METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ELECTROCHEMICALLY DISINFECTING FLUIDS

摘要

A method for treating fluids operates on a continuously flowing stream of fluid. The stream is acted upon in a continuous flow process to generate a disinfectant species (e.g., chlorine) in the stream and to simultaneously lower the pH of the stream below approximately 4.0. The stream is passed through and electrodialytic cell and an electric potential difference is applied across electrodes of the cell during the passage of the stream through the cell. Relative to its flow through a channel upstream of the cell, the stream is accelerated when flowing through the cell. The stream at an outlet of the electrodialytic cell to raise the pH of the stream to a neutral range, thus producing a disinfected solution. This step may be implemented by passing the effluent stream between differentially charged electrodes, for example, of the same electrodialytic cell. A chemical disinfecting method is also disclosed.