WO2005095290A1

WO2005095290A1 - Device and method for the treatment of water

Info

Publication number: WO2005095290A1
Application number: PCT/DK2005/000229
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jørgen BAK
Original assignee: Twin Water Production Int. Aps
Priority date: 2004-04-02
Filing date: 2005-04-04
Publication date: 2005-10-13
Also published as: EP1765734A1

Abstract

A system (10) for the treatment of recycled water (18) which comprises a tank (16) for the collection of the recycled water (18), which is supplied to the tank (16) through a supply entry (14). The system further comprises a pipeline (20) for guiding the recycled water (18) from the tank to a draining site (22) for the draining of the recycled water, and a pump (28) which is mounted in the pipeline (20) and the input of which is connected to a suction input located at the bottom of the tank (16), and which has an output. A tubular water treatment unit (24) is provided, which is mounted in the pipeline (20) and includes a guiding plate for twisting the water which runs through the unit one turn of 360° to the right or to the left on the northern and southern hemisphere, respectively, when seen through the direction of the flow through the tubular treatment unit (24), the input being connected to the output end of the pump (28) and the output being connected to a junction (36) which leads partly to the draining site (22) and partly to a return pipe (36) to the tank. In the return pipe (36), a closure valve (40) is mounted. A control unit (30) is adapted to activate the pump (28) for the draining of the recycled water (18) from the tank (16) through the pipeline (36) and to periodically activate the pump (28) in case of lack of draining and at the same time activate the closure valve (40) for the circulation of the recycled water through the tubular treatment unit (24 ).

Description

Device and method for the treatment of water

The present invention relates to a system for the treatment of recycled water and a method for the treatment of recycled water.

From published international patent application, publication No. WO 02/085792 is known a water treatment unit or water purifying unit, which, as it is shown during numerous tests, shows a surprising treating effect, as bacteria and other microorganisms included in the untreated water are deactivated, whereupon the water, even after a long time of storage, neither generates bad odours or shows visible signs of biological activity in the water. In the published international patent application is generally described certain applications of the treatment unit, but the inventor's use of the unit has turned out to be even exceptionally efficient and relevant in connection with industrial systems, especially systems where a very large water consumption prescribes that the water used is not only led away through the sewer or removed in another way, but is instead reused as recycled water. The recycled water, which can include different additional materials apart from the bacteria, algae, lime etc. included in the originally used fresh water, will furthermore include remains from industrial usage, including chemicals, additional algae and micro-organisms, remains from cleaning materials etc.

As for the configuration of the water treatment unit described in the above- mentioned international patent application, reference is made to the specification in this international patent application.

An object of the present invention is to show a new technique which makes a simple treatment of recycled water possible, which treatment is to enable the depositing of chemicals and lime and a deactivation of micro-organisms, such as bacteria and algae included in the recycled water, irrespective of whether this content originates from the originally used fresh water or is provided during the intended industrial use and thus in relation to the originally used fresh water constitutes additional impurities etc. The above object together with numerous other objects, features and advantages of the technique according to the present invention are obtained in accordance with a first aspect of the invention with a system for the treatment of recycled water and with a tank for the collection of the recycled water, which is supplied to the tank through a supply entry, a pipeline for guiding the recycled water from the tank to a draining site for the draining of the recycled water, a pump which is mounted in the pipeline and the input of which is connected to a suction input located at the bottom of the tank, and which has an output, a tubular water treatment unit which is mounted in the pipeline and includes a guiding plate for twisting the water which runs through the unit one turn of 360° to the right or to the left on the northern and southern hemisphere, respectively, when seen through the direction of the flow through the tubular treatment unit, the input being connected to the output end of the pump and the output being connected to a junction which leads partly to the draining site and partly to a return pipe to the tank, a closure valve which is mounted in the return pipe, and a control unit, which is adapted to activate the pump for the draining of the recycled water from the tank through the pipeline and to periodically activate the pump in case of lack of draining and at the same time activate the closure valve for the circulation of the recycled water through the tubular treatment unit.

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention it has been revealed that the use of the tubular treatment unit known from the above-mentioned published international patent application makes it possible to store recycled water, i.e. water that has originally been fresh water from a water supply pipe from a lake or other source of fresh water, and which after the industrial use would be provided with additional materials, possibly lime, bacteria and algae, as the periodical circulation of the recycled water through the tubular treatment unit deactivates the biological organisms in the recycled water and provides at the same time a substantial depositing of chemicals, lime etc., whereby the recycled water, even after along time of storage, will not show the biological and chemical reactions which normally makes the recycled water useless as a result of odour nuisance, visual turbidity and a strong microbiological activity in the water. The periodical activation of the pump and the closure valve for the provision of the circulation of the recycled water through the tubular treatment unit is to be carried out with a rate or frequency, which is to be set for the given system and the given context from an approximately continuous circulation, i.e. with a frequency of under one second and up to a circulation, which is only to be performed one time a day, as the given industrial usage, the original content of micro-organisms, lime and chemicals etc. in the fresh water together with the existing temperature at the specific place of use has an immediate influence on the microbiological activity, which appears in the water and therefore is to be neutralised through the use of the tubular treatment unit. It is however to be noticed that the use of the tubular treatment unit does not only deactivate micro-organisms, as it is proved through numerous tests performed by the inventor, but also surprisingly generates deposits of a numerous amount of inorganic compounds, including different lime and salt compounds, which either appear naturally in the fresh water, or which are provided to the recycled water during the industrial use.

In accordance with the invention, the system for the treatment of recycled water can therefore advantageously be used in such a way that the control unit carries out the periodical activation of both the pump and the closure valve at a frequency between 0.5 seconds and 24 hours, such as a frequency of 1 second, a frequency between 1 second and 1 minute, a frequency between 1 minute and 1 hour, between 1 hour and 24 hours, such as between 0.5 sec. - 30 sec, 30 sec. - 2 min., 2 min. - 20 min., 20 min. - 2 hours, 2 hours - 20 hours.

A specific application of the system according to the present invention is in connection with cleaning systems on industrial installations such as workshops or garages, plant sites, slaughterhouses, food producing companies, car washes, laundries etc. In such industrial systems, the supply entry to the tank for the collection of recycled water will therefore typically be constituted by a floor drain.

The recycled water generated by using the system according to the invention can by achieving the degree of cleanness necessary for the continuous industrial application be used together with new fresh water and thus in accordance with an advantageous and preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention lead to a mixing assembly, which is also connected to an inlet for fresh water, an inlet for cleaning materials and/or compressed air, the mixing assembly in accordance with the given industrial application being controlled by the control unit for the combination of fresh water, recycled water, cleaning materials and/or compressed air.

In order to ensure that the recycled water as a consequence of a drop of pressure in the supply pipe for the supply of fresh water is not drawn back through the fresh water supply, a check valve is provided in accordance with a further advantageous embodiment of the system according to the invention in the inlet of fresh water in the above-mentioned mixing assembly.

In order to refine the system according to the invention, a biological treatment unit in accordance with a further embodiment of the system according to the present invention may be provided, which biological treatment unit is then incorporated in the system after the pump.

The above object together with numerous other objects, advantages and features of the technique according to the present invention is achieved in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention by a method for the treatment of recycled water by using a system comprising: a tank for the collection of the recycled water, a pipeline for guiding the recycled water from the tank to a draining site for the draining of the recycled water, a pump which is mounted in the pipeline and the input of which is connected to a suction input located at the bottom of the tank, and which has an output, a tubular water treatment unit which is mounted in the pipeline and includes a guiding plate for twisting the water which runs through the unit one turn of 360° to the right or to the left on the northern and southern hemisphere, respectively, when seen through the direction of the flow through the tubular treatment unit, the input being connected to the output end of the pump and the output being connected to a junction which leads partly to the draining site and partly to a return pipe to the tank, a closure valve which is mounted in the return pipe, and a control unit, which is adapted to activate the pump and/or the closure valve, by which method the recycled water is supplied to the tank, and the pump and the closure unit are simultaneously activated periodically in case of lack of draining for the circulation of the recycled water through the tubular treatment unit.

The invention is now to be further described with reference to the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a system for the treatment of recycled water,

Fig. 2 is a further development of the system shown in Fig. 1 with an additional inlet and use of fresh water and compressed air,

Fig. 3 is a mixing unit in the system shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram of the control unit of the system shown in Figs. 2 and 3,

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a control board for the control of the system shown in

Figs. 2 and 3,

Fig. 6 is a schematic and perspective view of an additional biological treatment unit for the system according to the invention, Fig. 7 shows the biological treatment unit from the one side,

Fig. 8 shows the biological treatment unit from the other side,

Fig. 9 shows the biological biological treatment unit built together with two corresponding units in a cascade coupling of such biological treatment units.

In Fig. 1 , a system for the treatment of recycled water is shown. The system is in its entirety designated the reference numeral 10 and is mounted in a car wash 12, in which a floor drain 14 is mounted, which leads to a tank 16, in which the recycled water 18 is collected. The system comprises a pipeline 20, which in Fig. 1 is shown as a pipeline which is conducted along the ceiling to a drain site 22, as the pipeline is guided through a tubular treatment unit 24of the type described in the applicant's earlier published international patent application WO 02/085792, i.e. a tubular element, in which a guiding plate is mounted for twisting the water which runs through one turn of 360° to the right on the condition that the system 10 is mounted in a car wash placed on the northern hemisphere. In case the car wash or a similar industrial installation is used on the southern hemisphere, the twisting of the water which runs through will correspondingly take place in the left direction when seen in the direction of the flow through the tubular treatment unit 24. The pipeline 22 leads to a suction end 26 and a pump 28 has been incorporated in the tubular treatment unit 24, which pump is controlled from a control unit 30 with a control board 32. A junction 34 is incorporated in the pipeline 22 from the tubular treatment unit 24, which junction leads the recycled water through the tubular treatment unit 24 to either the pipeline 22 or to a junction 36, in which is mounted a pressure sensor 38, which serves the purpose of measuring the pressure in the recycled water, which is led back to the tank 18 through a closure valve 40.

The system shown in Fig. 1 partly serves the purpose of collecting the recycled water in the tank 18 and supplying the recycled water through the pipeline 22 by activating the pump 28 and at the same time blocking the closure valve 40 or, in case no recycled water has been drained through some time and the recycled water therefore is to be cleaned, by activation of the pump 28 and by opening the valve 40, whereupon the recycled water circulates through the tubular treatment unit 24. A special feature of the system shown in Fig. 1 is that the recycled water, which is supplied through the pipeline 22 and drained from the tank 16 is always led through the tubular treatment unit 24, just as the curculation of the recycled water from the tank 16 through the tubular treatment unit 24 and back through the junction 36 serves the purpose of preventing the growth of micro-organisms in the recycled water and at the same time encourages the sludge and lime depositing in the tank 16.

Numerous tests performed by the inventor have shown that the one-way, one turn of the water flow to the right on the northern hemisphere through the tubular treatment unit 24, as it has been described in the above mentioned published international patent application, produces a surprising cleansing of the water, in the present context the recycled water 18 included in the tank 16, as a deactivation of algae, bacteria and other micro-organisms included in the recycled water, such as lime, chemicals or residues of same, including soap, cleaning materials etc., are deposited after the recycled water has been led through the tubular treatment unit 24. The circulation of the recycled water from the tank 16 through the tubular treatment unit 24 and back through the pipeline 36 leading from the junction through the valve 40 can be activated by the control unit 30 intermitting with a frequency determined by the actual situation, including the industrial application, the natural content of micro-organisms in the water, the temperature of the application location etc. Typically, the activation frequency for the circulation of the recycled water from the tank 16 through the tubular treatment unit 24 and back to the tank 16 will be of the order of some seconds, minutes, hours or even a whole night and day, such as between half a second and 24 hours.

In Fig. 2 is shown a further developed system compared to the system shown in Fig. 1 , where the recycled water is used either from the draining site 22 or guided through a separate pump/valve 42 through a pipe 44 to a mixing apparatus 46, which is also provided with compressed air through a compressed-air pipe 48 through a valve 50 and fresh water through a pipeline 52, which is connected to the mixing apparatus 46 through another tubular treatment unit 54 corresponding to the tubular treatment unit and a valve 56. In the mixing apparatus 46 a supply of recycled water combined with added fresh water is generated and to which is possibly also added a cleaning material or treatment agent, which is provided internally in the mixing apparatus 46, as it will be described in further details below with reference to Fig. 3, as the liquid, which is delivered from the mixing apparatus 46 is led through a pipeline 58 to a tube 60, which is connected to a supplying device, such as a dispenser or a pistol 62. In Fig. 2, the tube 60 is mounted on a connection 64 in such a way that the dispenser 62 and the tube 60 can be released from the connection 64.

In Fig. 3 is shown a detailed view of the configuration of the mixing apparatus 46, which centrally includes a foam mixer 46, which is provided with fresh water through the pipe, the valve 56, and is also provided with recycled water through the valve 42 and compressed air through the valve 50. In Fig. 3 a metering pump 68 is shown at the bottom, which pump is provided with fresh water mixed with foam from the foam mixer 66 through a pipe 70 and compressed air from a compressed-air pipe 72, as a rising of the foam supplied to the water takes place in the metering pump 68, which foam is guided through the pipeline 70 prior to the delivery through a valve or dispenser 74. The recycled water, which is supplied through the valve 42, is led to the pipeline 58 together with the fresh water, which is supplied through a further valve 76 to the pipeline 58, as a check valve 78 has been inserted in the pipeline leading from the valve 76 to prevent a return of recycled water through the combined pipeline 58 from the reuse pipeline 20 connected at the valve 42 to the fresh water pipe 62 connected through the valve 56.

The system shown in Figs. 2 and 3 further functions as described below in the manual. The control unit 30 includes a PLC controlling, a 230/24 V transformer and switches for the activation of the two pumps 28 and 38. In Fig. 4, the diagram for the control unit 30 is shown and in Fig. 5, the control board 32 of the control unit 30 is shown. This control board includes a total of 7 keys 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82 and 84. These keys are designated: power switch (Power), operation, stop (with built-in indication lamp for dry tank/Alarm), reset-/tester of system, flush, Foam and postflush.

The system shown in Figs. 2 and 3 functions as follows, as it is initially assumed that the pump 28 constitutes an existing pump which is part of a control system being part of the industrial installation. The control unit 30 only activates the pump 28 when the pump's own controlling system does not use it. If the controlling system of the pump is to use the pump 28 at the same time as the control unit 30, the pump's own controlling system always has the first priority and the control unit 30 is therefore disengaged without causing the pump 28 to stop.

The valve 40 is mounted in order to open for the circulation of water when the control unit 30 is activated and the valve 40 closes with a slight delay when the pump is stopped, so that no "shocks" occur in the pipe system. This also takes place when the control unit 30 starts the pump, as the valve 30 opens approximately 30 seconds before the activation of the pump. The control unit 30 also monitors the pump 28 be means of the pressure sensor 38, which causes the pump to stop if the pump runs dry of water and at the same time, an alarm driver is activated and the lamp in the button or the key 76 is ignited. The alarm may furthermore be connected to a remote alarm system, either via telephone, data connections or an adjacent office. The pump 28 is stopped with a relay, which interrupts the driving current to the pump. If an error should occur and the error is subsequently corrected, the system is reset by activating the button 78, and the system will enter into a test mode and subsequently into a normal operational state. If the button 76 is activated, e.g. for the maintenance or the reparation of the system or for the changing of water, the button must subsequently be activated in order to carry out the reset and the test.

The system shown in Figs. 2 and 3 functions as follows:

Step l :

The cleaning starts with the mounting of the tube 60 in the tube connection 64 and the activation of the button 80. In this way, the valve 56 is opened for fresh water and the valve 42 is opened for recycled water.

The pump starts working and the valve 40 opens so that the water circulates through the tubular treatment unit 24. Clean water is not yet being supplied, as the valve 56 is not yet activated. The fresh water system and the foam reactor 66 are protected against the recycled water be means of the check valve 78. When the pistol 62 is activated, the valve 40 closes. If the pistol is deactivated, the valve 40 opens again, as this functionality serves the purpose of ensuring that the pump does not start and stop several times, and to lower the pressure in the tube 60 when the system is operated.

Step 2: When the foam is ready to be layed out, the button 82 has to be activated. The pump 28 stops and the valve 40 for the recirculation closes, and the valve 56 for the supply of fresh water or corporation water opens. By activating the pistol 62, the pump 28 starts again. The compressed-air valve 50 is opened and the metering pump provides the mixer with the foam product. The metering pump 68 is provided with air to generate the rising of the foam to reach the requested consistency. When the foam has had an effect for some time, the button 80 is activated and subesquently, step 1 starts again and after this, the cleaning can be carried out. Subsequently, the button 84 is activated and step 1 is stopped.

Step 3:

By activating the button 84, the valve 56 which delivers fresh water is simultaneously activated.

In the system according to the invention a biological treatment unit may further be incorporated as shown in Fig. 6. In the system shown in Fig. 6, water is pumped from the waste water tank 16 through a pipeline 90 by means of a pump 92 through the tubular treatment unit 24 characteristic of the present invention to a biological treatment unit 100 divided in two chambers, a first chamber 102 and a second chamber 104, the water being guided from the treatment unit 24 to an inlet chamber 106, from which a connection has been established to the first chamber 102 via overflow over a wall 108, while the first chamber 102 is separated from the second chamber 104 by means of a partition 100, which only extends just over the bottom of the treatment unit 100. From the second chamber 104 a connection is also established to an outlet chamber 114 via an overflow 112, from which outlet chamber the water is led to a clear water tank 116.

In Figs. 7 and 8 the biological treatment unit 100 is shown in further details, which unit includes a number of bio blocks of the type that are generally available and which e.g. are delivered by the company Expo-Net®. In fig. 7, the biological treatment unit 100 is shown from above and shows partly bio blocks 118 and 120 included in the first chamber 104 and the second chamber, respectively, and partly an overflow or a skimmer making it possible to remove a surface layer generated by the biological treatment proces, which surface layer is removed in a simple way by raising the water level in the biological treatment unit, whereupon this surface layer runs over a partition 122 and down into the skimmer, from where it is led away to a drain through a pipe 124. In order to function correctly, the biological treatment unit is further to be provided with air and from an air pump air is led into the bottom of the biological treatment unit through a diffuser unit 126, which is mounted in an opening 127 in the end wall of the biological treatment unit, as the diffuser unit is configurated with a number of exhaust pipes from which the air is led into the water in the biological treatment unit and thus to the water and the algae, which are deposited on the bio blocks 118 and 120. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the biological treatment unit 100 has a sloping bottom wall which makes it possible for settled sludge to immediately be drained from the unit.

In Fig. 9 is shown three biological treatment units 100 coupled in cascade, which thus make a multi-stage treatment process possible, which can be required due to certain circumstances or in particular a requirement as to water treatment capacity. A special advantage of the embodiment af the biological treatment unit as a cabinet unit as shown in Figs. 6 - 9 is the one that the unit immediately can be mounted in a room and due to its small size it can immediately be moved through a normal doorway. The use of the biological treatment unit does therefore not necessitate substantial construction works or actual rebuilding of given building contructions.

In the system shown in Fig. 6, water level sensors are provided in both the waste water tank 16, the chambers 100 and 114, and in the clear water tank 116 in order to make an automatic control of the inlet of water possible to the biological treatment unti 100. Normally, as it is indicated above, the water level in the biological treatment unit is always kept a few centimetres under the edge of the overflow edge 122, but conditioned by the treatment process, a raising of the water level in order to generate a draining off of the surface layer from the biological treatment unit can be carried out periodically. During operation, a periodical drain from the treatment unit's bottom can be executed. The system can additionally be supplied with e.g. a grit chamber unit.

During operation, the air is provided to the biological treatment unit by an amount of 63 cubic metres per hour and at a pressure of 320 mbar. A prototype embodiment of the biological treatment unit shown in Figs. 6 - 9 was produced with the following external measurements: Height = 1.90 m, width = 0.5 m and length = 1.0 m. Each of the two chambers 102 and 104 include 0.72 cubic metres of bio blocks.

Although the above invention has been described with reference to a presently preferred embodiment, the invention is not only limited to the above described embodiments and the invention is therefore to be considered within the scope defined in the following patent claims.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. A system for the treatment of recycled water and comprising: a tank for the collection of the recycled water, which is supplied to the tank through a supply entry, a pipeline for guiding the recycled water from the tank to a draining site for the draining of the recycled water, a pump which is mounted in the pipeline and the input of which is connected to a suction input located at the bottom of the tank, and which has an output, a tubular water treatment unit which is mounted in the pipeline and includes a guiding plate for twisting the water which runs through the unit one turn of 360° to the right or to the left on the northern and southern hemisphere, respectively, when seen through the direction of the flow through the tubular treatment unit, the input being connected to the output end of the pump and the output being connected to a junction which leads partly to the draining site and partly to a return pipe to the tank, a closure valve which is mounted in the return pipe, and a control unit, which is adapted to activate the pump for the draining of the recycled water from the tank through the pipeline and to periodically activate the pump in case of lack of draining and at the same time activate the closure valve for the circulation of the recycled water through the tubular treatment unit.

2. The system according to claim 1 , characterised in that the control unit is adapted to perform the periodical activation of both the pump and the closure valve at a frequency of between 0.5 seconds and 24 hours, such as a frequency of 1 second, a frequency between 1 second and 1 minute, a frequency between 1 minute and 1 hour, between 1 hour and 24 hours, such as between 0.5 sec. - 30 sec, 30 sec. - 2 min., 2 min. - 20 min., 20 min. - 2 hours - 20 hours.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the supply entry is constituted by a floor drain in a cleaning hall, a car wash or the like.

4. The system according to any of the claims 1 - 3, characterised in that the pipeline leads to a mixing assembly, which is also connected to an inlet for fresh water, an inlet for cleaning materials and/or compressed air, and that the control unit is adapted to control the mixing unit.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterised in that a check valve is provided in the inlet for fresh water in the mixing unit.

6. The system according to any of the claims 1 - 5, and further comprising a biological treatment unit, which is added after the pump.

7. A method for the treatment of recycled water by using a system comprising: a tank for the collection of the recycled water, a pipeline for guiding the recycled water from the tank to a draining site for the draining of the recycled water, a pump which is mounted in the pipeline and the input of which is connected to a suction input located at the bottom of the tank, and which has an output, a tubular water treatment unit which is mounted in the pipeline and includes a guiding plate for twisting the water which runs through the unit one turn of 360° to the right or to the left on the northern and southern hemisphere, respectively, when seen through the direction of the flow through the tubular treatment unit, the input being connected to the output end of the pump and the output being connected to a junction which leads partly to the draining site and partly to a return pipe to the tank, a closure valve which is mounted in the return pipe, and a control unit, which is adapted to activate the pump and/or the closure valve, by which method the recycled water is supplied to the tank, and the pump and the closure unit are simultaneously activated periodically in case of lack of draining for the circulation of the recycled water through the tubular treatment unit.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterised in that the periodical activation of both the pump and the closure unit is performed at a frequency between 0.5 seconds and 24 hours, such as a frequency of 1 second, a frequency between 1 second and 1 minute, a frequency between 1 minute and 1 hour, between 1 hour and 24 hours, such as between 0.5 sec. - 30 sec, 30 sec - 2 min., 2 min. - 20 min., 20 min. - 2 hours, 2 hours - 20 hours.

9. Method according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the method is combined with a (water) treatment method by which fresh water, cleaning materials and/or compressed air is supplied to a mixing unit, which is controlled by the control unit.