GB2113198A - A bromination device for bodies of water such as swimming pools - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for treating a body of water with liquid bromine comprises a solenoid valve (3) operatively controlled by a bromine concentration measuring device in the water to be treated and a main water conduit (5) adapted to supply water to the body of water via a pressure regulating valve and a Venturi-type injector (7) in said conduit. A tube (9) branches off from the main conduit upstream of the injector and leads to a Niagara-type float-controlled water tank (10), a discharge pipe (11) from the tank leading via a tap (12), a flow meter (13) and a dip tube (14) into a conventional liquid bromine container (15). An aqueous bromine solution delivery tube (17) leads from the container (15) via a non-return valve into the low pressure portion of the injector (7). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A bromination device for bodies of water such as swimming pools This invention relates to an improved bromination device for the disinfection of swimming pools and water reservoirs of any type, hereinafter designated as "bodies of water".

The principal agents used at present for the disinfection of the water in the abovementioned water reservoirs are chlorine and bromine or certain derivatives thereof, which liberate these halogens when introduced into water, as known per se.

The use of bromine as disinfecting or antiseptic agent requires a strictly predetermined and controlled dosing of the bromine introduced into the water, since liquid bromine is a dangerous and highly corrosive material, which can be handled only with difficulty and while observing well known precautions.

Several types of bromination devices for the disinfection of bodies of water are known in the art. In one type of such devices an excess of a solid bromine compound, preferably sodium bromide is introduced into the body of water to be treated. The bromine compound is activated, i.e.

elementary or active bromine is liberated, by means of the controlled addition of an aqueous hypochlorite solution. The "active bromine" concentration in the body of water is constantly measured by an electrical measuring element, usually a pH meter type element, which is operatively connected to a solenoid valve or the like, which latter is opened whenever the bromide concentration in the body of water falls below a predetermined threshold and which is closed automatically when the required bromine concentration is attained.

Water treatment devices of this type are disclosed in German OS No. 1,951,802; German OS No. 2,143,396 and German OS No.

2,449,951.

In the second type of such devices, elementary bromine is added from a supply of commercially available liquid bromine. Here again the addition of the bromine in the form of an aqueous bromine is regulated by a pH-type instrument immersed in the body of water to be treated, or located in a measuring cell connected by a pipe line to said body of water in such a manner that the water of said body flows constantly through said cell in which the bromine concentration is constantly monitored.The water to be admixed with the liquid bromine to prepare the abovementioned aqueous bromine solution may be branched off from a main water recycling conduit including suitable pumps and filters for purifying the water to be treated or it may be branched off from a main conduit connected to the water mains, through which water is introduced into the body of water, i.e. water in a swimming pool, water for industrial use or any other body of water which has to be maintained at a certain degree of sterility and purity. The water to be passed to the bromine container flows through a branch conduit containing taps or valves to regulate the flow of water.

It is introduced into the bromine container through a dip tube and withdrawn, admixed with bromine, from the top of the container and then passed through a non-return valve into the main conduit or into the main recycling conduit, as hereinafter described in detail.

A device of this type is disclosed in German OS No. 2,71 1,249. In this device a pipe branches off from the main water recycling circuit. A solenoid valve, electrically controlled by a suitable bromine concentration meter, is inserted into this pipe, said pipe terminating in a dip tube in a commercially available liquid bromine container. A further pipe leads from the top of the container via a non return valve into a conduit through which the aqueous bromine solution is returned to the main water recycling conduit, which leads the solution together with recycled water to the reservoir containing the water to be treated. A flow meter as well as the bromine concentration measuring device are also included in the above-mentioned branch circuit.

Practical tests carried out with this device have shown that under certain circumstances some concentrated bromine may escape from the container, whereby certain parts of the branch circuit may be damaged by corrosion, or highly poisonous bromine vapour may escape into the ambient atmosphere. Moreover the water supply to the water in the swimming pool is not always reliable, whereby the purity and sterility of the water in the pool may be jeopardised.

In order to overcome these drawbacks aplicants have now developed simple and reliable devices belonging to the second type of brominating devices, for the purpose stated above, which are cheaper with regard to costs and to maintenance and more compact than the bromination plants referred to above and used in practice. They will be designated hereinafter as "a device for treating a body of water of the type referred to".

In a first embodiment of the invention, all the component parts of the device are made of Teflon (Reg. T.M.) or of another bromine resistant plastic material. Furthermore, the water to be admixed with the bromine to form the aqueous bromine solution passes through a pipe, branched off from the main water supply circuit, into a float controlled "Niagara" type tank from which water is supplied to the bromine container through the outlet pipe containing a valve and a flow meter, which pipe terminates in a dip tube immersed in the bromine. By this construction the concentrated bromine is effectively prevented from penetrating into the main water circuit.The bromine concentration measuring device (hereinafter "pH meter") is preferably immersed in the body of water to be treated and connected to solenoid valve controlling the flow of water from the mains through the main conduit which leads through a Venturi-type suction device and an outlet pipe to the reservoir containing the body of water to be treated.

The pipe conducting the aqueous bromine solution leads from the top of the bromine container to the low pressure portion of the abovementioned Venturi-type tube, whereby the solution is aspirated from the bromine container and injected into the main water supply conduit.

Commercially available standard bromine containers made of glass are used.

A second such bromine bottle may be connected as described above to the float controlled Niagara type water container on its inlet side and to the Venturi-type injector on its outlet side to assure a continuous bromine supply to the reservoir. Obviously the float controlled water tank, as described above may also be used in connection with a main water recycling conduit and the bromine concentration measurng pH meter may be located in an appropriately located measuring cell through which water from the body of water is constantly circulated. This water may either be discharged to a sewage pipe or it may be returned via the recycling conduit to the body of water.

According to a preferred somewhat modified and simplified embodiment of the device the aqueous bromine solution used as disinfecting agent is replaced by a bromine-air mixture, whereby the Niagara-type reservoir supplying water to the bromine container becomes redundant, while the safety factor and the effectiveness of the first embodiment is fully maintained.

According to this modified embodiment ambient air is aspirated, by means to be described hereinafter, into the bromine container via a diptube. Since bromine is highly volatile a bromineair mixture is formed in the container which is passed through a pipe leading from the top of container via a needle valve, a flow meter and a non-return valve into the low pressure zone of a Venturi tube, inserted into the main water supply circuit of the body of water. The low pressure, created when water is passed through a Venturitube, brings about the aspiration of the bromineair mixture into the water, as well as through mixing of the mixture and the water.

This embodiment of the invention thus relates to a device for treating a body of water with liquid bromine, comprising a source of water, a solenoid valve operatively controlled by a bromine concentration measuring device immersed in the water to be treated, a main water conduit connected to said source and adapted to supply water to the body of water via a pressure regulating valve and a Venturi-type injector inserted in said conduit, an air-inlet duct including an air-filter and a non-return valve and a dip tube leading into a conventional liquid bromine container, a bromine-air mixture delivery tube leading from the top of said container via a needle valve, a flow meter and a non-return valve to the low pressure portion of the injector, all the components of the device with the exception of the bromine container(s) and the electrical devices being made of Teflon, or of the like bromineresistant plastic material.

As in the first embodiment, two liquid bromine containers may be provided, the dip tubes of the containers being interconnected by a manifold connected to the air inlet duct, a closure valve being inserted in the manifold on either side of the point at which the air inlet duct is connected to the manifold. In this embodiment, the bromine-air mixture may be uninterruptedly passed into the water supply circuit via a second manifold, connected between the bromine-air mixture outlet tubes, by opening and closing appropriate closure valves in the air inlet manifold when one of the bromine containers is empty. The empty container is then replaced by a full one while the bromine-air mixture is supplied by the second container.

Moreover, said main water conduit may alternatively be included in a water recycling conduit for purifying the water in said body of water, said recycling conduit including a pump and filters as known per se, said solenoid valve being inserted at the upstream end of the main conduit. In this embodiment the bromine concentration measuring pH meter is located in a suitably located measuring cell through which water from the body of water to be treated is uninterruptedly circulated.

The two embodiments according to the invention will now be described with reference to the appended Figures of which: Fig. I illustrates a preferred embodiment of the first type of the bromination device.

Fig. II is a schematic representation of the second type of the inventive bromination device in which the various components are designated by a numeral of three digits.

As illustrated in Fig. I a bromine concentration measuring device 1 in the form of a conventional pH meter located in the body of water to be treated (not shown) or in a suitably located bromine concentration measuring cell in a by-pass (not shown) is operatively connected by lead 2 to a conventional solenoid valve 3 in a supply line 4 from the water mains to main conduit 5, which includes a pressure regulating valve 6 and a Venturi-type injector 7 which conduit supplies the body of water to be treated such as a swimming pool (not shown). A pump 8 may also be included in the water supply line 4 to maintain therein sufficient pressure to operate the injector 7. A branch pipe 9 leads from conduit 5 to the inlet of Niagara-type float controlled water tank 10.

Discharge pipe 1 1 of the tank 10 passes water through a manually operated tap 12, flow meter 13 and a dip tube 14 to the bottom portion of a commercially available liquid bromine container 15 made of glass.

In a preferred embodiment discharge pipe 11 may be branched at 16 and supply water also via tap 12', flow meter 13' and dip tube 14' to a second bromine container 15'. Take-off pipe 17 or 17' provided with taps 12" and 12"' respectively leads to the low pressure section of Venturi-type injector 7 via non-return valve 18 and 1 8 respectively.

The device according to the invention operates as follows: When the bromine concentration in the body of water to be treated falls below a predetermined threshold, the pH meter activates solenoid valve 3 and water is admitted from the mains to a main conduit 5. Injector 7 withdraws aqueous bromine solution from bromine container 15 via discharge tube 17 which solution is thus injected and admixed with the water flowing through conduit 5 into the swimming pool or the like (not shown).

Additional water flows now from tank 10 via open tap or valve 12 to bromine container 1 5, while tap 12' is closed. When the liquid bromine supply in container 15 is used up, tap 12 is closed, tap 12' is opened, whereupon the aqueous bromine solution is supplied from container 15'.

Container 15 is replaced by a full container. In this manner aqueous bromine solution can be supplied without interruption to the body of water to be treated. The quantity of water withdrawn from tank 10 is supplied through branch pipe 9. The entire system operates thus automatically with the exception of taps 12, 12', 12" and 12"' which have to be operated manually, as stated above.

As illustrated in Fig. II a bromine concentration measuring device 101 in the form of a conventional pH meter, located in the body of water to be treated (not shown) or in a suitable located bromine concentration measuring cell in a by-pass (not shown) is operatively connected by lead 102 to a conventional solenoid valve 103 in a supply line 1 04 from the water mains to main conduit 105 which includes a pressure regulating valve 106 and a Venturi-type injector 107, which conduit supplies the body of water to be treated such as a swimming pool (not shown).

A pump 108 may also be included in the water supply line 104 to maintain therein sufficient pressure to operate injector 107. An air inlet duct comprising a conventional air-filter 109, a nonreturn valve 1 10 leads into a liquid bromine container 11 via a dip tube 1 12. A liquid-level gauge 11 3 is provided in the bromine bottle.

The bromine-air mixture is withdrawn from the bottle via an outlet tube 1 14, ending downwardly at the top of the bottle, and passed via needle valve 1 15, flow meter 1 16 and non-return valve 117 to the low pressure section of Venturi-type injector 107.

This water purification device may also easily be adapted by the man of the art to the use of two liquid bromine supply bottles, either of which can alternatingly be connected by appropriate valves 118,118'totheairinletductl09,110and112 described above. Thus continuous bromine-air mixture supply to the pipe connecting the injector of the body of water is assured.

The device according to the invention operates as follows: When the bromine concentration in the body of water to be treated falls below a predetermined threshold, the pH meter activates water supply pipes 104, 105 and Venturi-type injector 107 to the body of water (not shown). The injector aspirates bromine-air mixture from bottle 111, valves 1 18, 1 19 being opened by hand, while valves 118', 119' remain closed.

When liquid bromine in bottle 111 is used up, valves 118, 1 19 are closed and valves 1 18' and 1 19' are opened, whereby the bromine-air mixture respectively will now be supplied from the second bottle.

The empty bromine bottles can now be replaced by full ones. When the water from the body of water is recycled and the bromine-air mixture is injected in the recycle-stream, pump 108 is activated in order to pressurize the water sufficiently to activate the injector 107.

While preferred embodiments of the inventive devices are described hereinabove, a number of the auxiliary components such as the electrical devices, the closure devices and the valves may be substituted by other components serving the same purposes, which are known to the man of the art.

All such alternative components are deemed to be included within the ambit of the subsequent

Claims (9)

claims. CLAIMS

1. A device for treating a body of water with liquid bromine of the type referred to, comprising a source of water, a solenoid valve operatively controlled by a bromine concentration measuring device, as known per se, in the water to be treated, a main water conduit connected to said source and adapted to supply water to the body of water via a pressure regulating valve and a Venturi-type injector inserted in said conduit, a tube branching off from the main conduit upstream of the injector and leading to a Niagaratype float-controlled water tank, a discharge pipe from the tank leading via a tap, a flow meter and a dip tube into a conventional liquid bromine container, an aqueous bromine solution delivery tube leading from the upper part of said container via a non-return valve into the low pressure portion of the injector, all the components of the device with the exception of the bromine container(s) and the electrical devices being made of Teflon, or of the like bromine-resistant plastics material.

2. A modification of the device defined in claim 1, wherein the delivery pipe from said water tank is branched to supply water alternatingly to two bromine bottles, each bottle being provided with a delivery tube leading to the injector as defined in claim 1, closure valves being provided to cut out one or the other of said bromine bottles.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main water conduit is included in a recycling conduit for purifying the water in said body of water, said recycling conduit including a pump and filters as known per se, said solenoid valve being inserted at the upstream end of the main conduit.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bromine concentration measuring device is located in a suitably located measuring cell through which the water from the body of water to be treated is uninterruptedly circulated.

5. A device for treating a body of water with liquid bromine, comprising a source of water, a solenoid valve operatively controlled by a bromine concentration measuring device immersed in the water to be treated, a main water conduit connected to said source and adapted to supply water to the body of water via a pressure regulating valve and a Venturi-type injector inserted in said conduit, an air inlet duct including an air-filter and non-return valve and a dip tube leading into a conventional liquid bromine container, a bromine-air mixture delivery tube leading from the top of said container via a needle valve, a flow meter and a non-return valve to the low pressure portion of the injector, all the components of the device with the exception of the bromine container and the electrical devices being made of Teflon, or of the like bromineresistant plastic material.

6. A modification of the device claimed in claim 5, wherein the air inlet duct is branched to supply air alternatingly to two bromine bottles, each bottle being provided with a bromine-air mixture delivery tube leading to the injector, closure devices being provided to cut out one or the other of the said bromine bottles.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said main water conduit is included in a water recycling conduit for purifying the water in said body of water, said recycling conduit including a pump and filters as known per se, said solenoid valve being inserted at the upstream end of the main conduit.

8. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the bromine concentration measuring device is located in a suitably located measuring cell through which water from the body of water to be treated is uninterruptedly circulated.

9. A device for treating a body of water with bromine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. I.

1 0. A device for treating a body of water with bromine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. II.