Laundry wash water recycle system

• US 10,000,400 B1
• Filed: 04/01/2015
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: New Wave Industries, New Wave Industries Ltd. (Zep Inc.)
• Original Assignee: New Wave Industries
• Inventors: Borchard, Charles A., Evans, Gregory W., Borchard, Christopher M., Samudio, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keyworth, Peter
• Application Number:
  US14/676,421
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/38 by centrifugal separation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/722 Oxidation by peroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/002 Grey water, e.g. from clothes washers, showers or dishwashers
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/30 from the textile industry
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/005 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/782 Ozone generators
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/784 Diffusers or nozzles for ozonation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/03 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/046 Recirculation with an external loop
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/16 Regeneration of sorbents, filters
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/18 Removal of treatment agents after treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/24 Separation of coarse particles, e.g. by using sieves or screens
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/72 Control of the energy or water consumption
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/10 Power supply arrangements, e.g. stand-by circuits
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/001 using ozone
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/20 : Arrangements for water recovery

Abstract

Laundry wash water recycle system comprising a repressurization pump in fluid communication with a storage tank containing previously used wash water for pumping the used wash water sequentially through a lint filter, a cyclone, and a multi-media filter disposed in sequential series wherein the self-cleaning lint filter in sequential series combination with the cyclone removes insoluble solids with the multi-media filter providing a final filtration for obtaining an output of pressurized double filtered cyclonically processed water. An advanced oxidation combination is introduced into pressurized double filtered cyclonically processed water and mixing occurs for producing a double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water that is communicated to a clean water storage tank for providing on demand delivery to at least one washer and continuous delivery of a feedback flow to the inlet storage tank for providing constant recirculation of treated water through the system.

Claims

1. Laundry wash water recycle process, said process comprising:

utilizing ozone treatment in wash water of at least one washer;

transferring under pressure used ozone treated wash water from the at least one washer to an inlet storage tank defining stored previously ozone treated used wash water;

repressurizing the stored previously ozone treated used wash water for defining repressurized used wash water;

feeding the repressurized used wash water sequentially through a lint filter, at least one cyclone, and a multi-media filter disposed in sequential series wherein the lint filter in sequential series combination with the at least one cyclone are utilized to remove insoluble solids with the multi-media filter providing a final filtration for obtaining an output of pressurized double filtered cyclonically processed water;

introducing an advanced oxidation combination comprising hydrogen peroxide and ozone gas into the outputted pressurized double filtered cyclonically processed water for producing a hydroxyl radical oxidizer therein so to obtain a double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water;

communicating the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water to a clean water storage tank;

delivering from the clean water storage tank the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water on demand to at least one washer;

continuously feeding back a stream of the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water to the inlet storage tank that stores previously ozone treated used wash water for providing a constant recirculation of the feedback stream of the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water by mixing with the stored previously ozone treated used wash water in the storage tank for subsequent repressurizing and feeding sequentially through the lint filter, the at least one cyclone, and the multi-media filter disposed in sequential series followed by introducing the advanced oxidation into the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water prior to the delivery to the clean water storage tank; and

wherein feeding the repressurized wash water sequentially through the lint filter, the at least one cyclone, and the multi-media filter disposed in sequential series for obtaining the output of pressurized double filtered cyclonically processed water comprises;

initially feeding the repressurized wash water through an input channel of the lint filter at a location exterior to a cylindrical wedge-wire filter screen and through the cylindrical wedge-wire filter screen to an interior of the lint filter in open communication with an outlet outputting repressurized wedge-wire filtered water;

sequentially feeding the outputted repressurized wedge-wire filtered water to the at least one cyclone for cyclonically processing the wedge-wire filtered water to obtain a cyclone output of repressurized wedge-wire filtered cyclonically processed water; and

sequentially feeding the output of repressurized wedge-wire filtered cyclonically processed water to the multi-media filter for obtaining wedge-wire filtered cyclonically processed multi-media filtered water defining the double filtered cyclonically processed water.

2. The process of claim 1 further comprising measuring a differential pressure between an input and output of the lint filter and, at a predetermined setpoint, directing a flow of double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water from inside out of the cylindrical wedge-wire filter screen during a flush cycle for self-cleaning the lint filter.

3. The process of claim 2 further comprising a step of toggling between an open and closed position for configurable periods an underflow valve comprising a ball valve having normally closed faces comprising a pair of opposing, diametrically spaced apart central orifices disposed therethrough to allow a controlled flow of solids laden water out of a discharge bottom of the at least one cyclone while the ball valve is in the closed position;

and the ball valve having normally opened faces of a normal passageway extending through the ball valve for allowing greater fluid flow while in the open position than the closed position wherein the pair of opposing orifices of the normally closed faces has a central axis substantially perpendicular to a central axis of the opened faces of the normal passageway extending through the ball valve.

4. The process of claim 3 further comprising measuring a differential pressure between an input and output of the multi-media filtered water and, at a predetermined setpoint, directing a flow of double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water to backflow in the multi-media filter during a flush cycle for self-cleaning the multi-media filter.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein utilizing ozone treatment in wash water of at least one washer comprises utilizing ozone treatment in ambient temperature wash water of at least one washer.

6. The process of claim 5 further comprising utilizing a variable frequency drive (VFD) on a single clean water pump in open fluid communication with the clean water tank storage for continuously feeding back a stream of double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water to the inlet storage tank to provide the constantly recirculated flow of double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water while simultaneously delivering from the clean water storage tank the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water on demand to at least one washer.

7. The process of claim 6 further comprising utilizing the variable frequency drive (VFD) on the single clean water pump in open fluid communication with the clean water tank storage for further delivering from the clean water storage tank the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water on demand to the lint filter for providing a backwash water and delivering from the clean water storage tank the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water on demand to the multi-media filter for providing a multi-media filter backwash water.

8. Laundry wash water recycle process, said process comprising:

transferring under pressure used wash water from the at least one washer to an inlet storage tank defining stored used wash water;

repressurizing the stored used wash water for defining repressurized used wash water;

feeding the repressurized used wash water sequentially through a lint filter, at least one cyclone, and a multi-media filter disposed in sequential series wherein the lint filter in sequential series combination with the at least one cyclone are utilized to remove insoluble solids with the multi-media filter providing a final filtration for obtaining an output of pressurized double filtered cyclonically processed water;

introducing an advanced oxidation combination comprising hydrogen peroxide and ozone gas into the outputted pressurized double filtered cyclonically processed water for producing a hydroxyl radical oxidizer therein so to obtain a double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water;

communicating the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water to a clean water storage tank;

delivering from the clean water storage tank the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water on demand to at least one washer;

continuously feeding back a stream of the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water to the inlet storage tank for mixing with the stored previously ozone treated used wash water in the storage tank for subsequent repressurizing and feeding sequentially through the lint filter, the at least one cyclone, and the multi-media filter disposed in sequential series followed by introducing the advanced oxidation into the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water prior to delivery to the clean water storage tank;

mixing for increasing hydroxyl radical oxidizer production in the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water prior to communicating the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water to the storage tank wherein mixing is accomplished with a mixer comprising internal baffles within the mixer creating turbulence; and

wherein feeding the repressurized wash water sequentially through the lint filter, the at least one cyclone, and the multi-media filter disposed in sequential series for obtaining the output of pressurized double filtered cyclonically processed water comprises;

initially feeding the repressurized wash water through an input channel of the lint filter at a location exterior to a cylindrical wedge-wire filter screen and through the cylindrical wedge-wire filter screen to an interior of the lint filter in open communication with an outlet outputting repressurized wedge-wire filtered water;

sequentially feeding the outputted repressurized wedge-wire filtered water to the at least one cyclone for cyclonically processing the wedge-wire filtered water to obtain a cyclone output of repressurized wedge-wire filtered cyclonically processed water; and

sequentially feeding the output of repressurized wedge-wire filtered cyclonically processed water to the multi-media filter for obtaining wedge-wire filtered cyclonically processed multi-media filtered water defining the double filtered cyclonically processed water.

9. The process of claim 8 further comprising measuring a differential pressure between an input and output of the lint filter and, at a predetermined setpoint, directing a flow of double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water from inside out of the cylindrical wedge-wire filter screen during a flush cycle for self-cleaning the lint filter.

10. The process of claim 9 further comprising a step of toggling between an open and closed position for configurable periods an underflow valve comprising a ball valve having normally closed faces comprising a pair of opposing, diametrically spaced apart central orifices to allow a controlled flow of solids laden water out of a discharge bottom of the at least one cyclone while in the closed position and the ball valve having normally opened faces of a normal passageway extending through the ball valve for allowing greater fluid flow while in the open position than the closed position wherein the pair of opposing orifices of the normally closed faces has a central axis substantially perpendicular to a central axis of the opened faces of the normal passageway extending through the ball valve.

11. Laundry wash water recycle process, said process comprising:

transferring under pressure used wash water from the at least one washer to an inlet storage tank defining stored used wash water;

repressurizing the stored used wash water for defining repressurized used wash water;

feeding the repressurized used wash water sequentially through a lint filter, at least one cyclone, and a multi-media filter disposed in sequential series wherein the lint filter in sequential series combination with the at least one cyclone are utilized to remove insoluble solids with the multi-media filter providing a final filtration for obtaining an output of pressurized double filtered cyclonically processed water;

introducing an advanced oxidation combination comprising hydrogen peroxide and ozone gas into the outputted pressurized double filtered cyclonically processed water for producing a hydroxyl radical oxidizer therein so to obtain a double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water;

communicating the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water to a clean water storage tank;

delivering from the clean water storage tank the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water on demand to at least one washer; and

continuously feeding back a stream of the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water to the inlet storage tank for mixing with the stored previously ozone treated used wash water in the storage tank for subsequent repressurizing and feeding sequentially through the lint filter, the at least one cyclone, and the multi-media filter disposed in sequential series followed by introducing the advanced oxidation into the double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water prior to delivery to the clean water storage tank; and

toggling between an open and closed position for configurable periods an underflow valve comprising a ball valve having normally closed faces comprising a pair of opposing, diametrically spaced apart central orifices to allow a controlled flow of solids laden water out of a discharge bottom of the at least one cyclone while in the closed position and the ball valve having normally opened faces of a normal passageway extending through the ball valve for allowing greater fluid flow while in the open position than the closed position.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein the pair of opposing orifices of the normally closed faces has a central axis substantially perpendicular to a central axis of the opened faces of the normal passageway extending through the ball valve.