Liquid treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9708201-B2
Application number	US-201414530741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2014
Priority date	Nov 18, 2013
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A liquid treatment apparatus includes a dielectric tube through which water to be treated flows, a first electrode, at least one end of which is dispose in the dielectric tube, and a second electrode made of a conductive metallic material, at least one end of the second electrode being disposed in the dielectric tube and on an upstream side of a flow pass of the water relative to the first electrode. The conductive metallic material of the second electrode is adapted to be in direct contact with the water to be treated. The liquid treatment apparatus also includes a power supply for applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a heat-resistant member covering at least a portion of an inner wall face of the dielectric tube. The portion of the inner wall faces the first electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid treatment apparatus, comprising: a dielectric tube through which water to be treated flows; a first electrode, at least one end of which is disposed in the dielectric tube; a second electrode made of a conductive metallic material, at least one end of the second electrode being disposed in the dielectric tube, the second electrode being disposed entirely on an upstream side of a flow path of the water relative to the first electrode, the conductive metallic material of the second electrode being adapted to be in direct contact with the water to be treated; a power supply for applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a heat-resistant member covering at least a portion of an inner wall face of the dielectric tube, the portion facing the first electrode, the heat-resistant member having a facing part which covers the portion, the facing part being spaced apart from the first electrode, wherein the water flows through a space between the facing part and the first electrode.

2. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heat-resistant member is spaced apart from the first electrode and the second electrode, and the heat-resistant member is disposed on a downstream side of the flow path of the water relative to the second electrode.

3. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flow path of the water to be treated in the dielectric tube is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first electrode.

4. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply applies the voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, to generate plasma.

5. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply applies the voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode while the first electrode is surrounded by a gas bubble formed in the water to be treated, causing discharge to generate plasma in the gas bubble.

6. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the dielectric tube allows the gas bubble to flow from upstream to downstream of the flow path of the water to be treated.

7. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an insulator disposed in the dielectric tube, the insulator surrounding a periphery of the first electrode with a space therebetween, the insulator having an opening through which the space communicates with an internal space of the dielectric tube; and
a gas supply unit which supplies a gas to the space and forms a gas bubble in the water to be treated through the opening.

8. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first electrode has a tubular shape with an opening through which a hollow space of the first electrode communicates with an internal space of the dielectric tube,
the liquid treatment apparatus further comprising:
an insulator in contact with a peripheral surface of the first electrode, and
a gas supply unit which supplies a gas to the hollow space of the first electrode and forms a gas bubble in the water to be treated through the opening.

9. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an insulator disposed in the dielectric tube, the insulator surrounding a periphery of the first electrode with a space therebetween, the insulator having an opening through which the space communicates with an internal space of the dielectric tube,
wherein the power supply applies the voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, vaporizing the water to be treated in the space to produce a gas bubble.

10. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the gas bubble flows from upstream to downstream of the flow path of the water to be treated.

11. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the first electrode crosses the portion of the inner wall covered by the heat-resistant member.

12. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the dielectric tube includes:
a main tube extending in parallel with a longitudinal axis of the second electrode; and
a branch tube connected to a joint portion of the main tube on a downstream side of the flow path of the water relative to the second electrode,
the at least one end of the first electrode is disposed in the branch tube,
the at least one end of the second electrode is disposed in the main tube, and
the portion faces the joint portion.

13. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the dielectric tube includes:
a main tube extending in parallel with a longitudinal axis of the second electrode; and
a branch tube connected to a joint portion of the main tube on a downstream side of the flow path of the water relative to the second electrode,
the at least one end of the first electrode is disposed in the branch tube,
the at least one end of the second electrode is disposed in the main tube,
the portion faces the joint portion, and
the insulator projects from the branch tube into the main tube through the joint portion.

14. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a part of the heat-resistant member surrounds an outer peripheral surface of one end of the second electrode.

15. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the heat-resistant member is disposed on and along at least the portion of the inner wall face of the dielectric tube, and
the heat-resistant member surrounds a part of the flow path of the water.

16. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the facing part of the flow path includes a space extending from the second electrode to the first electrode.

17. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode each have a pillar shape with a constant diameter from one end to another end.

18. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are fixed electrodes, respectively.

19. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the facing part faces the first electrode in a facing direction that is perpendicular to a flow direction in which the water flows through the space.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fujikane Masaki
• Onodera Mari
• Imai Shin-Ichi

Classifications

• C02F1/4608 Primary

  using electrical discharges · CPC title

• C02F2001/46142

  Catalytic coating · CPC title

• C02F2303/04

  Disinfection · CPC title

• C02F2305/023

  Reactive oxygen species, singlet oxygen, OH radical · CPC title

• C02F2201/46105

  Details relating to the electrolytic devices · CPC title