1. A method of removing contaminates from water in the form of raw water or wastewater, the method comprising:
exposing the water to an electric field between spaced electrodes of opposite polarity to establish a charge density wherein spaces between the electrodes are greater than about 0.25 inch(0.635 cm);
controlling the charge density by selecting a voltage and amperage from a dc power source connected to the electrodes, which voltage and amperage causes contaminates to separate from the water;
controlling the length of time the water is exposed to the electric field to minimize clogging of the electrodes; and
thereafter removing from the water contaminates separated from the water, but still present therein or in proximity therewith.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the length of time is determined by retaining a defined quantity of the water in proximity with the electrodes for a selected time interval while the water is stationary or flowing.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein polarity of the electrodes is reversed at a rate sufficient to minimize clogging of space between the electrodes.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the contaminates are removed from the water by gravitational or centrifugal action, by filtration andor by venting.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrodes are separated by spaces in the range of about 0.25 inch (0.635 cm) to about 1.50 inches (3.810 cm), wherein the charge density is obtained by applying a dc voltage in the range of 5 volts to about 50 volts at an amperage of about 5 amps to about 35 amps and wherein the length of time the water is exposed to the electrodes is about 1 minute to about 5 minutes.
6. The method of claim 3 wherein the polarity of the electrodes is reversed in cycles of 1 second to about 15 minutes in order to minimize clogging.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrodes are separated by spaces in the range of about 0.25 inch (0.635 cm) to about 1.00 inch (2.540 cm), wherein the charge density is obtained by applying a dc voltage in the range of about 10 volts to about 50 volts at an amperage of about 5 amps to about 35 amps, and wherein the length of time the water is exposed to the electrodes is about 1 minute to about 5 minutes.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the contaminants removed comprise nitrogen, nitrogen compounds, phosphorous and phosphorous compounds.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the contaminants removed further comprise effluent E coli, Raw TKN2, Filter EFF TOC and Filter EFF BOD.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrodes are separated by spaces in the range of about 0.25 inch (0.635 cm) to about 0.85 inch (2.159 cm), wherein the charge density is obtained by applying a dc voltage in the range of about 10 volts to about 50 volts at an amperage of about 5 amps to about 35 amps, and wherein the length of time the water is exposed to the electrodes is about 1 minute to about 5 minutes.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the contaminants removed comprise nitrogen, nitrogen compounds, phosphorous and phosphorous compounds.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the contaminants removed further comprise effluent E coli, Raw TKN2, Filter EFF TOC and Filter EFF BOD.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein polarity of the electrodes is reversed at a rate sufficient to minimize clogging of space between the electrodes.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrodes are rods that are substantially circular in cross-section.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the electrodes have a diameter in a range of \u215b inch (0.317 cm) to \u215a inch (0.794 cm) and preferably \xbc inch (0.635 cm).
16. The method of claim 1 wherein exposing the water to the electric field, controlling the charge density and controlling the length of time the water is exposed to the electric field is performed during a continuous water flow process, an intermediate water flow process or a water batch process
17. A system for removing contaminates from raw water or waste water, the system including at least one electrochemical treatment module comprising:
a housing having an inlet for untreated water and an outlet for treated water that has been treated within the housing;
an array of electrodes within the housing, the electrodes having space therebetween of a selected distance, the space being greater than about 0.25 inch (0.635 cm); and
a source for applying direct current the electrodes to charge one portion of the array positively and another portion of the array negatively so as to create an electrical gradient between the portions of the array, the direct current being sufficient to ionize the contaminants but not large enough to clog the space between electrodes with precipitated contaminates.
18. The system of claim 17 further including a switch for reversing polarity at selected time intervals to minimize clogging tendencies in the space between electrodes.
19. The system of claim 18 further including a partial removal facility having an inlet connected to the outlet for gravitational or centrifugal removal andor filtering of contaminate particulates from the treated water to remove the contaminant particulates and a venting arrangement for venting gas contaminant from the treated water, the partial removal facility having an outlet.
20. The system of claim 17 wherein there are a plurality of modules arranged in parallel to form at least one group of modules to increase the capacity of the system.
21. The system of claim 20 wherein there are a plurality of groups of modules to further increase the capacity of the system.
22. The system of claim 17 wherein each positively charged electrode is adjacent at least one negatively charged electrode and wherein each negatively charged electrode is adjacent at least one positively charged electrode.
23. The system of claim 18 wherein the electrodes are circular in cross section.
24. The system of claim 23 wherein the electrodes have a diameter in the range of \u215b inch (0.317 cm) to 516 inch (0.794 cm) and preferably \xbc inch (0.635 cm).
25. The system of claim 17 wherein the array of electrodes is rectangular.
26. The system of claim 17 wherein the array of electrodes is polygonal.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claims which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A converter arrangement comprising:
a converter device with a clocked operating mode and a non-clocked operating mode, having a signal input, a control input, and a signal output;
a control device adapted to control the converter device in a clocked operating mode with a control signal of a constant frequency and a given, at least minimal pulse length, wherein an output of the control device is coupled to the control input of the converter device, and an input of the control device is coupled to the signal output of the converter device;
an input adapted for supplying a signal to be converted that is coupled to the signal input of the converter device; and
an output, adapted for providing a converted signal, that is coupled to the signal output of the converter device.
2. The converter arrangement according to claim 1, wherein, in the clocked operating mode, the control signal of the control device has a controlled pulse-duty ratio to at least minimal pulse length.
3. The converter arrangement according to claim 1, comprising:
an inductive element coupled to the input of the converter device;
a diode element coupled to the inductive element;
a circuit device coupled to the inductive element and having a switch input that is coupled to the control input of the converter device;
a current measurement device for detecting the current by the switching device, wherein the output of the current measurement device is coupled to an input of the control device; and
a current source coupled to the diode element, to the control device, and to the output of the converter arrangement.
4. The converter arrangement according to claim 3, comprising a capacitive element is coupled between the input of the current source and a reference potential terminal.
5. The converter arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the control device comprises:
a measurement device coupled on the input side to the current source and the current measurement device;
a pulse device coupled at one input to the measurement device;
a control terminal coupled to a control input of the pulse device; and
an overvoltage protection device coupled to the current source and to a second input of the pulse device.
6. The converter arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the measurement device comprises:
an amplifier coupled to the signal output and to the current source by a voltage source that generates a voltage corresponding to the voltage drop across the current source;
a filter device coupled on the input side to the output of the amplifier; and
an adder device coupled at one input to the output of the filter device and that is coupled at a second input to the current measurement device.
7. The converter arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the pulse device comprises:
a comparator having inputs coupled to the measurement device and to a sawtooth generator;
a clock generator device coupled to the input of the sawtooth generator and having an input coupled to the control terminal of the pulse device;
a flip-flop having a set input and a reset input, wherein the reset input is coupled to the control terminal of the pulse device, and the set input is coupled to the output of the comparator;
a pulse generator for preparing pulses with constant frequency and minimum pulse width having an input coupled to the clock generator device;
an AND-gate having inputs coupled to the flip-flop and the pulse generator;
an OR-gate having inputs coupled to the comparator and to the output of the AND-gate; and
a switching element coupled between the output of the OR-gate and the control input of the converter device, and to a control input coupled to the overvoltage protection device.
8. The converter arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the overvoltage protection device includes a comparator having inputs coupled to the current source and to a reference voltage source.
9. The converter arrangement according to claim 5, further comprising another OR-gate coupled at two inputs to the control terminal and to the overvoltage protection device, and having an output coupled to the reset input of the flip-flop.
10. The converter arrangement according to claim 9,
wherein the pulse device includes a comparator to which, at a first input, a voltage is supplied that corresponds to the voltage drop across the load and to which, at a second input, a voltage is supplied that is coupled to the voltage drop across the supply potential source and that has an output coupled to another input of the other OR-gate.
11. A method for preparing a converted signal with a converter arrangement, comprising the steps of:
in a non-clocked operating mode of the converter arrangement, preparing a signal to be converted as a non-clocked, converted signal at an output of the converter arrangement; and
in a clocked operating mode of the converter arrangement, providing a control signal with a constant frequency and a given, at least minimal, pulse width to control the conversion of the signal to be converted into the converted signal.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the converter arrangement is operated according to a threshold value that is defined as a function of operating parameters of the converter arrangement in the non-clocked or in the clocked operating mode.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the converter arrangement is operated in the non-clocked operating mode when the signal to be converted is greater than the threshold value, and is operated in the clocked operating mode when the signal to be converted is less than the threshold value.
14. The method according to claim 11, comprising generating a control signal with a variable pulse-duty ratio by a pulse device in the clocked operating mode.
15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the operating parameters of the converter arrangement are defined from a set including the voltage of the signal to be converted, the voltage of the converted signal, a voltage output by a reference voltage source, a voltage drop across a capacitive element, and resistance losses of the converter arrangement.