Enhanced water treatment for reclamation of waste fluids and increased efficiency treatment of potable waters

• US 7,785,470 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2010
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brisben Water Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Ecosphere Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: McGuire, Dennis, Jakhete, Sanjeev
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin; Walter D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allen; Cameron J
• Application Number:
  US12/762,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20100193360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 134 Days
• Field of Search: 210/638, 210/151, 210/721, 210/669
• US Class Current: 210/638
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/36 ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/385 by centrifuging suspensions centrifuges B04B
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/40 Devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; devices in sewers for separating liquid or solid substances from sewage E03F5/14, e.g. for use in drains leading to the sewer E03F5/16
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/441 by reverse osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/444 by ultrafiltration or microfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4602 for prevention or elimination of deposits
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4672 by electrooxydation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/5236 using inorganic agents
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46119 Cleaning the electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/20 Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/008 Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle for biological treatment C02F2203/008
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/4617 DC only
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/16 Regeneration of sorbents, filters
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage

Abstract

Disclosed is a process for reclamation of waste fluids. A conditioning container is employed for receipt of waste material on a continuous flow for treatment within the container by immersible transducers producing ultrasonic acoustic waves in combination with a high level of injected ozone. The treated material exhibits superior separation properties for delivery into a centrifuge for enhanced solid waste removal. The invention discloses a cost efficient and environmentally friendly process and apparatus for cleaning and recycling of flowback, or frac water, which has been used to stimulate gas production from shale formations. The apparatus is mobile and containerized and suitable for installation at the well site.

Claims

1. A process for treating flowback water including the steps of:

fluidly connecting a source of flowback water to a backwash filter, filtering said flowback water and directing the outlet of the backwash filter to a first inlet of an ozone injector device, fluidly connecting a source of ozone to a second inlet on said ozone injection device, fluidly connecting an outlet of said ozone injector device to an inlet of an ozone contact tank, fluidly connecting an outlet of said ozone contact tank to a first inlet of an inline static mixer, conveying a source of aluminum sulfate to a second inlet of said inline static mixer, conveying the flowback water from an outlet of said inline static mixer to a manifold within a main reactor tank whereby hydrodynamic cavitations are created within said main reactor tank, positioning ultrasonic transducers with said main reactor tanks to create acoustic cavitations within said main reactor tank, positioning at least one anode and at least one cathode within said main reactor tank.

2. A process for treating flowback water as set forth in claim 1 including the steps of:

creating a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure within said main reactor tank.

3. A process for treating flowback water as set forth in claim 1 including the steps of;

exposing the flowback water with said main treatment tank to at least one pair of ultrasonic transducers operating at approximately at 16 KHz and at least one pair of ultrasonic transducers operating at approximately 20 KHz.

4. A process for treating flowback water as set forth in claim 3 including the step of passing the flowback water through a plurality of media tanks containing activated carbon.

5. A process for treating flowback water as set forth in claim 1 including the steps of;

passing the flowback water through reverse osmosis pumps and membranes to thereby produce a first output of clean flowback water and a second output of reject water for disposal.

6. A process for treating flowback water as set forth in claim 1 wherein the equipment for performing the process is assembled as a plurality of removable modules that are mounted on skids that are placed within a standard truck trailer, said trailer moveable from one well site to another by truck, rail or ship.

7. A process for treating flowback water as set forth in claim 1 including the step of conveying the flowback water from an outlet of said main reactor tank to at least one centrifuge that will separate the solids out of the flowback water.