Staged boundary layer treatment method and system for biofouling control

• US 4,997,574 A
• Filed: 09/01/1989
• Issued: 03/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lehigh University
• Original Assignee: Lehigh University
• Inventors: Sarunac, Nenad
• Primary Examiner(s): Spear, Frank
• Assistant Examiner(s): DRODGE, JOSEPH W
• Application Number:
  US07/401,781
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 73/61 R, 73/61.2, 73/61.1 R, 73/861.05, 210/96.1, 210/199, 210/739, 210/752-755, 210/764, 364/500, 364/502, 364/509, 364/510, 137/92, 137/93, 422/14, 422/28, 422/37
• US Class Current: 210/739
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 17/008 Monitoring fouling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/182 specific anions in water electrochemical analysis G01N27/26; detection of ions by colorimetry G01N31/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/1866 using microorganisms G01N33/1806 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2509 By optical or chemical property

Abstract

A method and system for biofouling control of fluid containing structure of susceptible biofouling, wherein chlorine, hot water and/or some other control agent is injected by plural stages into the boundary layer, and chlorine residual, water temperature, or some other respective control parameter is maintained in the boundary layer just upstream of the next injection point.

Claims

1. A method for biofouling control in a fluid containing structure susceptible to biofouling, comprising:

injecting a first biofouling control agent into a boundary layer adjacent walls of said fluid containing structure at a first injection stage;

injecting a second biofouling control agent into the boundary layer adjacent said walls of said fluid containing structure at a second stage downstream of said first stage;

measuring at least a first control parameter associated with said first control agent upstream of said second stage;

controlling injecting of said first control agent at said first injection stage based on the measured first control parameter;

measuring at least a second control parameter associated with said second control agent downstream of said second stage; and

controlling injecting of said second control agent at said second stage based on the measured second control parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each said measuring step comprises measuring said first and second control paramaeters in said boundary layer.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein each injection stage comprises plural injectors arranged in the boundary layer at locations defining a plane perpendicular to fluid flow, comprising:

performing each injecting step by injecting said first and second control agents in said boundary layer by means of said plural injectors.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising:

performing at least one of said measuring steps by means of plural sensors arranged in a plane perpendicular to fluid flow; and

controlling injecting by the injectors of the respective injection stage controlled by said plural sensors by assigning selected injectors to respective sensors and controlling injection by the selected injectors based on the control parameter measured by the respective sensors.

5. The method according to claim 3, comprising:

performing at least one of said measuring steps by means of plural sensors arranged in a plane perpendicular to fluid flow;

determining an average of the control parameter measured by from said plural sensors; and

controlling injecting by the injectors of the respective injection stage controlled by said plural sensors based on the determined average.

6. The method according to claim 3, comprising:

performing at least one of said measuring steps by means of plural sensors arranged in a plane perpendicular to fluid flow;

determining for each injector of the associated injection stage controlled by said plural sensors a weighted average of the control parameter measured by said plural sensors; and

controlling injecting by each injector of said respective injection stage controlled by said plural sensors based on the respectively determined weighted average.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second injecting steps comprises:

injecting as said first and second control agents a fluid selected from the group consisting of Cl, H₂ O at elevated temperature, O₃, ClO₂, dissolved bromine salts, and combinations thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second injecting steps comprises:

injecting water at a sufficiently high temperature so that the temperature of the boundary layer measured in the respective measuring steps is higher than the free flow temperature by a predetermined amount.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said first and second injecting steps further comprises:

injecting a fluid selected from the group consisting of Cl, O₃, ClO₂, dissolved bromine salts and combinations thereof.

10. A system for biofouling control in a fluid containing structure susceptible to biofouling, comprising:

a first injection stage means for injecting a first biofouling control agent into a boundary layer adjacent walls of said fluid containing structure;

a second injection stage means downstream of said first stage means for injecting a second biofouling control agent into the boundary layer adjacent said walls of said fluid containing structure downstream of said first stage means;

first measuring means for measuring at least a first control parameter associated with said first control agent upstream of said second stage means;

first control means for controlling injecting of said first control agent at said first injection stage means based on the measured first control parameter measured by said first measuring means;

second measuring means for measuring at least a second control parameter associated with said second control agent downstream of said second stage means; and

second control means for controlling injecting of said second control agent at said second stage means based on the measured second control parameter measured by said second measuring means.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said first and second measuring means include sensors located in said boundary layer.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein each injection stage means comprises plural injectors arranged in the boundary layer at locations defining a plane perpendicular to fluid flow.

13. The system according to claim 12, comprising:

at least one of said first and second measuring means comprising plural sensors arranged in a plane perpendicular to fluid flow; and

the respective of said first and second control means including means for assigning selected injectors to respective of said sensors and controlling injection by the selected injectors based on control parameters measured by the respective sensors.

14. The system according to claim 12, comprising:

at least one of said first and second measuring means comprising plural sensors arranged in a plane perpendicular to fluid flow;

means for determining an average of the control parameters measured by said plural sensors; and

the respective of said first and second control means controlling injecting by the injectors of the respective injection stage means controlled by said plural sensors based on the determined average.

15. The system according to claim 12, comprising:

at least one of said first and second measuring means comprising plural sensors arranged in a plane perpendicular to fluid flow;

means for determining for each injector of the associated injection stage means controlled by said plural sensors a weighted average of the control parameters measured by said sensors; and

the respective of said first and second controlling means controlling injecting by each injector of said respective injection stage means controlled by said plural sensors based on the respectively determined weighted average.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein said first and second injection stage means inject as said first and second control agents a fluid selected from the group consisting of Cl, H₂ O at elevated temperature, O₃, ClO₂, dissolved bromine salts and combinations thereof.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said first and second injection stage means comprises means for injecting water at a sufficiently high temperature so that the temperature of the boundary layer as measured by the respective measuring means is elevated by a predetermined amount relative to the free flow temperature.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least one of said first and second injection stage means includes means for injecting a fluid selected from the group consisting of Cl, O₃, ClO₂, dissolved bromine salts and combinations thereof.