Wastewater treatment and recycling system

• US 7,943,040 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2008
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Karcher North America Incorporated (Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Karcher North America Incorporated (Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Taylor, Shannon L., Larson, Bernie L., Frederick, Richard W., Linton, Paul W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hruskoci; Peter A
• Application Number:
  US12/047,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20090065442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 210/167.3
• US Class Current: 210/167.3
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/24 by flotation C02F1/465 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/463 by electrocoagulation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/56 Macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/007 Processes including a sedimentation step
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/44 from vehicle washing facilities
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/008 Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/24 Separation of coarse particles, e.g. by using sieves or screens
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/20 Portable or detachable small-scale multistage treatment devices, e.g. point of use or laboratory water purification systems

Abstract

A system and process for removing contaminants from wastewater where the wastewater is treated into a cleaned water that can be reused or discharged into the environment. The wastewater is transported through purification sections, depending on the system including several of the following: pre-treatment via screening and weirs to remove debris and certain heavy solids; a second pretreatment via a sump; strainer; conductivity solution injection system and electrolytic coagulation system; polymer injection system; inline mixers for mixing the polymer in the wastewater stream; retention tubes for providing residence time for the polymer to react in the wastewater stream; a multi-stage separation system comprised of a plurality of water separation compartments for consecutively separating contaminants from the wastewater stream by removing contaminants that float and heavy contaminants that settle to the bottom; and an ozone treatment system. Except for the pretreatment sections, each of the treatment sections are contained within an enclosure cabinet that includes controller and control panels as well and feed containers for the conductivity fluid and polymer.

Claims

1. A treatment system for wash fluid treatment and recycling, comprising:

a treatment system inlet providing an incoming fluid stream;

an inline electrolytic coagulation system comprising one or more electrolytic cells for treating the fluid stream;

a polymer injection system for injecting a polymer solution into the fluid stream;

a separation system for separating particulates from the fluid stream;

a line for recycling separated fluid stream from said separation system to a washing system; and

a sump comprising a sludge tank/separator and a trench section separated by a weir;

a hose or pipe for transferring wash fluid to said sludge tank/separator for separating solids from the wash fluid;

a line for purging sludge from said separation system to said sludge tank/separator;

wherein said sludge tank/separator contains a fabric filter disposed on a filter screen for removing sludge from said sludge tank/separator, and filtered wastewater passing through said filter screen passes over said weir into said trench section to provide said incoming fluid stream for said treatment system inlet.

2. A treatment system according to claim 1 wherein the separation system comprises a multi-stage system including a plurality of water separation compartments for consecutively separating particulates from the fluid stream.

3. A treatment system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a conductivity fluid injection system for injecting a conductivity fluid into the fluid stream upstream of the electrolytic coagulation system.

4. A treatment system according to claim 1 further comprising:

an inline static mixer section positioned between the polymer injection system and the separation system for mixing the injected polymer solution with the fluid stream.

5. A treatment system according to claim 4 further comprising:

a fluid retention system comprised of a plurality of retention tubes disposed between the static mixer section and the separation system for providing residency time for polymer solution to react with the fluid stream.

6. A treatment system according to claim 1 further comprising:

an ozone treatment system including an ozone generator, wherein water from the separation system is circulated through the ozone treatment system for further purification.

7. A treatment system according to any of claims 2-6 further comprising an enclosure, the system being enclosed by the enclosure.

8. A treatment system according to claim 7 further comprising a heater for providing a desired internal temperature within the enclosure.

9. A treatment system according to claim 7 wherein the enclosure comprises a cabinet having doors and a plurality of removable panels.

10. A treatment system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a wash pad for collecting wash fluids from an item being washed;

wherein said sump accepts the wash fluids from the wash pad.

11. A treatment system according to claim 1 wherein the polymer solution is an organic long-chain high molecular weight emulsion flocculent.

12. A treatment system for wash fluid treatment and recycling;

comprising;

a treatment system inlet providing an incoming fluid stream;

a cabinet enclosure for containing the treatment system;

a separation system for separating particulates from the fluid stream comprising a multi-stage system including

a cone-shaped compartment having a skimmer, a lower outlet, and an inlet for accepting the inlet fluid stream tangentially to create a swirling motion;

a first, second and third water separation compartments disposed in the cabinet enclosure and arranged consecutively, the first water separation compartment being connected to the lower outlet of the cone-shaped compartment, the second water separation compartment being connected to the first water separation compartment, and the third water separation compartment being connected to the second water separation compartment, wherein the water separation compartments are operable for consecutively separating particulates from the fluid stream as the fluid stream travels from the first water separation compartment to the second water separation compartment and then to the third water separation compartment a line for recycling separated fluid stream from said separation system to a washing system; and

a sump comprising a sludge tank/separator and a trench section separated by a weir;

a hose or pipe for transferring wash fluid to said sludge tank/separator for separating solids from the wash fluid;

a line for purging sludge from said separation system to said sludge tank/separator;

wherein said sludge tank/separator contains a fabric filter disposed on a filter screen for removing sludge from said sludge tank/separator, and filtered wastewater passing through said filter screen passes over said weir into said trench section to provide said incoming fluid stream for said treatment system inlet.