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

• US 7,943,087 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2010
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• 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:
  US12/762,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20100193448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 210/748.01, 210/638, 210/151, 210/721, 210/699, 210/748.1, 422/20, 422/22, 422/24, 422/186, 422/186.01, 422/186.04
• US Class Current: 422/20
• 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 1/004 using large scale industrial sized filters
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/36 ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/38 by centrifugal separation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/10 from quarries or from mining activities
• 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 2201/784 Diffusers or nozzles for ozonation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/05 Conductivity or salinity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/42 Liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/08 Multistage treatments, e.g. repetition of the same process step under different conditions
• 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 mobile flowback water treatment system comprising:

a backwash filter having an inlet that is fluidly connected to a source of flowback fluid, the outlet of said backwash filter is fluidly connected to a first line in communication with an ozone contact tank and a second line in communication with a main reactor tank, said ozone tank contact tank having an inlet for said first line and a second inlet for ozone, said ozone contact tank in fluid communication with said main reactor, said second line in fluid communication with an inlet manifold contained with the main reactor tank, said manifold configured to cause hydrodynamic cavitations within the main reactor tank, said main reactor further including ultrasonic transducers to create acoustic cavitations with said main reactor tank, the outlet of said main reactor tank is fluidly connected to as least one centrifuge which will separate the solids out of said flowback water.

2. The mobile flowback water treatment system of claim 1 wherein suspended solids are removed from the flowback water at said at least one centrifuge and the remaining flowback water is then passed through a vessel containing an ultraviolet light source, whereby total organic carbon is removed from the flowback water.

3. The mobile flowback water treatment system of claim 2 wherein the outlet of said vessel is fluidly connected to a plurality of the media tanks, said plurality of media tanks having a flowback fluid outlet, whereby the flowback fluid is polished and any remaining heavy metals as removed and any remaining ozone is converted to oxygen.

4. The mobile flowback water treatment system of claim 3 wherein the outlet of said plurality of media tanks is fluidly connected to a plurality of micron sized filters capable of filtering solids of one micron, said filters having a fluid outlet.

5. The mobile flowback water treatment system of claim 4 wherein the fluid outlet of said plurality of micron sized filters is fluidly connected to a plurality of reverse osmosis pumps, each pump increasing the fluid pressure of the flowback water, the fluid output from each pump is then introduced into a filtering chamber containing a reverse osmosis membrane thereby forcing the flowback water through a reverse osmosis membrane, said filtering chambers having a first and second outlet, the first outlet containing clean flowback water for subsequent storage and distribution and a second outlet containing concentrated waste to return to a reject water tank for reinjection or other suitable disposal.

6. The mobile flowback water treatment system of claim 1 wherein said first line conveys approximately 70 percent of the flowback water exiting the back wash filter to said ozone contact tank and said second line conveys approximately 30 percent of the flowback water exiting the back wash filter to said main reactor tank.

7. The mobile flowback water treatment system of claim 1 further including a source of aluminum sulfate that is added to flowback water at a location downstream of the main reactor tank outlet and upstream of said at least one centrifuge.

8. The mobile flowback treatment system of claim 1 wherein said main reactor tank is operated under a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure.

9. The mobile flowback treatment system of claim 1 further including an ozone generator which is in fluid communication with said ozone contact tank.

10. The mobile flowback treatment system of claim 9 further including an oxygen generator than is fluidly connected to said ozone generator.

11. The mobile flowback treatment system of claim 1 wherein said treatment system is completely mounted within a standard container configured to ship freight either by truck, rail or ship.

12. The mobile flowback treatment system of claim 2 wherein said treatment system is completely mounted within a standard container configured to ship freight either by truck, rail or ship.

13. The mobile flowback treatment system of claim 3 wherein said treatment system is completely mounted within a standard container configured to ship freight either by truck, rail or ship.

14. The mobile flowback treatment system of claim 4 wherein said treatment system is completely mounted within a standard container configured to ship freight either by truck, rail or ship.

15. The mobile flowback treatment system of claim 5 wherein said treatment system is completely mounted within a standard container configured to ship freight either by truck, rail or ship.

16. 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, separating the fluid output of said flowback water into two flow paths, directing the first flow path to an ozone contact tank and directing the second flow path to a main reactor tank, introducing ozone into said ozone contacting tank whereby the flowback water conveyed by the first flow path is exposed to ozone, conveying the flowback water from the ozone contacting tank to a manifold within said main reactor tank configured to cause hydrodynamic cavitations with said main reactor tank, positioning ultrasonic transducers with said main reactor tanks to create acoustic cavitations within said main reactor tank, conveying the flowback water from said main reactor tank to at least one centrifuge that will separate the solids out of the flowback water.

17. A process for treating flowback water as set forth in claim 16 including the steps of:

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

18. A process for treating flowback water as set forth in claim 16 including the steps of;

exposing the flowback water to ultraviolet light after treatment by said at least one centrifuge.

19. A process for treating flowback water as set forth in claim 18 including the step of passing the flowback water through a plurality of media tanks containing activated carbon after exposing the flowback water to ultraviolet light.

20. A process for treating flowback water as set forth in claim 19 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.

21. A process for treating flowback water as set forth in claim 16 wherein the equipment for performing the process is installed within a standard container that can be moved from one well site to another by truck, rail or ship.