Mobile station and methods for diagnosing and modeling site specific full-scale effluent treatment facility requirements

• US 20110257788A1
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwater Resource LLP
• Original Assignee: Rockwater Resource LLP
• Inventors: Wiemers, Reginald A., Zahn, Peter H., Khalili, Bardia B., Kohlheb, Robert, Lipovszki, Gyorgy
• Granted Patent: US 8,790,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/267
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/025 Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/026 comprising multiple reverse osmosis steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/027 Nanofiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/029 Multistep processes comprising different kinds of membrane processes selected from reverse osmosis, hyperfiltration or nanofiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• 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 1/28 by sorption using ion-exchange C02F1/42; sorbent compositions B01J
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/38 by centrifugal separation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/42 by ion-exchange ion-exchange in general B01J
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/44 by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis general membrane separation processes B01D61/00, membrane modules B01D63/00, electrodialysis C02F1/4693, combination of membrane modules and bioreactors C02F3/1268
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/441 by reverse osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/442 by nanofiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/444 by ultrafiltration or microfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/463 by electrocoagulation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/52 by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/463 takes precedence
• 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 2001/007 Processes including a sedimentation step
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/008 Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/461 Electrolysis apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/4612 : Controlling or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/00 : Controlling or monitoring parameters in water treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/006 : comprising a software program or a logic diagram
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 : comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/082 : Rotating biological contactors
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 : Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 : Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Abstract

A mobile station and methods are disclosed for diagnosing and modeling site specific effluent treatment facility requirements to arrive at a treatment regimen and/or proposed commercial plant model idealized for the particular water/site requirements. The station includes a mobile platform having power intake, effluent intake and fluid outflow facilities and first and second suites of selectably actuatable effluent pre-treatment apparatus. An effluent polishing treatment array is housed at the station and includes at least one of nanofiltration, reverse osmosis and ion-exchange stages. A suite of selectively actuatable post-treatment apparatus is housed at the station. Controls are connected at the station for process control, monitoring and data accumulation. A plurality of improved water treatment technologies is also disclosed. The modeling methods include steps for analyzing raw effluent to be treated, providing a field of raw effluent condition entry values and a field of treated effluent condition goals entry values, and utilizing said fields to determine an initial treatment model including a selection of, and use parameters for, treatment technologies from the plurality of down-scaled treatment technologies at the facility, the model dynamically and continuously modifiable during treatment modeling.

Claims

1. A method for diagnosing and modeling site specific effluent treatment facility requirements at a mobile facility positioned at the treatment site and having a plurality of available down-scaled treatment technologies and a plurality of evaluation instrumentation therein to arrive at least at one proposed full-scale plant model optimized for the particular effluent and treatment site requirements and for full-scale plant treatment goals comprising the steps of:

analyzing raw effluent to be treated at the site to provide a field of raw effluent condition entry values;

determining treatment goals for said raw effluent to provide a field of treated effluent condition entry values;

both of said fields including substantially the same entries;

utilizing said fields to determine an initial treatment model including a selection of, and use parameters for, treatment technologies from the plurality of available down-scaled treatment technologies at the facility;

utilizing said fields to initially reject use of a selection of other treatment technologies from the plurality of available down-scaled treatment technologies at the facility; and

treating raw effluent in accord with said model and evaluating model efficacy at the facility.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining a treatment model includes the step of selecting pre-treatment and effluent polishing treatment stages in said regimen and utilizing selected treatment technologies at the facility selected for each said stage.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing an altered treatment model based on results of evaluating model efficacy, including reevaluating previously selected treatment technologies or treatment technology use parameters of said initial treatment model, and treating the effluent in accord therewith.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising deselecting ones of said previously selected treatment technologies of said initial treatment model and selecting ones of said other treatment technologies initially rejected for inclusion in said altered treatment model.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of evaluating model efficacy includes utilizing selected ones of the evaluation instrumentation at the facility to provide data for use in evaluating treatment model efficacy.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising establishing a first set of indexes comprising a subset of said raw effluent condition entry values related to said data, a second set of indexes comprising a subset of said treated effluent condition entry values related to said data, and a third set of indexes comprising said data from said selected ones of the evaluation instrumentation, and using said sets of indexes as inputs to arrive at an altered treatment model.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising treating the effluent in accord with said altered model and continuously dynamically reevaluating model efficacy.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said selection of treatment technologies and said selection of other treatment technologies comprise technology selections from the available down-scaled technologies at the facility including on-line diffusive effect membrane aeration, fluid density reduction, modified vacuum tower degassing, air stone degassing, modified venturi gas evacuation, fine filtration, lamella plate clarification and sludge chamber concentration, pH adjustment, chemical dosing, inline diffusive ionization membrane aeration, ionized air/gas treatment, plural electrocoagulation technology types, dissolved air/gas flotation, vacuum introduced cyclone separation, vacuum degassing, ion-exchange treatment, microfiltration, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, antifouling and antiscaling chemical treatments, reverse osmosis membrane treatment, plate distiller treatment, electrodialysis treatment, carbon filtration, sodium absorption ratio compensation, UV treatment, modified and supplemented membrane aeration, and bio-monitoring and sterilization.

9. A method for diagnosing and modeling site specific effluent treatment plant requirements at a mobile facility having a plurality of down-scaled treatment technologies and a plurality of evaluation instrumentation therein to arrive at least at one proposed full-scale plant model optimized for the particular effluent and treatment site requirements and for full-scale plant treatment goals comprising the steps of:

analyzing raw effluent to be treated at the site to provide a field of raw effluent condition entry values;

determining treatment goals for said raw effluent to provide a field of treated effluent condition entry values, both of said fields including substantially the same entries;

utilizing said fields to determine an initial treatment model including a selection of, and use parameters for, treatment technologies from the plurality of down-scaled treatment technologies at the facility;

treating raw effluent at the facility in accord with said model;

utilizing selected ones of the evaluation instrumentation at the facility to continuously provide data regarding raw effluent treatment related to a subset of said entry values of said fields;

determining from said data and from said subset of said entry values of said fields when treatment goals are not met by said initial treatment model and continuously establishing revised models during ongoing effluent treatment; and

when treatment goals are met by any one of said models, establishing a proposed full-scale plant model.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of continuously establishing revised models includes continuously revising said selection of, or said use parameters for, treatment technologies from the plurality of down-scaled treatment technologies at the facility, so that treatment combinations, inclusions, operations and performance are dynamically modified.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of establishing an alternative treatment model by modifying treatment goals for said raw effluent to provide a different field of treated effluent condition entry values and thereby arriving at an alternative proposed full-scale plant model.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of utilizing said fields to initially reject use of other treatment technologies available from the plurality of down-scaled treatment technologies at the facility.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein potential available treatment combinations in said models tested at the facility are representable by a binary decision making process applied to all of the plurality of down-scaled treatment technologies at the facility, wherein two pretreatment stages, two polishing treatment stages and one post-treatment stage having a total of at least twenty-six total treatment options across all stages are made available by the plurality of down-scaled treatment technologies at the facility.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein at least some of said total treatment options each have a plurality of available treatment variations represented in the plurality of down-scaled treatment technologies at the facility thereby providing thousands of said potential treatment combinations.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the number of said potential treatment combinations is multiplied by said use parameters.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of establishing a proposed full-scale plant model includes applying an upscaling factor based on effluent throughput of the facility and effluent throughput desired in a proposed full-scale plant for upscaling each treatment category to be included in said proposed full-scale plant model.

17. A method for diagnosing and modeling site specific water treatment facility requirements to arrive at a proposed commercial plant model optimized for the particular water/site requirements comprising the steps of:

obtaining an analysis of feed water to be treated at the site;

locating a temporary facility at the site, said facility having a plurality of available treatment technologies located therein;

establishing a preliminary treatment model at said facility based on said analysis and treatment goals;

selecting a treatment regimen utilizing selected ones of said plurality of available treatment technologies at said facility and in accord with said treatment model;

treating the feed water at said facility in accord with said regimen;

compiling data at said facility related to feed water treatment and reporting treatment efficacy;

determining at said facility when treatment goals are not met by said preliminary treatment model and establishing a revised model and regimen; and

when treatment goals are met by any one of said models, establishing the proposed commercial plant model.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of establishing the proposed commercial plant model includes at least any one of establishing facility design, construction cost estimates and treatment cost estimates.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the steps obtaining and analysis of feed water and compiling data at said facility related to feed water treatment include the step of establishing an automated multi-stage water quality testing and reporting regime.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of selecting a treatment regimen includes the step of selecting pre-treatment, water polishing treatment and post-treatment stages in said regimen.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said step of selecting a pre-treatment stage includes the step of selecting from a suite of selectably actuatable pre-treatment apparatus housed by said temporary facility.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said step of selecting a water polishing treatment stage includes the step of providing at least one of ion-exchange, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis treatments.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein said step of selecting a post-treatment stage includes the step of selecting from a suite of selectably actuatable post-treatment apparatus housed by said temporary facility.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of deselecting available treatment technologies at the facility for use in said treatment regimen based on said treatment model.