JP3390878B2 - Electrolyzed water generator - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing acidic water useful as washing water, sterilizing water and the like and alkaline water serving as drinking water by electrolysis of water. [0002] In the field of food and medicine, electrolyzed water is widely used as washing water or water for disinfection and sterilization. The conventional electrolyzed water generating apparatus divides the inside of an electrolytic cell into a cathode chamber and an anode chamber by a diaphragm, inserts an electrode into each chamber, and electrolyzes raw water supplied into the chamber by energization between the electrodes to form a cathode chamber. To produce alkaline water and acidic water in the anode compartment. [0003] With such an electrolyzed water generator, water having a low pH value can be obtained by acidic water discharged from the anode chamber, but it is not easy to continuously produce a large amount of this water. . The electrolysis of a large amount of water requires a large current to flow, and the applied voltage must be increased in order to allow a large current to flow through the electrolytic cell. Damage to the electrode surface. For this reason, conventionally, it has been proposed to add a salt solution to raw water to be supplied to an electrolytic cell and mix the mixture to supply a low voltage and a large current. However, in this case, there is a disadvantage that electrode consumption in the anode chamber is particularly large. is there. An object of the present invention is to provide an electrolyzed water generating apparatus capable of continuously producing a large amount of acidic water having a high bactericidal effect while simultaneously reducing the electrode consumption, and simultaneously producing alkaline water. According to the present invention, an electrode is inserted into each of a cathode chamber and an anode chamber in which an electrolytic cell is divided by a diaphragm, and raw water to be supplied through a branch channel to the cathode chamber and the anode chamber is provided. In an apparatus for generating alkaline water in the cathode chamber and electrolyzing water in the anode chamber by electro-osmosis while electrolyzing while energizing between the negative and anode electrodes, the same water as the raw water in the shunt channel supplied to the cathode chamber or the cathode chamber is used. A first supply device for supplying and adding a chlorine-based electrolyte, and a second supply device for supplying and adding a chlorine-based electrolyte to raw water in the anode chamber or in a branch channel for supply to the anode chamber, which are supplied from the second supply device. The electrolyte concentration to be added is adjusted to 0.02% or less,
Characterized in that said first said electrolyte additive concentration added supplied by the supply device controlled with a high than the electrolyte <br/> electrolyte additive concentration added supplied by the second supply device. According to the present invention, raw water such as tap water is supplied into an electrolytic cell, and electrolysis is performed by energizing between a negative electrode and an anode. Are continuously generated and used for discharge. Electrolyte is separately added and supplied to the raw water of the shunt channel supplied to the cathode chamber or the cathode chamber and the raw water of the shunt channel supplied to the anode chamber or the anode chamber to increase the electric conductivity and to perform high-voltage electrolysis at low voltage. Give action. The concentration of the electrolyte to be added and added to the raw water in the shunt channel supplied to the cathode chamber or the cathode chamber is higher than the concentration of the electrolyte to be added to the raw water in the shunt channel supplied to the anode chamber or the anode chamber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment of the drawings. In FIG. 1, an electrolytic cell 1 has a hermetically sealed structure, the chamber is divided into a cathode chamber 31 and an anode chamber 41 by a diaphragm 2, a cathode electrode 3 and an anode electrode 4 are inserted, and an electrolytic current is supplied from an electrolytic power supply (not shown). Is performed. The electrolytic cell 1 is provided with a raw water supply port 1a leading to the cathode chamber 31 and a raw water supply port 1b leading to the anode chamber 41. On the opposite side, a water discharge port 1c for discharging alkaline water by electrolysis and a water discharge port for discharging acidic water. 1d is formed. The raw water supplied to the electrolytic cell 1 is supplied from a supply pipe 5, branches off in the middle, and is supplied from the branch channel 51 to the cathode chamber supply port 1 a, and the other from the branch channel 52 to the anode chamber supply port 1 b. You. The branch flow paths 51 and 52 are provided with a first addition device 61 and a second addition device 62 for supplying a saline solution, respectively. The saline solution to be stored in the storage tanks 71 and 72 is controlled by valves 81 and 82 on the way. The required amount is added and mixed. Raw water is supplied to the supply pipe 5 by opening a water tap or by driving a water supply pump.
The water is supplied at a predetermined water pressure by a pressure reducing valve (not shown) and at a predetermined flow rate by a flow control valve. This supply raw water branches on the way and flows through the branch channels 51 and 52.
On the way, the adjustment of the electric conductivity is controlled by the addition of saline. As the saline solution stored in the storage tanks 71 and 72, for example, a 10% saline solution is used, and the addition amount is controlled by controlling the valves 81 and 82, respectively. Here, the raw water in the branch 51 supplied to the anode chamber 41 is supplied to the raw water of the branch 51 supplied to the anode chamber 41 in a state where the electric conductivity is sufficiently increased by increasing the amount of addition. Is supplied with a small amount of addition. The supply amount is controlled by adjusting the valves 81 and 82.
The control is performed by controlling the flow rate of the saline solution supplied to the first and second tanks. As described above, a relatively large amount of saline is added to the raw water supplied to the cathode chamber 31 of the electrolytic cell 1 through the branch channel 51 by the first adding device 61 to sufficiently increase the electric conductivity. By supplying the solution in a heated state and accelerating the electrolytic reaction in the cathode chamber 31, acidic water can be generated in the anode chamber 41 with high efficiency. The raw water supplied to the anode chamber 41 of the electrolytic cell 1 via the branch channel 52 is slightly added with a saline solution by the second addition device 62 to form the anode chamber 4.
1 prevents the anode electrode 4 from being dissolved and consumed due to the electrolytic action in Step 1. FIG. 2 is a graph showing the state in which the anode electrode is eluted and consumed by electrolysis with respect to the concentration of the saline solution. According to experiments, the maximum value of the electrode consumption is approximately 0.02% when the salt concentration is 0.02%. It is confirmed that the concentration is about 0.5%. When the salt concentration is lower than the above, the electrode consumption is small, and conversely, even when the salt concentration increases, the consumption tends to decrease.
Therefore, in the raw water supplied from the branch channel 51 to the cathode chamber 31, there is no electrode consumption, so that the salt concentration is increased and supplied to increase the electric conductivity.
It is increased to about 00 to 3000 microsiemens / cm. Further, the raw water supplied from the other branch channel 52 to the anode chamber 41 is added and supplied with a salt concentration sufficiently lower than about 0.02% to 0.5% to prevent the anode electrode 4 from being consumed. And electrolysis, and a large amount of acidic water can be continuously and efficiently produced. The acidic water generated in the anode chamber 41 in the electrolytic cell 1 is discharged from a water discharge port 1d and can be used as washing water, sterilizing water and the like through a pipe 10. The pH value control of the generated acidic water increases the electrical conductivity by receiving the electrolytic action of a large quantity of electricity per flow rate by the flow rate control and increases the pH.
Strongly acidic water having a low value can be generated and discharged. The alkaline water generated in the cathode chamber 31 is discharged from the water discharge port 1c and can be used as drinking water. However, when only acidic water is used for sterilization, the cathode water discharged from the water discharge port 1c is drained. Will be leaked. The salt solution supplied from the first adding device 61 and the second adding device 62 is changed in salt concentration to increase the salt solution stored in the tank 71 and stored in the other tank 72. If the concentration of saline solution is lowered, each valve 8
Even if the supply rate control by the feed tanks 1 and 82 is equal, the salt concentration of the raw water supplied to the cathode chamber 31 is increased to a required value, and the salt concentration of the raw water supplied to the anode chamber 41 is reduced to a required low value. Can be controlled. In addition, the addition of the saline solution can be configured so as to be performed not in the supply path of the raw water but in each of the electrolysis chambers 31 and 41. FIG. 3 shows another embodiment in which only the generation of acidic water is performed. In this embodiment, the cathode water is circulated without being drained, thereby preventing waste of the generated water. In the figure, the same symbols as those in FIG. 1 indicate the same parts. The interior of the electrolytic cell 1 is divided into three layers by a diaphragm 2, a central portion is a cathode chamber 31 in which the cathode electrode 3 is inserted, and an anode chamber 41 in which the anode electrode 4 is inserted in an intermediate layer outside the cathode chamber 31. The cathode chamber 3 is formed by inserting the cathode electrode 3 into the layer . Cathode chamber 31
Is circulated and supplied from the water discharge port 1c to the supply port 1a of the cathode chamber 31 through the circulation path 9. A circulation pump 11 is provided in the annulus 9. The water in the cathode chamber 31 is circulated by the pump 11 without being discharged to the outside, and is used by being circulated by the pump 11. Salt consumed by electrolysis is supplied by the saline stored in the tank 71. An electrolytic reaction can be caused while maintaining electric conductivity. Although not shown, the consumption of raw water during circulating use can be replenished from the branch pipe line to a part of the circulating line 9 through a three-way valve or the like. In addition, for the addition of saline solution, flow rate control of raw water, etc., an EC sensor for measuring electric conductivity and a redox potential are measured in a pipe on the supply side of raw water and on the discharge side of electrolytic water from the electrolytic cell 1. An ORP sensor, a pH meter, an ion concentration meter, a gas concentration meter, a flow meter, and the like are provided.
One of the signals is selected by a PU or the like, or each signal is separately processed to output a control signal for each unit, or a signal is output by performing a processing based on the sum, difference, product, etc. of the signals of each sensor. Can be controlled. An electrolytic power supply (not shown) for supplying electricity between the electrodes 3 and 4 applies a predetermined set voltage, and controls the amount of electrolysis electricity by controlling the flow rate of raw water. If the electrolytic action is given, the spout 1d
A strong germicidal water can be obtained in which the electrical conductivity of the acidic water discharged from the water is increased and the pH value is lowered. In addition, the amount of electricity can be increased by adding saline without increasing the set voltage of the power supply, and there is no increase in the electrolytic voltage, so there is no generation of gas or discharge, and there is no damage to the electrode surface and it is safe. Electrolysis can be performed. The electrolyte added to the raw water is KCl, HC in addition to NaCl.
_{l, HClO, HClO 3, KClO} 3, NaClO 3, L i Cl, CaCl 2, NH 4 Cl or the like chlorine electrolyte, others can be used independently or in combination to. For example, NaCl water can be added to the raw water supplied to the cathode chamber 31, and KCL water can be added to the raw water supplied to the anode chamber 41. Even if the degree of ionization of KCl is large and a small amount can be used, the electrolytic reaction can be promoted. Although the generation of acidic water has been described above, even in the case of using alkaline water, the pH value can be easily controlled by controlling the addition of an electrolyte such as a saline solution. Can be generated. In this case as well, an independent electrolyte addition device is provided for the raw water in the branch channel to be supplied to the cathode chamber 31 and the anode chamber 41, and the electrolyte concentration in the anode side raw water is controlled to be low, thereby reducing the consumption of the anode electrode and stabilizing. Alkaline water can be generated. As described above, according to the present invention, electrolysis of water is easy by adding and mixing an electrolyte, and a large amount of electrolyzed water can be continuously obtained at a low cost by reducing the electricity wattage. . Then, the first addition device for supplying and adding the electrolyte to the raw water in the shunt channel supplying the cathode chamber or the cathode chamber, and the electrolyte is supplied and added to the raw water in the shunt channel supplying the anode chamber or the anode chamber. Since the second addition device is separately provided and the electrolyte is independently added to each raw water, the addition amounts and the concentrations thereof on the cathode side and the anode side can be arbitrarily changed. By increasing the concentration of the electrolyte, the electrolytic reaction progresses, and the generation of acidic water having a high cleaning and disinfecting effect can be facilitated, and the alkaline water having a high pH value can be generated. Further, by reducing the additive concentration on the anode side, electrode consumption can be reduced and electrolyzed water can be continuously generated for a long time.

[Brief description of the drawings] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a graph for explaining the present invention. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of another embodiment of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols] 1 electrolytic cell 2 diaphragm 3, 4 electrodes 31 cathode room 41 Anode room 5 Raw water supply pipe 51,52 split channel 61, 62 First and second addition devices 71,72 Storage tank 81,82 control valve

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-94787 (JP, A) JP-A-62-102889 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) C02F 1/46 C25B 1/00 C25B 3/00

Claims (1)

(57) Claims 1. An electrode is inserted into each of a cathode chamber and an anode chamber in which an electrolytic cell is divided by a diaphragm, and raw water supplied to the cathode chamber and the anode chamber through a branch channel is supplied to the yin and yang. In a device for generating alkaline water in the cathode chamber and electrolyzing water in the anode chamber by electro-osmosis while electrolyzing by applying electricity between the pole electrodes, the same chlorine-based raw water as the raw water in the cathode chamber or the branch channel supplied to the cathode chamber is used. A first supply device for supplying and adding an electrolyte; and a second supply device for supplying and adding a chlorine-based electrolyte to raw water in the anode chamber or in a branch channel for supply to the anode chamber, wherein the electrolyte is supplied from the second supply device. Add the additive concentration to 0.
With adjusted 02% or less, the first electrolytic water generation apparatus, characterized in that the control higher than the electrolyte additive concentration added supplied by the electrolyte additive concentration added supply the second supply device by the supply device .