System for purifying polluted water and purification method

• US 9,260,327 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bioner Bierzo, S.L.
• Original Assignee: Bioner Bierzo, S.L.
• Inventors: Merayo, Pedro Garcia, Pombriego, Fernando Oscar Lamelas, Perez, Gonzalo Gutierrez De La Roza
• Primary Examiner(s): Menon, Krishnan S
• Application Number:
  US13/884,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20150151989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0012 Settling tanks making use of filters, e.g. by floating layers of particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0018 provided with a pump mounted in or on a settling tank
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/003 Sedimentation tanks provided with a plurality of compartments separated by a partition wall B01D21/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/2488 bringing about a partial recirculation of the liquid, e.g. for introducing chemical aids
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/52 by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/463 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/66 by neutralisation; pH adjustment for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/72 by oxidation C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/007 Processes including a sedimentation step
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/10 from quarries or from mining activities
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/002 Construction details of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/024 Turbulent
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/046 Recirculation with an external loop
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/10 Energy recovery
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/24 using free-fall aeration or spraying
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 9/06 Pressure galleries or pressure conduits; Galleries specially adapted to house pressure conduits; Means specially adapted for use therewith, e.g. housings, valves, gates driving inclined galleries E21D9/02; valves in general F16K; conduits in general F16L
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18; Power stations or aggregates incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/08 Machine or engine aggregates in dams or the like; Conduits therefor , e.g. diffusors bulb groups F03B13/105
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/30 Wastewater or sewage treatment systems using renewable energies

Abstract

It comprises at least one first lower main deposit (1) arranged at a lower level and at least one second upper main deposit (2) arranged at an upper level, both containing polluted water to be purified, while at the same time the bottom of the large area main deposits (1-2) are communicated with each other through at least one intermediate pipe (3) through which the polluted water is circulated in both directions successively and alternatively under turbulent regime. From the bottom of the main deposits (1-2) the pollutants will be removed or purged to a cavity (9) that receives part of the water together with a high concentration of pollutants decanted and precipitated at the bottom of said main deposits (1-2), said pollutants being treated and separated in that cavity (9).

Claims

1. System for purifying polluted water, which is intended to purify polluted water, both from urban and industrial sources, wherein the system comprises:

at least one first lower main deposit arranged at a lower level,

at least one second upper main deposit arranged at an upper level with respect to the first lower main deposit,

wherein each of said main deposits contains polluted water to be purified and comprising a peripheral edge, and a bottom where pollutants of the polluted water are decanted and precipitated, said bottom comprising;

a main area,

vessels whose depth is greater than the corresponding depth of the main area, and

an elevated curb that separates the vessels from the main area, and favours the retention of pollutants,

at least one intermediate pipe, communicating the vessels of the first lower main deposits with the vessels of the second upper main deposits, through which the polluted water is circulated in both directions successively and alternatively under turbulent regime,

at least one cavity intended to receive a mixture formed by water from said main deposits and the pollutants previously decanted and precipitated at the bottom of such main deposits, and intended to treat said pollutants,

suction devices and purge devices connecting the main deposits with the cavity, that extract said mixture from the main deposits and direct it towards the cavity,

a reversible hydroelectric plant sandwiched in the at least one intermediate pipe comprising;

a main pump through which the water passes from the lower main deposit to the upper main deposit in a first actuation,

a turbine through which the water passes and flows by gravity from the upper main deposit to the lower deposit in a second actuation, generating energy.

2. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 1 wherein the at least one cavity comprises a perimeter channelling arranged around the peripheral edge of each one of the main deposits.

3. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 2 wherein said perimeter channelling comprises:

two similar circuits, each circuit provided with at least one overflow dam and one terminal filter at one of its ends, that separate the pollutants by decanting and filtering obtaining treated water,

a common receptacle located between the terminal filters of said circuits that receives said treated water.

4. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 3 wherein the overflow dam is fitted with emptying valves arranged at different heights.

5. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 3 wherein the system further comprises:

a first course provided with recirculation pipes that connect the common receptacle with the main deposits and recirculate the treated water from the common receptacle to the main deposits.

6. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 3 wherein the system further comprises:

a second course comprising;

a waste water treatment station

a drain pipe that connects the common receptacle with the waste water treatment station, conducting the treated water to said water treatment station,

a terminal pipe connected to the waste water treatment station that drains the water treated in said waste water treatment station.

7. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 3 wherein the system further comprises:

an initial deposit intended to previously receiving the polluted water, treating the polluted water by adjusting the pH and removing the solids in suspension, before pouring the polluted water to the main deposits, said initial deposit having a bottom where the sludge is accumulated,

an initial pipe that connects the initial deposit with one of the main deposits through which the polluted water contained in said initial deposit is discharged in the main deposit,

suction and purge devices connecting said initial deposit and the cavity that extract sludge accumulated on the bottom of the initial deposit and direct it towards the cavity.

8. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 3 wherein the main deposits comprises more than two main deposits connected with each other through intermediate pipes according to a circuit selected from an open and a closed circuit.

9. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 4 wherein the system further comprises:

second perimeter channeling located in both main deposits annexed to the cavity, which is intended for additional purification processes of the polluted water coming from said cavity.

10. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 3 wherein the system further comprises:

a filtering element through which at least a part of the flow rate of polluted water is filtered during its transferring between the upper and lower main deposits

a bypass connection through which the filtering element is connected to the intermediate pipe.

11. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 10 wherein the filtering element is a filtration device.

12. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 10 wherein the filtering element is a device of reverse osmosis.

13. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 3 wherein the system further comprises:

a filtering element through which at least a part of the flow rate of polluted water is filtered,

an additional pipe, independent of the intermediate pipe, which connects the filtering element with the upper and lower deposits.

14. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 13 wherein the filtering element is a filtration device.

15. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 13 wherein the filtering element is a device of reverse osmosis.

16. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 3 further comprising:

an upper bypass channel connected to the intermediate pipe in proximity to the upper deposit which is provided in its free end with a not submerged exit mouth through which it pours the water on the upper deposit,

opening and closing valves interconnecting the intermediate pipe with the upper bypass channel.

17. The system for purifying polluted water of claim 3 further comprising:

a lower bypass channel connected to the intermediate pipe in proximity to the lower deposit which is provided in its free end with a not submerged exit mouth through which it pours the water on the lower deposit,

an impulse turbine integrated in said lower bypass channel,

opening and closing valves interconnecting the intermediate pipe with the lower bypass channel.

18. Polluted water purification method using the system of claim 1 comprising the following steps:

transferring polluted water to be purified successively and alternatively, between at least one lower main deposit arranged at a lower level and at least one upper main deposit arranged at an upper level with respect to the lower main deposit, wherein said transferring is performed in both directions;

upstream through pumping and downstream by gravity, wherein the polluted water downstream transferred is passed through a turbine causing the rotation of the same, generating power,

accumulating a concentration of water with pollutants by precipitation and decanting at the bottom of the main deposits,

extracting water with pollutants from the bottom of the main deposits and diverting them to at least one cavity,

additional purification process of the water and pollutants in the cavity to separate the pollutants.

19. Polluted water purification method of claim 18 wherein the transferring of the polluted water between the main deposits is carried out through at least one intermediate pipe that connects the bottom of the main deposits.

20. Polluted water purification method of claim 18 wherein previous to the step of transferring the polluted water between the main deposits, the polluted water is treated in an initial deposit where the pH of the water is suited and the solids in suspension and other pollutants are partially removed.

21. Polluted water purification method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of diverting at least part of the water treated in the cavities, from the cavities to an additional purification station.

22. Polluted water purification method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of passing at least part of the water flow rate that is transferred from the upper deposit to the lower deposit, through an impulse turbine.

23. Polluted water purification method according to claim 18 wherein, during the step of transferring polluted water, at least part of the water flow rate is subjected to a filtration process selected from:

microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis.