PROCESS TO MAINTAIN LARGE CLEAN RECREATIONAL WATER BODIES

• US 20110062067A1
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crystal Image Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Crystal Lagoons Corporation, LLC
• Inventors: Fischmann Torres, Fernando Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 8,062,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/167.11
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/00 Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage C02F3/00 - C02F9/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/40 Devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; devices in sewers for separating liquid or solid substances from sewage E03F5/14, e.g. for use in drains leading to the sewer E03F5/16
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/46 by electrochemical methods
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/505 by oligodynamic treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/56 Macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/72 by oxidation C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/722 Oxidation by peroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/76 with halogens or compounds of halogens C02F1/4674 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/766 by means of halogens other than chlorine or of halogenated compounds containing halogen other than chlorine
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• 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 2209/04 Oxidation reduction potential [ORP]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/11 Turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 7/00 Aeration of stretches of water
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 1/003 Mechanically induced gas or liquid streams in seas, lakes or water-courses for forming weirs or breakwaters; making or keeping water surfaces free from ice, aerating or circulating water, e.g. screens of air-bubbles against sludge formation or salt water entry, pump-assisted water circulation moving sediments E02B3/023; for ice breakers B63B35/08; aerating or circulating water in fish-tanks A01K63/042; purification of waste water with addition of air C02F; distributing gases in liquids in general B01F23/20
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/00 Engineering works in connection with control or use of streams, rivers, coasts, or other marine sites barrages or weirs E02B7/00; Sealings or joints for engineering works in general
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/885 self propelled, e.g. ship
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/8866 self propelled
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/9243 : Passive suction heads with no mechanical cutting means E02F5/108 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/00 : Swimming or splash baths or pools
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 : Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 : using solar energy

Abstract

The invention discloses a process to implement and maintain water bodies larger than 15,000 m³ for recreational use, such as lakes or artificial lagoons, with excellent color, transparency and cleanness properties at low cost, which comprises the following steps:

• a.—providing a structure able to contain a large water body larger than 15,000 m³;
• b.—feeding the structure of step (a) with inlet water having iron and manganese levels lower than 1.5 ppm and turbidity lower than 5 NTU;
• c.—measuring water pH, ideally it should be within a range lower than 7.8;
• d.—adding an oxidizing agent to the water contained in the structure of step (a), with which a 600 mV minimal ORP is controlled in water for a minimal period of 4 hours and in maximal cycles of 48 hours;
• e.—adding a flocculating agent in concentrations within 0.02 and 1 ppm with maximal frequencies of 6 days and cleaning the bottom of the structure of step (a) with a suction device to remove precipitated impurities from the bottom of said structure, together with the additional flocculants and;
• f.—generating a displacement of surface water containing impurities and surface oils by means of the injection of inlet water according to step (b), which generates said displacement in such a way to remove said surface water by means of a system for impurities and surface oils removal arranged in the structure of step (a), which together with step (e) replaces traditional filtering.

The present invention also discloses a structure to contain large water bodies comprising a system for the removal of impurities and surface oils by means of skimmers and the suction device to clean said structure.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A structure to contain a large water body, including a water body larger than 15,000 m³, for recreational use with color, transparency and cleanness characteristics similar to swimming pools or tropical seas at low cost, wherein the structure includes a bottom and walls covered with a plastic liner made of a non-porous material that can be thoroughly cleaned;

wherein the depth of the structure to the bottom is about 0.5 meters or higher;

wherein the structure includes a system of skimmers for the removal of impurities and surface oils, and a fresh water feeding pipe system that allows entrance of fresh water and results in water removal by displacement of surface water through the skimmer system.

25. The structure according to claim 24, wherein the structure is built of cement with a coating selected from the group consisting of paint, polyurethanes, and fiberglass.

26. The structure according to claim 24, wherein the bottoms and walls are built with a low-permeability material.

27. The structure according to claim 26, wherein the low-permeability material is selected from the group consisting of clay and bentonite.

28. The structure according to claim 24, wherein the non-porous material is a membrane made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, linear low-density polyethylene and high density polyethylene.

29. The structure according to claim 28, wherein the color of the non-porous material is light blue, white, or yellow.

30. The structure according to claim 24, wherein the structure has a depth between 2 and 5 meters.

31. The structure according to claim 24, wherein the structure has a recycling system that uses pipes with injectors which allow maintaining water homogeneity by avoiding stagnating zones and allow the application of chemicals.

32. The structure according to claim 24, wherein said structure has a water inlet line and water inlet chambers through which water is extracted to feed the fresh water feeding pipe system of the structure.

33. A structure to contain a water body to claim 24, wherein said structure is a low cost swimming pool.

34. The structure according to claim 24 wherein the structure the walls define a border, and wherein the system of skimmers positioned along the border.

36. The structure according to claim 33, wherein the wall of the structure is build of cement with a coating selected from the group consisting of paint, polyurethanes, and fiberglass.

37. The structure according to claim 33, wherein the low-permeability material of the wall is selected from the group consisting of clay, bentonite and cement.

38. The structure according to claim 33, wherein the non-porous plastic membrane material is a material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, linear low-density polyethylene and high density polyethylene.

39. The structure according to claim 36, wherein the color of the non-porous material light blue, white, or yellow.

40. The structure according to claim 33, wherein the structure has a depth between 2 and 5 meters.

41. The structure according to claim 33, wherein said structure has a water inlet line and water inlet chambers through which fresh water is extracted to feed the fresh water feeding pipe system of the structure.

42. The structure according to claim 40, wherein the water inlet chambers are constructed at a depth of more than 6 meters below the sea surface.

35. A structure to contain a large water body, including a water body larger than 15,000 m³, for recreational use with color, transparency and cleanness characteristics similar to swimming pools or tropical seas at low cost, wherein the structure has a border and includes:

a bottom and walls along the border built with a low-permeability material, wherein the low-permeability material of the bottom is selected from the group consisting of clay and bentonite, wherein the bottom and walls are lined with a non-porous plastic membrane material that can be cleaned;

wherein the depth of the structure to the bottom is at least about 0.5 meters, and up to about 5 meters;

a system of skimmers disposed along the border for the removal of impurities and surface oils;

a recycling piping system installed around the border of the structure and including a plurality of water injectors distributed along the border for injecting water into the water body to maintain homogeneity; and

a fresh water feeding pipe system that allows entrance of fresh water and results in water removal by displacement of surface water through the skimmer system.