APPARATUS FOR WATER TREATMENT BY SIMULTANEOUS APPLICATION OFHIGH POTENTIAL GRADIENTS AND OZONE

PULSED HIGH VOLTAGE APPLIED TO ELECTRODES IMMERSED IN THE WATER STREAM CREATES HIGH POTENTIAL GRADIENTS IN THE WATER VOLUME BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES. THESE GRADIENTS - OF THE ORDER OF 20 KV/CM, OR MORE - HAVE A BACTERICIDAL ACTION. IN ADDITION, OZONE CAN BE GENERATED THROUGHOUT THE VOLUME BYINTRODUCING AIR IN FINE BUBBLES FROM A SPARGER. THE APPLIED GRADIENTS CREATE OZONE AND CHEMICALLY ACTIVE RADICALS WITHIN THE AIR BUBBLES. ADVANTAGES OF THE METHOD INCLUDE: (1) NO PERSISTENT CHEMICALS ARE ADDED TO THE WATER. (2) HIGH GRADIENTS CAN BE EMPLOYED BY THEMSELVES OR COMBINED WITH OZONE GENERATION. (3) OZONE IS GENERATED WITHIN THE VOLUME OF THEWATER BEING TREATED. (4) CHEMICALLY-ACTIVE RADICALS ARE PRODUCED WITHIN THE WATER VOLUME, TOGETHER WITH OZONE.