FR3027612A1 - MULTI-CONFIGURATION WATER DISINFECTING DEVICE USING AN ELECTROLYSIS CELL - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to the device used which makes it possible to carry out several disinfection operations from a single control system. It manages the electrolysis of a salt water of 2 to 6 g / I or of a brine of which the salt concentration is unknown because it has the means of measurements and dilution, whether it uses a standard cell or specific for the electrolysis of swimming pool water, to make it an inexpensive system. The device is intended for both the disinfection of a basin or a swimming pool, whether the water is temperate or cold, as well as water intended for human consumption, or water from a shellfish or fish farm. , than rain or river water collected and stored.

Description

The present invention relates to the device used to perform both the disinfection of a pool or a pool that the water is temperate or cold, water intended for human consumption, water from a shellfish or fish culture pond, rainwater or river water recovered and stored. The particularity of the invention is that the device used makes it possible to carry out several operations from a single control system, that it manages the electrolysis of a brine whose concentration is unknown, that it uses standard cells for the electrolysis of pool water to make it an inexpensive system. Figure for short N ° 8 Current state of the art The preservation of water quality is a social issue. The water quality to which this patent relates relates to water intended for human consumption, pond or pool water, breeding areas such as fish farms or shellfish farming. It is a water treatment system in general. Among the means used for water purification is the use of a membrane electrolysis whose chlorinated resultant is injected into the water to be potabilized, the use of ultraviolet to destroy bacteria or microbes after ultra-fine filtration to remove the algae, the use of ozone. Disinfection of bathing water, such as a swimming pool, uses chlorine, bleach, bromine, active oxygen, salt electrolysis, etc. Each of the processes having its advantages and disadvantages. With regard to the electrolysis of salt, the patent FR2976590 for example, describes a mode of operation which has many gaps. 1. The brine is electrolyzed but not known if it is saturated. Off, below saturation is to contact a brine partially electrolyzed with pool water which leads to overconsumption salt. Above saturation is overconsumption of electricity and lowering the concentration of hypochlorous acid. This system lacks this indispensable control. 2. The process of electrolysis of the brine is not easy to achieve. It involves very large currents particularly beyond a concentration of 15g of salt per liter and even more important beyond 30g of salt per liter. The saline concentration of the brine is not controlled it is a major and major defect that will damage the electrical equipment. The salt concentration of the brine is not specified, nor controlled, nor the temperature, which means that the electrolysis conditions of the brine are not good. 3. Because the salt concentration of the brine to be electrolyzed is unknown, the device requires careful attention to avoid overcurrent, and therefore can not be operated as is. 4. This patent makes use of a supply voltage too low so that this system has a low yield, losses are very important. 5. The patent refers to bipolar electrodes, but their "bipolar" characteristic is not exploited. 6. Redox potential setpoint is too low, because system performance is low. We will see later that the redox setpoint must be around 650 mV. 7. It is the basin that receives the electrolyte that must have its pH corrected and not the other way around. These are problems that must be overcome in turn. This will be explained later in the patent. With regard to the electrolysis of salt in a pool or pool, it is generally accepted that the pH of the water must be between 7 and 7.4 in order to optimize oxidation-reduction reactions. which destroy algae, microbes and bacteria. In fact, with the electrolysis of salt without stabilizer, it is better to focus on the redox potential, a true image of the disinfecting quality of the water. Water is considered of quality when the measured redox potential is 650 mV. In the laboratory, it has been shown that in this case the water is disinfected and disinfected. In the case of swimming pools, the addition of chlorine or bleach is generally based on a redox potential guideline, although other measurement systems such as colorimetry are used. The latter is not very affordable for an individual because of price and maintenance. On the other hand, the stabilizer opening lowers this potential very considerably, so that a 650mV setpoint can only be reached with large quantities of active chlorine, making the bathing environment detrimental if the amount of stabilizer is too important. If the redox potential setpoint is of this order, it should only be recommended for a stabilizer amount close to 15 mg per liter. Experience shows that a pool or a pond does not need stabilizer, it is only necessary to have a suitable operating mode to maintain a Redox potential close to 650mV. Another use of the redox potential is that it has been repeatedly shown that the redox potential is an image of the quality of the environment that allows the favorable biological activity to develop under ideal conditions. The most classic example is that of the aquarium. The lower the redox potential, the more pathogenic or life-threatening organisms develop. The breeding of fish or crustaceans in seawater is also a remarkable example. The lower the redox potential, the more farmed fish or crustaceans are weakened. If the redox potential is restored to a level similar to unpolluted seawater, which is of an average value of 450mV, by oxidizing the sludge at the bottom of the water, the breeding does not require more plethora of treatment. Measurement of the redox potential then becomes a simple and fast means of control. References of the existing patents which refer to the invention: FR2656006 / FR2976590 / EP0909739 / W02009007691 / W00118279 / W001100005 / W009300460 / EP1728768 I FR2888837 / W02006055361 / W0011 / 8279 I W003055806 I W003055806 / EP0063420 / EP0686709 / W09951332 / W02010 / 0111989 / W02006 / 015071 I W02007092172 / US4596648 I WO2005US (40) 538 20051109 / FR2576325 / WO2004108613 / WO2005009906 / WO2007092754 / WO003055806. With respect to a swimming pool or bathing pond, conventionally, a water treatment system includes a pump that draws water at one or more points and delivers it at one or more points. This water circuit is interfaced by any filtration, whether sand, glass ball, cartridge or any other system. The quality of the disinfection is undoubtedly dependent on the quality of the filtration. On the filtration circuit is assistant or associated any disinfection system. The filtration system makes it possible to recover plant leaves, certain dust, pollen, insects, hair and other elements that are often found in ponds and which promote the proliferation of algae, microbes and bacteria . The more the filtration is of quality, ie fine, the fewer molecules in the water that can serve as a substrate for the development of microorganisms or algae. The water that comes out of the filtration system and is reintroduced into the pool by the pipeline must receive sterilization treatment otherwise, after a few days or even hours, the water becomes milky or green or red or blue, colors that are evidence that algae, microbes and bacteria have proliferated. Users will not be able to swim without risk. To improve the water treatment of a pond or swimming pool, a chemical treatment is added, usually chlorine, but it has many other processes. This treatment is automated or not.

When it is automated, chlorine or bleach are used more often. In the water treatment system of a swimming pool described above: - one or more chlorine concentration sensors positioned in or on the pipe - a dosing pump, positioned on the return, which will inject the disinfectant product depending on the set point for the chlorine concentration.

The Department of Medico-Social Actions (DIDAMS) recommends for public pools that the amount of chlorine be between 1.5 and 2.5 ppm when there is stabilizer and free chlorine between 0.5 and 1.5 ppm when there is no stabilizer. When there is stabilizer, chlorine is a disinfection system that may be insufficient. The stabilizer slows down the oxidation reactions, so that contact times of several hours, or even 24 to 48 hours, are required to destroy a pathogenic organism. There is also the reaction with nitrogen products from bathers which results in chloramines irritating to the skin and eyes of bathers, especially as the pH is more often close to 8 rather than 7. The storage of chlorine is otherwise delicate and the action diminished as a function of the time from which it was stored. This is why, in private pools, the principle of salt electrolysis has been introduced. An effective process producing an abundance of hypochlorous acid when the pH is below 7.5 otherwise sodium hypochlorite. The oxidation-reduction reactions are so powerful in the electrolysis chamber that the efficiency is remarkable when the system is well dimensioned, mainly when the salt water of the pool is devoid of stabilizer. So that there is no smell, no irritation, and that the water is both sterilized and sterilizing because loaded with hypochlorous acid or hypochlorite soda. The disadvantage of the electrolysis of salt is that it can not work without prejudice to the electrolysis cell when the water is cold or when the amount of salt is too low. The invention aims to implement the methods associated with the device to overcome this disadvantage. Unless you use an extremely expensive specific coating on titanium, which is very expensive to use, the characteristics of the electrolysis cell deteriorate rapidly when the temperature decreases and mainly when the water becomes cold to very cold . This degradation accelerates its aging. So that a winter use is not possible without irreversibly affecting the life of the electrolysis cell, cell whose replacement eventually represent a very high cost. That is why, in winter, it is necessary to make use of a chemical agent which will replace the action of the salt chlorinator, if not to operate the electrolyser at idle. This idle mode, however, remains destructive for the electrolysis cell. Regarding the disinfection of a pool of water to maintain drinking or potabilizing, there are several methods of disinfection. The one that best satisfies the cost and efficiency is to chlorinate the water. Ozone also remains a very efficient process. But can the ozone process be applied quickly and in all regions of the world? So just make sodium hypochlorite from a common salt. The object of the invention is therefore to use the salt chlorinator dedicated to the pool to make it an all-in-one device, ie that can be used for the pool also for potabilizing water. Potabilization will be done in two ways.

Either by direct injection of sodium hypochlorite into the water circuit, or the water circuit passes through a buffer tank, which has a redox potential maintained at a value sufficient for real disinfection. The mixture becomes homogeneous, as is the oxidation. At the exit, the disinfection will be carried out and will continue throughout the circuit. It's the best solution. Here is an example application, figure 5, for a country in tropical zone where the water is taken in a river or a river and then poured into a basin. If the water is very heavy, there may be two basins. One is upstream (501-502-504). The first one recovers the sludge, the water will be in decantation. It can even be seeded with specific vegetation (502). Slightly below, via suitable piping (503 and 505), the second basin (506) recovers the roughly filtered water.

On the bottom of this basin (506), there is a layer of sand with a minimum thickness of 50 cm in order to retain the cysts. The water is sucked by a pump through a perforated pipe. If there is a pH correction, it is at this point that it must be done with respect to the pH of the exchange tank. The recovered water passes through a fine stainless steel sieve or other filtration system. The first of a filtration fineness of 15 to 20 microns, the second of 5 microns, arranged to minimize maintenance. So far the costs are minimized for a relatively high amount of water. With the aid of a suction pump, this water is then discharged into a reservoir in which the redox potential and the brine injection are measured. The destruction of parasites or microorganisms lasts only a few seconds for a redox potential of 650mV. This time is reduced even more if the potential rises a little, while being less than 720mV to preserve the qualities of water to drink. Residual salt is a few milligrams per liter, the amount of free chlorine close to 0.3ring / liter. Before the water is discharged into the sterilization basin, a charcoal filter can be inserted to clean the water. The system is almost perfect for a low cost. This is a non-limiting example, where the most severe case was considered. The optimization would be to use diatoms, for a fineness of filtration of the order of one micron, after the 5 micron filter, but it turns out a little more expensive to use. As far as the electrolysis of salt is concerned, its disadvantage is, as we have written above, that if an electrolysis cell operates when the water is cold, it will deteriorate much more rapidly. This is why the invention proposes to adapt the electrolyzer so that it uses the cell in winter without deteriorating its qualities. But since the cell deteriorates when the water is cold, it is necessary to proceed in a different way. The object of the invention is therefore to convert a dedicated electrolyser to a salted pool water of 2 to 6 g per liter into an electrolyzer capable of electrolysing a brine and this with the same electrolysis cell.

Any electrolysis cell may be used, but for reasons of efficiency and efficiency, the electrolysis cell may be designed in a different manner, which will be defined by the invention. To date there is no all-in-one device that has the ability to use an existing system that both disinfect the pool water in summer in a traditional mode of operation, that is to say a salt water pool at a rate of 2g to 6g / I, and in a winter mode where it is a brine that is used, and in this mode sterilize a stored water that will be used to fill the pool, just like a pool of water. fish farming. It is to fill this gap that this process has been developed. The use of the device releases a little salt, but the residual quantity proportional to the volume is very low, from a few milligrams to a few tens of milligrams per liter, because the device uses optimization methods. As the water is renewed for washing the filter, the residual salt remains very low, very largely below the gram per liter after one year of use. Since the device is able to perform this function, it can, if a user desires, perform this function permanently, so that the pool can be disinfected without salt in the pool. For what could be considered a disadvantage with regard to salt electrolysis is that the water in the pool should contain 2.5 to 6 g of salt per liter. This represents a significant amount of salt to introduce and maintain in this proportion. Other systems have emerged to produce hypochlorite with a small amount of salt. The major disadvantage of these and the low life of an electrolysis cell and especially its replacement cost. Therefore, in order to extend the life of a standard electrolysis cell, so as not to use as much salt, in order to minimize costs, various methods are applied around the device used in this patent. An immediate benefit for a pool or pool that does not appear to a neophyte is as follows. If evening and morning, a so-called "shock" chlorination is carried out, that is to say that the redox potential is brought punctually to a value of more than 700 mv, even 750mV, the water is sterile morning and evening. The ideal is that she be sterile in the evening, knowing that she was polluted during the day. The operating time can be thus divided by 2. Sue pH is less than 7.4 it will be with a small amount of oxidizing agents. One of the methods consists in correcting the power supply system of the electrolysis cell in order to electrolyze not only the saline water of the pool basin, but also to electrolyze a brine whose salt concentration can reach 60 g per liter or more. However, the experiment allows to define what one could call an optimal operating window. That is, conditions of temperature and concentration of the brine, for which the yield is optimal. These conditions are a temperature between 10 and 25 ° C, a salt concentration of the brine between 25 and 35g / l. For the same temperature, to the left of the ideal window we have 15-25g of salt per liter and on the right a series of values which requires a specific mode of operation. The invention incorporates this feature, and this is the reason why the electrolyser can handle an additional metering pump. The sodium hypochlorite obtained by electrolysis of the brine will be released either with a teflon membrane metering pump or because the contents of the cell will be renewed after electrolysis. What will be explained later. Since a standard electrolysis cell can work very well with a high salt concentration, the invention makes it possible to use the same electrolysis cell in two different ways: either in its normal mode, ie in a salt concentration. from 2.5 to 6g / liter is in a specific mode that consists of electrolysing a brine. This latter method also makes it possible to disinfect in winter, which can not be done with a standard electrolysis cell without a rapid deterioration of said cell.

Since the invention manages the salt concentration of the brine according to demand, it optimizes the energy efficiency, and defines the electrolysis time required for the electrolysis to be performed with a minimum of current to obtain a maximum concentration of hypochlorous acid. and optimal in sodium hypochlorite. The method can be applied to the disinfection of a water reservoir such as that of a well which serves to feed the pool of the pool, to. a pool, or any tank that contains water to drink. Optimization of the cell Although it is possible to use any cell, there is the possibility of optimizing the production and also the life of the electrolysis cell. Why the shelf life? For identical production, two times less power will be needed and therefore a lifetime twice as long. On a strictly functional level, with equivalent production, the cell is requested twice as long. What we will discuss. When it comes to electrolysing brine, with a concentration between 15 and 60g of salt per liter, the resistivity of the water is very low.

As soon as the anode and cathode voltages are exceeded, the current can be very strong for a low voltage. By intercalating an electrode, the potential required for electrolysis will be higher by about 2.2 volts. Figure 1 is an electrolysis cell consisting of 3 dipoles. The dipoles are as follows: (11-12-13); (12-15-14); (15-17-16). The dipoles are connected and powered (V + and V-).

Note: The number of dipoles is not limited. We will consider 2 examples with a single dipole. Example 1. A cell consisting of only 2 electrodes (11, 12) without intermediate electrode (13), powered by a generator that provides a current of 10 amperes / dm2 with a potential difference of 4.2 volts. It will generate about 10g of chlorine equivalent for 42 watts (not counting the copper and rectification losses). Example 2. A generator provides an identical current. In this cell there is an intermediate electrode (13), called a bipolar electrode. An electrode is bipolar, when in operation, this electrode can, on one side, adopt a positive polarity and on the other side, adopt a negative polarity. And this alternately according to the polarity of the power supply between the terminals 11 and 12 of FIG. 1. That is to say that V + becomes V- and V- becomes V +. The bipolarity of 13,14 and 16 is active and real and exploited. With a voltage of 6.2 volts and a current of 10 amperes / dm2, the cell will provide the equivalent of 20g of free chlorine, according to the law of ampere, for a consumed power of 62 watts (not counting the losses copper and recovery). It is easy to see that the energy efficiency is much higher and that it is possible to achieve optimal performance depending on the power consumed. It seems that it is possible to improve very significantly the performance by intercalating many electrodes between the electrodes 11 and 12. But the reality is quite different, because beyond 3 electrodes in a dipole, the performance in terms of production decreases dramatically. It is true, however, that one can find a satisfactory adequacy involving more than 3 electrodes. But these are the choices that come into play: cost of production, production of hypochlorite, time for good electrolysis, instability. When a dipole consisting of 3 electrodes is fed, there is still a possibility of improvement.

When the brine is electrolyzed in a cell, it is essential that there is a maximum of anodic reaction with the mixture to be electrolyzed and a slight movement of the electrolyte. The movement is done naturally thanks to the gas bubbles that are generated. In order to improve anodic exchange and movement, an electrolysis cell must have a specific arrangement of its electrodes. The cell is both composed of flat and solid electrodes and grid electrodes. The bipolar electrode is preferably solid for either hypochlorous acid and not oxygen which is manufactured. In FIG. 1 the electrodes (11, 12, 13) are respectively 3 titanium electrodes coated with noble metals. 11 and 12 are grids, 13 is a so-called bipolar electrode consisting of a solid plate and interfaced to improve the efficiency and minimize the current flowing between 11 and 12. The anode exchange is optimized. There is competition with the formation of oxygen according to one of the two following competing reactions: - formation of oxygen: H20 -> 1/2 02 ± 2H + + 2e- - formation of hypochlorite: Cl- + H20 - > C10- + 2H + + 2e- If the current is> 3A / dm2, hypochlorite is formed rather than oxygen and the higher the current, the higher the hypochlorite concentration. Operation can be improved by returning the electrolyte to the inlet, but only for high salt concentrations of the brine. The experiment and the measurements define a threshold beyond which it is no more useful to continue an electrolysis. The amount of active chlorine obtained from a clean brine with a concentration of 30 g / l and a current of 10 A / dm 2 is about 1/4 of the salt mass. The concentration to be maintained in the window 25-35g / I. For example, a hydraulic circuit consisting of an electrolysis cell consisting of 3 dipoles and the external piping, all having a capacity of 1 liter. This circuit is filled with a water saturated with 30g of salt per liter; with a current of 10A for electrolysis, this will provide about 7.5 g of active chlorine after about 20 minutes. The production is about 20g / h. If the electrodes have an anode surface of 1dnn2, the current required will be 30A / h and the output will be 60g / h. To make the application compatible both for a pool that contains 2.5 to 6 g of salt per liter and for the electrolysis of a brine, in addition to the characteristics of the cell and the circuit, the electronics must be provided with a suitable diet and a control of saline concentration. Before talking about salt concentration control, let's talk about the power system. The latter must allow the use of the electrolysis cell in its "normal" mode and also in the "electrolysis of a brine" mode without significant financial cost. During the electrolysis of the brine, to minimize errors, the supply voltage of the cell must be greater than 6 volts, value below which we introduce significant errors due to the anode and cathode potentials and of the voltage-current curve associated with it. The cathode and the anode behave a little like a diode. It is important to work beyond the elbow.

Reason why do not work with too low a voltage. For reasons of simplicity, the voltage will be fixed, the average management of the mos transistor current. The power supply consists of a toroidal transformer whose primary is 0-230v for a 12-0-12 mid-point secondary. On the primary are added two windings Figure 6, to have a primary input voltage 0-230-325-445, and therefore to obtain on the secondary 12-0-12 to 6.2-0- 6.2 passing through 8.5volts. On the secondary, two schottky diodes will perform the recovery. This 6.2 volt AC voltage is chosen for optimum operation, but can be chosen for values between 4.5 and 9 volts. Two relays controlled by the electrolyser will perform the necessary switching to the primary. Thus, the electrolyser will have 3 fixed rectified voltages. The management of the average current will be in accordance with the patent FR2908138. This arrangement of use of the transformer, the schottky diodes, the management of the average current by eliminating pairs of alternations will make it possible to obtain a high efficiency without any negative effect on the transformer. The patent US06632347 controls the salinity by the flow and a conductivity probe, while this patent does it using the current. Comment Figure 3. To achieve control of the salt concentration, the cell (300) must initially be filled with neutral water via the solenoid valve (36). At initialization, the solenoid valves (36) and (37) are open, the metering pump (34) is OFF. The water enters the cell (300) and rinses it. The starting point is defined, the cell is filled with a so-called neutral water. This is the prerequisite for operation. Then, the solenoid valve (36) is closed, a diaphragm metering pump (34) injects into the electrolysis cell a brine saturated with salt. This is achieved because a reservoir (33) is filled with salt and water (30) fills it via a solenoid valve (31) to a high level (32). The high level sensor cuts off the supply of solenoid valve 31. The level is maintained. In the event of a fault, the water will drain to the sewer by 35. It is the supervisor who manages the opening and closing of the valves as well as the activity of the metering pump. 301 and 302 are mentioned to indicate that there is a possibility of optimization which consists in stirring the electrolyte, that is to say to take in 302 and reinject in 301, using a metering pump. Incidentally, a motorized propeller can stir the mixture contained in 33, thereby increasing the salt concentration. For private use this is not necessary. In order to obtain an optimal amount of hypochlorous acid during electrolysis, the chloride concentration will be at most 30 g / l of NaCl. To do this, the saturated brine is taken from the bottom of the tank 33 via the dosing pump 34. The electrolyser may or may not handle the filling. When the salt-saturated water is injected into the electrolysis cell using the dosing pump, the soft, lighter water is pushed towards the outlet. The activity is in non-volatile memory type Eeprom. This makes the electrolyser always know where he stopped. The concentration of the stored brine is unknown but can reach 200g / l. Consequently, the injection of brine into the electrolysis cell takes place by way of a step. Before we continue, let's talk about the cells. There are several types of cells. In Figure 7, there are 4 types of cells among others.

For the purpose of optimization, we will use either the model 71 or the model 73. Although the cells can be oriented horizontally, for the purpose of optimization, the cells will be oriented vertically. To describe the operation, we will take as an example the model 71. In 704 there is a plug. Then there are several ways to proceed but the one that is optimal is to inject the brine in 705. Let's go back to the operating process. As and when filling to 301, the electrolysis cell is supplied with current, until the current corresponding to the surface of a dipole (10A / dm2) is sufficient. The supervisor will have to be parameterized according to the surface of this dipole. In order to follow the evolution of the current, the supply is first made by switching the relay to the 0-230v input, then the relay switches to the 0-325 input and then to the 0-445v input. As the water resistance decreases significantly depending on the salt concentration of the brine, it allows to inject the necessary current without overcurrent. When the current reaches 10A / drin2 and by dipole, the salt concentration will be higher in the zone 301, on the bottom of the cell. When the corresponding current is reached, there can very well be a salt concentration of 60g per liter on the lower half of the cell and zero or almost on the top. There are two possible actions: let the natural stirring be carried out thanks to the gas bubbles for a simple installation, and for a more efficient installation perform the stirring of the electrolyte with the aid of a dosing pump which takes in 302 ( 704 figure 7) to reinject it in 301 (705 figure 7), see also figure 2. The interest of the movement with the aid of the dosing pump, is that the concentration can be ideal and homogeneous and that the wear of the electrodes will be more homogeneous. The injected current will determine the concentration. If this is insufficient after this mixing, for the next electrolysis, the supervisor may proceed with one or more additional brine injections. Soon, the ideal concentration will be reached. If there is no metering pump between 301 and 302 Figure 3, in the interest of the cell, so that the same zone is not always solicited early electrolysis, during the first two minutes or so , the current is injected per period. A period consists of a time t1 corresponding to the supply of the cell, followed by a time t2 corresponding to a pause. Electrolysis produces gas that will stir the mixture.

As the mixture becomes homogeneous, normal electrolysis can begin. If one does not operate in this way, in terms, the electrolyte concentration measurement operations will be distorted. The time of the electrolysis will be defined according to the volume of the circuit and the current used for the electrolysis. This will depend on the cell type and the number of dipoles. The current will have to be determined by configuration and managed, that is where the average current management comes in. Once the electrolysis is complete, the neutral water solenoid valve is opened in order to empty part of the water from the cell to the pond, depending on the redox potential of said basin or in a specific reservoir. If the device is not slaved to filtration, it is necessary to have a flow sensor 309 on the filtration circuit, it will inform the supervisor so that there is no injection when filtration does not work. . Figure 8 shows how the configuration of Figure 3 can be improved for more complete supervision. This is the complete summer-winter system, the usual bypass is not represented. It differs very little from a standard electrolysis system. It has the particularity of ensuring the maintenance of the water level in the pool or swimming pool, as well as maintaining the salinity of the water. In summer, the electrolysis of water containing 2.5 to 6g of salt per liter, is carried out according to the usual process, ie electrolysis of the pool water. The measurement of the salinity takes place a few minutes after the polarity inversion of the electrodes, when the cell has been descaled. The current flowing in the cell will be at its maximum. Since the supply voltage is known and sufficiently high to exceed the non-linear characteristics of the anodes and cathodes, the measurement of the current will be representative of the resistivity of the water and therefore the salinity. The other components of the water introduce an error which remains low compared to the 3g to 5g of salt per liter which are required. Before the polarity reversal, the power is turned off. If the salinity is too low, the supervisor actuates the dosing pump 34 to inject brine. The operating time of this pump will depend on its flow without this time exceeds about 15 minutes to not disrupt disinfection. Then, the supervisor will flush the cell by actuating the solenoid valve 36 or 307. The decrescendo of activity of the pump 309 inform the supervisor to proceed or not to electrolysis. As regards the level of the water, detected at 39, it is the solenoid valve 36 which will be open. In summer the solenoid valve 307 is open, the filling of the pool can be done at any time. The temperature sensor 308 will indicate if the water becomes cold. From 12 ° C, the supervisor will no longer electrolysis of the pool water, but the electrolysis of the brine. In this case, the solenoid valve 307 will be closed during the electrolysis period of the brine. The procedure will be the following. The cell is already filled with neutral water via the circuit 303 which has been closed. The solenoid valve (36) is closed, the metering pump (34) injects the saturated salt salt into the electrolysis cell. As filling takes place, the electrolysis cell is supplied with current until the current corresponding to the surface of a dipole is sufficient. See the comment on Figure 3 because the process is then the same. Added the ability to measure the temperature of the brine and warm it if necessary. It is easy to see that the process put in place for the winter, leads to a device that can be active all year and allows to refrain from salt in the pool. As a result, the device performs several actions from a single configuration. Explanation Figure 4 The electrolysis process is the same as that defined above. Once the electrolysis of the brine carried out by the cell, at this stage, the water can just as easily be emptied into a reservoir, where an electropump will come to draw from it to inject it into a basin according to the redox potential. said basin. To do this, the electrolyser has a level detection 42 of the storage tank.

The solenoid valve 37 is used for degassing, a gas that can bubble into the hypochlorous acid contained in the tank 40. 41 Will be used to degass also. 42 is a high level detector indicating that it is no longer necessary to electrolyze the brine. The information is sent to the supervisor. 44 is the low level detector, information sent at 45. This will stop the metering pump 48 so that it does not defuse. This dosing pump is equipped with a redox reading. However redox reading can be assumed by the supervisor. When the electrolysis has been carried out, the solenoid valve 37 and 41 are open, 36 closed. The metering pump 47 fills the tank 40 where the hypochlorous acid is stored. The level detector 49 informs the supervisor that the electrolysis cell is almost empty, the metering pump 47 is stopped, the solenoid valve 36 is open. The emptying of the cell takes place, it fills with neutral water. This is to maintain a high concentration of 40. The water used for brine can be limestone. It is therefore necessary to provide a reverse polarity. This will be done equally on each dipole.

The patent FR2656006A1 uses corrodable stainless steel plates, and recommends a polarity inversion of 5 minutes considering it sufficient. In addition to the fact that stainless steel is easily corroded as soon as there is electrolysis, that it will leave the metal residues in the water, the main fault is that this inversion of short polarity very significantly reduces the service life of the metal. titanium electrode coated with precious metals. Unlike this patent, the polarity inversion will be 3h, or even slightly less if necessary, up to 24 hours or more depending on the hardness of the water, which increases the life of the electrodes by 2 to 4 or more. This method included in the invention is a considerable improvement over the patent cited above. In addition, all the disadvantages of the stainless steel electrode disappear. It is clearly seen that if the so-called neutral water is softened water, the inversion of polarity may be widely spaced, and therefore a very large profitability obtained because ultra-low wear of the electrodes will take place. Electrodes with a lifetime of 10000h for a current and a given surface can easily reach 60,000h or more. Potabilization of water.

In order to make drinking safe and not unpleasant to drink, there are two ways to solve the problem. Consider that a water containing 0.5 to 1.5 mg of free chlorine is arbitrarily defined as drinking, or consider that an organism can not live and develop if the redox potential of water is greater or equal to 650 mVolts. It should be remembered here that the redox potential is the image of the oxidizing power of water, ie the ability to give off destructive electrons, especially when the pH is below 7.5. This redox potential can be reached with a concentration of 0.3 mg / l of active chlorine, or even less, which leaves no taste for water. The experiments carried out internally and by those of many laboratories make it possible to define parameters beyond which no life can develop.

Some cysts may be able to withstand a few hours under defined conditions of redox potential, but if fine filtration is applied, these cysts will not be present. Therefore, as soon as a fine filtration is applied, a redox potential will be the reference to the oxidizing capacity of a medium, and consequently to the disinfecting quality of the water.

It will be remembered that Professor Vincent will refer for a long time to 3 parameters that determine the quality of water, the redox potential being one of them. Process implemented The material is the same, is added according to the volume a buffer tank. The electrolysed brine loaded with hypochlorite ions is available from a metering pump which is controlled by the electrolyser. This is the application of Figure 4. The methods around the device are not limited. Figure 4 serving as an example of application of the device. The setpoint of the redox potential is higher for reasons of efficiency. The filtered water to be treated passes into this buffer tank, and when the redox potential reaches a setpoint lower than 650mV there is injection. Two instructions can be used: 650nnV and 680nnV. The first where injection begins, the second stop. However, it should be provided that the instructions can be slightly higher or slightly lower. Hence the need to allow a user to set these instructions. The simplest is to offer a choice between several instructions such as: 620- 650mV; 650-680 mV; 680-720mV; 720-750mV. The flow can be strong, but passing through the buffer tank, the mixture will be homogeneous, and after a few seconds there will be destruction of microorganisms even if it continues to be done in the piping. Basin for shellfish farming or fish farming. Shellfish are highly sensitive to pollution mainly seabed and mud movements during storms such as Leucate for example. In fish farming there is a weakening of farmed fish for the same reasons, with consequent significant consumption of products for the treatment or prevention of diseases. The redox potential of a quality seawater is greater than 400 mVolts and close to 450 mVolts. The sludge that is on the breeding site can reach values below 200nnv or even 100 to 130 mVolts. The bacterial degradation is no longer the same, the reverse nitrogen cycle, there is more biological balance, a nauseating gas release; all this affects the quality of the surrounding water. The aquatic environment must always be oxidizing, that is to say, possess enough free oxygen, used in chemical reactions on the one hand and in biochemistry on the other hand. The oxidation of these sludges is the starting point for a modification of the colonizing bacteria, which is confirmed by the redox potential readings which find values higher than 350 mVolts. Of course, this modification is obtained only after several weeks. It is easy to imagine in a lake, at remote locations, areas where the redox potential would be maintained quite high and would be the guarantor of maintaining a biological balance. Hence the application of the invention to electrolyze seawater and inject it weakly near the sludge or remote islands. Although this appears to be an ideal or inexpensive solution, it is however wrong to electrolyze the bromine contained in the water, in which case, brominated toxic derivatives would appear, unless the area to be corrected is an area where the water is renewed. In which case, this compound is so diluted that it no longer has toxicity. Therefore, the electrolysis of refined salt brine is the best solution, even if it is more expensive than the electrolysis of seawater. However, the extra salt is offset by the health of the salt. molluscs or fish, the decrease in mortality, and the use of the products of treatments.

To carry out this operation, the system is used according to the mode corresponding to the potabilisation of the water, that is to say that the electrolyser performs the electrolysis of a brine and then pours it into a container from which a redox pump it draws. The brine electrolyser is therefore normally provided with the redox reading and the control of one or more pumps to achieve sludge oxidation in a gentle and progressive manner. The electrolysed brine is available in a tank. The electrolyser can handle the elevation of the redox potential. As it must be slow, it can modulate its production to slow it down or accelerate it according to the pre-programmed instructions. During the electrolysis of the brine, there is gas production, although in very small quantities it must be possible to eliminate without danger for an operator. The gas is taken from the high level of the electrolysis cell, but can also be taken from the lid of the storage tank. A Teflon diaphragm solenoid valve opens during electrolysis to let it escape into the circulating swimming pool or basin circuit, which will increase the quality of the disinfection. It is also possible that this gas passes into a bubbler and that the bubbler water is discharged to the sewer or the water of the pool pipe. Possible heating of the brine to be electrolyzed. Anodic reactions are improved when the water temperature is higher than 10 ° C, and optimal above 18 ° C. The water will heat up slowly as soon as the electrolysis reaction starts. The anode voltage and the current flowing will generate heat production. However, in order to optimize the life, it is possible to add a measurement of the water temperature of the brine, in order to proceed with its heating if necessary and maintain this temperature greater than or equal to 18 ° vs. Particular useful if the volume to be electrolyzed is important. The electrolyser, which is also the control cabinet, has the ability to adapt to different configurations. Then, some aspects may not be retained to simplify an installation. For use in an individual installation can be summarized in Figure 3 and for professional use, a configuration according to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a basic configuration and not limited.

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. Device for producing hypochlorous acid or sodium hypochlorite from a brine of unknown concentration of NaCl type salt consisting of: - a standard or specific electrolysis cell, intended for the treatment of water in general, - a supervisor who comprises control and control measuring means for defining operating parameters, - means for diluting the brine before electrolysis, - means for determining whether the water to be electrolyzed is cold and heating it, a means for controlling the electrolysis time to be carried out as a function of the concentration and the volume of the brine to be electrolyzed, a means of controlling the current in time and intensity to be applied, - one or more dosing pumps, - a set of solenoid valves, - a measurement system for measuring the ORP potential, the pH of the pool to be disinfected, the temperature of the circulating water, the temperature brine, - a system for injecting hypochlorous acid or sodium hypochlorite contained in the electrolysed brine, - a flow detector or pump activity for injecting during the activity of the circulation pump, - an electrolysed brine storage tank for large volume ponds, - level detectors 2. Device according to claim 1 comprising: - a solenoid valve for filling the brine container - a level set to limit the filling of the brine container - a level set to limit the filling of the electrolysed brine container - an overflow safety device to prevent overflow of the brine container - a metering pump for filling the brine to be electrolyzed - a solenoid valve controlled by the control system to dilute the brine to be electrolyzed - a gas evacuation solenoid valve during the electrolysis of the brine brine - a flow sensor to determine when a circulation pump is running and make a proper injection 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that an electronic control is integrated in the supervisor and in that this control electronics, which provides the current required for the electrolysis, is composed of three supply voltages. . 4. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that it uses a cell which contains noble metal electrodes whose intermediate electrode between cathode and anode in each dipole is a bipolar electrode and plane, cathode and anode being gate electrodes .Revendications 5. Process for producing hypochlorous acid or sodium hypochlorite from a brine of unknown concentration of NaCl type salt using the device according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that several different disinfection operations are carried out. can be done using a supervisor who fits into a filtration system to manage an electrolysis cell, whether existing or new, operations that are the disinfection of a pool or a pool filled with a salt water of 2.5 to 6g of salt in summer, to disinfect a swimming pool in winter by electrolysis of a brine, to disinfect the water of any basin using a brine of concentration unknown or any other operation relating to the disinfection of a pool or volume of water. 6. Method according to claim 5 which consists in that the supervisor automatically conforms to the context that is determined by the measuring means and the parameters, that it manages one or more dosing pumps one or more solenoid valves according to the chosen configuration. , from a simple configuration that is the electrolysis of salt water to a more elaborate configuration which consists in electrolysing a brine of unknown concentration in salt NaCl type ready to be injected or electrolysing a brine of unknown concentration salt type NaCl and store it in a tank to be injected. 7. Method according to one of claims 5 and 6 characterized in that measurements of the redox potential and pH of the water of the pool to be disinfected are performed by the supervisor before the latter proceeds to inject the brine. electrolyzed. 8. Method according to one of claims 5 to 7 characterized in that the supervisor automatically adapts the production of hypochlorous acid or sodium hypochlorite according to the water temperature, from the traditional mode of use to electrolysis mode brine to protect the cell when the water temperature is too low and in this case, control the temperature of the brine and proceeds to its heating if necessary. 9. Method according to one of claims 5 to 8 characterized in that it consists in emptying the electrolysis cell and then performs its filling in sequences, periodically feeds the cell in current to determine the concentration of the brine, performs the dilution or mixing of the brine to be electrolyzed if necessary. 10. Method according to one of claims 5 to 9 which consists in controlling and determining the saline concentration of the brine to be electrolyzed and applying the corresponding current and time to it to adapt to a brine concentration in salt. variable from 2.5 to over 60 g / I to optimize production.