JPS60139385A - Apparatus for preparing electrolytic water - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance the water quality of water in a cathode chamber, by providing a communication part from the lower part of the cathode chamber to the interior of an anode chamber while providing an overflow means communicated with the upper part of the cathode chamber at a level higher than the water level in the anode chamber during electrolysis. CONSTITUTION:When the water level in an anode chamber 4 is fallen to a level sensor 13, a signal is issued to enter a control system and the order for opening a shutter 14 is outputted. When the shutter 14 is opened, the water level in the cathode chamber 3 is fallen to the level of the opening 12a of an overflow passage 12 and the water level in the anode chamber 4 rises corresponding to the falling of the water level in the cathode chamber 3. In this state, flooding from a flooding edge 1a is not generated. Even if electrolysis and electroosmotic action are succeeded thereafter, the reflux from the cathode chamber 3 to the anode chamber 4 is performed through the above mentioned overflow passage 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an electrolyzed water manufacturing device that generates alkaline ionized water, and in particular, an electrolyzed water manufacturing device that has a reservoir configuration for continuously manufacturing electrolyzed water in a purge type manner. It is related to.

As this type of manufacturing apparatus, the present inventor has already adopted a system as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the case shown in FIG. 1, a cathode chamber 1a and an anode chamber are separated by an unglazed partition wall C, electrodes d and e are arranged in bipolar chambers a and b, respectively, and a DC voltage is applied thereto. In addition to performing electrolysis and electroosmosis of water, each electrode chamber is equipped with drain valves f and g at the bottom, respectively, and water is supplied to the cathode chamber a and the anode chamber. A level sensor h is arranged to supply water from the cathode chamber a over the partition wall C to the anode chamber, and the water supply is automatically stopped by the action of the level sensor h. In this manufacturing equipment, there is a tank i that stores alkaline ionized water supplied from a cathode chamber a through a drain valve f.
is equipped with a level sensor j, which transmits this as a signal to a control system (not shown) when the water in the storage tank 1 is used and the level falls below a certain level, and the water supply and electrolysis are started. , 7-can drainage work is now being carried out.

The problem here is that water in the upper part of the cathode chamber a flows over the partition wall C into the anode chamber during the electrolysis process. To understand this problem, we must know the following actual situation. As is well known, when electrolysis is carried out, the water level in the cathode chamber a rises due to electroosmosis, and the hydroxyl ion concentration also increases, but the distribution of this hydroxyl ion is biased upward, High concentration;
A situation where it is low at the bottom is realized. On the other hand, inside the anode chamber, the water level drops due to electroosmosis, and a distribution situation in which acidity is high at the top and low at the bottom is realized. Therefore, during electrolysis, when the level in the cathode chamber a rises due to electroosmosis, a portion of the water with a high concentration of hydroxyl ions crosses the partition wall C and enters the anode chamber, causing a neutralizing effect. It takes a considerable amount of time to raise the average hydroxyl ion concentration of water in the water to a predetermined value, and there are disadvantages in terms of performance such as large power loss.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, a method was adopted in which water was supplied to the anode chamber side and the level sensor h was placed on the cathode chamber a side. In this case, during the initial water supply stage, water is supplied to the cathode chamber a side due to overflow, so scales left on the acidic water side (resin system such as ABS resin, electrolytic residue, electrode eluate, sulfur, etc.) enters the cathode chamber a side, and residual acidic water may also enter. For this reason,
Even if alkaline ionized water is produced in a good manner for use in beverages in the cathode chamber a, there is a drawback that the quality of the taste is significantly deteriorated due to the residual acidic water and scale that have entered the room. Although the electrolyzed water is of an overflow type from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber, it does not reduce the efficiency of raising the hydroxyl ion concentration, and moreover, it does not reduce the taste of the produced alkaline ion water. proposed.

This has a structure in which the lower part of the cathode chamber is communicated with the upper part of the anode chamber via an overflow passage.

However, a new problem has been raised. That is, in recent years, the quality of tap water has significantly deteriorated, and depending on the water source, it may contain a considerable amount of organic compounds such as trihalomethane. However, by applying a DC voltage, electrolysis
In devices that separate water into alkaline ionized water and acidic water by electroosmosis, inorganic compounds such as calcium chloride are ionized in the water, and when a DC voltage is applied, they are transferred to the cathode chamber through the partition wall as + ions, and then to the anode chamber. However, organic compounds such as chloroform and carbon tetrachloride cannot be ionized in water like inorganic compounds, although they can have electrical polarity due to the bias of electrons. Since it is molten, has a large molecular weight, and has no permeation effect, it is left in the cathode chamber and kept in the alkaline ionized water. As a result, alkaline ionized water increases the pH value according to the measurement results, but it does not actually remove the above-mentioned organic compounds, and the odor peculiar to the compounds contained in alkaline ionized water increases. remains and causes discomfort when drinking.

Under these circumstances, after trying various considerations, we found that
I've come to understand the following: In other words, during electrolysis, when the water temperature rises due to electrical resistance and hydrogen gas or calcium carbonate is generated, the above-mentioned organic compounds are There is a phenomenon in which water floats to the surface of the water. If this property can be used to remove organic compounds from the cathode chamber, it is possible to improve the quality of drinking water by electrolysis, which is unrelated to organic compounds.

From this point of view, it is difficult to abandon the configuration of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 mentioned above.

The present invention was made based on the above circumstances, and although it is a reflux type from the cathode chamber to the anode chamber, it does not reduce the efficiency of increasing the hydroxyl ion concentration and also reduces the taste of the generated alkaline ion water. In a situation where the quality of raw water is degraded by organic compounds, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for producing electrolyzed water that is effective in improving this problem.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an electrolytic cell that generates drinking water in a purging manner. For example, it is partitioned into two internal and external chambers by a cylindrical porous or unglazed partition wall 2, with a cathode chamber 3 on the outside and an anode chamber 4 on the inside. That is. In addition to unglazed firing, the porous partition wall may be formed of an aggregate of molded resin particles (porous body), a membrane filter, a nonwoven fabric, or a partition wall or diaphragm having an electric permeability effect. And each pole chamber 3.
An electrode 5.6 is arranged on each of the electrodes 4, and a DC voltage is applied by turning on the switch. Further, a drain channel 7.8 is provided at the bottom of each electrode chamber 3.4, and a solenoid type drain valve 9.10 is provided therein. Further, water is supplied to the cathode chamber 3 via a water supply valve 11, and a communication portion is provided that communicates from the bottom of the cathode chamber 3 to the inside of the anode chamber 4. In this embodiment, the communication section is configured as an overflow passage 12 extending from the bottom of the cathode chamber 3 to the top of the anode chamber 4, and is formed of, for example, a tubular body. On the other hand, a level sensor 13 is provided in the anode chamber 4, and its contact level with water is slightly lower than the opening 12a of the overflow passage 12 in the anode chamber 4. The overflow passage 12 is provided with a shutter 14 that can be opened and closed and is made up of an automatic opening/closing control valve or the like.

The upper edge of the wall of the electrolytic cell l functions as an overflow edge 1a, and is located at a higher level than the opening 12a of the overflow passage 12, and the overflow chamber tb formed outside the overflow edge 1a is a drain port. is provided at the bottom.

In the figure, reference numeral 15 is a storage tank communicating with the drainage channel 7, and this is provided with a supply column 16 and a level sensor I7.

Further, in this embodiment, a level sensor 18 is separately provided in the anode chamber 4 at a level lower than the overflow edge 1a.

Next, the sequential operation of this device will be explained. First, when the water in the storage tank 15 falls below a predetermined level,
The level sensor 17 detects this and operates a control system (not shown) to open the water supply valve 11. When the water level in the cathode chamber 3 exceeds the opening 12a of the overflow passage 12,
Water begins to enter the anode chamber 4 through the passage 12.

When the water level in the anode chamber 4 reaches the level shown in Figure 3,
The level sensor 18 operates, the water supply valve IJ closes, and the electrode 5.
A DC voltage is applied to 6, and electrolysis is carried out for a time set by a timer or the like. When the level sensor 18 is activated,
Shutter 14 is also closed.

During this electrolysis process, the anode chamber 4 is
Water is transferred from the cell to the cathode chamber 3 via the partition wall 2,
Since the overflow passage 12 is blocked by closing the shutter 14, there is no reflux from the cathode chamber 3. Water then overflows from the cathode chamber 3 to the overflow chamber 1b via the overflow edge 1a.

Therefore, the organic compounds contained in the water in the cathode chamber 3 rise to the water surface due to the convection generated by the heating of water due to electrical resistance, the levitation of hydrogen gas, and the levitation of calcium carbonate. and is brought to the overflow chamber [b].

When the water level in the anode chamber 4 drops to the level sensor 13, a signal is generated, enters a control system (not shown), and activates the shutter 14.
An order is issued to release the When the shutter 14 is opened, the water level in the cathode chamber 3 falls to the level of the opening 12a of the overflow passage 12, and the water level in the anode chamber 4 rises accordingly. In this state, overflow from the overflow edge 1a does not occur. Thereafter, even if electrolysis and electroosmosis continue, the flow from the cathode chamber 3 to the anode chamber 4 via the overflow passage 12
The situation shown in Figure 4 is maintained.

Moreover, since the water is refluxed from the overflow passage 12 to the anode chamber 4 from the bottom of the cathode chamber 3, the water with the lowest ion concentration is refluxed. The highly concentrated water portion is retained in the cathode chamber 3. During electrolysis, the flow of water from the overflow passage 12 is unidirectional, and water in the anode chamber 4 can only enter the cathode chamber 3 by electroosmosis. When electrolysis is completed, the voltage application to the electrode 5.6 is canceled by the action of a timer, etc., each drain valve, 9, and IO are opened, and the alkaline ionized water in the cathode chamber 3 enters the storage tank 15, and the anode chamber The acidic water on the 4 side is discharged via the drain valve 10 in this embodiment. Regarding overflow during electrolysis,
In order to block electrical leakage and to prevent water from flowing out from the overflow chamber lb, it is preferable to provide a valve that is closed during that time.

In this method, in the first stage, organic compounds such as trihalomethane are removed from alkaline ionized water by the overflow from the overflow edge 1a, which is an effect unimaginable in electrolysis. As a result, odors caused by organic compounds are removed from alkaline ionized water, making it suitable for drinking.

In the above embodiment, in the first stage, the shutter 14 is opened and the flow from the cathode chamber 3 to the anode chamber 4 and the buff flow path 1 is
2, and when the level sensor 18 detected the water level, the shutter 14 was closed, but the level sensor 13 detected the water level and closed the shutter 14 without using the level sensor 18, and Alternatively, a certain amount of water may be supplied to the anode chamber 4 by a separate water supply valve to substantially add water up to the level of the level sensor 18, and then the electrolysis and electroosmosis operation may be started. Naturally, the level sensor 13 is designed to send back a signal to the control system to open the shutter 14 again when the water level falls and reaches the position of the level sensor 13.

Alternatively, after supplying water to the level of the level sensor 18 in the first stage, close the shutter 14, and then use a timer to perform electrolysis and electropermeation for a certain period of time while the shutter 14 is closed. , after overflowing from the overflow edge 1a, substantially the level sensor 13
At a certain water level, the shutter 14 may be opened to perform subsequent electrolysis and electropermeation. In this case, the level sensor 13 is not required. When using a timer in this way, if you can select one time for the timer, you can select the amount of overflow from the overflow edge 1a depending on the water quality. You can also get benefits such as being able to work longer.

In this way, by providing drainage from the cathode chamber to the outside through the over 70- and reflux through the communication means from the lower part of the cathode chamber into the anode chamber, in the sequential work process,
This allows for effective water treatment that matches the quality of the raw water.

In the above embodiment, the upper edge of the electrolytic cell l is used as an overflow edge 1a as an overflow means, but it goes without saying that another type of overflow, such as an overflow gutter, may be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, the shutter 14 is closed at the first stage,
Overflow was achieved by the overflow edge 1a, and organic compounds were removed from the alkaline ionized water. However, in the first stage, the shutter 14 was left open and normal electrolysis and electric permeation were carried out, and in the final stage or in the middle. The shutter 14 is closed to achieve an overflow due to the overflow edge la,
Of course, organic compounds may also be removed from alkaline ionized water.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the opening 1 of the O-Mizrou passage 12 is
A level sensor 18 is provided at a position lower than 2a, and the opening 1
I tried to prevent level sensor 2a from sinking below the water surface, but level sensor 1
8 may be set at the same level as or above the opening 12a.

In this case, when draining after electrolysis, the water level should drop faster on the anode chamber side than on the cathode chamber side, so that water does not flow from the anode chamber to the cathode chamber through the opening. It is best to have a structure that allows drainage. Alternatively, the shutter 14 may be kept closed by a control system.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, instead of the overflow passage 12, a communication section 12' for communicating the lower part of the cathode chamber 3 and the anode chamber 4 is simply provided on or below the partition wall 2. An on-off control valve 14', which replaces the shutter, is also removably attached here. In this case, the on-off control valve 14'
In this embodiment, the overflow edge 1a is used as an overflow means in a state where the opening/closing control valve 1 blocks the communication portion 12'.
With 4' open, a reflux action takes place using the communication portion 12'. In this case, too, when draining water, the control system closes the on-off control valve 14' or the water level on the anode chamber side is lowered faster than that on the cathode chamber side, so that the water level can be drained from the anode chamber to the cathode chamber. It is desirable to avoid water flow.

As detailed above, the present invention partitions a cathode chamber and an anode chamber with a porous partition, arranges electrodes in the bipolar chambers, applies a DC voltage, and performs electrolysis and electroosmosis of water. A communication section is provided for supplying water to the cathode chamber and communicates from the lower part of the cathode chamber to the anode chamber, and a control mechanism is provided in the communication section for communicating or blocking the flow of the communication section,
In addition, an overflow means is provided for draining water at a level higher than the water level in the anode chamber during electrolysis, which communicates with the upper part of the cathode chamber, and each of the two electrode chambers is configured to drain from the bottom. Although it is a reflux type to the anode chamber, it does not reduce the efficiency of increasing the hydroxyl ion concentration.
In addition, there is no risk of acidic water entering the alkaline ionized water side without passing through the partition wall, so the taste of the alkaline ionized water will not deteriorate, and the quality of the raw water will deteriorate and trihalomethane will not contain any organic compounds. However, this can be removed from the cathode chamber during electrolysis by means of overflow, so the cathode chamber has the effect of providing high-quality water suitable for health.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are drawings showing a conventional method, FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the next usage mode of the same embodiment, and FIG. It is a drawing showing an example. 1... Electrolytic cell, 1a... Overflow edge, 2... Partition wall, 3
. . . Cathode chamber, 4. Anode chamber, 5. 6. Electrode, 7.
8... Drain channel, 9.10... Drain valve, 11... Water supply valve, 12... Overflow passage, 12. 'l...
Opening, 13...Level sensor, 14...Shutter, 1
5...Storage tank, 16...Supply tank, 17.
...Level sensor, 18...Level sensor. Patent Applicant Ryu Okazaki Large cylinder Figure 1 Day 2 Figure 4 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] A cathode chamber and an anode chamber are separated by a porous partition, electrodes are placed in both electrode chambers, and a direct current voltage is applied to perform water electrolysis and electropermeation. , a communication part is provided that communicates with the anode chamber from the lower part of the cathode chamber, and a control mechanism is provided in the communication part to communicate or cut off the flow of the communication part, and the cathode is heated at a water level higher than the water level in the anode chamber during electrolysis. An apparatus for producing electrolyzed water, characterized in that it is provided with an overflow means for discharging that communicates with the upper part of the chamber, and that each of the two electrode chambers is configured to drain from the lower part.