SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING AQUEOUS STREAM PURIFICATION SERVICES

• US 20090082906A1
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 212 Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: H2oil Incorporated
• Inventors: Rohwer, Bradford M., Sanderson, Larry D., Schleiffarth, James W., Merrill, Leslie D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,842,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/271
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/16 by spraying B01D1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0005 with one or more auxiliary substances
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/048 Purification of waste water by evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/365 from petrochemical industry (e.g. refineries)
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/03 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/42 Liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/10 Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for providing aqueous stream purification services. The system includes at least one separation unit. Each separation unit may include a mechanical vapor recompression separator, a steam stripper, and a secondary recovery heat exchanger. The system for wastewater purification may receive water from a waste water storage, purify the water, and return the purified water to a purified water storage. The system may include a controller. The controller may include an operating conditions module configured to interpret at least one operating condition. Operating conditions may be waste fluid stream impurity concentrations, waste fluid stream flow rates, steam inlet temperatures, recirculation stream flow rates corresponding to the at least one separation unit, recirculation stream temperatures corresponding to the at least one separation unit, purified product stream flow rates, purified product stream impurity concentrations, and/or purge stream concentrations corresponding to the at least one separation unit.

Claims

1. A system to provide waste water purification services, the system comprising:

at least one separation unit, each separation unit comprising a mechanical vapor recompression separator, a steam stripper, and a secondary recovery heat exchanger;

wherein the system for wastewater purification receives water from a waste water storage, purifies the water, and returns the purified water to a purified water storage.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, the controller comprising:

an operating conditions module configured to interpret at least one operating condition selected from the set of conditions consisting of a waste fluid stream impurity concentration, a waste fluid stream flow rate, a steam inlet temperature, a recirculation stream flow rate corresponding to the at least one separation unit, a recirculation stream temperature corresponding to the at least one separation unit, a purified product stream flow rate, a purified product stream impurity concentration, and a purge stream concentration corresponding to the at least one separation unit;

a user request module configured to interpret at least one user request selected from the set of user requests consisting of a purified product stream flow rate request, a purified product stream impurity concentration request, an inlet steam flow rate request, a purge stream concentration request corresponding to the at least one separation unit, a waste fluid stream flow rate request, a steam stripper reflux ratio request, a purge stream temperature request corresponding to the at least one separation unit, a purified water storage level request, a waste water storage level request, an evaporation unit fluid level request, a system pressure parameter, and a stripping vessel fluid level request;

a process control module configured to generate at least one system response based on the at least one operating condition, in response to the at least one user request; and

an actuation module configured to control at least one actuator based on the system response.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one system response comprises a system response selected from the group consisting of a purge stream valve position, a recirculation stream valve position, a steam inlet valve position, a recirculation pump power output, a final product stream valve position, a reflux valve position, a waste fluid stream valve position, a feed pump power output, a stripper recycle pump power output, and a pre-heated feed stream valve position.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is distributed over a plurality of computers, and wherein the plurality of computers communicate over a network.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the user request module interprets the at least one user request by receiving the at least one user request over a network.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller further comprises a monitoring module configured to provide one of the at least one operating conditions to a user display.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system to provide waste water purification services is configured with a single inlet connection for waste water and a single outlet connection for purified water.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system to provide waste water purification services is configured to fit on a single standard commercial vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the mechanical vapor recompression separator, the steam stripper and the secondary recovery heat exchanger comprise modules configured to assemble together, and wherein each of the modules is configured to fit on a single standard commercial vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a waste water storage and a purified water storage.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising an application utilizing water from the purified water storage, and disposing of the utilized water into the waste water storage.

12. A method to provide waste water purification services, the method comprising:

receiving a waste water stream from a waste water storage;

separating impurities from the waste water stream in at least one separation unit, each separation unit comprising a mechanical vapor recompression separator, a steam stripper, and a secondary recovery heat exchanger; and

returning a purified water stream to a purified water storage.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

interpreting at least one operating condition selected from the set of conditions consisting of a waste fluid stream impurity concentration, a waste fluid stream flow rate, a steam inlet temperature, a recirculation stream flow rate corresponding to the at least one separation unit, a recirculation stream temperature corresponding to the at least one separation unit, a purified product stream flow rate, a purified product stream impurity concentration, and a purge stream concentration corresponding to the at least one separation unit;

interpreting at least one user request selected from the set of user requests consisting of a purified product stream flow rate request, a purified product stream impurity concentration request, an inlet steam flow rate request, a purge stream concentration request corresponding to the at least one separation unit, a waste fluid stream flow rate request, a steam stripper reflux ratio request, a purge stream temperature request corresponding to the at least one separation unit, a purified water storage level request, a waste water storage level request, an evaporation unit fluid level request, a system pressure parameter, and a stripping vessel fluid level request;

generating at least one system response based on the at least one operating condition, in response to the at least one user request; and

controlling at least one actuator based on the system response.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one system response is selected from the group consisting of a purge stream valve position, a recirculation stream valve position, a steam inlet valve position, a recirculation pump power output, a final product stream valve position, a reflux valve position, a waste fluid stream valve position, a feed pump power output, a stripper recycle pump power output, and a pre-heated feed stream valve position.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one user request is received over a network.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one actuator is controlled over a network.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the at least one operating condition to a user display.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

using water from the purified water storage in an application and

disposing of water from an application into the waste water storage.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer usable program code programmed to execute a method of providing waste water purification services, the method comprising:

interpreting at least one operating condition, wherein interpreting the at least one operating condition comprises one or more of reading parameters from a datalink, interpreting sensor input values, and calculating operating conditions based on other detected parameters;

interpreting at least one user request, wherein the at least one user request comprises a target value for a parameter in a waste water purification system, and wherein a user comprises one or more of a person, a computer, and a system in communication with a controller;

generating at least one system response, wherein the at least one system response is based on the at least one operating condition and the at least one system response is in response to the at least one user request; and

controlling at least one actuator based on the at least one system response.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the user request is selected from the group consisting of a purified product stream flow rate request, a purified product stream impurity concentration request, an inlet steam flow rate request, a purge stream concentration request corresponding to the at least one separation unit, a waste fluid stream flow rate request, a steam stripper reflux ratio request, a purge stream temperature request corresponding to the at least one separation unit, a purified water storage level request, a waste water storage level request, an evaporation unit fluid level request, a system pressure parameter, and a stripping vessel fluid level request.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the at least one operating condition is selected from the set of conditions consisting of a waste fluid stream impurity concentration, a waste fluid stream flow rate, a steam inlet temperature, a recirculation stream flow rate corresponding to the at least one separation unit, a recirculation stream temperature corresponding to the at least one separation unit, a purified product stream flow rate, a purified product stream impurity concentration, and a purge stream concentration corresponding to the at least one separation unit.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the at least one system response comprises a system response selected from the group consisting of a purge stream valve position, a recirculation stream valve position, a steam inlet valve position, a recirculation pump power output, a final product stream valve position, a reflux valve position, a waste fluid stream valve position, a feed pump power output, a stripper recycle pump power output, and a pre-heated feed stream valve position.