Electrolytic Chlorine Generator with Translucent Tubes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Chlorine gas is expensive and difficult to transport and store, and materials like hypochlorite in an aqueous medium have a short half-life with decreasing potency over time, necessitating a more efficient and cost-effective method for generating disinfectants.
Innovation Solution
A portable chlorine generator that uses chloride salts and water to produce sodium hypochlorite through an electrolytic reaction, employing translucent tubes with color-coded electrodes, a coupler, and a tripod with a heat dissipation bracket, allowing for point-of-use generation and scalable batch production without complex control circuits or batteries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chlorine gas is used for disinfection, then disinfection effectiveness is improved, but transport and storage difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the chlorine generation process into two separate chambers (anode and cathode) filled with translucent material, allowing the reactive components to be separated while still functioning together to produce chlorine on-demand at the point of use
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the chlorine generation function from centralized storage and distribution systems, enabling local production of chlorine disinfectant from salt water through electrolysis, thereby eliminating transport and storage challenges associated with chlorine gas
2Ease of operation
If hypochlorite in aqueous medium is used, then transportability is improved, but potency decreases over time
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary action by generating chlorine on-demand through electrolysis of salt water just before use, rather than relying on pre-prepared hypochlorite solutions that degrade over time, ensuring maximum potency when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system serves itself by automatically generating chlorine from common salt water through the electrolytic cell, eliminating the need for external storage of pre-prepared disinfectant solutions and their associated degradation issues
3Ease of manufacture
If point-of-use generation is implemented, then cost-effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts away complex control circuits, batteries, and power management systems from the device, relying instead on simple electrolysis of salt water powered by available power sources, thereby reducing complexity while maintaining point-of-use generation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The device uses readily available materials (salt water) and simple electrolytic principles to generate chlorine on-demand without requiring complex control systems, expensive batteries, or sophisticated power management circuitry
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient, cost-effective, and scalable production of sodium hypochlorite, maintaining potency and usability in adverse conditions, suitable for surface and liquid disinfection, with minimal monitoring and easy maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
The electrolytic reaction of brine is as follows: 2NaCl(aq)+2H2O(l)→2Na+(aq)+2OH−(aq)Cl2(g)H2(g)
Implementation Method 2
The electrolytic cell is filled with a translucent material that allows light transmission
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments disclosed herein include a generator for making hypochlorite from chloride salts and water. The generator includes an anode comprising a translucent tube coupled to a color coded electrode that terminates in a connector, having a chamfered tip, for connecting with a power source; and a cathode comprising a translucent tube coupled to a color coded electrode that terminates in a connector, having a chamfered tip, for connecting with a power source.