Method and system for treating water used for industrial purposes

• US 20120024794A1
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crystal Image Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Crystal Lagoons Corporation, LLC
• Inventors: Fischmann T., Fernando
• Granted Patent: US 8,518,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/665
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/30 Control equipment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/004 using large scale industrial sized filters
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/24 by flotation C02F1/465 takes precedence
• 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 1/50 by addition or application of a germicide or by oligodynamic treatment C02F1/4606, C02F1/467, C02F1/76 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/5236 using inorganic agents
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/56 Macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/722 Oxidation by peroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/76 with halogens or compounds of halogens C02F1/4674 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/766 by means of halogens other than chlorine or of halogenated compounds containing halogen other than chlorine
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/203 Iron or iron compound
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/206 Manganese or manganese compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/02 Non-contaminated water, e.g. for industrial water supply
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/08 Seawater, e.g. for desalination
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/10 from quarries or from mining activities
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/04 : Oxidation reduction potential [ORP]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/10 : Solids, e.g. total solids [TS], total suspended solids [TSS] or volatile solids [VS]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/11 : Turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/185 : The treatment agent being halogen or a halogenated compound
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 5/08 : Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/131 : Reverse-osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/33 : using wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 : using solar energy

Abstract

A low cost method and system for treating water, which will be used in an industrial process, is provided. A system of the invention generally includes at least one containing means, at least one coordination means, at least one chemical application means, at least one mobile suction means, and at least one filtration means. The coordination means can control the necessary processes depending on the system needs (e.g., water quality or purity). The method and system of the invention purifies the water and eliminates suspended solids without the need of filtering the totality of the water volume, but only filtering a small fraction of up to 200 times less than the flow filtered by a conventional water treatment filtration system.

Claims

1. Method for treating water at low cost, which will be used in industrial processes, that purifies the water and eliminates suspended solids in the water by filtering a small fraction of the total volume of water, the method comprising:

a. Collecting water with a concentration of total dissolved solids (TDS) of up to 60,000 ppm;

b. Storing said water in at least one containing means, where said containing means has a bottom able to be thoroughly cleaned by a mobile suction means;

c. Within periods of 7 days;

i. For water temperatures up to 35 degrees Celsius, maintaining said water'"'"'s ORP of at least 500 mV for a minimum period of 1 hour for each degree Celsius of water temperature, by adding disinfectant agents to the water;

ii. For water temperatures greater than 35 degrees Celsius and up to 69 degrees Celsius, maintaining said water'"'"'s ORP of at least 500 mV for a minimum period of hours by adding disinfectant agents to the water, wherein the minimum period of hours is calculated by the following equation;

[35 hours]−

[Temperature of the water in degrees Celsius−

35]=minimum period of hours; and

iii. For water temperatures of 70 degrees Celsius or more, maintaining said water'"'"'s ORP of at least 500 mV for a minimum period of 1 hour.

d. Activating the following processes through a coordination means, where the processes purify the water and eliminate the suspended solids by only filtering a small fraction of the total volume of water;

i. Applying oxidant agents to avoid the iron and manganese concentrations to exceed 1 ppm;

ii. Applying coagulants, flocculants, or a mixture of them to avoid the turbidity to exceed 5 NTU;

iii. Suctioning the water flow that contains the settled particles, produced by the previous processes, with a mobile suction means to avoid the thickness of the settled material to exceed 100 mm in average;

iv. Filtering the flow suctioned by the mobile suction means, with at least one filtration means; and

v. Returning the filtered water to said at least one containing means;

e. Utilizing said treated water in a downstream process.

2. Method for treating water at low cost, according to claim 1, wherein:

a. if the water collected in stage a) has a total dissolved solids'"'"' concentration less than or equal to 10,000 ppm, the Langelier Saturation Index must be less than 3;

or

b. if the water collected in stage a) has a total dissolved solids'"'"' concentration higher than 10,000 ppm, the Stiff &

Davis Saturation Index must be lower than 3.

3. Method for treating water at low cost, according to claim 2, wherein the Langelier Saturation Index or Stiff &

Davis Saturation index is kept under 2 by a process selected from pH adjustment, the addition of antiscalants, or a water softening process.

4. Method for treating water at low cost, according to claim 3, wherein the antiscalants comprise phosphonic acid, PBTC (phosphobutan-tricarboxylic acid), chromates, zinc polyphosphates, nitrites, silicates, organic substances, caustic soda, malic acid-based polymers, sodium polyacrylate, ethylene diamine tetracetic acid sodium salts, benzotriazole, or a combination thereof.

5. Method for treating water at low cost, according to claim 1, wherein the collected water can be a residual liquid from an industrial process or water collected from a natural water source and/or treated water.

6. Method for treating water at low cost, according to claim 1, wherein the disinfectant agents comprise ozone, biguanide products, bromine based compounds, halogen based compounds, or a combination thereof.

7. Method for treating water at low cost, according to claim 1, wherein the coordination means receives information regarding the parameters that are controlled, and timely activates the processes of step d) to adjust said parameters within their limits.

8. Method for treating water at low cost, according to claim 7, wherein the information received by the coordination means is obtained by empirical methods.

9. Method for treating water at low cost, according to claim 1, wherein the oxidizing agents comprise halogen based compounds;

permanganate salts;

peroxides;

ozone;

sodium persulfate;

potassium persulfate;

oxidants produced by electrolytic methods, or a combination thereof.

10. Method for treating water at low cost, according to claim 1, wherein the flocculant or coagulant agents comprise polymers, such as cationic polymers and anionic polymers;

aluminum salts;

quats and polyquats;

calcium oxide;

calcium hydroxide;

ferrous sulphate;

ferric chloride;

polyacrylamide;

sodium aluminate;

sodium silicate;

chitosan;

gelatin;

guar gum;

alginates;

moring a seeds;

starch derivatives, or a combination thereof.

11. Method for treating water at low cost, according to claim 1, wherein if the method is used for treating water for desalinization purposes, the mobile suction means is activated by the coordination means to avoid the thickness of the settled material to exceed 10 mm.

12. Method for treating water at low cost, according to claim 1, wherein a dechlorination step is performed if residual chlorine is detected, the dechlorination step comprising an active carbon filter or chemicals comprising sodium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite, or a combination thereof.

13. Method for treating water at low cost, according to claim 1, wherein the treated water is used:

a. as raw material for an industrial process and circulates in an open cycle;

or

b. for discharging purposes, irrigation, infiltration, or a combination thereof.

14. System for treating water at low cost that eliminates suspended solids in the water by filtering a small fraction of the total volume of water, the system comprising:

at least one feeding line of water to at least one containing means;

at least one containing means, which comprises a receiving means for settled particles, that is fixed to the bottom of said containing means;

at least one coordination means, where the coordination means timely activates the necessary processes to adjust parameters of the water within limits specified by an operator or the coordination means;

at least one chemical application means, which is activated by said at least one coordination means

at least one mobile suction means, which moves through the bottom of said at least one containing means suctioning the water flow containing the settled particles;

at least one propelling means that provides movement to said at least one mobile suction means so it can move through the bottom of said at least one containing means;

at least one filtration means that filters the water flow containing the settled particles;

at least one collecting line coupled between said at least one mobile suction means and said at least one filtration means;

at least one return line from said at least one filtration means to said at least one containing means; and

at least one water outlet line from said at least one containing means to at least one downstream process.

15. System for treating water at low cost, according to claim 14, wherein the receiving means is covered with a material comprising membranes, geo-membranes, geotextile membranes, plastic liners, concrete, or coated concrete, or a combination thereof.

16. System for treating water at low cost, according to claim 14, wherein the coordination means is capable of receiving information, processing that information, and activating other processes.

17. System for treating water at low cost, according to claim 14, wherein the chemical application means comprises injectors, sprinklers, manual application, dispensers by weight, pipes, or a combination thereof.

18. System for treating water at low cost, according to claim 14, wherein the propelling means drives comprises a rail system, a cable system, a self-propelled system, a manually propelled system, a robotic system, a system guided from a distance, a boat with an engine, a floating device with an engine, or a combination thereof.

19. System for treating water at low cost, according to claim 14, wherein the filtration means comprises cartridge filters, sand filters, micro-filters, ultra-filters, nano-filters, or a combination thereof.

20. System for treating water at low cost, according to claim 14, wherein the collecting line comprises a flexible hose, rigid hose, pipe, or a combination thereof.