WO2017204743A1 - Appareil de traitement de fluide contenant des contaminants - Google Patents

Appareil de traitement de fluide contenant des contaminants Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2017204743A1
WO2017204743A1 PCT/SG2016/050242 SG2016050242W WO2017204743A1 WO 2017204743 A1 WO2017204743 A1 WO 2017204743A1 SG 2016050242 W SG2016050242 W SG 2016050242W WO 2017204743 A1 WO2017204743 A1 WO 2017204743A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
fluid
contaminants
tank
filtration device
water
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/SG2016/050242
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Desmond Ming Long KANG
Dick Van Dijk
Original Assignee
Asxban Technologies Pte Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Asxban Technologies Pte Ltd filed Critical Asxban Technologies Pte Ltd
Priority to PCT/SG2016/050242 priority Critical patent/WO2017204743A1/fr
Publication of WO2017204743A1 publication Critical patent/WO2017204743A1/fr

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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/44—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis
    • C02F1/444—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis by ultrafiltration or microfiltration
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D63/00—Apparatus in general for separation processes using semi-permeable membranes
    • B01D63/02—Hollow fibre modules
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J20/00—Solid sorbent compositions or filter aid compositions; Sorbents for chromatography; Processes for preparing, regenerating or reactivating thereof
    • B01J20/02—Solid sorbent compositions or filter aid compositions; Sorbents for chromatography; Processes for preparing, regenerating or reactivating thereof comprising inorganic material
    • B01J20/0203—Solid sorbent compositions or filter aid compositions; Sorbents for chromatography; Processes for preparing, regenerating or reactivating thereof comprising inorganic material comprising compounds of metals not provided for in B01J20/04
    • B01J20/0211—Compounds of Ti, Zr, Hf
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J20/00—Solid sorbent compositions or filter aid compositions; Sorbents for chromatography; Processes for preparing, regenerating or reactivating thereof
    • B01J20/02—Solid sorbent compositions or filter aid compositions; Sorbents for chromatography; Processes for preparing, regenerating or reactivating thereof comprising inorganic material
    • B01J20/06—Solid sorbent compositions or filter aid compositions; Sorbents for chromatography; Processes for preparing, regenerating or reactivating thereof comprising inorganic material comprising oxides or hydroxides of metals not provided for in group B01J20/04
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/28—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by sorption
    • C02F1/281—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by sorption using inorganic sorbents
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D2313/00—Details relating to membrane modules or apparatus
    • B01D2313/44—Cartridge types
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2101/00—Nature of the contaminant
    • C02F2101/10—Inorganic compounds
    • C02F2101/103—Arsenic compounds
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2101/00—Nature of the contaminant
    • C02F2101/10—Inorganic compounds
    • C02F2101/20—Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2101/00—Nature of the contaminant
    • C02F2101/10—Inorganic compounds
    • C02F2101/20—Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
    • C02F2101/203—Iron or iron compound
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2101/00—Nature of the contaminant
    • C02F2101/10—Inorganic compounds
    • C02F2101/20—Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
    • C02F2101/206—Manganese or manganese compounds
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2101/00—Nature of the contaminant
    • C02F2101/10—Inorganic compounds
    • C02F2101/20—Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
    • C02F2101/22—Chromium or chromium compounds, e.g. chromates
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2303/00—Specific treatment goals
    • C02F2303/16—Regeneration of sorbents, filters
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
    • Y02W10/00—Technologies for wastewater treatment
    • Y02W10/30—Wastewater or sewage treatment systems using renewable energies
    • Y02W10/37—Wastewater or sewage treatment systems using renewable energies using solar energy

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus for treating fluid having contaminants and a related method of operating the apparatus.
  • FIG. 1 shows a conventional arsenic removal system 100 for treating contaminated raw fresh water, which is arranged to utilize a gravity drip through the system 100
  • FIGs. 2A and 2B are respective arsenic removal systems 200, 250 for treating contaminated fresh water, based on fairly rudimentary methods.
  • the systems 100, 200, 250 of FIGs. 1 , 2A and 2B typically use iron hydroxide, aluminium-based adsorbent granules or other suitable chemicals for treating the contaminated waters, which undesirably tend to have rather low efficiency for removing contaminants in the waters.
  • One object of the present invention is therefore to address at least one of the problems of the prior art and/or to provide a choice that is useful in the art. Summary
  • an apparatus for treating fluid having contaminants comprising: a first tank arranged to enable the fluid to be mixed with powdered adsorbents to adsorb the contaminants to generate a suspension of the contaminants; and at least one filtration device in fluid communication with the first tank for receiving the suspension and configured to remove the adsorbed contaminants for providing potable fluid, wherein in use, at least a portion of the filtration device is arranged to be coated with at least some of the powdered adsorbents when the suspension is received to enable further mixing of the powdered adsorbents coated on the filtration device with remnant contaminants in the fluid for removal thereof.
  • the apparatus may further comprise a fluid pump for transferring the suspension from the first tank to the second tank.
  • the fluid pump may include a submersible pump or a plunger pump.
  • the powdered adsorbents may include powdered Zirconium Dioxide.
  • the fluid may include water.
  • the apparatus may further comprise a filter screen configured with a predetermined porosity to filter particles in the fluid with sizes between 50 microns to 3000 microns, prior to introducing the fluid into the first tank.
  • a filter screen configured with a predetermined porosity to filter particles in the fluid with sizes between 50 microns to 3000 microns, prior to introducing the fluid into the first tank.
  • the at least one filtration device may include a pair of filtration devices configured to perform ultrafiltration.
  • the filtration device may include a membrane filter cartridge.
  • the contaminants may include heavy metal contaminants being at least one of Copper, Chromium, Iron, Lead, Manganese, Mercury, Nickel, Zinc, Fluoride and Arsenic.
  • the apparatus may be configured to be manually operated or electrically operated.
  • the apparatus may further include a second tank for housing the at least one filtration device.
  • a method of operating an apparatus for treating fluid having contaminants includes a first tank, and at least one filtration device in fluid communication with the first tank, the method comprises: mixing the fluid with powdered adsorbents in the first tank to adsorb the contaminants to generate a suspension of the contaminants; and introducing the suspension into the at least one filtration device, and operating the filtration device to remove the adsorbed contaminants for providing potable fluid, wherein in use, at least a portion of the filtration device is arranged to be coated with at least some of the powdered adsorbents when the suspension is introduced into the filtration device to enable further mixing of the powdered adsorbents coated on the filtration device with remnant contaminants in the fluid for removal thereof.
  • FIG. 1 is an arsenic removal system for treating contaminated water, which is arranged to utilize a gravity drip through the system, according to the prior art
  • FIGs. 2A and 2B are respective arsenic removal systems for treating contaminated water, based on rudimentary methods, according to the prior art
  • FIG. 3 is an apparatus for treating fluid having contaminants, according to an embodiment
  • FIGs. 4A and 4B show respective photographs of a prototype and a completed version of the apparatus of FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 5 is a system diagram of the apparatus of FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 6 shows treatment of the fluid having contaminants through a filtration device of the apparatus of FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 7 shows a section of the filtration device of FIG. 6, in which at least a portion of the device is coated with powdered adsorbents used for treating the fluid;
  • FIG. 8 is a table of specifications of the filtration device used in the apparatus of FIG. 3 for being subjected to arsenic-removal evaluation tests.
  • FIG. 9 is a table showing results obtained from the arsenic-removal evaluation tests performed on the apparatus of FIG. 3.
  • FIG. 3 depicts an apparatus 300 for treating fluid having contaminants, according to an embodiment.
  • the apparatus 300 operates using electricity.
  • FIGs. 4A and 4B then show respective photographs 400, 450 of a prototype and a completed version of the apparatus 300, during development.
  • the system configuration of the apparatus 300 is shown in FIG. 5, and will be described in conjunction with FIG. 3.
  • treating fluid having contaminants may include treating water contaminated with heavy metal contaminants such as Arsenic (As), Fluoride (F), Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb), Manganese (Mg), Mercury (Ag), Nickel (Ni), Zinc (Zn) or the like.
  • the apparatus 300 is able to treat contaminated water to World Health Organization (WHO) stipulated standards for potable water, of which skilled persons would be familiar with, and hence not elaborated herein for brevity sake.
  • WHO World Health Organization
  • the apparatus 300 may also be known as a Membrane Fluidized Adsorbent/Reagent Re actor (M FAR), and is commercially named "Asxban MaxKleenTM” .
  • M FAR Membrane Fluidized Adsorbent/Reagent Re actor
  • the apparatus 300 is a compact, robust, and automatically self-cleaning system, has water processing capacities ranging from 300 to 25,000 litres/hour (depending on a specific configuration adopted), consumes minimal electrical energy that may be generated on location by manpower, solar-power, micro-hydro-power, wind-turbine generators, fuel cells or hybrids thereof, is easy to use with only basic skills, and importantly, is safe and superior in efficacy and efficiency compared to conventional methods/apparatuses.
  • the apparatus 300 comprises a first tank 302 arranged to enable the fluid (with contaminants) to be mixed with powdered adsorbents to adsorb the contaminants to generate a suspension of the contaminants; and a second tank 304 for housing at least one filtration device 306.
  • the filtration device 306 is arranged to be in fluid communication with the first tank 302 for receiving the suspension so that the adsorbed contaminants can be removed from the suspension for providing potable fluid (e.g. potable water).
  • the first and second tanks 302, 304 may also be known as a reactor tank and a membrane tank respectively. It is to be appreciated that the second tank 304 is optional in certain embodiments, and not strictly necessary.
  • the apparatus 300 needs to include the first tank 302 and the filtration device 306.
  • Powdered Zirconium Dioxide Zr0 2
  • Zr0 2 Zirconium Dioxide
  • fine powdered activated carbon may be used in applications, where the taste of a fluid to be treated appears to be reasonably bad, and so using the powdered activated carbon can beneficially help to reduce the bad taste and odour of the resulting treated fluid.
  • At least a portion of the filtration device 306 is arranged to be coated with at least some of the powdered adsorbents when the suspension is received to enable further mixing of the powdered adsorbents coated on the filtration device 306 with remnant contaminants in the fluid for removal thereof.
  • the at least one filtration device 306 includes a pair of (first and second) filtration devices 306a, 306b configured in parallel configuration to perform ultrafiltration as shown in FIG. 5, but more filtration devices can be utilised if necessary.
  • a membrane filter cartridge may be used as each of the filtration devices 306a, 306b.
  • the membrane filter cartridge includes a housing 600 (with an inlet 601 ), which houses a hollow fibre 602 with membrane surfaces 604 (i.e. see FIG. 6).
  • the membrane surfaces 604 are thus walls of the hollow fibre 602. It is to be appreciated that the inlet 601 of the membrane filter cartridge is in fluid communication with the first tank 302 via a fluid pump 310, which is to be elaborated in later paragraphs below.
  • a portion of the hollow fibre 602 is arranged with an outlet 606 to enable "clean" fluid (i.e. potable fluid) generated, after the suspension has been filtered by the membrane surfaces 604, to be drained from the filtration device 306a, 306b.
  • "clean" fluid i.e. potable fluid
  • the membrane surfaces 604 have a pore size of about 0.01 micron, and so any germs, bacteria and/or viruses in the suspension are also removed by means of the filtration process.
  • the suspension (transferred from the first tank 302 to the filtration devices 306a, 306b) is first introduced into the housing 600 via the inlet 601 , before being forced under fluid pressure to flow through the membrane surfaces 604 into the hollow fibre 602, so that the contaminants already adsorbed by the powdered adsorbents are trapped/blocked by the membrane surfaces 604 whereas water molecules will pass through the membrane surfaces 604, and the resulting output obtained from the membrane filter cartridge at the outlet 606 is then the potable water desired.
  • any suspension not removable by the filtration devices 306a, 306b to produce potable water are subsequently re-circulated back to the first tank 302 via a discharge circulatory system 307 installed in the first and second tanks 302, 304 to undergo further treatment again.
  • the discharge circulatory system 307 is made up of a series of drainage pipes.
  • the first tank 302 is adapted to receive the fluid (e.g. raw fresh water) from a suction pipe (or hose) 308 which is in turn in fluid communication with a source (not shown) from which the fluid originally resides.
  • the source may be a river, a dam-lake, a pond or any other bodies holding or carrying natural fresh water, but it is understood that the source may also originate as groundwater from a dug well or bore hole (deep-well).
  • These sources of fresh water are typically contaminated with pathogenic micro-organisms, suspended solids and/or metalloids (e.g.
  • the apparatus 300 may include the fluid pump 310 (e.g. a submersible pump or a mechanically coupled plunger pump) which is located in the first tank 302.
  • the fluid pump 310 is configured with a pump head of 28 metres.
  • the fluid pump 310 may be built- in with the first tank 302 - i.e. submerged within the first tank 302.
  • the apparatus 300 may also include a filter screen (not shown) configured with a predetermined porosity to filter particles/debris in the fluid with sizes between 50 microns to 3000 microns, and the filter screen is positioned in or around an inlet of a feed pump, which draws and introduces fluid into the first tank 302, via the suction pipe 308.
  • the feed pump is coupled to the suction pipe 308.
  • the filter screen is to filter the particles/debris prior to introducing the fluid into the first tank 302 for treatment.
  • the specific porosity of the filter screen used depends on conditions of a situation for which the apparatus 300 is deployed (e.g. a necessary amount of water in volume per time unit to be fed into the apparatus 300 for treatment to realise full processing capacity).
  • the first tank 302 and the filtration devices 306a, 306b form a closed-loop setup for treating the suspension until potable water is generated therefrom. That is, when the apparatus 300 is in use, a fluid path is established from the first tank 302 to the filtration devices 306a, 306b via the fluid pump 310, and then back from the filtration devices 306a, 306b to the first tank 302 via the discharge circulatory system 307.
  • generally fluid from the source can be drawn by means of different feed pumps (not shown), depending on locality conditions where the apparatus 300 is deployed, and a required size of the apparatus 300 intended.
  • a manually operated plunger pump may be used to draw water from the source, by catering for a maximum suction height of five meters.
  • the maximum suction height is measured from a lowest point of the water table at the source to a level at where the apparatus 300 is installed.
  • the fluid pump 310 is arranged to elevate an amount of purified water (e.g. 6 litres) to a pressure of about 2-bars to 4-bars in the second tank 304 to serve as backwash water.
  • electrically powered pumps are used in place of the manually operated plunger pumps as the feed pump.
  • a self-priming pump is an example of the electrically powered pump, and is configured with sufficient pump capacity and necessary pressure as required by the application.
  • the feed pump is then to be controlled by pressure-switch or level- switch arranged downstream of the apparatus 300, and a means may also be provided to prevent occurrence of water surge (i.e. commonly known as water- hammer) that may damage equipment that are downstream of the feed pump.
  • a submersible pump with sufficient pump capacity and pressure is then used as the feed pump.
  • the submersible pump is placed in a cage (not shown) made of a wedged wire screen or equivalent, to prevent possible debris from entering the submersible pump, thereby damaging or block moving parts of the submersible pump.
  • the cage and submersible pump are positioned on an elevated hard platform arranged on the bottom of the water body at the source, or suspended within the water body by using a floating device to avoid sediment and debris at the bottom of the water body from being drawn into the cage.
  • suitable provisions may be made to protect the cage and submersible pump from damage by fast moving large debris (e.g. logs or branches) present in the water body.
  • a suitable lifting mechanism is providable to lift the submersible pump and cage out of the water body for regular maintenance.
  • TSS Total Suspended Solids
  • the suspended solids are caused by (for example) silt, sand, clay or the like, next to organic matter, and microbial contaminants (e.g. Fecal Conforms, E-Coli and etc.) which are often of human/animal origin.
  • microbial contaminants e.g. Fecal Conforms, E-Coli and etc.
  • surface water may also be contaminated with chemical pollutants including: heavy metals, metalloids, traces of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, which in certain concentrations are harmful or lethal to humans and animals, if the contaminated water is consumed.
  • the filter screen is positioned in or around the inlet of the feed pump to prevent the debris and larger particles from being introduced into the apparatus 300.
  • the inlet to the feed pump is arranged at a level offset from the bottom of a water body (at the required source) to prevent sediments and debris accumulated at the bottom of said water body from entering the filter screen and also to allow the filter screen to be cleaned by unskilled personnel in an easy and convenient manner, without need for special tools.
  • a non-return valve e.g. a check-valve
  • walls of the suction hose are to be reinforced to prevent the suction hose from collapsing due to the acting resultant force, which may cause blocking passage of water into the first tank 302, and result in general operational failure of the apparatus 300.
  • the walls of the suction hose are reinforceable using a stainless steel or plastic wire embedded in the hose material to prevent the walls from collapsing due to external pressure, but yet is able to maintain flexibility.
  • materials used for the suction pipe 308 and associated fittings are to be suitable for handling potable water, and should not corrode, deteriorate, and release smell, taste or chemicals into the water under all operating conditions rated for the apparatus 300.
  • a filter device (not shown), having a sieve or stacked-disc insert, is positioned immediately after the feed pump.
  • the filter device may be arranged at a section along the suction pipe 308.
  • the filter device enables particles/debris with a size range larger than 50 microns and smaller than 300 microns to be removed from the fluid path that has passed through the feed pump.
  • the filter device is beneficially isolated from the pump- pressure of the feed pump by using manually operated valves that are positioned upstream and downstream of the said filter device for maintenance purposes, i.e.
  • the filter screen, and filter device may be manually cleaned/removed, or semi/automatically cleaned/removed, as provisioned by the apparatus 300.
  • an indicator provided on the apparatus 300 alerts an operator when to clean/service the filter screen, and/or filter device.
  • Groundwater i.e. subterranean water
  • Groundwater generally may be obtained from four sources: springs, subterranean lakes, dug wells and deep wells/bore holes, but practical purposes, only the latter two sources are discussed here.
  • well water does not contain large particles (TSS) or large quantities thereof, but just mostly sand or soil-particles, if any. So, if the apparatus 300 is to be for treating well water, pre-filtering of the well water is thus consequently less critical compared to the case of treating surface water.
  • Dug wells normally have a depth of the water table relative to the ground level at between a few meters to 25 meters.
  • the apparatus 300 is configured with a water processing capacity of 500 litres/hour, adequate pre- filtration is already adequately provided by the apparatus 300. If greater processing capacity is desired, the filter device with the sieve or stacked-disc insert is to be used, as previously described.
  • the self-priming pump or the submersible pump is to be deployed as the feed pump.
  • the submersible pump is be installed to transport the water from the greater depth to the apparatus 300.
  • the submersible pump is to be used, but for bore-holes, a multi-stage or positive displacement pump arranged within an appropriate filter casing is deployed to prevent sand from entering the displacement pump and apparatus 300 to cause damage thereto.
  • TDS dissolved pollutants
  • the apparatus 300 is configured to be able to substantially remove the above said pollutants to a safe level recommended by the WHO, or prevailing national standards.
  • the bacteria level is reduced by 6-log
  • the cysts level reduced by 6-log and protozoa and other micro-organisms level are substantially reduced, hence rendering the groundwater fully safe for consumption from a bacteriological point of view.
  • the apparatus 300 is able to reduce metalloids level (e.g. arsenic or fluoride) in the groundwater to a much lower level than that based on WHO standards or even below detectable levels. Similarly, heavy metals level in the groundwater can be reduced to safe levels set out in WHO standards by using the apparatus 300. It is to be appreciated that the apparatus 300 being able to reduce the contaminants levels to a safe level in accordance with WHO drinking standards is due to selective membrane filtration taking place (in the second tank 304) after pre-filtration is performed, and the results are verified by numerous global installations drinking water facilities (at municipal and commercial level) and test-reports. The apparatus 300 is also arranged with a fully automatic backwash arrangement (and forward flush arrangement if the apparatus 300 is configured with a water processing capacity greater than 500 litres/hour) to remove any trapped TSS and biological contamination due to the selective membrane filtration.
  • metalloids level e.g. arsenic or fluoride
  • the apparatus 300 provides an integrated treatment step, whereby the powdered adsorbents, Zirconium Dioxide arranged in powder-form of a specific grain-size, is mixed with contaminated fluid to generate a suspension of contaminants in the first tank 302.
  • Mixing of the powdered adsorbents with the contaminated fluid is assisted by a suitable mixing widget (not shown) deployed in the first tank 302, which is driven by re-circulated suspension from the filtration devices 306a, 306b (i.e. released into the first tank 302 via the discharge circulatory system 307), thus greatly enhancing adsorption/reaction of the powdered adsorbents with the contaminants in the fluid.
  • the apparatus 300 is also configured to induce turbulent flow in the filtration devices 306a, 306b to enable intense mixing of the suspension with membrane surfaces 604 of the filtration devices 306a, 306b to allow for optimum contact with the contaminants (now adsorbed by the powdered adsorbents), and also to enable scouring inner surfaces of the membrane surfaces 604 to keep them substantially free of deposits of the powdered adsorbents.
  • the membrane surfaces 604 of the filtration devices 306a, 306b function as a barrier to prevent the powdered adsorbents from exiting the closed-loop setup formed by the first tank 302 and the filtration devices 306a, 306b and accordingly, the powdered adsorbents remain in the said system loop until completely depleted/saturated, after which the spent powdered adsorbents are then discarded.
  • the filtration devices 306a, 306b are arranged to be coated with at least some of the powdered adsorbents when the suspension is received into the filtration devices 306a, 306b to aid in further removal of remnant contaminants from the contaminated fluid - see FIGs. 6 and 7 accordingly.
  • the powdered adsorbents lightly coat the membrane surfaces 604 of the filtration devices 306a, 306b, which then enables another opportunity for the powdered adsorbents to mix, adsorb and remove any remnant contaminants in the fluid.
  • the coating of powdered adsorbents on the filtration devices 306a, 306b also improves and increases the filtration capacity of the filtration devices 306a, 306b by minimizing pore sizes of the membrane surfaces 604.
  • the fluid level in the first tank 302 drops due to exiting of potable water from the filtration devices 306a, 306b.
  • the equivalent volume of fluid lost due to the potable water exiting the apparatus 300 is then automatically replenished by a new round of pre-filtered contaminated water (delivered through the suction pipe 308) or alternatively some of the generated potable water is introduced into the first tank 302.
  • This automatic replenishing is controlled by a level-control installed in the first tank 302, which is configured to directly or indirectly control the feed pump coupled to the suction pipe 308.
  • the apparatus 300 also includes flow control devices (not shown) to equalize incoming and exiting fluid volumes, thereby enabling removal of excess heat from the closed-loop.
  • the apparatus 300 further includes a controller to automatically stop operation of the fluid pump 310. Thereafter, the first tank 302 is filled to the highest permissible level, at which a level controller (not shown) in the first tank 302 is activated to automatically stop the feed pump, and the apparatus 300 goes into stand-by mode until water demand is restored.
  • a method of operating the apparatus 300 broadly comprises mixing the fluid (having contaminants) with powdered adsorbents in the first tank 302 to adsorb the contaminants to generate a suspension of the contaminants; introducing the suspension into the filtration devices 306a, 306b; and operating the filtration devices 306a, 306b to remove the adsorbed contaminants for providing potable fluid, wherein in use, at least a portion of the filtration devices 306a, 306b is arranged to be coated with at least some of the powdered adsorbents when the suspension is introduced into the filtration devices 306a, 306b to enable further mixing of the powdered adsorbents coated on the filtration devices 306a, 306b with remnant contaminants in the fluid for removal thereof.
  • the apparatus 300 is arranged with a backwashing feature for the filtration devices 306a, 306b to remove sediments/contaminants lodged on the membrane surfaces 604, and the backwashing is configured to automatically be initiated at pre-set intervals with clean permeate (i.e. the potable water generated) via a hydraulic/magnetic-valve/controller (if the apparatus 300 is manually operated) or an electronic-controller (if the apparatus 300 is electrically operated).
  • a hydraulic/magnetic-valve/controller if the apparatus 300 is manually operated
  • an electronic-controller if the apparatus 300 is electrically operated.
  • the said controllers operate electrically actuated valves, to restore full treatment capacity of the filtration devices 306a, 306b, and the backwash fluid is discarded (if the apparatus 300 is manually operated) or re-circulated to the first tank 302 (if the apparatus 300 is electrically operated) to fully make use of the powdered adsorbents until they are spent.
  • the filtration devices 306a, 306b are in a parallel configuration.
  • the filtration devices 306a, 306b are fed simultaneously in a dead-end mode with pre-filtered raw water. If the pre-filtered raw water is substantially purified water (i.e. free of micro-biological impurities and has relatively low TSS levels), the pre-filtered raw water is pumped into the filtration devices 306a, 306b, and is forced through the membrane surfaces 604, leaving behind any impurities within the membrane surfaces 604. This produces safe and clean drinking water (from a bacteriological point of view) called permeate.
  • impurities trapped in the membrane surfaces 604 are flushed into a drain-line that leads back to the source (from which the raw water is obtained) or to a drain for disposal.
  • the pre-filtered raw water is relatively clean raw water, or pre-purified, bacteriologically clean and TSS-free raw water
  • the pre-filtered water is fed through the apparatus 300 in a cross-flow mode, whereby the pre-filtered water is introduced into the filtration devices 306a, 306b, and then returned to the first tank 302 in a closed-loop manner.
  • Water that passes through the membrane surfaces 604 is consequently free of the contaminants having been removed by the filtration devices 306a, 306b and is also free of microbiological contaminants that may have been accidentally introduced after the raw water has already been pre- filtered, creating what is called a double microbial barrier.
  • an intermediate mode of membrane filtration may be configured, called feed-and-bleed, prior to treating the water in the apparatus 300.
  • the feed water to the filtration devices 306a, 306b, now in the dead-end mode configuration, is bled-off at the outlets of the filtration devices 306a, 306b at a controlled rate.
  • the bled-off water takes along with it the bulk of the impurities, and is drained via a backwash pipe-line of the apparatus 300, without interfering with the actual backwash cycle.
  • This feed-and-bleed mode allows excessive amount of TSS to be removed during operation of the apparatus 300, thus preventing premature blocking of the membrane surfaces 604 of the filtration devices 306a, 306b that would otherwise reduce the capacity between backwash cycles.
  • first, second and third operational modes of the apparatus 300 are possible using a same configuration of the apparatus 300, without having to revise arrangement of the filtration devices 306a, 306b, piping and valves of the apparatus 300. Rather, the respective operational modes can be enabled by simply adjusting the electronic controller and installing the bleed- lines and flow control thereof. ⁇ Backwashing
  • the filtration devices 306a, 306b need to undergo backwashing to remove contaminants/sediments that have become lodged on the membrane surfaces 604 (of the hollow fibres 602).
  • the method adopted in this embodiment feasibly enables effective cleaning by pumping clean water through the filtration devices 306a, 306b in reverse flow. That is, in reverse flow, the clean water is made to flow under pressure into the hollow fibre 602 by being introduced from the outlet 606 (i.e. now acting as an inlet), and the clean water then flows out of the hollow fibre 602 through the membrane surfaces 604, thereby dislodging any contaminants/sediments trapped in the membrane surfaces 604.
  • the clean water, now carrying the dislodged contaminants/sediments, is discharged from the filtration device 306a, 306b via the inlet 601 (i.e. now acting as an outlet) of the housing 600 into the first tank 302.
  • the specific configuration of electrically controlled and operated hydraulic/magnetic valves 312 allows the filtration devices 306a, 306b to be backwashed in sequence, irrespective of the operational modes being utilised, without need to use a separate storage tank or pump for the clean water used for the backwashing.
  • the hydraulic/magnetic valves 312 are controlled using a controller chip.
  • the clean water from the first filtration device 306a is used to backwash the second filtration device 306b and vice-versa, without need to stop/start the feed pump or other external controls or the apparatus 300. It is to be appreciated that in either case for the backwashing, the clean water is subjected to greater fluid pressure (i.e. much higher than 2-4 bars) since now the fluid pump 310 is pumping fluid only through one filtration device 306a, 306b, as compared to two filtration devices 306a, 306b under normal operation.
  • a forward flushing mode of the apparatus 300 is initiated to drain any impurities that are removed from the inner membrane surfaces 604 of the hollow fibres 602, by opening the feed and exit-valves under full operational pressure.
  • one filtration device 306a, 306b is configured to continue filtering the suspension from the first tank 302 to provide potable fluid, and some of the generated potable fluid are diverted for backwashing the other filtration device 306a, 306b for say, about 10 minutes. Once completed, the same procedure is accordingly also applied to backwash the other filtration device 306a, 306b.
  • both the backwashing and forward flushing cycles use a certain minimum amount of purified water, thereby slightly impacting the operational efficiency of the apparatus 300 to around 97%. Further, both the backwashing and forward flushing cycles are configured to take no more than a total of 1 minute and 30 seconds for each filtration device 306a, 306b, so as to minimise downtime of the apparatus 300, i.e. interruption of potable water production is limited to a maximum of about 3 minutes per hour.
  • the apparatus 300 When Zirconium Dioxide is used as the powdered adsorbents, the apparatus 300 has been assessed to be able to continuously operate for a minimum period of 6 months between replacement intervals of the powdered adsorbents at design capacity of the apparatus 300, which is estimated to have an adsorbent effect of about 25 times greater than conventional devices, as compared on a per weight basis.
  • the proposed apparatus 300 is configured with a rated adsorption capacity of about 256 mg/g, whereas conventional devices may have an adsorption capacity of only 5 mg/g.
  • the running- time of the apparatus 300 is calculated based on an estimated initial concentration of contaminants in the fluid to be treated, an adsorbing capacity of weight/volume of the powdered adsorbents used, and a volume of water to be treated as measured by a water-meter (not shown) included in the apparatus 300.
  • any "spent" powdered adsorbents will not leach-out the pollutants/contaminants adsorbed from the fluid treated, and so the "spent" powdered adsorbents may safely be discarded on regular landfills without any risk to the environment or human/animal health. Due to the much higher adsorbing capacity of the powdered adsorbents used in the apparatus 300, the "spent" powdered adsorbents consequently represent only 4% in weight/volume of that of conventional products.
  • the clean purified water (also known as permeate), which is generated eventually from the filtration devices 306a, 306b, is free of TSS, microorganisms and/or metalloids and fulfils the WHO requirements for potable water. It is to be appreciated that the WHO requirements for potable water is with respect to allowable micro-biological (i.e. pathogenic) and Arsenic or Fluoride levels.
  • the clean purified water generated by the apparatus 300 is directly consumable by humans/animals without any further treatment or disinfection, or may be stored for up to 48 hours in appropriate clean water tanks/containers from where further distribution or use takes place, without requiring additional disinfectants.
  • the apparatus 300 may be used to provide potable water during/after occurrence of (natural) disasters, e.g. earthquakes, typhoons, hurricanes, floods, war activities and etc.
  • the compactness, low relative weight and size of components of the apparatus 300 allow the apparatus 300 to easily be transportable by airplane, helicopter, boat, canoe, (pick-up) truck, horse/oxen/buffalo/donkey-drawn carriage, or elephant/camel-back arranged with pumps, (bladder) tanks, and solar-panels or small generators to set-up emergency drinking water plants in remote areas for refugees relief, and to be later used in re-constructed facilities without incurring further costs.
  • the apparatus 300 provides flexibility in design for different processing capacity (i.e. a volume of water to be treated per time unit) and for processing different variations in levels of contaminants found in natural fresh water sources, with an upper limit of treating about 500 tons of water per day.
  • the proposed apparatus 300 is able to simultaneously remove suspended solids, micro-organisms, metalloids (e.g. Arsenic and Fluoride and/or heavy metals), traces of pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers from water obtained any natural fresh water sources by using a combination of powdered adsorbents and ultra-filtration technology to generate potable water from the natural fresh water sources.
  • the potable water is safe for consumption by humans/animals, from a bacteriological and toxicological perspective.
  • Evaluation tests relating to arsenic-removal performance, have been performed on the proposed apparatus 300 in house, with the results also then verified by TL)V SLID PSB of Singapore.
  • the method of testing involves first preparing in total 50 litres of arsenic solution in the first tank 302 by dissolving dibasic sodium arsenate (Na 2 HAs0 4 '7H 2 0) in Singapore piped drinking water. The initial arsenic concentration was 0.23 mg/l, or 230 g/l. 1 kg of sorbent is then dosed into the first tank 302, and electrical power to operate the the filtration device 306 is switched on.
  • a table 800 in FIG. 8 shows the specification of the filtration device 306 used for the evaluation testing in this instance.
  • the fluid pump 310 then pumps water out through the filtration device 306, and the effluent will return to the first tank 302 (as per FIG. 5).
  • the effluent from the filtration device 306 is sampled at 0, 5 th , 10 th , 20 th 30 th , 40 th , 50 th , 60 th minute, and the associated arsenic concentrations are analyzed by ICP. Accordingly, the evaluation tests results are then shown in a table 900 in FIG. 9.
  • the apparatus 300 may also be configured to be manually operated, in that the powdered adsorbents are then now retained in the first tank 302 by means of a fine filter. It is to be appreciated that performing pre-filtration in the manually operated apparatus 300, being of small pore-size (e.g. 0.01 micron), prevents the powdered adsorbents from being contaminated during the entire batch-run. Further, for backwashing the filtration devices 306a, 306b in the manually operated apparatus 300, it is achieved using the hydraulic/magnetic piston-valves 312 that are triggered by a preset programming done allowing a user of the apparatus 300 to program up to 24 backwash cycles.
  • a fine filter e.g. 0.01 micron
  • some of the hydraulic/magnetic piston-valves 312 are configured to close, while others 312 are arranged to open, forcing the clean water content from the filtration devices 306a, 306b under pressure to flow in reverse through membrane surfaces 604 of the filtration devices 306a, 306b, dislodging any matter that may have collected on internal surfaces of the hollow fibres 602 and then draining the now contaminated water out of the apparatus 300.
  • a spring in the respective hydraulic/magnetic piston-valves pushes the associated hydraulic/magnetic piston-valves back to the normal operating position, which is then maintained in the said position by a strong magnet until a next cleaning cycle is initiated.
  • the operational efficiency for the manually operated apparatus 300 is about 84 %.
  • one manually operated apparatus 300 is equivalent to providing more than about 3000 bottles of drinking water per day, but yet only takes up a transport volume of 0.5 m 3 versus 4.0 m 3 in the case of the drinking water bottles.
  • the apparatus 300 weighs 62 times less than the drinking water bottles required for a day's need for 1000 people, produces no waste by-products, and has an operating lifespan of a minimum of 5 years.

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un appareil (300) pour traiter un fluide contenant des contaminants. L'appareil comprend un premier réservoir (302) agencé pour permettre que le fluide soit mélangé avec des adsorbants pulvérulents pour adsorber les contaminants pour générer une suspension des contaminants ; et au moins un dispositif de filtration en communication fluidique avec le premier réservoir agencé pour recevoir la suspension et configuré pour éliminer les contaminants adsorbés pour fournir un fluide potable, au moins une partie du dispositif de filtration étant agencée pour être revêtue d'au moins certains des adsorbants pulvérulents lorsque la suspension est reçue pour permettre un mélange supplémentaire des adsorbants pulvérulents revêtus sur le dispositif de filtration avec des contaminants résiduels dans le fluide pour l'élimination de ceux-ci. La présente invention concerne en outre un procédé de fonctionnement de l'appareil.
PCT/SG2016/050242 2016-05-23 2016-05-23 Appareil de traitement de fluide contenant des contaminants WO2017204743A1 (fr)

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Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0053772B1 (fr) * 1980-12-08 1984-11-14 Sterling Drug Inc. Procédé de traitement d'eaux usées
US5505841A (en) * 1991-03-11 1996-04-09 Pirbazari; Massoud Microfiltration and adsorbent particle suspension for removing contaminants from water
US6057488A (en) * 1998-09-15 2000-05-02 Nantek, Inc. Nanoparticles for the destructive sorption of biological and chemical contaminants
JP2006000841A (ja) * 2004-06-18 2006-01-05 Kimihiko Okanoe 凝集濾過装置
US20070199867A1 (en) * 2004-09-21 2007-08-30 Shenyang David Environmental Protection & Energy Saving Equipment Co., Ltd. Assembling Unit For Filtration And Adsorption Of Waste And Sewage Water
EP2733120A1 (fr) * 2011-06-10 2014-05-21 Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. Cartouche purificatrice d'eau et purificateur d'eau

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0053772B1 (fr) * 1980-12-08 1984-11-14 Sterling Drug Inc. Procédé de traitement d'eaux usées
US5505841A (en) * 1991-03-11 1996-04-09 Pirbazari; Massoud Microfiltration and adsorbent particle suspension for removing contaminants from water
US6057488A (en) * 1998-09-15 2000-05-02 Nantek, Inc. Nanoparticles for the destructive sorption of biological and chemical contaminants
JP2006000841A (ja) * 2004-06-18 2006-01-05 Kimihiko Okanoe 凝集濾過装置
US20070199867A1 (en) * 2004-09-21 2007-08-30 Shenyang David Environmental Protection & Energy Saving Equipment Co., Ltd. Assembling Unit For Filtration And Adsorption Of Waste And Sewage Water
EP2733120A1 (fr) * 2011-06-10 2014-05-21 Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. Cartouche purificatrice d'eau et purificateur d'eau

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