Laundry wash water recycle system

• US 10,000,880 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2016
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 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:
  US15/392,779
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• 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 system, said system comprising:

a repressurization pump having a suction inlet side and a repressurization outlet side, said suction inlet side operatively coupled to an outlet channel of an inlet tank receiving and storing laundry wash water;

a series device configuration comprising;

a self-cleaning lint filter device having a lint filter inlet channel and a lint filter outlet channel, said lint filter inlet channel operatively coupled to said repressurization outlet side of said repressurization pump;

at least one cyclone having an inlet port and an outlet port, said inlet port operatively coupled to said lint filter outlet channel of said self-cleaning lint filter device; and

a multi-media filter having an inlet passage and an outlet passage, said inlet passage of said multi-media filter operatively coupled to said outlet port of said at least one cyclone wherein said repressurization pump provides pumping of the wastewater through said series configuration for delivering double filtered cyclonically processed water from said outlet passage of said multi-media filter;

a clean water tank having an input channel and an output channel, said input channel of said clean water tank operatively coupled to the outlet passage of the multi-media filter for receiving said double filtered cyclonically processed water;

an advanced oxidation means that combines ozone with hydrogen peroxide to produce a hydroxyl radical for treating said double filtered cyclonically processed water prior to entering said clean water tank for providing a double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water to said clean water tank;

a clean water feedback line having a first end and a second end, said first end operatively coupled to the inlet tank;

a clean water pump having an input operatively coupled to said output channel of said clean water tank and an output operatively coupled to said second end of said clean water feedback line and to the at least one washer machine for pumping said double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water from said clean water tank to the at least one washer machine upon demand while continually recirculating or feeding back a stream of said double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water through said clean water feedback line from said clean water tank to the inlet water tank for providing constant recirculation of said double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water through said system; and

wherein said self-cleaning lint filter device comprises;

a self-cleaning recirculation housing comprising a bottom having an outer circumscribing periphery transitioning into an upwardly extending circumscribing sidewall terminating to an upper circumscribing lip defining an upper opening of said self-cleaning recirculation housing;

a lid mounted on said upper circumscribing lip of said self-cleaning recirculation housing forming a pressurized self-cleaning lint filter device;

said upwardly extending circumscribing sidewall having an interior circumscribing surface defining a circumscribing main chamber that extends along and circumscribes a central longitudinal axis of said self-cleaning recirculation housing;

a cylindrical screen filter disposed within said self-cleaning recirculation housing, said cylindrical screen filter having a diameter less than an interior diameter of said self-cleaning recirculation housing;

said cylindrical screen filter having an inferior end abutting an interior surface of said bottom of said self-cleaning recirculation housing and a superior circumscribing collar radially extending away from a superior end of said cylindrical body of said cylindrical screen filter and circumferentially spacing said cylindrical body of said cylindrical screen filter away from said interior circumscribing surface of said self-cleaning recirculation housing for forming a hollow cylindrically shaped envelope between an exterior of said cylindrical body of said cylindrical screen filter and said interior circumscribing surface of said self-cleaning recirculation housing; and

wherein said hollow cylindrically shaped envelope is bounded by said superior circumscribing collar of said cylindrical screen filter, said bottom of said self-cleaning recirculation housing, said interior circumscribing surface of said self-cleaning recirculation housing, and said exterior surface of said cylindrical screen filter.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said lint filter inlet channel is disposed through said self-cleaning recirculation housing at an elevation above said bottom of said self-cleaning recirculation housing for providing open fluid communication to said hollow cylindrically shaped envelope disposed between said interior circumscribing surface of said self-cleaning recirculation housing and said exterior of said cylindrical body of said cylindrical screen filter to filter from said exterior to an interior of said cylindrical body of said cylindrical screen filter.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a spray nozzle assembly, said spray nozzle assembly comprising:

a vertical blind bore conduit assembly extending between a closed inferior end and an open superior end,

said vertical blind bore conduit assembly centrally disposed within said self-cleaning recirculation housing and circumscribed by and radially spaced from an interior surface of said cylindrical screen filter with said closed inferior end spaced from said bottom of said self-cleaning recirculation housing and said open superior end in fluid communication with a water source;

a plurality of pairs of opposing radially outwardly facing spray nozzles vertically spaced apart and circumferentially distributed in a sequentially staggered pattern along a central axis of said vertical blind bore conduit assembly and in open fluid communication with said blind bore to discharge a spray from said plurality of pairs of opposing radially outwardly facing spray nozzles in a direction from said interior of said cylindrical body of said cylindrical screen filter to said exterior of said cylindrical body of said cylindrical screen filter.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising an underflow valve operatively coupled to a discharge bottom of said at least one cyclone, said underflow valve comprising:

a ball valve having two normally closed faces each comprising a central orifice disposed therethrough for defining a pair of opposing, diametrically spaced apart central orifices disposed through said normally closed faces to allow a controlled flow of solids laden water out of a discharge bottom of said at least one cyclone while said ball valve is in the closed position; and

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

5. Laundry wash water recycle system, said system comprising:

a repressurization pump having a suction inlet side and a repressurization outlet side, said suction inlet side operatively coupled to an outlet channel of an inlet tank receiving and storing laundry wash water;

a series device configuration comprising;

a self-cleaning lint filter device having a lint filter inlet channel and a lint filter outlet channel, said lint filter inlet channel operatively coupled to said repressurization outlet side of said repressurization pump;

at least one cyclone having an inlet port and an outlet port, said inlet port operatively coupled to said lint filter outlet channel of said self-cleaning lint filter device; and

a multi-media filter having an inlet passage and an outlet passage, said inlet passage of said multi-media filter operatively coupled to said outlet port of said at least one cyclone wherein said repressurization pump provides pumping of the wastewater through said series configuration for delivering double filtered cyclonically processed water from said outlet passage of said multi-media filter;

a clean water tank having an input channel and an output channel, said input channel of said clean water tank operatively coupled to the outlet passage of the multi-media filter for receiving said double filtered cyclonically processed water;

an advanced oxidation means that combines ozone with hydrogen peroxide to produce a hydroxyl radical for treating said double filtered cyclonically processed water prior to entering said clean water tank for providing a double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water to said clean water tank;

a clean water feedback line having a first end and a second end, said first end operatively coupled to the inlet tank;

a clean water pump having an input operatively coupled to said output channel of said clean water tank and an output operatively coupled to said second end of said clean water feedback line and to the at least one washer machine for pumping said double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water from said clean water tank to the at least one washer machine upon demand while continually recirculating or feeding back a stream of said double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water through said clean water feedback line from said clean water tank to the inlet water tank for providing constant recirculation of said double filtered cyclonically processed advanced oxidation treated water through said system; and

an underflow valve operatively coupled to a discharge bottom of said at least one cyclone, said underflow valve comprising;

a ball valve having two normally closed faces each comprising a central orifice disposed therethrough for defining a pair of opposing, diametrically spaced apart central orifices disposed through said normally closed faces to allow a controlled flow of solids laden water out of a discharge bottom of said at least one cyclone while said ball valve is in the closed position; and

said ball valve having normally opened faces of a normal passageway extending through the ball valve for allowing greater fluid flow while in said open position than said closed position.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said pair of opposing, diametrically spaced apart central orifices of said normally closed faces has a central axis substantially perpendicular to a central axis of said normally opened faces of said normal passageway extending through said ball valve.