Water treatment systems and methods

• US 8,376,254 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anue Water Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Anue Water Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Hatten, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/828,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20100327095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 241/46.017, 166/223, 261/36.1, 134/167.R, 134/168.R, 134/169.R, 134/167.C, 134/180
• US Class Current: 241/46.017
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/34 designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl designed to control volume of flow B05B1/30
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0636 by means of rotatable spray heads or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/50 Arrangements for cleaning; Arrangements for preventing deposits, drying-out or blockage; Arrangements for detecting improper discharge caused by the presence of foreign matter
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/063 using a member, e.g. a deflector, for creating the tangential component of the jet
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/23 O3
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/02 Odour removal or prevention of malodour
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/08 Treatment of wastewater in the sewer, e.g. to reduce grease, odour

Abstract

Systems, apparatus and methods are described that can be used for cleaning wells using unfiltered fluids and fluids that contain solid matter. A spray head assembly mounted in a pumping station comprises a hydrodynamic mixing chamber configured to create turbulence in a fluid received from a pump. The pump draws a fluid from a well of the pumping station and provides a pressurized stream of the fluid to a pipe. A nozzle associated with an outlet of the mixing chamber, receives the mixed fluid from the hydrodynamic mixing chamber and the nozzle disperses the mixed fluid to the surface of a body of the fluid in the well.

Claims

1. A spray head assembly for mounting in a pumping station, comprising:

a hydrodynamic mixing chamber configured to create turbulence in a fluid received from a pump, the pump drawing a fluid from a well of the pumping station and providing a pressurized stream of the fluid to a pipe;

a nozzle associated with an outlet of the mixing chamber, the nozzle receiving the mixed fluid from the hydrodynamic mixing chamber and dispersing the mixed fluid to the surface of a body of the fluid in the well, wherein the nozzle provides a spray of the mixed fluid; and

one or more deflectors, each deflector receiving the spray from a corresponding nozzle, wherein each deflector directs a fluid received from its associated outlet to a surface within the well,

wherein the mixing chamber causes solids in the fluid received from the pump to impact a wall of the mixing chamber, thereby reducing the size of solids in the body of fluid.

2. The spray head assembly of claim 1, wherein the deflectors generate a rotational force causing the nozzle to rotate around an axis of the spray head assembly.

3. The spray head assembly of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is stationary and the pump is a grinding pump that reduces solids in body of fluid to a slurry in the output of the pump.

4. The spray head assembly of claim 1, wherein the fluid includes solids.

5. The spray head assembly of claim 4, wherein the solids comprise bio-solids.

6. The spray head assembly of claim 1, further comprising a piped manifold system configured to combine liquid ozone with the fluid received from the pump.

7. The spray head assembly of claim 1, further comprising a piped manifold system provide liquid ozone to the mixing chamber, wherein the mixing chamber mixes ozone with the fluid received from the pump.

8. The spray head assembly of claim 1, further comprising a piped manifold system that provides an additive to the mixing chamber, wherein the mixing chamber mixes the additive with the fluid received from the pump.

9. The spray head assembly of claim 8, wherein the additive comprises an organic compound.

10. The spray head assembly of claim 8, wherein the additive comprises a bio-augmentation product that operates to enhance breakdown of one or more of fat, oil, grease and bio-film.

11. The spray head assembly of claim 8, wherein the additive comprises one or more of a detergent and an oxidizer.

12. The spray head assembly of claim 8, wherein the additive an organism that effects biological breakdown of one or more of fat, oil, grease and bio-film.

13. The spray head assembly of claim 1, wherein the pipe is a forced main pipe.

14. A lift station, comprising:

a pump configured to draw a fluid from a well and to provide a pressurized stream of the fluid to a pipe; and

a spray head assembly that has a hydrodynamic mixing chamber configured to receive a portion of the stream from a tap on the pipe and to create turbulence in the portion of the stream, a nozzle associated with an outlet of the mixing chamber, the nozzle receiving a mixed fluid from the hydrodynamic mixing chamber and dispersing the mixed fluid to the surface of a body of the fluid in the well, and at least one deflector that receives the mixed fluid from the nozzle, wherein the deflector directs the mixed fluid to a surface within the well, wherein the mixed fluid is homogenized and oxygenated by the mixing chamber, and wherein the mixing chamber causes solids in the mixed fluid to impact a wall of the mixing chamber, thereby reducing the size of solids in the fluid in the well.

15. The lift station of claim 14, wherein the nozzle rotates around an axis of the spray head assembly and provides a spray of the mixed fluid to a wall of the well.

16. The lift station of claim 15, further comprising a manifold system that provides an additive to the mixing chamber, wherein the mixing chamber mixes the additive with the fluid received from the pump and wherein the additive comprises at least one of ozone, an organic compound, a detergent and an oxidizer.

17. A grinder station, comprising:

a grinding pump configured to draw a fluid from a well, to grind solids in the fluid to obtain a slurry and to provide a pressurized stream of the slurry to a pipe; and

a spray head assembly that has a hydrodynamic mixing chamber configured to receive a portion of the slurry stream from a tap on the pipe and to create turbulence in the portion of the slurry stream, a nozzle associated with an outlet of the mixing chamber, the nozzle receiving a mixed fluid from the hydrodynamic mixing chamber and dispersing the mixed fluid to the surface of a body of the fluid in the well, and at least one deflector that receives the mixed fluid from the nozzle, wherein the deflector directs the mixed fluid to a surface within the well, wherein the mixed fluid is oxygenated by the mixing chamber, wherein the nozzle provides a spray of the mixed fluid to one or more of a wall of the well and the surface of a body of the fluid in the well, and wherein the mixing chamber causes solids in the mixed fluid to impact a wall of the mixing chamber, thereby reducing the size of solids in the fluid in the well.

18. The grinder station of claim 17, further comprising a manifold system provide an additive to the mixing chamber, wherein the mixing chamber mixes the additive with slurry received from the pump and wherein the additive comprises at least one of ozone, an organic compound, a detergent and an oxidizer.