GB2202765A

GB2202765A - Treating water to inhibit scale deposition

Info

Publication number: GB2202765A
Application number: GB08705796A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David William Ashbee; David Walker
Original assignee: LIFF IND Ltd
Current assignee: LIFF IND Ltd
Priority date: 1987-03-11
Filing date: 1987-03-11
Publication date: 1988-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 2007-03-11
Also published as: AU1399288A; WO1988007025A1; GB2202765B; EP0349552A1; GB8705796D0

Abstract

Apparatus (1) for conditioning water to inhibit scale deposition therefrom comprises a housing (2) having a water inlet at one end thereof and a water oulet at the opposite end thereof. An impeller (9) is rotatably mounted within the housing (2) along the longitudinal axis thereof, so that water flow through the housing serves to rotate the impeller. An electromagnetic coil (5) surrounds the housing and the impeller and serves to magnetize the impeller when activated. As the water flows through the apparatus it is subjected to a rotating magnetic field generated by the rotating magnetized impeller, and the water is thus conditioned.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO WATER~~~CONDITIONING WATER CONDITIONING The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for conditioning water, and particularly to such a method and apparatus which inhibits or prevents scale deposition from the water.

It is generally known that scale deposition is reduced by passing the water through a static magnetic field produced by the poles of one or more permanent magnets.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for conditioning water to inhibit scale deposition therefrom, the apparatus comprising a housing adapted for installation in a water flow system, a water inlet located at one end of said housing and a water outlet located at the opposite end of said housing, and means for generating a rotating magnetic field in the region between said inlet and outlet whereby water flowing through the region of the rotating magnetic field is conditioned.

Preferably, the means to generate the rotating magnetic field comprises an electromagnetic coil surrounding the outside of the housing and an impeller located along the longitudinal axis of the housing in the region of the coil and adapted for rotation about said axis, the impeller being made from magnetisable material whereby the passage of electrical current through the coil serves to magnetize the impeller, and the flow of water through the housing serves to rotate the impeller, thereby generating the rotating magnetic field.

Preferably, the impeller is welded between two shafts made of a non-magnetizable material, the free end of each shaft being rotatably mounted to a respective end portion of said housing.

Preferably, the impeller is made from iron having a low carbon content.

Preferably, the shafts are made from stainless steel.

Preferably, the electromagnetic coil is powered by DC, this being obtained from 240 volt mains AC by a transformer and rectifier included within the apparatus.

Preferably, a capacitor is also included between the rectifier and the coil to smooth the rectified current.

Preferably, the apparatus is enclosed within a steel casing.

According to the present invention there is further provided a method of conditioning water to inhibit scale deposition therefrom, the method comprising subjecting the water to a rotating magnetic field.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 is a cross-sectional view of apparatus according to the present invention, Fig 2 is a close-up view of the impeller and, Fig 3 shows details of the mounting arrangement at each end of the impeller.

Referring to the drawings, water conditioning apparatus 1 comprises a housing 2 which conveniently takes the form of a pipe having a water inlet 3 at one end and a water outlet 4 at the opposite end.

Located around the housing 2 in the central region thereof is an electromagnetic coil 5 which is powered by DC obtained from 240 volts mains AC via a transformer 6, rectifier 7, and capacitor 8.

Located within the housing 2 along the longitudinal axis thereof is an impeller 9 which is made from a magnetizable material, for example iron having a low carbon content. The impeller, which is of helical configuration, is welded between two shafts 10,11 of stainless steel, which shafts are each rotatably mounted on a respective end portion of the housing 2.

Water enters the housing through inlet 3, flows along the housing in the direction shown by the arrow A, past the impeller causing the latter to rotate, and leaves the housing via outlet 4.

In use, when the electromagnetic coil 5 is energised, a static magnetic field is generated in the region of the centre of the coil which serves to magnetize the impeller 9, and the rotation of the impeller under the action of the water flow creates a rotating magnetic field. This has the effect of inducing a like polarity in the water, causing the natural random polarity of the water to be altered to the same polarity, thus inhibiting particles in the water from coalescing and crystallizing.

Each shaft 10,11 has at its free end a stop 12 which is connected via a spacer 13 to a spring 14 which acts against a carbon face 15. A spindle 16 extends along the continued axis of the impeller 9 and has mounted thereon a ceramic face 17. The spindle 16 passes through a selfaligning bearing 18 which is enclosed between a bearing housing 19 and a housing end cap 20. The end cap 20 may include a breathing hole 21. The bearing housing 19 includes a threaded neck portion 22 which may be screwed into the end of the housing 2, which end is internally threaded to engage with the threaded portion 22 on the bearing housing 19.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Apparatus for conditioning water to inhibit scale deposition therefrom, the apparatus comprising a housing adapted for installation in a water flow system, a water inlet located at one end of said housing and a water outlet located at the opposite end of said housing, and means for generating a rotating magnetic field in the region between said inlets and outlets whereby water flowing through the region of the rotating magnetic field is conditioned.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means to generate the rotating magnetic field comprises an electromagnetic coil surrounding the outside of the housing and an impeller located along the longitudinal axis of the housing in the region of the coil and adapted for rotation about said axis, the impeller being made from magnetizable material whereby the passage of electrical current through the coil serves to magnetize the impeller, and the flow of water through the housing serves to rotate the impeller, thereby generating the rotating magnetic field.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the impeller is welded between two shafts made of a nonmagnetizable material, the free end of each shaft being rotatably mounted to a respective end portion of said housing.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3 in which the impeller is made from iron having a low carbon content.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the shafts are made from stainless steel.

6. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the electromagnetic coil is powered by DC obtained from mains AC by a transformer and rectifier included within the apparatus.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which a capacitor is also included between the rectifier and the coil to smooth the rectified current.

8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the whole apparatus is enclosed within a steel casing.

9. A method of conditioning water to inhibit scale deposition therefrom, the method comprising subjecting the water to a rotating magnetic field.

10. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A method according to Claim 9 and substantially as herein described.