WO2018073643A2 - Procédé et appareil pour désinfecter de l'eau - Google Patents

Procédé et appareil pour désinfecter de l'eau Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2018073643A2
WO2018073643A2 PCT/IB2017/001394 IB2017001394W WO2018073643A2 WO 2018073643 A2 WO2018073643 A2 WO 2018073643A2 IB 2017001394 W IB2017001394 W IB 2017001394W WO 2018073643 A2 WO2018073643 A2 WO 2018073643A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
wastewater
tank
maceration
water
electrodes
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PCT/IB2017/001394
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English (en)
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WO2018073643A3 (fr
Inventor
David Jones
Robert Brill
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David Jones
Robert Brill
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Application filed by David Jones, Robert Brill filed Critical David Jones
Publication of WO2018073643A2 publication Critical patent/WO2018073643A2/fr
Publication of WO2018073643A3 publication Critical patent/WO2018073643A3/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
    • C02F1/72—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by oxidation
    • C02F1/74—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by oxidation with air
    • 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
    • C02F1/46—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by electrochemical methods
    • C02F1/461—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by electrochemical methods by electrolysis
    • C02F1/467—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by electrochemical methods by electrolysis by electrochemical disinfection; by electrooxydation or by electroreduction
    • C02F1/4672—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by electrochemical methods by electrolysis by electrochemical disinfection; by electrooxydation or by electroreduction by electrooxydation
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2201/00—Apparatus for treatment of water, waste water or sewage
    • C02F2201/002—Construction details of the apparatus
    • C02F2201/007—Modular design
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2301/00—General aspects of water treatment
    • C02F2301/02—Fluid flow conditions
    • C02F2301/026—Spiral, helicoidal, radial
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2301/00—General aspects of water treatment
    • C02F2301/04—Flow arrangements
    • C02F2301/046—Recirculation with an external loop
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2301/00—General aspects of water treatment
    • C02F2301/08—Multistage treatments, e.g. repetition of the same process step under different conditions
    • 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
    • C02F2303/04—Disinfection
    • 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
    • C02F2303/26—Reducing the size of particles, liquid droplets or bubbles, e.g. by crushing, grinding, spraying, creation of microbubbles or nanobubbles
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2305/00—Use of specific compounds during water treatment
    • C02F2305/02—Specific form of oxidant
    • C02F2305/023—Reactive oxygen species, singlet oxygen, OH radical
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2305/00—Use of specific compounds during water treatment
    • C02F2305/08—Nanoparticles or nanotubes

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method and apparatus for treating water, more specifically, the invention utilizes oxygenation of wastewater using the application of oxygen from an oxygen source and using electro advanced oxygenation, and maceration of the waste water using hydrodynamic means, mechanical stirring means and an inner shape of the water container that facilitates maceration of the wastewater.
  • Treating used water achieves a dual goal of removing contaminants from the environment (e.g., reducing pollution), and when the treated water is reused, conserving water from fresh water sources used for domestic consumption.
  • Water may become contaminated in several manners. The most familiar contamination is cause by live microorganisms such as in sewage waters. Although, water may also be contaminated by heavy metals (e.g., from lead in water pipes), industrial toxic waste (e.g., from
  • the recovered treated water may be used in applications other than consumption by human or animal (e.g., plant irrigation), thus, reducing the amount of water needed to sustain urban populations.
  • treated water must not contain organisms in a concentration that exceeds a certain threshold considered as acceptable.
  • concentration or density of microorganisms (which is also referred as microbial density) is typically set by government agencies such as the
  • water treatment technologies must meet to a large extent an economic constraint, which is that water treatment should be affordable as compared to procuring fresh water instead of recycling used water.
  • water treatment technologies should be adaptable in size to allow for building water treatment plants according to the size of the population they serve.
  • the invention provides a method and apparatus for treating water suspected of containing microbial agents and other organic pollutants.
  • the main technological advancement of the invention is the ability to produce a self-contained domestic
  • wastewater system that represents a breakthrough in wastewater treatment, including a number of advantages over existing systems, such as bacteria free output, minimal organic solids remain, re-usable recyclable effluent from waste water that can be used for irrigation, car washing, and even inside the house for toilet flushing and any other application where the treated water may used for purposes other than drinking, cooking and bathing, thus preserving potable water.
  • the invention achieves water treatment without the use of chemicals, filters, or other prior art methods of treatment.
  • the invention utilizes Electrochemical Oxidation processes combined with high oxygen saturation while macerating the wastewater. Macerating the wastewater, according to the invention, has a surprising effect on the efficiency of water treatment.
  • prior art technologies promote stillness of the water under treatment in an attempt to promote sedimentation of solids.
  • the invention uses maceration as a means to maximize oxygen dilution in the water and promote oxidation, thus promoting the biocidal effect of oxygen and the bleaching of the organic matter in the wastewater.
  • Gas Oxygen from an oxygen source such as air
  • Air may be supplied through a bubbling system directly into the wastewater.
  • the bubbling in addition to diluting oxygen in water, may be combined with mechanical stirring to achieve
  • Embodiments of the invention may use triangularly shaped tanks (in the horizontal plane), which inner cavity may be designed with round corners so as to avoid trapping solid matter in corners.
  • One or more tanks may be implemented in the invention.
  • a first tank may be connected to a second tank or a plurality of connected tanks, as the implementation of the invention may require.
  • the tanks may be connected in series i.e. the treated water from one tank is transferred to a next tank for further treatment, and/or in parallel so as to increase the capacity of treatment at any stage of the process.
  • Each tank may be designed to have a shape that promotes maceration as described above.
  • any (or every) one of the tanks may be outfitted with an electrochemical oxidation device.
  • the electrochemical oxidation device is generally built with an inlet and an outlet for passing wastewater through the electrochemical oxidation device.
  • the electrochemical oxidation device is an electrolytic cell, a reaction chamber for generating electrolysis, which is an electrochemical reaction for decomposition of substances produced by passing an electric current through a liquid solution containing ions. Electrolysis is used to drive an oxidation-reduction reaction in a direction in which it does not occur spontaneously.
  • the electrochemical oxidation device houses electrodes that are placed in the passage way of the passing wastewater.
  • the electrochemical oxidation device is outfitted with an electric plug to connect the electrodes to an electric power source.
  • Electrochemical oxidation is achieved by continuously passing the wastewater through a electrochemical oxidation device. When electric power is applied to the electrode and water is present, hydrolysis occurs resulting in the release of reactive oxygen species that combine with organic matter and cause inactivation of the biological agents in the wastewater.
  • the results of treatment according to invention must prove that the restrictive rules for wastewater reuse are met (or exceeded) by providing scientific data showing not only that the treated water meets the health requirements, but also that safe levels of effluent are consistently achieved using an embodiment of the invention.
  • An apparatus built according to the teachings of the invention has been tested with wastewater from a large metropolitan area.
  • the treated water was tested by a third- party certified laboratory to assess the efficacy of the water treatment by the apparatus.
  • the treatment by the apparatus yielded results that met the target, such as a count of coliform/microorganisms smaller than one (1 ) per 100 ml of treated water, and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) less than 10 mg/L.
  • BOD Biological Oxygen Demand
  • Micro-organisms were destroyed quickly, completely and efficiently in a septic environment. Moreover, processing time was reduced from 24 hours recycling to just 4 hours. The latter allows an apparatus to produce up to 240 gallons of treated waste water from septic sources, which is suitable for re-use and recycling.
  • the invention discloses an Electro-Advanced Oxygenation (EAO) and High Oxygen Saturation (HOS) hybrid technology for treating wastewater.
  • EAO Electro-Advanced Oxygenation
  • HOS High Oxygen Saturation
  • an apparatus implementing the invention has a low energy consumption, is compact in size and built with modular design, which allows the apparatus to be built to the scale necessary for any particular application.
  • the scalability, compact size and modularity of the apparatus allows the apparatus to be mass produced in one or a few locations, thus reducing the production cost, and allows the components of the apparatus to be transported for installation and operation.
  • the latter has a significant advantage in contrast to prior art technologies that are required to be built onsite.
  • embodiments of the invention do not use added chemicals during operation, prevent bad odors, produce no sludge, and may have under water moving parts that require only minimal maintenance.
  • Figure 1 is a flowchart diagram representing steps in the process of treating water in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of components of an apparatus for treating wastewater in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 3 represents a cut-through side view of an apparatus built in accordance with the teachings of the invention.
  • Figure 4 represents a top view of the two tank apparatus depicted in Figure 3.
  • Figure 5 depicts a top view of the second tank with a cut-through horizontal plane through the top compartment of the second tank.
  • Figure 6 represents a core unit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
  • the invention is a method for treating water suspected of containing living organisms, and a method of fabricating and operating an apparatus capable of sanitizing water.
  • numerous specific details are set forth to provide a more thorough description of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the pertinent art, that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known features have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention. The claims following this description are what define the metes and bounds of the invention.
  • biological agents may be interchangeably used to refer to organisms capable of sustaining life and/or proliferating in water. These organisms may be single-celled such as bacteria, algae, fungi, lichens, yeast or any other single cell organism; multi-cell organisms such as those that may be found in feces (e.g., intestinal parasites); or any other biological particles such as viruses and pollen etc.
  • ROS Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Hydrogen peroxide in turn may be partially reduced to hydroxyl radical ( ⁇ ) or fully reduced to water:
  • wastewater and polluted water may be interchangeably used to refer to any water suspected of containing contaminants, such as organic material, including living organisms, which may be inactivated and/or removed from the wastewater by embodiments of the invention.
  • Polluted water is impaired by anthropogenic contaminants and either does not support a human use, such as drinking water, or undergoes a marked shift in its ability to support its constituent biotic communities.
  • the invention may be practiced for treatment of waters, other than sewage water, suspected of being biologically contaminated including lake water, river water, industrial facilities water, healthcare facilities water (e.g. , hospitals) or any other water that may be sanitized using embodiments of the invention.
  • BOD Biological Oxygen Demand
  • CAS conventional activated sludge
  • EAO Electro Advanced Oxygenation
  • HOS High Oxygen Saturation
  • HRT hydraulic residence time
  • MBBR moving bed biological reactors
  • TDS Total Dissolved Solids
  • MBR membrane biological reactors
  • MPN Most Probable Number.
  • CFU Colony- Forming Unit
  • HDPE High Density Polyethylene
  • DO dissolved oxygen
  • GPD Gallon Per Day.
  • MPN is a number per volume unit of viable microorganisms able to reproduce, colonize and spread in water. The number is calculated according to the Most Probable Number Method (MPNM) according to which, water is serially diluted and the growth of
  • MPNM Most Probable Number Method
  • microorganisms is measured in each successive dilution.
  • Inactivation of organic matter includes any process taking place during water treatment.
  • the latter includes any reduction-oxidation reaction taking place whether driven by the compounds introduced by embodiments of the invention, enzymatic reactions, thermal activity or any other chemical, biological and/or biophysical reaction leading to the inactivation of living organisms and/or decomposition of organic material.
  • Mechanical and/or biophysical actions may take place and are part of the inactivation process, including and not limited to, sedimentation, suspension, crystallization (e.g., due to chelation), congregation, agglutination and any other reaction leading to water sanitization is considered part of implementing the invention.
  • the measurement of microorganisms comprises any available procedure for determining the presence of a microorganism in the water being tested.
  • the latter includes sampling from the treated water (and/or water being treated), diluting the water, testing the chemical composition and/or the bioactivity of any of the compounds in the water, incubating samples of water, measuring the biological activity of any bioactive compound, and carrying any step of available methods for determining the presence and the density/concentration (count per volume of liquid) of microbial presence either directly or by inference using calculation.
  • the count may for example, target a limited number of strains of bacteria as an indicator of the total activity of the
  • the invention describes the efficiency of saturating the water being treated with oxygen.
  • An embodiment of the invention utilizes ambient air as a source of oxygen for diluting oxygen in the wastewater.
  • oxygen may be supplied by any source for supplying oxygen.
  • any implementation of the invention regardless of which source of oxygen is used, falls under the scope of the claimed invention.
  • the disclosure refers to oxygen carrying gas (or gases), as it is interchangeably used with "air” throughout the disclosure.
  • the invention provides a method and apparatus for sanitizing water using a highly saturated environment with oxygen and electro advanced oxygenation.
  • the oxygen saturation is achieved by applying an oxygen carrying gases, such as air, within
  • Disolved oxygen is also generated within the water being treated by passing a stream of water through an electrochemical oxidation device wherein an electric current, sufficient to cause hydrolysis of the water molecules, is applied, releasing reactive oxygen species that oxidize organic matter.
  • the stream of water is then passed through an oxygen densifier device, which creates a vortexing action that increases dissolved oxygen in form of nano-sized bubbles in the water.
  • the stream of water is then sprayed into the air inside a tank.
  • Hydrogen peroxide for example, is known to accompany hydrolysis, and it is known for its powerful oxidizing effect, which leads to inactivation of biological agents.
  • Maceration of the wastewater is also carried out to promote oxygen dilution.
  • the inner cavities of the containers used for water treatment have a shape that passively promotes maceration of water when the latter moves therein.
  • Water treatment begins by putting a quantity of wastewater in an adequately shaped tank.
  • the tank design may be critical to the process. Prior art tanks do not work efficiently to settle solids.
  • the invention is implemented using a tank preferably having no corners (i.e. round corners) so as the corners may not trap material.
  • a tank according to the invention may be much smaller than prior art tanks.
  • the water may be received in the tank in raw form i.e. without having been submitted to advanced filtration, as is usually the case in the prior art.
  • FIG. 1 is a flowchart diagram representing steps in the process of treating water in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
  • Step 110 represents collecting wastewater, preferably residential wastewater, in one or more tanks.
  • the collected wastewater may undergo a pre-treatment process in order to adjust one or more characteristics of the incoming wastewater, comprising one or more stages such as temperature control, pressure modification, filtration, sedimentation, among others.
  • Step 130 represents providing high saturation of oxygen in the water.
  • the oxygen supply may be carried out using a bubbling device.
  • Bubbling oxygen carrying gases is the preferred mechanisms to increase dissolved oxygen content in the wastewater being treated, through diffusion and dissolution of the oxygen component of air.
  • the system relies on both Henry's Law and Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures. Also Rayleigh-Plesset equation must be considered.
  • Dissolved oxygen refers to the level of free, non-compound oxygen present in water or other liquids.
  • dissolved oxygen content is increased up to 5 - 30%.
  • Step 140 represents macerating the wastewater in the tank. Maceration may be driven by a mechanical device (e.g., rotating device), the bubbling action of the oxygen carrying gas (or gases), and purposefully the mechanical interaction of the wastewater with the inner side of the walls of the tank.
  • a mechanical device e.g., rotating device
  • the wastewater is transferred to a second tank.
  • Mechanical maceration of the wastewater may continue within the second tank.
  • the second tank may also be designed with equally important shape features that promote maceration of the wastewater when the latter is flowing.
  • the movement may be caused by a rotation device and also through the bubbling of oxygen carrying gases.
  • the core unit consist an
  • electrochemical oxidation device and an oxygen densifier device.
  • the second tank may be connected to a pump that sucks the wastewater from the second tank, obtaining a stream of the wastewater 150 using a system of tubing, and pushes it through the core unit.
  • Step 160 represents the stage of actively providing oxygen through electrolysis.
  • the electrochemical oxidation device is fitted with electrodes that are exposed in the path of the wastewater circulation, and an electric plug for connecting the electrodes to an electric power source.
  • the electrodes cause electrolysis and thus release of oxygen, and more importantly hydrogen peroxide, which acts to inactivate biological agents and other organic pollutants in the wastewater.
  • the electrochemical oxidation device may be design and constructed in very small size, for example for capillary flows, or it could be large dimension to treat high volumes of water. Also it could be designed as a stand-alone unit or as modular system.
  • any metal or salt that can accept and donate electrons can be used as electrode, the main requirement to select the correct electrodes is that between anode and cathode there is a differential potential sufficient so the electron transfer occurs.
  • Some examples of the most employed electrodes are: Cu, Fe, Al, Zn, Pb, Pt, Na, C, Mg, Li, B, W, Ta, Au, Ag, C, Sr, Zr, Ti, BDD, Sn, Hg, Bi, V, Br, Co, I, F.
  • the dimension of the electrodes is in function of the durability and quantity of electrolytic solution. It could be as small as nano electrodes up to big plates in a reactor or battery.
  • the preferred embodiment comprises stick shaped electrodes, which length is in the range of 50 - 200 mm. Plate shaped electrodes or mesh-like configurations are also suitable. Preferably, electrodes are arranged in cells, each cell comprising at least one anode and one cathode.
  • An electrochemical oxidation device may include one or more cells. Each array of electrodes is connected to power source. Cells may also have an internal barriers or membranes for pollutants separation functions.
  • Step 170 represents applying a vortexing action that increases soluble oxygen in form of nano-sized bubbles in the water.
  • Step 180 represents spraying the water coming out of the oxygen densifier device into the air inside a tank.
  • the preferred device for performing the spraying action is a swirl nozzle, which atomizes in a spiral shape.
  • a fast gas and liquid stream is forced to follow a curved path, thus creating a lower pressure on the external side of the curve.
  • the difference between the pressure within the stream and the atmospheric pressure determines the force that causes a radial acceleration, which is explained by Bernoulli's principle.
  • Oxygen is mixed with the wastewater being treated and circulated back into the tank as represented by step 180. After treatment for a set period of time in the second tank the wastewater may be determined to meet the requirement for water reuse, as represented by step 190. Otherwise, embodiments of the invention may carry out extra steps of treatment using a third tank that is designed to function similarly to the second tank.
  • Multiple tanks may be serially connected in order to achieve the required water treatment.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of components of an apparatus for treating wastewater in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
  • the implementation represented in Figure 2 has two (2) tanks.
  • the first tank 210 receives wastewater through inlet 212.
  • the first tank 210 is equipped with a device for bubbling oxygen carrying gases. Air contains enough oxygen to allow saturation of diluted oxygen in water, therefore air may be used as an oxygen carrying gas.
  • Embodiments of the invention may utilize any other source of oxygen capable of providing gas oxygen for mixing with the wastewater.
  • Oxygen carrying gas is obtained from an input source 214, which may be a device for providing air.
  • Such a device may be equipped with air filters, tubing, ventilators or any other available devices for supplying air known in industrial use.
  • a pump 216 may be utilized to push the oxygen carrying gas into tank 210.
  • the gas may be pushed through a bubbling device 218.
  • the bubbling device 218 may be designed to generate bubbles having specifically certain diameters.
  • the bubbling device may have small perforations capable of generating micro bubbles that promote the dilution of oxygen in the water. The smaller bubbles are diluted and collapse.
  • the bubbling device may have large perforations capable of generating large bubbles that rise toward to the top surface of the water thus promoting liquid movement, i.e. maceration.
  • Tank 210 is connected to tank 230 though a pipe 220.
  • Tank 230 comprises an outlet 232 for allowing wastewater to exit the tank.
  • Wastewater may be continuously circulated by pumping the wastewater though outlet 240.
  • a pump 242 may circulate the wastewater.
  • an air pump 250 may be utilized to pull air from a oxygen carrying gas source 252, and to push the gas for mixing with the wastewater being circulated.
  • the wastewater may then be pushed through a device 260 within which hydrogen peroxide is actively created using electrolysis.
  • the wastewater now loaded with oxygen and hydrogen peroxide may be pushed into tank 230 through a bubbling device 238.
  • the bubbling device 238 may possess similar characteristics as bubbling device 218 (described above).
  • a tank was specifically designed and built.
  • An embodiment of the invention implements a modular design using a multi-tank apparatus.
  • FIG. 3 represents a cut-through side view of an apparatus built in accordance with the teachings of the invention.
  • the apparatus of Figure 3 comprises two tanks 310 and 350.
  • the first tank 310 has a top compartment 320 for receiving the wastewater for treatment, and a bottom compartment 330 for housing other equipment, such a as pump 332.
  • Apparatus 310 has an inlet 322 for receiving wastewater, and a drain 324 located toward the bottom of the middle compartment for emptying the wastewater.
  • wastewater under treatment is transferred from the first tank 310 to the second tank 350 through a connecting pipe 340.
  • Tank 310 and 350 are equipped with bubblers 325 and 365, respectively.
  • a bubbler is preferably located toward the bottom of the top compartment of the tank to allow bubbles to cause a maximum stirring effect on the wastewater while rising toward the top.
  • the first stage of wastewater treatment is to receive the
  • Pump 322 is activated to suck air from an air source, and to push the air into bubbler 325.
  • the wastewater may be macerated in tank 310 for a predetermined period of time sufficient to allow the wastewater to become saturated with oxygen.
  • Tank 350 has a top compartment 366 for housing a core unit 380, a middle (or main)
  • compartment 360 for receiving wastewater from compartment 320 of the first tank 310, and a bottom compartment 370 for housing other equipment, such a pump 374, an electric motor 372.
  • the main compartment 360 has an outlet for transferring the treated water to another tank or toward a distribution and/or water storage facility.
  • the main compartment 360 has a drain 364 located toward the bottom of the main compartment for emptying compartment 360.
  • the core unit receives wastewater via a tubing connected to pump 374 that sucks wastewater from compartment 360 and pushes the wastewater through the core unit 380 and back into the main compartment through bubbler 365.
  • the electrochemical oxidation device comprises a reaction chamber where two electrodes made of different material between each other, connected to a battery or power supply. Between the anode and cathode exists a potential differential to donate electrons to the water, which react with the dissolved oxygen and other compounds (H 2 0+ e " + 0 2 ). Preferred embodiments of the electrochemical oxidation device operate at a voltage in the 1 - 40 V range, more preferably at 24 V.
  • Embodiments of the invention utilize an oxygen densifier that is specifically designed to create a vortex action that creates soluble oxygen.
  • the design of the oxygen densifier in its size and performance should take into account the pump system power.
  • Free radicals (H202+ OH ) are generated within the oxygen densifier. Free radicals are very reactive species, these species are the responsible of oxidizing all organic material present in the water, the high production rate of free radicals also cause disinfection of the wastewater.
  • the oxygen densifier is a monolithic and single piece made of plastic components.
  • the basis is a change of pressure/velocity in the fluid, the effect is reachable by diameter restriction or adding pressure by a pump. Air is pumped into the oxygen densifier, where a pressure change occurs aided by a Venturi or vortex effect, further promoting the mixing of water and air.
  • the mixing effect and additional oxygen content in the water increase the dissolved oxygen in the water.
  • the Core Unit is a key element in the sanitation process. Microorganisms synthesize the necessary enzymes required to complete their own life cycle. Cells replicate by splitting themselves in half, and growing into two new cells. Without the proper enzymes to provide nourishment, they cannot live. The reaction taking place in the core unit immobilizes this vital enzyme, by binding a specific group of respiratory enzymes, and impairing any cell activity. The resulting complex compounds created in the reaction field within the core unit, are absorbed by the nucleus of the microorganism's cell. This absorption interferes with the enzyme process, and ultimately kills the microorganism, as well as preventing regrowth. In some cases, plasmids in the bacteria, may initially evade sanitization by producing proteins that protect cells. Free oxygen radicals released in the reaction field allow penetration of protected cell membranes, which allow for 100% destruction of cells. This process requires testing to ensure consistent results in various applications.
  • Water with a high concentration of reactive oxygen species is passed through one or more nozzles generating micro and nano bubbles, and returning to the wastewater contained in the tanks, with a tangential expulsion pattern.
  • the micro and nano bubbles react with organic compounds with high efficiency, due to a high contact area between bubbles and organic material. The later effect further promotes disinfection.
  • the apparatus depicted in Figure 3 comprises a console for operating the apparatus.
  • the console may house the electronic circuit boards used to receive signals from a plurality of sensors.
  • the sensors may detect the state of operations of the apparatus and send data to the console.
  • the console comprises a user interface that allows a user to access the data collected from the sensors (e.g., a visual display, audio output etc.).
  • the user interface comprises elements (e.g., push buttons, touch sensitive screen, knobs, wireless communication etc.) that enable the user to input operational instructions to the apparatus.
  • the present electrochemical process also causes a reduction of total dissolved solids (TDS).
  • TDS total dissolved solids
  • Some tests have shown TDS content as low as 300 ppm in the output water.
  • the system is controlled as function of the TDS content in the water.
  • FIG 4 represents a top view of the two tank apparatus depicted in Figure 3.
  • the top view shows that both tanks 310 and 350 are designed to have a triangular shape in the horizontal plane, which facilitates maceration of the wastewater.
  • Tanks 310 and 350 are designed to have round corners to help circulation, and thus maceration of the wastewater while preventing solids of becoming trapped in corners, which occurs when the corners are sharp.
  • Figure 4 shows line 410 that represents a vertical cut-through plane used to represent the side view of the apparatus as shown in Figure 3.
  • Figure 5 depicts a top view of the second tank with a cut-through horizontal plane through the top compartment of the second tank.
  • Figure 5 reveals the disposition of the core unit 380.
  • FIG. 6 represents the core unit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
  • Core unit 380 receives wastewater from the pump through an input 610.
  • Core unit houses at least two (2) electrodes for applying an electric current to the wastewater in transition.
  • Core unit 380 is equipped with at least one electric plug 630 to connect electrodes 620 to an electric power source.
  • Core unit 380 may be combined with a oxygen densifier 650.
  • the oxygen densifier is placed inline with the wastewater circulation, and receives air 640 (e.g., from an air pump). Wastewater exits the core unit through a tubing 660 and is transferred back to the tank.
  • the apparatus described above to exemplify the invention functions as described below.
  • the wastewater coming from domestic uses enter the system into the tank 310 where several processes take place.
  • the first tank acts as an equalizer and buffer tank to reduce the flow and concentration fluctuations in the influent. Grease and oils will float at the upper part of the liquid, while the organic material and settleable solids remain at the bottom of the tank.
  • air pump 332 lower capacity injects air to the tank through a specially designed air nozzle that generates small and big air bubbles.
  • the exit of the air line is with a device consisting of 3 nozzles (e.g. , 325).
  • the water with a different composition is expelled through a device with 3 nozzles to generate micro and nano bubbles, using preferably a tangential expulsion pattern.
  • the micro and nano bubbles added to the liquid bulk react and remove more efficiently all organic material, due to a higher contact area which is created between bubbles and organic material where the free radical works more efficiently. The same effect is seen for disinfection.
  • the electrochemical process of the free electron decreases the TDS in the water up to 300 ppm.
  • the concentration of the dissolved oxygen (DO) inside the second tank is preferably between 8% and 10%.
  • Prior art technologies reach a concentration of dissolved oxygen between 1 % and 2% in normal operation, and can reach 5% to 6% DO, at the cost of a considerable increase of energy consumption.
  • some embodiments of the present invention may include a post-treatment stage to separate specific contaminants.
  • the preferred final uses of the treated water are irrigation and specific industrial reuse, for instance, in cooling towers or heat exchanges proposes.
  • the water may be discharged by gravity for reuse, irrigation or other purposes.
  • An embodiment of the invention was built with the objective of processing batches in less than one hour.
  • the apparatus depicted in Figure 3 was built and operated and achieved the goal of reducing coliform count to less than ⁇ 10 per 100 ml in domestic sewage.
  • Wastewater was obtained from a local septic tank, processing 50 gallons, measuring results after various time intervals over 16 hours.
  • a third-party test laboratory provided test analyses before, during, and at the end of the wastewater treatment. The results proved that after being treated wastewater contained less that 1 bacteria/col iform and BOD less than 10.
  • a Full-scale Pilot was built and was capable of producing 60 gallons of sanitized output every 4 hours.
  • An apparatus according to the invention thus fulfills the need of water treatment since most jurisdictions produce 200 gallons of treated water per day.
  • the latter test apparatus required designing a pre-treatment method, which would accelerate the aerobic process, reducing solids to ⁇ 300BOD, prior to final treatment.
  • Testing involved: Design and plan full scale pilot (1000 GPD), purchase equipment and supplies; construct and assemble unit; obtain influent material for testing; develop system to reduce processing from 16 hours to 1 Hour; design oxygen pre-treatment system; design and develop Micro/Nano bubble system. Numerous tests were conducted using different materials and different techniques. Major hurdles that were met and resolved include adjusting pump flow rates to oxygen densifier to create correct vortex action, optimizing grid density measurements to ensure micro-amperage from the controller was optimized due to suspended solids in metro- Vancouver material. The test results are summarized in Table 1 .
  • embodiment of the invention has shown the ability to destroy microorganisms quickly, completely and efficiently in a septic environment.
  • the processing was reduced from 24 hours recycling to just 4 hours.
  • the latter allows an apparatus (as described above) to produce up to 240 gallons of treated wastewater from septic sources.
  • the treated water is suitable for re-use and recycling.
  • the invention as disclosed may easily be adapted to scale up or down depending of the requirements for the specific demand of water treatment.
  • Several embodiments of the invention are contemplated which can be built and tested for efficiency without deviating from the main concept disclosed herein.
  • embodiments of the invention using various modifications to the number of tanks such as using more than three serially connected tanks, and other any component may be modified such as the core unit (e.g. , increase flow and/or increased electro-hydrolysis), and any other component of the apparatus that be modified (or scaled) in response to the need of any specific application.
  • HOS relies on achieving a high oxygen saturation through the incorporation of small, micro and nano air bubbles into the water, promoting a highly efficient biological process in the first chamber, and in the second chamber the required oxygen is incorporated for the EAO.
  • EAO relies on electro oxidation process where and electron is donated to the water to change its molecular structure to 2H 2 0, bringing a very active free radical which is responsible of oxidizing all organic material and disinfecting the water (inactivating and killing microorganisms).
  • the TDS are used as electrolytes needed for the appropriate operation of the electrodes. The synergy of both developments results in a better performance of the system.
  • CAS conventional activated sludge
  • MBBR moving bed biological reactors
  • MLR membrane biological reactors
  • EAO/HOS does not require a sophisticated and complicated aeration system, thus the total energy consumption of EAO/HOS is significantly lower. Moreover, these processes require inexpensive equipment and can be contained in inexpensive plastic units. Besides, a complete elimination of chemicals used during conventional processes for flocculation, sedimentation and disinfection can be achieved.
  • a method and apparatus for treating wastewater providing a novel module design consisting of integrating two emerging, low-energy and more sustainable oxidation processes, namely electro advanced oxidation (EAO) and high oxygen saturation (HOS), in a modular unit that could be integrated in at least two units, or as many as required in function of flow and/or removal of organic matter desired (organic load).
  • the modular unit applications could be domestic and municipal wastewater facilities.
  • both EAO and HOS processes work simultaneously in each chamber.
  • the operating conditions of the first process compliment the process performance of the other to enhance efficiency. Therefore, the operational conditions, elements, equipment, sensors and control logic used in the process result in an increased efficiency in water treatment, in which total organic material removal measured as BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) and complete
  • the modular unit can be operated in a sequential batch system with a hydraulic residence time (HRT) of up to 16 hours, or less, depending on the organic load of the influent.
  • HRT hydraulic residence time
  • the system can accept up to 4 times more concentration of organic material and solids than prior art systems.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Water Treatment By Electricity Or Magnetism (AREA)
  • Aeration Devices For Treatment Of Activated Polluted Sludge (AREA)

Abstract

La désinfection de l'eau et la décomposition de matières organiques sont réalisées à l'aide d'une saturation en oxygène élevée et d'une oxygénation électro-avancée pour appliquer des niveaux élevés d'oxygène aux eaux usées. Ces dernières sont combinées à une macération dans des réservoirs destinés à recevoir les eaux usées, lesdits réservoirs étant spécifiquement conçus pour favoriser la dissolution de l'oxygène dans l'eau. Deux réservoirs ou plus sont raccordés en série pour traiter les eaux usées par étages, la sortie d'un premier réservoir étant successivement introduite dans un ou plusieurs réservoirs, chacun d'eau incubant les eaux usées pendant une période de temps définie. L'eau traitée est pratiquement dépourvue d'activité microbienne.
PCT/IB2017/001394 2016-10-17 2017-10-16 Procédé et appareil pour désinfecter de l'eau WO2018073643A2 (fr)

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US6361697B1 (en) * 1995-01-10 2002-03-26 William S. Coury Decontamination reactor system and method of using same
FR2784979B1 (fr) * 1998-10-26 2001-09-28 Cie Ind Pour Le Traitement De Procede electrochimique de desinfection des eaux par electroperoxydation et dispositif pour la mise en oeuvre d'un tel procede
FR2851560B1 (fr) * 2003-02-24 2006-08-11 Europ De Traitement Des Eaux S Procede et dispositif de desinfection electrochimique des eaux

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