WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20170297929A1
• Filed: 04/18/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waterwerx Technology Pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Waterwerx Pty Ltd
• Inventors: Whitaker, Michael James, Lockey, Alastair, Bhartia, Abhyuday, Meikle, Peter John, Rajendran, Sharmen
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/5209 Regulation methods for flocculation or precipitation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/34 from industrial activities not provided for in groups C02F2103/12 - C02F2103/32
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/001 Upstream control, i.e. monitoring for predictive control
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/003 Downstream control, i.e. outlet monitoring, e.g. to check the treating agents, such as halogens or ozone, leaving the process
• 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 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/10 Solids, e.g. total solids [TS], total suspended solids [TSS] or volatile solids [VS]

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a water treatment system for connection to a water treatment plant (e.g. a dissolved air flotation device). The plant may have an inlet for the receipt of feed water (e.g. waste water) and an outlet for the discharge of treated water. The treatment system may comprise a first sensor disposed such that it is in fluidity communication with the feed water, and a second sensor disposed such that it is in fluidity communication with the treated water. The first and second sensors may be configured to sense parameters of the feed and treated water. The system may further comprise a first applicator (e.g. a pump) that is configured to discharge a treatment source (e.g. a chemical source) to the plant to treat the feed water. The disclosed system may be used to treat waste water (e.g. the treatment of effluent from oil refineries, petrochemical and chemical plants, natural gas processing plants, paper mills and general water treatment). The system has analogous applications in other processing methods that also use DAF, or very similar, systems, such as the processing of mineral ores and other such solid extraction processing methods.

Claims

1. A water treatment system for use with an apparatus which receives feed water and releases treated water, the system comprising:

one or more feed water sensors to measure in substantially real-time a water quality metric of the feed water;

one or more treatment sources to apply one or more treatments to the feed water;

one or more treated water sensors to measure in substantially real-time a water quality metric of the treated water; and

a processor and memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

receive data associated with the water quality metric of the feed water from the one or more feed water sensors and data associated with the water quality metric of the treated water from the one or more treated water sensors; and

control the application of treatments from the one or more treatment sources;

the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to operate in a first mode or a second mode, wherein in the first mode;

(a) the system implements the application of the one or more treatments from the treatment sources in accordance with an initial set of values and then monitors in substantially real-time the water quality metric of the treated water;

(b) conducts a series of tests in which the application of each of the treatments is systematically varied from the initial value and monitors in substantially real-time the water quality metric of the treated water;

(c) generates a model of the relationship between the application of the treatments and the water quality metric of the treated water;

(d) selects a set of commissioning values from the model for the application of the one or more treatments that correspond to a best value for the water quality metric of the treated water;

(e) repeats steps (a) to (d) using the set of commissioning values from step (d) as the initial set of values until either

(i) the water quality metric of the treated water falls within a pre-determined water quality value, or

(ii) there is no measurable improvement in the water quality metric as the application of the treatments is varied;

(f) after either

(i) the water quality metric of the treated water falls below a pre-determined value, or

(ii) the controller determines that there is no measurable improvement in the water quality metric as the application of the treatments is varied,

then the system selects a set of commissioned values for the application of the treatments which provides a desired water quality result;

and wherein in the second mode;

(g) the system outputs instructions to the one or more treatment sources to apply the treatments using the commissioned set of values from step (f) and continues to monitor in substantially real-time the water quality metric of either or both the feed water and the treated water;

(h) if the controller detects that the water quality metric is outside

(i) the desired water quality result, and/or

(ii) a pre-determined range from the values measured during the first mode,

for a pre-determined period of time, then the controller will implement the first mode again.

2. The water treatment system according to claim 1 wherein the tests involve varying the application of the treatments within a specified range from the initial value and the models are generated using response surface methodology.

3. The water treatment system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a dissolved air flotation device (DAF).

4. The water treatment system of claim 1, wherein the water quality metric is total suspended solids (TSS).

5. A computer implemented method for treating feed water in a water treatment system, comprising:

a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode comprises

(a) applying one or more treatments from one or more treatment sources in accordance with an initial set of values and monitoring in substantially real-time a water quality metric of the treated water;

(b) conducting a series of tests in which the application of each of the treatments is systematically varied from the initial value and monitoring in substantially real-time a water quality metric of the treated water;

(c) generating a model of the relationship between the application of the treatments and the water quality metric of the treated water;

(d) selecting a set of commissioning values from the model for the application of the one or more treatments that correspond to a best value for the water quality metric of the treated water;

(e) repeating steps (a) to (d) using the set of commissioning values from step (d) as the initial set of values until either

(i) the water quality metric of the treated water falls below a pre-determined water quality value, or

(ii) there is no measurable improvement in the water quality metric as the application of the treatments is varied; and

(f) after either

(i) the water quality metric of the treated water falls within a pre-determined value, or

(ii) there is no measurable improvement in the water quality metric as the application of the treatments is varied,

selecting a set of commissioned values for the application of the treatments which provides a desired water quality result;

wherein the second mode comprises;

(g) applying the treatments using the commissioned set of values from step (f) and continuing to monitor in substantially real-time the water quality metric of either or both of the feed water and the treated water; and

(h) if the water quality metric is

(i) outside the desired water quality result, and/or

(ii) a pre-determined range from the values measured during the calibration mode,

for a pre-determined period of time, implementing the first mode again,

system includes a communication apparatus to transmit and/or receive data to/from a remote device, including the sensor data and/or the values for the application of the treatments and/or messages, including alarms.

6. A treatment system for connection to a treatment plant, the plant having an inlet for the receipt of feed fluid and an outlet for the discharge of treated fluid, the treatment system comprising;

a first sensor disposed such that it is in fluidity communication with the feed fluid, the first sensor being configured to sense a first parameter of the feed fluid;

a second sensor disposed such that it is in fluidity communication with the treated fluid, the second sensor being configured to sense a second parameter of the treated fluid;

a first applicator connected to a first treatment source and to the plant, the first applicator configured to discharge the first treatment source to the plant; and

a processor and memory connected via a data network, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

receive first data values from the first sensor and second data values from the second sensor, the first data values being associated with the sensed first parameter of the feed fluid and the second data values being associated with the sensed second parameter of the treated fluid;

conduct a plurality of treatment tests, each test comprising generating test instructions, outputting the test instructions to the first applicator to discharge the first treatment source to the plant, receiving the second data values from the second sensor, and storing the received second data values;

generate modeling data in dependence on the plurality of tests, the modeling data being representative of a relationship between the first treatment source discharged to the plant and the second data values, and

generate dosing instructions in dependence on the generated modeling data, and output the generated dosing instructions to the first applicator.

7. A treatment system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the first applicator comprises a first pump, the first pump being fluidically connected to the plant and the first treatment source.

8. A treatment system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the first pump is configured to discharge a variable flow rate of the first treatment source to the plant.

9. A treatment system in accordance with claim 6, further comprising;

a second applicator connected to a second treatment source and to the plant, the second applicator configured to discharge the second treatment source to the plant; and

wherein each test further comprises outputting the test instructions to the second applicator to discharge the second treatment source to the plant.

10. A treatment system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the second applicator comprises a second pump, the second pump being fluidically connected to the plant and the second treatment source and configured to discharge a variable flow rate of the second treatment source to the plant.

11. A treatment system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the modeling data is representative of a relationship between the first treatment source discharged to the plant, the second treatment source discharged to the plant, and the second data values.

12. A treatment system in accordance with claim 11, the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to output the generated dosing instructions to first and second pumps.

13. A treatment system in accordance with claim 9, further comprising:

a third sensor disposed such that it is in fluidity communication with the feed fluid, the third sensor being configured to sense a third parameter of the feed fluid; and

a fourth sensor disposed such that it is in fluidity communication with the treated fluid, the fourth sensor being configured to sense a fourth parameter of the treated fluid.

the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to receive and store the third data values from the third sensor and fourth data values from the fourth sensor, the third data values being associated with the sensed third parameter of the feed fluid and the fourth data values being associated with the sensed fourth parameter of the treated fluid.

14. A treatment system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the modeling data is representative of a relationship between the first treatment source discharged to the plant, the second treatment source discharged to the plant, and the first, third and fourth data values.

15. A treatment system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the plurality of tests comprises a first test, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to select first test instructions for the first test and output the first instructions to the first and second applicators, and store the sensed first, third and fourth data values.

16. A treatment system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed by the processor, for a subsequent test, cause the system to select varied test instructions in dependence on the sensed first, third and fourth data values stored during the first test, output the varied test instructions to the first and second applicators, and store the sensed first, third and fourth data values.

17. A treatment system in accordance with claim 16, wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed by the processor, for each subsequent test, cause the system to select varied test instructions in dependence on the sensed second and fourth data values stored during the previous test, output the varied test instructions to the first and second applicators, and store the sensed second and fourth data values.

18. A treatment system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to conduct a predetermined number of tests.

19. A treatment system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to monitor one or more of the first, second, third and fourth data values associated with the first, second, third and fourth parameters respectively following the generation and output of the dosing instructions to first and second applicators, and generate varied dosing instructions in dependence on the monitored values.

20. A treatment system in accordance with claim 19, wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to monitor one or more of the first, second, third and fourth data values associated with the first, second, third and fourth parameters respectively following the generation and output of the varied dosing instructions, and when the monitored values are outside a predetermined range of values, re-conduct the plurality of tests and generate revised modeling data in dependence on the plurality of tests.