Multi-stage engine coolant recycling apparatus and process
First Claim
1. A process for purifying a glycol-based engine coolant, comprising:
- a) providing a glycol-based engine coolant to be purified;
b) treating said coolant through a reverse osmosis process to create a permeate stream comprising glycol;
c) treating said permeate stream with an electrolysis deionization process to form a purified coolant comprising glycol; and
d) collecting the purified coolant comprising glycol.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-stage apparatus and a process for recycling used engine coolant employs a combination of filtration, dissolved air floatation, centrifugation (hydrocyclone separation), semi-permeable nano filtration, reverse osmosis, and continuous deionization for separating ethylene glycol, with or without propylene glycol, and water from used engine coolant. The engine coolant is pre-filtered through a series of filters. The filters remove particulate contaminates. This filtered fluid is then subjected to dissolved air floatation and/or centrifugation to remove organic petroleum contaminants. Then, it is pressurized prior to being passed through semi-permeable nano filtration. The nano filtration separates the feed stream into a ultra filtration solution and a concentrated waste solution. The concentrate solution is returned to a centrifuged coolant tank for continuous circulation through the nano filtration device. The ultra filtration solution is pressurized and passed through a reverse osmosis device, which separates the feed stream into a permeate solution and a concentrated waste solution. The concentrated waste solution is returned to a ultra filtrate solution tank for continuous circulation through the reverse osmosis device. The permeate solution is subjected to final refining by continuous deionization which reduces ionic contaminants. Depending upon environmental conditions, a heater and/or heat exchanger maintain the temperature of the process solution within an optimum pre-established operating temperature range.
-
Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A process for purifying a glycol-based engine coolant, comprising:
-
a) providing a glycol-based engine coolant to be purified;
b) treating said coolant through a reverse osmosis process to create a permeate stream comprising glycol;
c) treating said permeate stream with an electrolysis deionization process to form a purified coolant comprising glycol; and
d) collecting the purified coolant comprising glycol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 26, 27)
-
-
15. A process for purifying a glycol-based engine coolant comprising:
-
a) providing a glycol-based engine coolant to be purified;
b) filtering said coolant;
c) subjecting said coolant to dissolved air floatation;
d) removing particulate matter from said coolant by centrifugation;
e) filtering said coolant with semi-permeable nano filtration;
f) passing said coolant through a reverse osmosis process to create a permeate stream comprising glycol; and
g) passing said permeate stream through an electrolysis deionization process to form a purified coolant comprising glycol.
-
-
16. An apparatus for purifying a glycol-based engine coolant, comprising:
-
a) a dissolved air floatation separator;
b) a reverse osmosis separator;
c) a electrolysis deionizer; and
d) a purified coolant collector;
wherein, the apparatus is configured so that, during use, glycol-based engine coolant passes through the dissolved air floatation separator then the reverse osmosis separator to create a permeate stream comprising glycol and the permeate stream then passes through an electrolysis deionizer to form a purified coolant comprising glycol which is collected. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
Specification