Efficient filtration process of water in a tank for recreational and ornamental uses, where the filtration is performed over a small volume of water and not over the totality of the water from the tank

• US 9,470,007 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crystal Image Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Crystal Lagoons (Curacao) B.V. (Crystal Lagoons Corp.)
• Inventors: Fischmann Torres, Fernando Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOSSAINI, NADER F
• Application Number:
  US12/937,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20110108490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,778 Days
• Field of Search: 210/738, 210/805, 210/806, 210/669, 210/167.1, 210/167.13, 210/167.15, 210/167.16, 210/748.01, 210/748.02, 210/748.03, 210/748.04, 210/748.05, 210702-736, 15/17, 204/571
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3633 Blood component filters, e.g. leukocyte filters
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• 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 1/36 ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/52 by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/463 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/56 Macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/007 Contaminated open waterways, rivers, lakes or ponds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/42 from bathing facilities, e.g. swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/12 Devices or arrangements for circulating water , i.e. devices for removal of polluted water, cleaning baths or for water treatment
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1209 Treatment of water for swimming pools filters B01D
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1645 Connections to the pool water circulation system
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

An efficient filtration process of water from a tank is performed over a small volume of water and not on the totality of the water from the tank. The process includes emitting ultrasonic waves in the tank; and adding a flocculant agent to the water. The tank bottom is covered with a suctioning device which suctions a water flow with flocculated particles, discharging to a collecting effluent line and the effluent flow of the suctioning device is filtered from the collecting effluent line. Filtered flow is returned to the tank. A suctioning device is used in the efficient filtration process.

Claims

1. A process for filtration of water in a tank, wherein the process is adapted to eliminate turbidity from water in the tank, and wherein the process comprises:

a. emitting ultrasonic waves into the water in the tank, wherein one or more ultrasonic wave emitters are positioned within the tank to broadcast the ultrasonic waves to the total volume of water in the tank and the ultrasonic waves are emitted into the water with a frequency of from 20 to 100 kHz and power in a range of about 10 W to about 45 W;

b. adding a flocculant agent to the water to flocculate suspended solids in the water;

c. suctioning a portion of water in the tank containing flocculated solids with a suctioning device to provide a suctioning device effluent flow, wherein the suctioning device suctions a water flow comprising settled flocculated solids from a bottom of the tank avoiding resuspension of flocculated solids, thereby providing for removal of the flocculated solids from the water in the tank without filtering the total volume of water in the tank;

d. discharging the suctioning device effluent flow to an effluent collecting line;

e. filtering the suctioning device effluent flow from said effluent collecting line to produce a filtered flow; and

f. returning the filtered flow to the tank.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic waves are emitted during a period of time from 1 to 24 hours daily.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic waves are emitted during a period of time from 12 to 24 hours daily.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic waves are emitted during a period of time from 20 to 24 hours daily.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the one or more ultrasonic wave emitters are positioned under a water surface in the tank.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the flocculant agent is added to the water in the tank in a concentration of 0.005 to 2 ppm at least once every 6 days.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the flocculant agent is added to the water in the tank in a concentration of 0.01 to 0.5 ppm at least once every 4 days.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein the flocculant agent is added to the water in the tank in a concentration of 0.0125 to 0.04 ppm every 24 hours.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein in the steps c), d), e), and f) the flow is in a range of 1 to 30 L/s.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein in the steps c), d), e) and f) the flow is in a range of 10 to 20 L/s.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein the suctioning device is movable along the bottom of the tank using a boat on the water surface of the tank.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein the suctioning device is movable along the bottom of the tank using a locomotive cart on rails on the tank bottom.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein the suctioning device is movable along the bottom of the tank by a motorized, automated, or remote-controlled robot.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein the suctioning device is movable along the bottom of the tank using a cable and pulley system.

15. The process of claim 1, wherein the filtering is performed by a sand filter, a diatomaceous filter or a cartridge filter.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein the suspended solids comprise algae, dust, or organic matter.

17. The process of claim 1, wherein the one or more ultrasonic wave emitters are positioned about a periphery of the tank.

18. The process of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic wave emitters are spaced by a radius from 100 to 150 meters, the radius originating at an individual emitter.

19. The process of claim 1, wherein the tank further comprises a central island or platform comprising one or more ultrasonic wave emitters positioned to broadcast the ultrasonic waves into the water in the tank.

20. The process of claim 1, wherein the emitted ultrasonic waves reduce or prevent biofilm formation on walls of the tank.

21. The process of claim 1, wherein the emitted ultrasonic waves coagulate the flocculated solids to form dispersed floccules.

22. The process of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic waves increase flocculation efficiency of the flocculant agent.

23. The process of claim 1, wherein filtering the water flow comprising the settled flocculated solids from the bottom of the tank replaces filtration of the total volume of water in the tank with a centralized tank filtration system to remove the suspended solids from the water.

24. The process of claim 1, wherein the emitting of ultrasound waves controls the growth of algae and biofilm in the tank.

25. The process of claim 1, wherein the emitting of ultrasonic waves, the adding of flocculant, and the suctioning with a suctioning device avoid resuspension of flocculated solids.

26. A process for filtration of water in a tank, wherein the tank comprises a large recreational water body having a surface area of at least 6,000 m², and wherein the process is adapted to eliminate turbidity from the large recreational water body by filtering only a portion of the total water volume in the tank and not the complete volume as in traditional filtration systems, wherein the process comprises:

a. emitting ultrasonic waves into the water in the tank, wherein one or more ultrasonic wave emitters are positioned within the tank to broadcast the ultrasonic waves to the total volume of water in the tank and the ultrasonic waves are emitted into the water with a frequency of from 20 to 100 kHz and power in a range of about 10 W to about 45 W;

b. adding a flocculant agent to the water to flocculate suspended solids in the water, which in combination with the ultrasonic waves allows for a more efficient filtration process;

c. suctioning a portion of water in the tank containing flocculated solids with a suctioning device to provide a suctioning device effluent flow, wherein the suctioning device suctions a water flow comprising settled flocculated solids from a bottom of the tank avoiding resuspension of such floccules, thereby providing for removal of the flocculated solids from the water in the tank without filtering the total volume of water in the tank as in traditional filtration systems;

d. discharging the suctioning device effluent flow to an effluent collecting line;

e. filtering the suctioning device effluent flow from said effluent collecting line to produce a filtered flow; and

f. returning the filtered flow to the tank.