Accelerated fabric drying and decontaminating apparatus and method

Abstract

An apparatus and method for accelerated drying and decontamination of wet fabric and material. A pair of metal electrodes electrically isolated from each other by a "U" shaped insulating frame is used to hold the wetted fabric in an electric field of between 10 3 and 10 4 volts per centimeter.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for accelerated drying and decontamination of wetted fabric and material which comprises: insulator frame means for holding said fabric in an electrostatic field;   heater means operatively disposed on a vertical section of said frame means for reducing electrical leakage and for preventing surface water layer absorption on said frame means;   fixed electrode means operatively attached to said frame means for holding said wetted fabric thereon;   slideable electrode means adjustably attached to said frame means, in axial alignment with said fixed electrode means for adjusting the gap distance between said fixed electrode means and said slideable electrode means and for exerting a field strength between said slideable electrode means and said wetted fabric to promote the flow of charge carriers, water ions, from said fixed electrode means to said slideable electrode means thereby greatly accelerating the drying of said wetted fabric when compared to the drying time under natural evaporation.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus for accelerated drying as recited in claim 1 wherein said insulator frame means comprises: a vertical section having notched cut-out coil support members positioned thereon;   an upper horizontal support member integrally connected to one end of said vertical section, said horizontal support member having a centrally disposed hole located therein; and   a lower horizontal support member integrally connected to the other end of said vertical section, having a centrally disposed rod hole located therein in axial alignment with said centrally disposed hole of said upper horizontal support member.   
     
     
       3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said heater means comprises a series wound electrical heater coil wires operatively disposed on said notched cut-out coil support members, said heater coils capable of raising a portion of said vertical section of said insulator frame to a temperature of 100° C. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein said fixed electrode means comprises: a first stainless steel rod fixedly held in the rod hole of said lower horizontal support member;   a first high voltage wire electrically connected to one end of said fixedly held rod; and   a fixed stainless steel disc shaped electrode member horizontally supported on the other end said fixedly held first rod.   
     
     
       5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said slideable electrode means includes: a second stainless steel rod slideably held in the rod hole of said upper horizontal support member, said second rod disposed in axial alignment with said fixed electrode means;   a second high voltage wire electrically connected to one end of said second steel rod; and   a second stainless steel disc shaped electrode member horizontally supported on the other end of said slideable second rod in axial alignment with said fixed stainless steel disc.   
     
     
       6. A method for accelerated wetted fabric drying and decontamination which comprises the steps of: constructing a "U" shaped insulator frame having a vertical notched cutout coil section therein;   integrally attaching a lower horizontal insulator support member, having a centrally disposed rod hole therein, to one end of said vertical section;   integrally attaching an upper horizontal insulator support member, having a centrally disposed rod hole therein, to the other end of said vertical section;   fixedly holding a first disc electrode in said lower insulator support member;   slideably positioning a second disc electrode in said upper insulator support member;   winding heater coils on said notched coil section;   applying a voltage to said heater coil to raise the temperature of said vertical notched cut-out coil section to a least 100° C.;   placing the wetted fabric to be decontaminated on said first disc electrode;   adjusting the gap distance between said fixed and slidable electrode discs; and   applying a high voltage to said fixed and slidable electrodes to provide a field strength of between 10 3  and 10 4  volts per centimeter.