Claims for Patent: 6,540,966

Summary for Patent: 6,540,966

Title:	Apparatus and method for recycling contaminated liquids
Abstract:	Reactors for the total recycling of contaminated liquid waste, which produce a clean burning combustible gas, usable heat, and solid precipitates. Different embodiments include the efficient recycling of automotive antifreeze and oil waste, a new method for the production of a fuel from crude oil, for desalting seawater and for recycling biologically contaminated liquid waste, such as town sewage, into a clean burning combustible gas, nutrient rich water useful for irrigation, and solid precipitates useful for fertilizers.
Inventor(s):	Santilli; Ruggero Maria (Palm Harbor, FL)
Assignee:	Hadronic Press Inc. (Palm Harbor, FL)
Application Number:	09/586,926
Patent Claims:	1. An apparatus for recycling a liquid into a combustible gas comprising: a pressure resistant metal vessel; means for generating an electric current to at least one pair of electrodes and for creating an electric arc between tips of said electrodes, said electrodes having at least their tips disposed inside said metal vessel; at least one of means for flowing said liquid directly through said electric arc between said tips thereby exposing said liquid first to a plasma formed by the electric arc around said tips and subsequently through said electric arc, means for flowing said liquid through a tube surrounding said tips thereby forcing said liquid into an essentially concentrated passage first through the plasma formed by said electric arc around said tips and subsequently through said electric arc, and means for flowing said liquid through an interior of one of said electrodes thereby concentrating the flow of the liquid first through the electric arc and subsequently through the plasma formed by said electric arc around said tips, each of said means for flowing may be one of external and in fluid communication with the vessel to circulate the liquid from inside said vessel back into said vessel and through the plasma and electric arc, and internal to said vessel to circulate the liquid through the plasma and electric arc; means for collecting a clean burning combustible gas created by said arc acting on said liquid, the gas bubbling through the liquid in the vessel to a gas collection outlet in mechanical fluid communication with the vessel proximate a top of the vessel; and means for removing solids in suspension in said liquid following its passing through said arc, wherein said solids precipitate to the bottom of the vessel for subsequent collection, wherein the apparatus is operated at desired operating electric power settings, pressures, temperatures and flow rates so that the liquid can be one of continually circulated and exposed to the plasma and arc until converted to the combustible gas, and partially directed out of the vessel for further processing to obtain a reusable liquid, and wherein when the liquid is processed to obtain a reusable liquid, filtering means are provided for filtering the liquid following its passage through the arc, said filtering means being in fluid communication with the vessel. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one pair of electrodes is made of carbon-base material. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is a bacteriologically contaminated liquid. 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tube is made from a heat resistant material and is positioned relative to the ends of the electrodes so as to expose said contaminated liquid to incandescent ends of said; electrodes thereby sterilizing said contaminated liquid by terminating bacteriological activity within said contaminated liquid. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the removed sterilized solids are usable as a fertilizer. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the filtered liquid is a clean and sterile water suitable for irrigation use. 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: electronic means for the automatic initiation of said arc, including means for controlling the arc gap land optimization for achieving a maximal possible gap for maintaining stable voltages and amperes. 8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: heat exchanger means for utilizing a heat absorbed by the liquid in its passage through the arc, said heat exchanger means being in fluid communication with the metal vessel. 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said pair of electrodes has a cylindrical shape acting edgewise on the other electrode. 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: means for rotating said at least one cylindrical electrode. 11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: copper means for holding said at least one pair of electrodes, said copper means sealingly protruding said metal vessel. 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: means for delivering an electric current to said copper means protruding outside said metal vessel and holding said at least one pair of electrodes so as to create an electric arc between the at least one pair of electrodes with minimal dissipation of electric power. 13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein following the passage of said liquid through the arc, the solids precipitate to a bottom of the metal vessel for removal by the means for removing said solids. 14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a number of the at least one pair of electrodes is made of coal. 15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is crude oil. 16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is water. 17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is seawater. 18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the produced combustible gas comprises: atoms of gaseous substances and molecules thereof, including hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. 19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the combustible gas composes, by volume: about 50% hydrogen and about 50% carbon monoxide, including traces of carbon dioxide and oxygen. 20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein a combustion exhaust of the combustible gas, produced comprises, by volume: about 60% water vapor, about 15% oxygen, about 15% carbon in solid form, about 5% carbon dioxide, and the rest being general atmospheric gases. 21. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric arc is contained within the tube, the tube having an ellipsoidal sectional area corresponding to an approximate shape of a plasma formed by the electric arc, thereby ensuring the flow of the liquid through the plasma adjacent the electrode tips generating the electric arc and subsequently through a gap between the electrode tips. 22. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are gear-driven toward the electric arc by power assisted, toothed gears acting with pressure against the electrodes due to counter-balancing insulating idle rollers. 23. The apparatus according to claims 1, wherein the electrodes are gear-driven toward the electric arc by submerged, power assisted, toothed gears acting with pressure against the electrodes, due to a counter-balancing conducting bushing carrying one of the electrodes, and placed substantially near the electric arc. 24. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when there are more than one pair of electrodes, the pairs of electrodes and electric arcs are in series. 25. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when there are more than one pair of electrodes, the pairs of electrodes and electric arcs are in parallel. 26. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one pump for the continuous recirculation of the liquid through the electric arc. 27. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for the utilization of the combustible gas produced, including a gas stabilization tank positioned above a top level of said liquid. 28. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the heat absorbed by the liquid is usable by pumping said liquid through an external radiator in fluid communication with the metal vessel. 29. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the heat absorbed by the liquid is usable by pumping said liquid through one of an external and internal heat exchanger in fluid communication with the metal vessel. 30. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the heat absorbed is usable for the desalinization of sea water via evaporation means in fluid communication with the metal vessel. 31. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the combustible gas is emmited into a stabilization tank positioned on a top of the metal vessel having an opening for mutual communication between the stabilization tank and the metal vessel, so as to permit the settling down of the liquid trapped in the combustible gas and its return to the metal vessel. 32. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: gas filter means in fluid communication with the metal vessel for filtering and removing solid and liquid particulates in the combustible gas prior to its release for use. 33. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a degaussing station in fluid communication with the metal vessel for further processing of said liquid after said liquid passes through the electric arc. 34. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a centrifuge in fluid communication with the metal vessel for the removal of solid components in the recycled liquid. 35. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arc is created by a continuous current. 36. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arc is created by an alternating current. 37. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: means for extruding the least one carbon-base electrode from a carbon-base powder and a bonding agent thereby providing continuous use. 38. A method for producing a clean combustible gas from the recycling of a liquid, the method comprising: providing a pressure resistant metal vessel; providing means for generating an electric current to at least one pair of electrodes and for creating an electric arc between tips of said electrodes, said electrodes having at least their tips disposed inside said metal vessel; providing at least one of means for flowing said liquid directly through said electric arc between said tips thereby exposing said liquid first to a plasma formed by the electric arc around said tips and subsequently through said electric arc, means for flowing said liquid through a tube surrounding said tips thereby forcing said liquid into an essentially concentrated passage first through the plasma formed by said electric arc around said tips and subsequently through said electric arc, and means for flowing said liquid through an interior of one of said electrodes thereby concentrating the flow of the liquid first through the electric arc and subsequently through the plasma formed by said electric arc around said tips, wherein each of said means for flowing may be one of external and in fluid communication with the vessel to circulate the liquid from inside said vessel back into said vessel and through the plasma and electric arc, and internal to said vessel to circulate the liquid through the plasma and electric arc; providing means for collecting a clean burning combustible gas created by said arc acting on said liquid, the gas bubbling through the liquid in the vessel to a gas collection outlet in mechanical fluid communication with the vessel proximate a top of the vessel; providing means for removing solids in suspension in said liquid following its passing through said arc, wherein said solids precipitate to the bottom of the vessel for subsequent collection; essentially filling the metal vessel with the liquid to be recycled such that the electrode tips are submerged within the liquid; commencing the flow of the liquid through the tips of the electrode and initiating the generation of the electric current so as to create the electric arc and subjecting the flowing liquid to said arc, wherein the apparatus is operated at operating electric power settings, pressures, temperatures and flow rates so that the liquid can be one of continually circulated and exposed to the plasma and arc until converted to the combustible gas, and partially directed out of the vessel for further processing to obtain a reusable liquid, and wherein when the liquid is processed to obtain a reusable liquid, further providing filtering means for filtering the liquid following its passage through the arc, said filtering means being in fluid communication with the vessel; collecting the clean combustible gas produced by the flowing of the liquid through the arc; and removing said solids in suspension following its passage through the arc. 39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the liquid is a bacteriologically contaminated liquid. 40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the tube is made from a heat resistant material and is positioned relative to the ends of the electrodes so as to expose said contaminated liquid to incandescent ends of said electrodes thereby sterilizing said contaminated liquid by terminating bacteriological activity Within said contaminated liquid. 41. The method according to claim 38, wherein the removed solids are usable as a fertilizer. 42. The method according to claim 38, further comprising: providing said filtering means for filtering the liquid following its passage through the arc, said filtering means being in fluid communication with the metal vessel; and filtering said liquid following its passage through the arc. 43. The method according to claim 42, wherein the filtered liquid is a clean and sterile water suitable for irrigation use. 44. The method according to claim 38, wherein a number of the at least one pair of electrodes is made of coal. 45. The method according to claim 38, wherein the liquid is crude oil. 46. The method according to claim 38, wherein the liquid is water. 47. The according to claim 38, wherein the liquid is seawater. 48. The method according to claim 38, wherein the produced combustible gas comprises: atoms of gaseous substances and molecules thereof, including hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. 49. The method according to claim 48, wherein the combustible gas comprises, by volume: about 50% hydrogen, and about 50% carbon monoxide, including traces of carbon dioxide and oxygen. 50. The method according to claim 48, wherein a combustion exhaust of the combustible gas produced comprises, by volume: about 60% water vapor, about 15% oxygen, about 15% carbon in solid form, about 5% carbon dioxide, and the rest being general atmospheric gases. 51. The method according to claim 38, further comprising: providing at least one pump for the continuous recirculation of the liquid through the electric arc; and pumping said liquid continually through the arc. 52. The method according to claim 38, further comprising: providing means for the utilization of the combustible gas produced, said means including a gas stabilization tank positioned above a top level of said liquid; and processing said combustible gas through said gas stabilization tank. 53. The method according to claim 38, further comprising: providing heat exchanger means for utilizing a heat absorbed by the liquid in its passage through the arc, said heat exchanger means being in fluid communication with the metal vessel. 54. The method according to claim 53, wherein the heat absorbed by the liquid is usable by pumping said liquid through an external radiator in fluid communication with the metal vessel. 55. The method according to claim 53, wherein the heat absorbed by the liquid is usable by pumping said liquid through one of an external and internal heat exchanger in fluid communication with the metal vessel. 56. The method according to claim 53, wherein the heat absorbed is usable for the desalinization of sea water via evaporation means in fluid communication with the metal vessel. 57. The method according to claim 38, wherein the combustible gas is immetted into a stabilization tank positioned on a top of the metal vessel having an opening for mutual communication between the stabilization tank and the metal vessel, so as to permit the settling down of the liquid trapped in the combustible gas and its return to the metal vessel. 58. The method according to claim 38, further comprising: providing gas filter means in fluid communication with the metal vessel for filtering and removing solid and liquid particulates in the combustible gas prior to its release for use; and filtering said gas thereby removing the solid and liquid particulates prior to its release for use. 59. The method according to claim 38, further comprising: providing a degaussing station in fluid communication with the metal vessel for further processing of said liquid after said liquid passes through the electric arc; and directing the liquid through the degaussing station. 60. The method according to claim 38, further comprising: providing a centrifuge in fluid communication with the metal vessel for the removal of solid components in the recycled liquid; and removing said solid components in the recycled liquid by directing the liquid through the centrifuge. 61. The method according to claim 38, wherein the arc is created by a continuous current. 62. The method according to claim 38, wherein the arc is created by an alternating current.

Details for Patent 6,540,966

Applicant	Tradename	Biologic Ingredient	Dosage Form	BLA	Approval Date	Patent No.	Expiredate
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.	ZOSTAVAX	zoster vaccine live	For Injection	125123	05/25/2006		2018-06-29