Method of and apparatus for fractionation by electrodialysis

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR FRACTIONATING CONSTITUTENTS OF AN IONIC SOLUTION UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF AN ELECTRIC CURRENT AND GRAVITY, THE APPARATUS COMPRISING, A SUBSTNTIALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDED HOUSING HAVING TWO HORIZONTALLY SPACED ENDS; ELECTRODES OF OPPOSITE POLARITY AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE HOUSING; A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEDL SPACED BAFFLES OF AN ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL OF A CERTAIN POLARITY, SAID MATERIAL BEING REPELLANT TO IONS OF SAID CERTAIN POLARITY AND PERMEABLE TO IONS OF THE OPPOSITE POLARITY, SAID SPACED BAFFLES BEING AT AN ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL AND TRANSVERSE TO THE GENERAL PATH OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT FLOWING FROM ONE ELECTRODE TO THE OTHER, SAID SPACED BAFFLES SUBDIVIDING SAID HOUSING INTO SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL LIQUID CHAMBERS; SUPPLY DUCT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING SOLUTION INTO THE APPARATUS AT A CHAMBER WHICH IS NEARER TO AN ELECTRODE OF THE ONE POLARITY THAN IT IS TO AN ELECTRODE OF THE OPPOSITE POLARITY; WITHDRAWAL DUCT MEANS DOWNSTREAM WITH RESPECT TO SAID SUPPLY DUCT MEANS FOR WITHDRWING FLUID FRCTIONS FROM A PORTION OF SAID HOUSING WHICH IS CLOSER TO AN ELECTRODE OF THE OPPOSITE POLARITY THAN IT IS TO AN ELECTRODE OF THE ONE POLARITY, SID WITHDRAWAL MEANS COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE DUCTS HAVING INTAKE PORTS, SAID INTAKE PORTS BEING VERTICALLY SPACED TO WITHDRAW LIQUID FROM SEPARATE VERTICALLY SPACED LIQUID STRATA, THE WITHDRAWAL MEANS BEING SEPARATED FROM THE FLUID SUPPLY MEANS BY A PLURALITY OF BAFFLE-SEPARATED INTERMEDIATE CHAMBERS, SAID INTERMEDIATE CHAMBERS BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AS TO PROVIDE PASSAGE FOR FLUID FROM ONE INTERMEDIATE CHAMBER TO THE NEXT SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSELY TO SAID BAFFLES, EACH BAFFLE AND ITS BORDERING CHAMBER PRESENTING A CERTAIN HYDRAULIC FLOW RESISTANCE TO THE FLUID FLOWING FROM A PRECEDING CHAMBER TO THE NEXT CHAMBER, THE FLOW RESISTANCE OF SUCCESSIVE BAFFLES WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE BORDERING CHAMBERS BEING PROPORTIONATELY THE SAME FOR CORRESPONDING LEVELS OF THE BAFFLES, SO AS TO PERMIT THE FLUID TO FLOW FROM CHAMBER TO CHAMBER WITHOUT BAFFLE-INDUCED DEFLECTION OF THE FLOW IN AN UPWARD OR DOWNWARD SENSE.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR FRACTIONATING CONSTITUTENTS OF AN IONIC SOLUTION UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF AN ELECTRIC CURRENT AND GRAVITY, THE APPARATUS COMPRISING, A SUBSTNTIALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDED HOUSING HAVING TWO HORIZONTALLY SPACED ENDS; ELECTRODES OF OPPOSITE POLARITY AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE HOUSING; A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEDL SPACED BAFFLES OF AN ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL OF A CERTAIN POLARITY, SAID MATERIAL BEING REPELLANT TO IONS OF SAID CERTAIN POLARITY AND PERMEABLE TO IONS OF THE OPPOSITE POLARITY, SAID SPACED BAFFLES BEING AT AN ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL AND TRANSVERSE TO THE GENERAL PATH OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENT FLOWING FROM ONE ELECTRODE TO THE OTHER, SAID SPACED BAFFLES SUBDIVIDING SAID HOUSING INTO SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL LIQUID CHAMBERS; SUPPLY DUCT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING SOLUTION INTO THE APPARATUS AT A CHAMBER WHICH IS NEARER TO AN ELECTRODE OF THE ONE POLARITY THAN IT IS TO AN ELECTRODE OF THE OPPOSITE POLARITY; WITHDRAWAL DUCT MEANS DOWNSTREAM WITH RESPECT TO SAID SUPPLY DUCT MEANS FOR WITHDRWING FLUID FRCTIONS FROM A PORTION OF SAID HOUSING WHICH IS CLOSER TO AN ELECTRODE OF THE OPPOSITE POLARITY THAN IT IS TO AN ELECTRODE OF THE ONE POLARITY, SID WITHDRAWAL MEANS COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE DUCTS HAVING INTAKE PORTS, SAID INTAKE PORTS BEING VERTICALLY SPACED TO WITHDRAW LIQUID FROM SEPARATE VERTICALLY SPACED LIQUID STRATA, THE WITHDRAWAL MEANS BEING SEPARATED FROM THE FLUID SUPPLY MEANS BY A PLURALITY OF BAFFLE-SEPARATED INTERMEDIATE CHAMBERS, SAID INTERMEDIATE CHAMBERS BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AS TO PROVIDE PASSAGE FOR FLUID FROM ONE INTERMEDIATE CHAMBER TO THE NEXT SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSELY TO SAID BAFFLES, EACH BAFFLE AND ITS BORDERING CHAMBER PRESENTING A CERTAIN HYDRAULIC FLOW RESISTANCE TO THE FLUID FLOWING FROM A PRECEDING CHAMBER TO THE NEXT CHAMBER, THE FLOW RESISTANCE OF SUCCESSIVE BAFFLES WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE BORDERING CHAMBERS BEING PROPORTIONATELY THE SAME FOR CORRESPONDING LEVELS OF THE BAFFLES, SO AS TO PERMIT THE FLUID TO FLOW FROM CHAMBER TO CHAMBER WITHOUT BAFFLE-INDUCED DEFLECTION OF THE FLOW IN AN UPWARD OR DOWNWARD SENSE.