FR2640615A1 - Electrode for the treatment of liquids such as water, especially in swimming pools, and plants comprising at least one such electrode - Google Patents

Abstract

Electrode intended for a plant for continuous treatment of a liquid such as water with a view to its purification by in-situ emission of metal ions from electrodes immersed in a stream of this liquid and raised to different electrical potentials, and characterised in that it has at least one open housing 502 intended to receive a male plug 280 connected to an electrical conductor 230-231.

Description

ELECTRODE FOR TREATING LIQUIDS
SUCH AS WATER, ESPECIALLY POOLS,
AND INSTALLATIONS COMPRISING AT LEAST
SUCH AN ELECTRODE
The present invention relates to an electrophysical treatment of liquids by in situ emission of metal ions, generally copper and silver, particularly well suited to the water of public or private swimming pools, but this treatment is also applicable to milk with a view to its conservation and its consumption, to water intended for human or animal consumption, to the breeding of aquatic animals, to the obtaining of fertilizers, etc. However, to illustrate the invention, we will only retain here the only example of swimming pools.

 When creating a swimming pool, the determining elements are essentially immediate economic and aesthetic location, dimensions, choice of materials, colors, equipment, landscaped environment etc.

 It only takes a few days to realize that the main concern is monitoring and maintaining the quality of the water because it is constantly threatened: appearance of algae, troubles, unpleasant odors, without even mentioning the risks more serious due to bacteriological impurity.

 An open-air swimming pool has its water deeply affected by changes in season, temperature variations, rain, thunderstorms, a wind charged with dust and, which is less immediately noticeable, by the quality of the water. food which sometimes comes from far enough and which we do not always realize that it has physico-chemical & hanging characteristics due to various conditions: the natural river in which it is pumped at a variable level and drains with it more or less acidic or basic products, a thunderstorm rain occurring several hours or several days before changed its state and these are only a few of the most frequent examples. It is obvious that maintaining the qualities water is very difficult to achieve in practice because users of swimming pools are always very demanding and want to constantly have water not only sterile on the biological level but also pure, crista lline, soft, tasteless and odorless. Even in the event of prolonged absence, the user intends to have flawless water.

 The incoming water (feed water) is first filtered but the filters, generally sand filters, can only stop large impurities: particles of at least ten microns while viruses and bacteria measure at most three microns and often less than one micron.

Since they pass through the filters, they must be killed in order to sterilize the water before it is introduced into the pool.

 For this, we have known for a long time to use chemicals such as chlorine or bromine that we introduce into the water upstream of the swimming pool and, except for prolonged absence of the owner or maintenance personnel, it is theoretically possible to pay constant attention to the incoming water, analyze it and measure the parameters at all times to correct the chemical contributions accordingly by selecting various products and metering each one carefully.

 In reality, this constant monitoring is impossible to seriously consider and the minimum of monitoring, analysis and measurement is already considered tedious and painful.

 But, above all, the use of chemicals is less and less accepted, for the treatment of swimming pool water in particular, because it is felt as unnatural and, depending on the real or imaginary sensitivity of the users, it can be limit to inconvenience: bad taste, unpleasant odor, or cause more serious reactions: irritation of the skin, mucous membranes, eyes, allergies, deterioration of the hair, stomach upset, vomiting, etc.

In addition, the use of chemicals supposes the regular addition of more or less large doses but which, in any case, cause inevitable non-negligible expenses. It is estimated that in ten years maintenance costs equivalent to half the construction price. A small swimming pool 10 meters long and 5 meters wide requires maintenance in France which costs annually - 2,500 F if the water is treated with chlorine, - 3,940 F if the water is treated with a hexamethylene polymer
biguanide, - 4,000 F if the water is treated with bromine.

 In view of these drawbacks, it has already been thought of using other methods than the addition of chemicals.

 This is how an electrophysical process has been used for a few years by which metal ions, generally copper and silver, are dispersed in water. This process is the practical implementation of a phenomenon highlighted at the end of the 19th century, according to which minute quantities of metals have powerful effects on bacteria, algae and fungi. They are said to be "oligodynamic" (from "oligo", small and "dynamos", force).

 The electrophysical process consists in immersing two metal electrodes in water and bringing them to different electrical potentials in order to cause, by microscopic tearing, the emission of ions of the same metal as that of the electrode from which it originates.

 It is not necessary to describe here the physiological mechanisms involved because they are well known per se. It should only be remembered that the metal ions copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) cause the annihilation of bacteria, algae and fungi quickly and effectively when a certain concentration is reached and that one evaluates at approximately 0.2 to 1 PPM (part per million) for copper and 10 PPS (part per billion) for silver.

 Concretely, the water circuit of a basin such as a swimming pool is essentially a closed circuit with total or partial recycling of the extracted water. The supply of pure water comprises a complex inlet which will be described below, a movement pump, a filter and at least one inlet opening into the basin, generally below its surface but which can also be produced by falling , especially in the form of a waterfall for example. The arrival is said to be "complex" because it comprises at least three separate conduits: a conduit coming from a drain situated at the bottom of the basin, a conduit coming from at least one drain (generally called "skimmer") situated at the edge of the basin, in the manner of an overflow and a conduit coming from an external source.

 The electrophysical process is applied downstream of the pump and upstream of the filter to cause the flocculation of suspended matter, the retention of flocs by the filter and the destruction of microorganisms that create algae and mosses. On a conduit which connects these two organs, an ionization vessel is inserted in which are the electrodes which are "licked" by the moving water, which is charged with metal ions released under the effect of direct electric current low voltage leads to the electrodes by insulated wires connecting said electrodes to a power supply located in a housing.

Regardless of the material of which,
electrodes, they currently have a central rod
conductor immobilized in a central housing and which also serves as
permanent connection with an insulating plug, the connection between the rod
central unit and the power supply wire being through a
washer secured to the wire and fixed to the central rod by means of a
nut cooperating with a thread of said rod.

This set is complicated to handle because it takes
loosen the lock nut each time the electrode is changed and
that this nut is conductive and traversed by the current
power supply. As the ionization vessel is always located in
very humid environment, even really wet, these manipulations are
extremely dangerous and worrisome for an uninformed user
manual work. Naturally, it is recommended to open
the switch which controls the arrival of current at the installation,
but if the user forgets this precaution, he is subject to a
serious danger that low voltage alone cannot eliminate.

According to the present invention, any element is eliminated
conductive intermediate between the electrode and a removable connection plug.

 To this end, the subject of the invention is an electrode intended for an installation for the permanent treatment of a liquid such as water with a view to its purification by in situ emission of metal ions from electrodes immersed in a current of this liquid and brought to different electrical potentials, characterized in that it has at least one open housing intended to receive a male plug connected to an electrical conductor.

According to other characteristics of the invention - the contour of the electrode has polar symmetry with respect to
housing; - the electrode having an oblong shape, the housing opens in the axis
at least one of the ends of the electrode; - the upper part of each electrode is secured to a support
insulator intended to connect it to an ionization vessel; - each electrode has at least part of its surface
non-smooth exterior to be covered by part of the support
which is attached thereto, in particular by overmolding a synthetic material; - the support has on the one hand a lower sleeve fixed to the electrode
and the outer face of which is provided with a thread and, on the other
part, an upper part which is hollow according to an outline
corresponding to the external section of an operating tool ;; - the support - has a male annular upper part intended for
be covered by an elastic skirt of corresponding shape provided
around a male plug, on a tip attached to a conductor
electric connected to the plug; - the ionization vessel has, for each electrode, an orifice
surmounted by a collar intended to be covered by a cap
elastic that the electrode holder has.

 The invention will be better understood from the detailed description below made with reference to the accompanying drawing. Of course, the description and the drawing are given only by way of an indicative and nonlimiting example.

 Figure 1 is a partial schematic view showing the constitution of an electrode according to the invention.

 Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of an ionization vessel according to the invention with an electrode according to the invention in place and another in the process of setting up and connection.

 Referring to Figure 1, we see an electrode 500 according to the invention assumed to be oblong and cylindrical. It includes an upper part 501 of smaller diameter which is externally knurled to create a gripping surface whose usefulness will be explained later. In addition, it has a housing 502 which opens at one end of the electrode. We will see below that the depth of this housing 502 is indifferent so that it could be a central hole extending over the entire length of the electrode and, then, opening at its two ends.

 The electrode 500 also includes a support 503 made of insulating synthetic material, molded onto the upper part 501 so as to be made integral therewith. The knurling ensures that the support 503 is immobilized relative to the electrode 500 so that one cannot rotate relative to the other.

 In FIG. 2, it can be seen that, moreover, the electrical supply wires 230-231 have one end 230a and 231a stripped and fixed to a male plug 280, for example of the kind having two or three blades determined by a slot and arched transversely to give the plug a radial elasticity. These cards are often called "banana cards".

 The stripped end of the wire and a segment of its length as well as part of the male plug 280 are embedded in an overmolded insulating mass 281, as is known per se.

 To supply the electrode, it suffices to engage the male plug 280 in the housing 502 because it remains immobilized there by the friction generated by the radial elastic force of the plug. Any means giving the same effect is of course equivalent.

 So that the male plug 280 can penetrate into the housing 502 of the electrode 500, the support 503 has a central hole or passage 504 located above a lower sleeve 505 constituting the part of the sleeve 503 fixed to the bare electrode and externally provided with a screw thread, for example with trapezoidal section 506 intended to cooperate with a thread 507 provided inside a flange 508 surmounting an orifice 509 of the ionization vessel 214.

 To put the electrode in place on the ionization vessel, it is engaged through the orifice 509 and the base 503 is screwed using the thread 506 and the thread 507. Then, the male plug 280 is manipulated by manipulating no longer a conductive part but the insulating mass 281.

 To ensure effective immobilization of the plug 280 in the housing 502 of the electrode 500, the mass 281 has a skirt 282 which, by elastic deformation, covers an annular upper part 510 of the support 503. In addition, the skirt 282 surrounds a central part 511 molded onto the male plug 280 and which is placed with a slight tightening in the central hollow 512 of the annular part 510.

 To further perfect the retention of the male plug 280 in the housing 502 of the electrode 500, the support 503 has an elastic cap 514 which must cover the flange 508 of the ionization vessel.

 All the movements necessary for the placement and removal of the electrodes are simple movements which do not require the use of tools and which make it possible to grip only insulating parts.

 Nevertheless, provision has been made for the interior contour of the hollow 512 to be planar facets according to standards corresponding to the standard dimensions of a male tool such as a wrench 515 constituted by a rod with an angled polygonal section. In this way, the electrode is put into place in the orifice 509 of the ionization vessel 214, then the key 515 is engaged in the hollow 512 and the tightening of the screw thread 505 is carried out in the tapping 507 while serving as the key 515 and this connection is already sealed if the thread is correct and the trapezoidal shape of the screw thread contributes to this seal. This is completed by covering the flange 508 with the cap 514.

 Then, the male plug 280 is inserted into the hole 502 and the blocking is ensured by wedging the cap 514 on the flange 508, the skirt 282 on the annular part 510 and the central part 513 in the hollow 512.

Claims (8)

 1- Electrode intended for an installation for permanent treatment of a liquid such as water with a view to its purification by in situ emission of metal ions from electrodes immersed in a current of this liquid and brought to potentials different electrics, characterized in that it has at least one open housing (502) intended to receive a male plug (280) connected to an electric conductor (230-231).  2- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that  the contour of the electrode has polar symmetry with respect to the  housing (502).  3- Device according to claim 2, characterized in that  the electrode having an oblong shape, the housing (502) opens into  the axis of at least one of the ends of the electrode (500).  4- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that  the upper part (501) of each electrode (500) is integral with a  insulating support (503) intended to connect it to an ionization vessel (214).  5- Device according to claim 4, characterized in that  each electrode (500) has at least part of its surface  non-smooth exterior to be covered by a part (505) of the  support (503) attached thereto, in particular by overmolding a material  synthetic.  6- Device according to claim 4, characterized in that  the support (503) has on the one hand a lower sleeve (505) fixed to  the electrode (500) and the external face of which is provided with a thread  (506) and, on the other hand, an upper part (510) which is hollow  along a contour corresponding to the outside section of a tool  laborer (515).  7- Device according to claim 4, characterized in that  the support has a male annular upper part (510) intended  to be covered by an elastic skirt (282) of corresponding shape  provided around a male plug (280), on an end piece (281) integral  an electrical conductor 230-231) connected to the plug (280).  8- Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the ionization vessel (214) has, for each electrode (500), an orifice (509) surmounted by a flange (508) intended to be covered by an elastic cap (514) presented by the electrode support (503).