Method and system for the sustainable cooling of industrial processes

• US 8,454,838 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crystal Image Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Crystal Lagoons (Curacao) B.V. (Crystal Lagoons Corp.)
• Inventors: Fischmann T., Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Durand, Paul J
• Application Number:
  US13/195,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20120091069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 210/742, 210/746
• US Class Current: 210/742
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/14 Safety devices specially adapted for filtration preventing or minimising fires or explosions A62C; Devices for indicating clogging incorporated in a throw-away filter B01D27/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 36/04 Combinations of filters with settling tanks
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/44 by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis general membrane separation processes B01D61/00, membrane modules B01D63/00, electrodialysis C02F1/4693, combination of membrane modules and bioreactors C02F3/1268
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/5281 Installations for water purification using chemical agents
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/56 Macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/72 by oxidation C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/023 Water in cooling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/42 from bathing facilities, e.g. swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/04 Oxidation reduction potential [ORP]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/11 Turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 5/08 Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

A method and system for treating water, and using the treated water for the cooling of industrial processes is disclosed. The water is treated and stored in a large container or artificial lagoon, has high clarity and high microbiological quality. A system of the invention generally includes a containing means, such as a large container or artificial lagoon, a coordination means, a chemical application means, a mobile suction means, and a filtration means. The coordination means monitors and controls the processes in order to adjust water quality parameters within specified limits. The large container or artificial lagoon can act as a heat sink, absorbing waste heat from the industrial cooling process, thus creating thermal energy reservoirs in a sustainable manner, which can be later used for other purposes. The method and system can be used in any industrial cooling system with any type of water available, including fresh water, brackish water, and seawater.

Claims

1. A method for cooling an industrial process by providing high microbiological quality cooling water to the industrial process, the method comprising:

a) Storing the water in a container comprising a surface area from about 50 to about 30,000 m² per MW of cooling required by the industrial process and a bottom capable of being cleaned by a mobile suction means;

b) Treating the water in the container within 7 day intervals to establish an oxidation reduction potential (ORP) of at least 500 mV for a total treatment time during each 7 day interval that is dependent on the temperature of the water being treated, said treating comprising periodically adding one or more disinfectant agents to the water in the container during the 7 day interval to establish the ORP of at least 500 mV wherein;

(i) For water having a temperature up to and including 35°

C., said total treatment time comprises a minimum period of 1 hour for each °

C. of the water temperature;

(ii) For water having a temperature greater than 35°

C. and less than 70°

C., said total treatment time comprises a minimum period of hours calculated by the following equation;

[35 hours]−

[Temperature of the water in °

C.−

35)×

1 hour/°

C.]=minimum period of hours;

or

(iii) For water having a temperature of 70°

C. or more, said total treatment time comprises a minimum period of 1 hour;

c) Activating the following processes through a coordination means to maintain the water in the container within water quality parameters, wherein the coordination means receives information regarding water quality parameters controlled by said coordination means and activates one or more of the following processes to adjust said water quality parameters within their limits;

(i) Applying an oxidizing agent to the water in the container to prevent the iron and manganese concentrations of the container water from exceeding 1.5 ppm;

(ii) Applying a coagulant and/or flocculant to the water in the container to prevent the turbidity of the water from exceeding 7 NTU;

(iii) Suctioning a portion of the water in the container containing settled particles with a mobile suction means to prevent a thickness of settled material from exceeding an average 100 mm, filtering the water suctioned by the mobile suction means, and returning the filtered water to the container; and

d) Feeding the industrial process with the treated cooling water from the container;

wherein the cooling water is recirculated between the container and the industrial process, the industrial process including a heat transfer system requiring cooling, and wherein the cooling water is heated by the industrial process and then returned to the container at a flow rate such that a difference in temperature between cooling water entering the industrial process and cooling water exiting the industrial process is at least 3°

C., and wherein the cooling water exiting the industrial process does not add more than 10 ppm of iron to the container water.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more disinfectant agents are selected from the group consisting of ozone, a biguanide compound, a bromine-based compound, a halogen-based compound, and combinations thereof;

the oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of a halogen-based compound, a permanganate salt, a peroxide, ozone, sodium persulfate, potassium persulfate, an oxidant produced by an electrolytic method, and combinations thereof; and

the coagulant and/or flocculant is selected from the group consisting of cationic polymers, anionic polymers, an aluminum salt, aluminum chlorhydrate, alum, aluminum sulfate, a quat and/or polyquat, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, ferrous sulphate, ferric chloride, a polyacrylamide, sodium aluminate, sodium silicate, chitosan, gelatin, guar gum, an alginate, a moringa seed, a starch derivative and combinations thereof or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information received by the coordination means is obtained by an empirical method.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the average thickness of the settled material does not exceed 15 mm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat transfer system comprises a heat exchanger, and the method further comprises adding an antiscalant to the flow of high microbiological quality cooling water entering the heat exchanger to reduce or prevent scaling.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the antiscalant is selected from the group consisting of a phosphonate-based compound, phosphonic acid, PBTC (phosphobutan-tricarboxylic acid), a chromate, a zinc polyphosphate, a nitrite, a silicate, an organic substance, caustic soda, a malic acid-based polymer, a sodium polyacrylate, an ethylene diamine tetracetic acid sodium salt, a corrosion inhibitor, benzotriazole, and a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the container is configured to decrease the temperature of the cooling water exiting the industrial cooling process, before container water is discharged into a water source.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooling water is recirculated between the container and the industrial process in a closed circuit.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the heated cooling water can be further used in a process selected from the group consisting of a desalination process, a heating process, a process for producing hot water and a combination thereof.