METHOD AND DEVICE FOR WASTE-WATER PURIFICATION

• US 20100282592A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elcon Recycling Center (2003) Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Elcon Recycling Center (2003) Ltd.
• Inventors: Levin, Alexander, Elgat, Zvi
• Granted Patent: US 9,238,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 203/11
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/04 pipe stills
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/103 by using a barometric column
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/048 Purification of waste water by evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/20 by degassing, i.e. liberation of dissolved gases degasification of liquids in general B01D19/00; arrangement of degassing apparatus in boiler feed supply F22D
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/66 by neutralisation; pH adjustment for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/322 Volatile compounds, e.g. benzene
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/188 using heat from a specified chemical reaction

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods useful in waste processing. Disclosed is the use of a regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) unit for production of industrially useable steam. Disclosed are systems including a stripping unit associated with a regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) unit so that the stripping unit provides fuel for the RTO unit and the RTO unit provides a stripping gas for the stripping unit. Disclosed are systems including an RTO unit providing steam to operate a vapor condensation (VC) unit.

Claims

1. A use of a regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) unit for production of industrially useable steam, wherein said RTO comprises an oxidizer and a heat exchanger, adapted for pre-heating process air that enters the oxidizer with heat generated in the oxidizer.

2. The use of claim 1, wherein said produced steam is used as a stripping gas in a steam stripping unit.

3. The use of claim 1, wherein said RTO unit receives process air from a steam stripping unit.

4. The use of claim 3, wherein said process air received from said steam stripping unit comprises sufficient oxidizable components so that said RTO unit produces substantially sufficient steam for operation of said steam stripping unit.

5. The use of claim 1 wherein said produced steam is used to drive a vapor compression (VC) unit.

6. The use of claim 3, wherein said produced steam is used to drive a vapor compression (VC) unit.

7. The use of claim 6, wherein said process air received from said steam stripping unit comprises sufficient oxidizable components so that said RTO unit produces sufficient steam for operation of said steam stripping unit and said VC unit.

8. The use of claim 7, wherein said process air received from said steam stripping unit comprises sufficient oxidizable components so that said RTO unit produces sufficient steam for operation of said steam stripping unit and said VC unit, excepting energy for driving a compressor of said VC unit.

9. The use of claim 5, wherein said produced steam is used to drive said VC unit for extraction of water from brine.

10. A method of producing industrially useable steam comprising,

a) providing a vapor comprising steam and volatile compounds to a regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) unit;

and

b) oxidizing said volatile compounds together with said steam in said RTO unit so as to increase the energy content of said steam,

wherein said oxidizing in an RTO comprises pre-heating, with a heat exchanger, process air that enters an oxidizer in the RTO with heat generated in the oxidizer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said providing said vapor comprises directing a vapor exhaust from a steam stripping unit to said RTO unit.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

c) directing said industrially useable steam to a steam stripping unit as a stripping gas.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein providing a vapor, comprises stripping volatile compounds from water contaminated therewith by contacting the water with a flow of steam in a steam stripping unit to produce a vapor of steam and volatilized said volatile compounds.

14. The method of claim 53, wherein the amount of said heated steam produced in (c) is sufficient to strip said volatile compounds in (a) with substantially no addition of externally produced steam.

15. The method of claim 53, wherein the volatile compound content of said water is such that said increased energy steam produced in (c) is sufficient to strip said volatile compounds in (a) with substantially no addition of externally produced steam.

16. The method of claim 53, wherein the volatile organic compounds (VOC) content of said water is at least about 10 grams 1⁻

1.

17. The method of claim 53, wherein said water comprises non-volatile contaminants.

18. The method of claim 53, further comprising during said (a), adding a base to increase the pH of said water.

32. A method according to claim 13, comprising:

directing said increased-energy steam to a vapor compression (VC) unit to drive said VC unit to remove water from a brine.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said brine comprises a byproduct of (a).

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising directing at least a portion of said increased-energy steam to said steam stripping unit to effect further stripping of volatile compounds from water in (a).

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the amount of said increased-energy steam produced in (b) is sufficient to drive said VC unit with substantially no addition of externally produced steam.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the amount of said increased-energy steam produced in (b) is sufficient to drive said VC unit with substantially no addition of externally produced steam, excepting energy necessary to drive a compressor of said VC unit.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the amount of said increased-energy steam produced in (b) is sufficient to strip said volatile compounds in (a) with substantially no addition of externally produced steam.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the volatile compound content of said water is such that said increased-energy steam produced in (b) is sufficient to strip said volatile compounds in (a) with substantially no addition of externally produced steam.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the volatile compound content of said water is at least about 10 gram 1⁻

1.

40. The method of claim 32, wherein said water comprises non-volatile contaminants.

41. The method of claim 32, further comprising during said (a), adding a base to increase the pH of said water.

53. A method according to claim 13, comprising directing at least a portion of said increased-energy steam to said steam stripping unit to effect further stripping of volatile compounds from water.

19. A system for processing wastewater, comprising:

a) a stripping unit, comprising a stripping column, a stripping gas inlet and a stripping unit exhaust; and

b) a regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) unit, comprising a process air inlet and an RTO exhaust

wherein said RTO exhaust is in fluid communication with said stripping gas inlet, and

wherein said RTO comprises an oxidizer and a heat exchanger, adapted for pre-heating process air that enters the oxidizer with heat generated in the oxidizer.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said RTO unit and said stripping unit are configured to drive exhaust from said RTO into said stripping gas inlet as a stripping gas when operating.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said stripping unit is a steam stripping unit.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein said stripping gas inlet is a steam inlet.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein said stripping unit exhaust is in fluid communication with said process air inlet.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said RTO unit and said stripping unit are configured to drive exhaust from said stripping unit into said process air inlet as a portion of RTO unit process air when operating.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein said stripping unit is a batch stripping unit comprising a sump.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a reagent addition port functionally associated with said sump.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein said stripping unit is a continuous flow stripping unit.

42. A system according to claim 19, comprising:

a vapor compression (VC) unit, comprising a steam inlet and a flash chamber

wherein said stripping unit exhaust is in fluid communication with said process air inlet; and

wherein said RTO exhaust is in fluid communication with said VC unit steam inlet.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein said flash chamber comprises a vacuum producing component for operation of said flash chamber at reduced pressures.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein said flash chamber is configured for operation at atmospheric pressure.

45. The system of claim 42, wherein said RTO exhaust is in fluid communication with said stripping gas inlet.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein said RTO unit and said stripping unit are configured to drive exhaust from said RTO into said stripping gas inlet as a stripping gas when operating.

47. The system of claim 42, wherein said stripping unit is a steam stripping unit.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein said stripping gas inlet is a steam inlet.

49. The system of claim 42, wherein said RTO unit and said stripping unit are configured to drive exhaust from said stripping unit into said process air inlet as a portion of RTO unit process air when operating.

50. The system of claim 42, wherein said stripping unit is a batch stripping unit comprising a sump.

51. The system of claim 50, further comprising a reagent addition port functionally associated with said sump.

52. The system of claim 42, wherein said stripping unit is a continuous flow stripping unit.

28. A method for removing water from brine, comprising:

a) oxidizing volatile compounds in a vapor comprising steam and said volatile compounds in a regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) unit so as to increase the energy content of said steam in said vapor; and

b) directing at least a portion of said increased energy steam to a vapor compression (VC) unit to drive said VC unit to remove water from the brine,

wherein said oxidizing in an RTO comprises pre-heating, with a heat exchanger, process air that enters an oxidizer in the RTO with heat generated in the oxidizer.

29. A system for processing brine, comprising:

a) a regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) unit, comprising a process air inlet and an RTO exhaust; and

b) a vapor compression (VC) unit, comprising a steam inlet and a flash chamber

wherein said RTO exhaust is in fluid communication with said VC unit steam inlet, and

wherein said RTO comprises an oxidizer and a heat exchanger, adapted for pre-heating process air that enters the oxidizer with heat generated in the oxidizer.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said flash chamber comprises a vacuum-producing component for operation of said flash chamber at reduced pressure.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said flash chamber is configured for operation at atmospheric pressure.