Process control oxidation

• US 7,686,962 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Davis, Richard, Nicodemo, Thomas J., Charanda, Thoram, Crowder, Janell, Burns, Ivey
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Durand; Paul J
• Application Number:
  US12/191,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20080296233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 210/746, 210/754, 210/760, 700/266
• US Class Current: 210/746
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/66 by neutralisation; pH adjustment for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/70 by reduction C02F1/4676 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/72 by oxidation C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• 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 2103/007 Contaminated open waterways, rivers, lakes or ponds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/06 Contaminated groundwater or leachate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/08 Seawater, e.g. for desalination
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/32 from the food or foodstuff industry, e.g. brewery waste waters
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/42 from bathing facilities, e.g. swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/005 Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/04 Oxidation reduction potential [ORP]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/185 The treatment agent being halogen or a halogenated compound

Abstract

The present disclosure provides for a system and method that intensely oxidizes water as it navigates through a system and accurately, controllably neutralizes the oxidation by-products before the water exits the system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating a water source comprising:

a flow path of water from said water source;

a first oxidation reduction potential (ORP) measuring point and at least one first sensor at the ORP measuring point for measuring a first ORP;

an oxidant injection controller coupled through a computer to said at least one first sensor and operable to generate an output signal based on the measured first ORP;

an oxidant dispenser coupled to receive the controller output signal and operable to dispense at least one oxidant into said flow path downstream of said first ORP measuring point;

at least one second sensor located in said flow path downstream of where said at least one oxidant is dispensed into said flowpath for measuring a second ORP;

a neutralizing chemical injection controller coupled through the computer to said at least one second sensor and operable to generate an output signal based on the measured second ORP;

a neutralizing chemical dispenser coupled to receive the output signal of the neutralizing chemical injection controller and operable to dispense at least one neutralizing agent in said flow path downstream of said second sensor; and

a water return portion of said flow path downstream of said neutralizing chemical dispenser operable to conduct water from said flow path back to said water source and wherein water entering the water source from said return portion does not adversely affect animals in the water source.

2. The water treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first ORP is less than a first target ORP, said first target ORP being a sanitizing oxidation reduction potential.

3. The water treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein said water source is an aquarium.

4. The water treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one oxidant comprises ozone.

5. The water treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one oxidant is selected from the group consisting of ozone, bromine and chlorine.

6. The water treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one neutralizing chemical is sodium thiosulfate.

7. The water treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one neutralizing chemical is selected from the group consisting of sodium thiosulfate, sodium sulfite, ascorbic acid and hydrogen sulfite.

8. The water treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein water in the water return portion contains an amount of residual oxidant that does not substantially change an oxidation reduction potential of water in said water source.

9. The water treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein water emanating from said second mixing portion has an oxidation reduction potential between about 550 mV to about 700 mV.

10. The water treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein said oxidant injection controller is a programmable logic controller.

11. The water treatment apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a third sensor located downstream of the neutralizing chemical injection point for measuring a third ORP, said third sensor communicating with the oxidant injection controller and the neutralizing chemical injection controllers through the computer to ensure that the third ORP substantially corresponds to a desired ORP of the water source.

12. A method for treating water in a water source, comprising,

conducting water from the water source to a first oxidation reduction potential (ORP) measuring point;

measuring a first oxidation reduction potential (ORP) of said water at the first ORP measuring point;

conducting said water to at least one oxidant injection point downstream of said first ORP measuring point,

dispensing at least one oxidant into the water at said at least one oxidant injection point at least partially based on the first measured ORP;

measuring a second ORP downstream of the at least one oxidant injection point;

conducting said water to a neutralizing agent injection point downstream of the second ORP measuring point;

dispensing a neutralizing agent into said water at the neutralizing agent injection point; and

returning said water to said source whereby said water returned to said source does not adversely affect animals in the water source.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said water source is at least one of a storage tank, an aquarium, a swimming pool, a fountain, or a pond.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising first filtering said water before conducting said water to said first ORP measuring point.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said at least one oxidant is ozone.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said at least one oxidant is combined with at least one additional oxidant selected from the group consisting of bromine and chlorine.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said at least one oxidant is selected from the group consisting of bromine and chlorine.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising measuring a third ORP downstream of the neutralizing agent injection point and controlling amounts of oxidant injection and neutralizing agent injection to ensure that the measured ORP of the water returned to the source does not substantially change an ORP in the water source.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said at least one neutralizing agent is combined with at least one additional neutralizing agent selected from the group consisting of sodium sulfite, ascorbic acid and hydrogen sulfite.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein said at least one neutralizing chemical is selected from the group consisting of sodium sulfite, ascorbic acid and hydrogen sulfite.