said first and second ferromagnetic ele-ments.

9. A water system including a device as recited in claim 1 applied to a conduit through which fresh water flows in a predetermined direction; said device being oriented to have said net south pole located upstream of said net north pole.

10. A water system including a device as recited in claim 1 applied to a conduit through which fresh water flows; said conduit having an electrically conductive por-tion connected electrically to earth.

11. A water system including a device as recited in claim 1 applied to a conduit through which fresh water flows in a predetermined direction; said conduit having an electrically conductive portion connected electrically to earth; said device being oriented to have said net south pole located upstream of said net north pole.

12. A water system as recited in claim 11, wherein said conduit is a water pipe and said ferromagnetic ele-ments engage the exterior surface of said pipe in a region where the surface is continuous and uninterrupted.

13. A water system as recited in claim 11, includ-ing a fresh water source supplying water to said conduit, and a water distribution system receiving water from the conduit.

14. A water system as recited in claim 1, wherein said ferromagnetic elements contain recesses for receiving portions of said conduit.

15. A device as recited in claim 1, including an insulating material interposed radially between said con-nector portion of said flux return path structure and radi-ally outer surfaces of the three magnets, said first and second ferromagnetic elements projecting radially inward-ly farther than said end portions of said flux return path structure, there being no ferromagnetic parts of said de-vice other than said first and second ferromagnetic ele-ments which project inwardly as far as said first and se-cond ferromagnetic elements, said first and second ferro-magnetic elements containing recesses for receiving por-tions of said conduit.

16. A device as recited in claim 15, including a housing of non-conductive material received about and con-taining said magnets and said ferromagnetic elements and said flux return path structure and said insulating mater-ial and having an open side at which said ferromagnetic elements are receivable in close proximity to the conduit.