US 12,391,583 B2
Electrode apparatus for removing contaminants from a fluid
Thomas Schuelke, Pinckney, MI (US); Mary K. Ensch, Belleville, MI (US); Michael Becker, East Lansing, MI (US); and Cory A. Rusinek, Las Vegas, NV (US)
Assigned to Board of Trustees of Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (US); and Fraunhofer USA, Plymouth, MI (US)
Filed by Board of Trustees of Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (US); and Fraunhofer USA, Plymouth, MI (US)
Filed on Apr. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/229,365.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/011,335, filed on Apr. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0323848 A1, Oct. 21, 2021
Int. Cl. C02F 1/461 (2023.01)
CPC C02F 1/46109 (2013.01) [C02F 2001/46147 (2013.01); C02F 2209/02 (2013.01); C02F 2209/05 (2013.01); C02F 2209/06 (2013.01); C02F 2209/40 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a fluid-carrying conduit;
electrodes located within the conduit being adapted to contact waste fluid flowing therethrough;
an electrical controller connected to the electrodes;
a sensor connected to the controller being adapted to sense a chemical characteristic associated with contaminants in the fluid;
the controller being adapted to automatically vary an electrical characteristic of at least one of the electrodes based at least in part on an input from the sensor due to the chemical characteristic detected during the fluid flowing past the electrodes;
the electrical characteristic being adapted to cause the contaminants to be removed from the fluid;
wherein at least two of the electrodes each comprise a middle section with holes spanning across a hollow fluid-flow path of the conduit;
wherein at least some of the holes of a first of the at least two of the electrodes are laterally offset from at least some of the holes of a second of the at least two of the electrodes, to create a turbulent flow of the fluid therebetween; and
wherein the sensor detects if a precursor molecule is present, and when the precursor molecule is present, software instructions in the controller will automatically vary the electrical characteristic supplied to at least one of the electrodes.