Circulating fluid purification apparatus and pool water purifying system using the same

• US 5,370,793 A
• Filed: 05/12/1993
• Issued: 12/06/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yugengaisha Atlas
• Original Assignee: Akitoshi Sugimoto
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Akitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): REIFSNYDER, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US08/059,989
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 210/411, 210/192, 210/193, 210/195.1, 210/258, 210/259, 210/252, 210/269, 210/420, 210/806, 210/663, 210/669, 210/167, 210/164, 210/194, 422/24, 422/186.3
• US Class Current: 210/195.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2201/167 Single-way valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/04 Backflushing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/168 Use of other chemical agents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/185 Aeration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2321/2075 Ultrasonic treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/33 arranged for inward flow filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/66 by flushing, e.g. counter-current air-bumps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 37/00 Processes of filtration processes specially adapted for filtering gases B01D46/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 37/02 Precoating the filter medium; Addition of filter aids to the liquid being filtered devices for feeding reagents C02F1/685 and sub-groups; filter aids
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 37/04 Controlling the filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/145 Ultrafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/146 comprising multiple ultrafiltration steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/147 Microfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/149 Multistep processes comprising different kinds of membrane processes selected from ultrafiltration or microfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/16 Feed pretreatment
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/16 Rotary, reciprocated or vibrated modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 65/02 Membrane cleaning or sterilisation ; Membrane regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 2203/005 the liquid being ozonated
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/0856 Cleaning of water-treatment installations
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/444 by ultrafiltration or microfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/42 : from bathing facilities, e.g. swimming pools

Abstract

The method of cleaning porous ceramic filters with a backwashing apparatus comprising an accelerating circulation path and a unit for mixing accelerated water with high-pressure air can be implemented with compact equipment to achieve efficient cleaning. The pool water purifying apparatus and system that adopt this method of cleaning porous ceramic filters comprise a filtering means that uses the ceramic filters, a disinfecting means and an adsorbing means and, optionally, an ultrafiltration means as an additional filtering means, and are capable of removing not only bacteria but also viruses so that the water purified by this apparatus and system may be as clean as potable water. Such an extremely high efficiency of water purification achieved by the apparatus and system can be maintained over a prolonged period since both the filtering and adsorption means can be cleaned by backwashing. The purifying apparatus is compact but it can be made further compact and allows for simpler installation work if the individual means of purification are integrated into a unitary assembly. The purifying system permits the water in a plurality of pools having different water temperatures to be purified efficiently with a single unit of the purifying apparatus.

Claims

1. A circulating purification apparatus comprising:

a filtration tank that uses porous ceramic filters and that is equipped with a means for backwashing said porous ceramic filters, said backwashing means having a mixing unit for producing a water stream as a mixture with high-pressure air for cleaning the filters in said filtration tank;

a disinfecting tank, an adsorption tank containing an adsorption medium that adsorbs impurities from a circulating fluid, a main pipeline through which the circulating fluid flows, an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe connecting the main pipeline and each of said tanks, switch valves provided in said inlet pipes and in said outlet pipes and in said main pipeline between the junctions of said inlet and outlet pipes with said main pipeline, a source of the circulating fluid which is connected to the entrance and exit ends of said main pipeline, and a pump for circulating the circulating fluid in said main pipeline.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said source of circulating fluid is a pool and said circulating fluid is pool water.

3. A system for purifying pool water using the circulating purification apparatus of claim 2, which system has said pool, said pump, said filtration tank, said disinfecting tank and said adsorption tank arranged in that order to form a circulation line, said system further including a drain line fitted with a switch valve that is a branch from said circulation line, as well as a back wash line comprising said mixing unit having an inlet branch pipe fitted with a switch valve that is connected between said pump and said filtration tank and an outlet branch pipe fitted with a switch valve that is connected to the outlet pipe from said filtration tank, and a drain pipe fitted with a switch valve that is connected to the inlet pipe to said filtration tank.

4. A system according to claim 3, which further includes a precoat line having a precoating tank fitted with a switch valve that forms the circulation path together with said pump and said filtration tank and an adsorption tank cleaning line that performs backwashing from the exit to the entrance side of said adsorption tank, the switch valves for effecting shifting among said circulation line, said drain line, said back wash line, said precoat line and said adsorption tank cleaning line being formed of solenoid valves, said system further including a control unit for selectively opening or closing said solenoid valves in association with either one of said lines.

5. An apparatus for purifying pool water in a circuit, which comprises a platform, a means for filtering pool water flowing in said circuit, said filtering means being fixed in a predetermined position on said platform, said means for filtering pool water having porous ceramic filters for removing fine impurities from said pool water in said circuit, prefilters that are provided upstream of said ceramic filters in the path of pool water circulation in said circuit, and a unit for supplying said ceramic filters with a filter aid, an adsorbing means in said circuit, a disinfecting means in said circuit for disinfecting pool water by the combination of ozone and ultraviolet radiation, means for backwashing said porous ceramic filters, a circulating means for circulating pool water in said circuit, and means for providing connections between said circuit and an external path of flowing water, said platform being splittable into at least two segments, and joining portions of said connecting means being rotatable in a horizontal plane to be set in a desired position.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said backwashing means has a mixing means that generates a high-speed two-phase stream by jetting high-pressure air into a cleaning fluid accelerated by a circulation line.