Feedback control scheme for optimizing dewatering processes
First Claim
1. A method for optimizing a dewatering process producing dewatered sludge and clarified water from a flocculated effluent, said method comprising the steps:
- a) determining clarity of an output of said clarified water;
b) automatically adjusting flocculant supplied to said flocculated effluent, said automatically adjusting flocculant step having an increase loop and a decrease loop which, respectively, increase and decrease said flocculant supplied to said effluent based upon said clarity, and said increase loop includes increasing said flocculant in accordance with predetermined levels which vary in accordance with changes detected in said clarity, said increase loop and said decrease loop including delays which are provided to allow for the flocculant adjustment to take effect in said flocculated effluent;
c) re-determining said clarity of said clarified water; and
d) repeating steps b) and c) continuously during dewatering of said flocculated effluent to produce said dewatered sludge so as to maintain said clarity within a predetermined range.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for dewatering of effluents through the use of automated optimization using feedback control. The method and apparatus for feedback control optimizes dewatering processes for any water cleansing process that uses retention and/or flocculation aids (e.g., polymers) to impact endpoint water clarity. Disclosed implementations include processing using dissolved air flotation (DAF) and sludge cake formation. The methodology includes real-time monitoring of turbidity and incremental control of polymer to manage changes to turbidity/suspended solids due to operating parameters such as temperature, chemical variations, and mechanical influences.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for optimizing a dewatering process producing dewatered sludge and clarified water from a flocculated effluent, said method comprising the steps:
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a) determining clarity of an output of said clarified water; b) automatically adjusting flocculant supplied to said flocculated effluent, said automatically adjusting flocculant step having an increase loop and a decrease loop which, respectively, increase and decrease said flocculant supplied to said effluent based upon said clarity, and said increase loop includes increasing said flocculant in accordance with predetermined levels which vary in accordance with changes detected in said clarity, said increase loop and said decrease loop including delays which are provided to allow for the flocculant adjustment to take effect in said flocculated effluent; c) re-determining said clarity of said clarified water; and d) repeating steps b) and c) continuously during dewatering of said flocculated effluent to produce said dewatered sludge so as to maintain said clarity within a predetermined range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for optimizing a dewatering process, said method comprising the steps:
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a) determining turbidity of clarified water obtained from a dissolved air flotation (DAF) device outlet producing dewatered sludge and said clarified water from a flocculated effluent; b) automatically adjusting flocculant supplied to said DAF, said automatically adjusting flocculant step having an increase loop and a decrease loop which, respectively, increase and decrease said flocculant supplied to said DAF based upon said turbidity, and said increase loop includes increasing said flocculant in accordance with predetermined levels which vary in accordance with changes detected in said turbidity, said increase loop and said decrease loop including delays which are provided to allow for the flocculant adjustment to take effect in said flocculated effluent; c) re-determining said turbidity of said clarified water; and d) repeating steps b) and c) continuously during dewatering of said flocculated output to produce clarified water and dewatered sludge so as to maintain said turbidity within a predetermined range. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification