OOIL; A specially designed electrode could impr
Post# of 44843
A specially designed electrode could improve the efficiency of removing suspended solids, oil or other
contaminants from water in applications traditionally served by dissolved-air flotation (DAF). Developers
at OriginOil Inc. (Los Angeles, Calif.; www.originoil.com) believe their electrolysis process overcomes
limitations of DAF and improves on the efficiency of the companys earlier electro-flotation systems.
The patented electrode has a perforated cylindrical outer cathode that surrounds an inner anode rod. The
perforated tube and rod system carries a current, which electrolyzes water and generates oxygen and
hydrogen bubbles in the water flowing through the tube. The angstrom-scale bubbles adhere to contaminant
particles to float them to the top of a tank, where they can be skimmed.
“Keeping close proximity between anode and cathode tubes lowers resistance to current flow, so a high
current per unit area can be achieved at low voltage,” explains inventor Bill Charneski, president of
OriginOil’s Oil & Gas Division. In addition, the smaller-sized gas bubbles generated by this electrode
move solids more efficiently than the larger bubbles typically seen in DAF systems, Charneski adds.
Finally, the electrodes can spread over the floor of the tank, so that microbubbles are generated in multiple