WO2023036896A1

WO2023036896A1 - System of treatment modules for a modular water and sludge treatment station, and corresponding floor and treatment modules and modular treatment station

Info

Publication number: WO2023036896A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/075037
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mathieu GRENIER; Yves PONTHIEUX; Gilles Baratto
Original assignee: Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Support
Priority date: 2021-09-09
Filing date: 2022-09-08
Publication date: 2023-03-16
Also published as: FR3126719A1

Abstract

A modular water and/or sludge treatment system, wherein the modules comprise a floor module PM comprising an upper surface S capable of receiving items of equipment, an inner housing E provided under the upper surface capable of receiving at least one other item of equipment and a connecting zone Z provided with fluid or electrical connection means. The upper surface S of the floor is partially or completely removable to allow temporary access to the housing E provided under the upper surface S.

Description

DESCRIPTION

TITLE :

SYSTEM OF TREATMENT MODULES FOR MODULAR WATER AND SLUDGE TREATMENT STATION, FLOOR AND TREATMENT MODULES AND CORRESPONDING MODULAR TREATMENT STATION

1. Technical area

The present invention belongs to the technical field of systems intended for the treatment of water in the broad sense, such as water and/or sludge (surface water, groundwater, urban and/or industrial wastewater, process water, etc. ), and more particularly to the treatment of wastewater and sludge, extended to all associated work environments (such as workshops, storage areas, storage or facility management, for example). More specifically, the present invention relates to a system of floor modules for a water and/or sludge treatment module, as well as a floor module, a treatment module and a corresponding modular treatment station.

2. Technological background

Traditionally, conventional water and sludge treatment solutions require a facility built and installed "hard" on site, requiring relatively large-scale work (earthworks, special foundations, concrete and/or steel structures, etc.) . These conventional installations are expensive, slow to implement and inflexible.

Another known solution is based on the use of processing units in containers, of the maritime container type. These containers are equipped in the factory and can then be transported to the treatment site. Each of the units contains all or part of the elements necessary for the processing activity. However, these processing units are intended neither for long-term use nor for improving operator comfort. Indeed, their design, which is not very ergonomic, embeds equipment limited to what is strictly necessary due to the relatively restricted space available. Thus, the solutions that could be considered as ancillary, such as air treatment by deodorization or the storage of reagents, cannot be integrated into traditional systems.

In the case of shipping containers, for example, although the processing units comply with a predefined standard shape, the connections with these units require long connection and adjustment times, which consequently reduce the speed of implementation of these solutions. known. Moreover, such units are not of a scalable design. Furthermore, just as in conventional fixed treatment installations, the space on the floor and on the walls of these units is encumbered by pipes and electrical cables essential to the operation of the different equipment. Their presence in a narrow environment increases the risk of accidents for the operator, who may fall more easily.

A prior wastewater treatment device is also known, presented as modular, as described in the Chinese patent document CN107673556A published in the name of Anhui Shun Yu Water Affairs Co. Ltd._This device was designed from an order from the Province of Anhui, in the People's Republic of China to equip remote villages (particularly in mountainous areas) in order to provide them with centralized household wastewater treatment equipment. However, the "modules" of this system appear to be dedicated, prescribed and ordered in a way specifically adapted to the particular use for which they are intended, and do not present any characteristic allowing adaptation to other types of sites and/or to other uses, nor indeed any description sufficient to understand the design structure of the modules or the detail of the interconnections between modules.

Thus, there is a need to provide a new concept of processing station which overcomes these drawbacks of the state of the art by inventing a principle of modularity offering a capacity for evolution, adaptation and interchangeability, by combining the reliability advantages of “hard” fixed stations with the flexibility and ergonomics provided by new-design movable modules.

In other words, the invention poses in a new way the problem of imagining a design of water or sludge treatment stations according to an optimal industrial organization consisting in that very diversified modules are manufactured in the factory according to a principle standardized despite their functional diversity, and assembled selectively on site according to a plurality of combinations of modules, and therefore of processing configuration (modularity of multi-combinations by substitution and/or interchangeability).

Furthermore, the invention also poses in a new way the problem of imagining a system of water and/or sludge treatment stations meeting the above design criteria in which, to add structural standardization to the modularity of multi-combinations of treatment modules, each module is designed according to an identical principle defining two categories of functional equipment (essentially on the one hand the treatment equipment (of water and/or sludge flows), and on the other on the other side the support equipment, so as to facilitate the interconnections between these two categories of equipment within the same module on the one hand, and between modules on the other hand.

The invention also aims to combine reliability, standardization and quality control of factory manufacturing, compatibility with transport on site, and installation by easy and rapid standardized assembly, very suitable for time constraints for implementation (in English lead time, this logistics concept that optimizes the time that elapses between the placing of a supplier order and the delivery of the goods to the customer).

This standardization is also very advantageous for implementation in hostile or dangerous environments, and reduces the exposure of personnel to site risks or other environmental risks (country risks, etc.).

The invention also meets the need to design processing modules which offer reduced floor space, with increased available space while ensuring operator safety.

The objectives of the invention also include the need to design processing modules in which access to equipment, upkeep and maintenance of the installation are facilitated.

3. Disclosure of Invention

According to the invention, a system of modules for a modular water and/or sludge treatment station comprises a plurality of standardized treatment modules, each treatment module comprising a floor module capable of receiving at least one external equipment placed above above said floor and/or at least one internal equipment housed under the floor, all or part of said modules being able to be juxtaposed and interconnected to each other by all or part of their external or internal equipment according to a plurality of combinations to form a plurality of water and/or sludge treatment configurations.

Advantageously, in the system of modules of the invention, said floor module has an upper surface suitable for receiving at least one external piece of equipment, each floor module further comprising:

- At least one interior housing arranged under said upper surface capable of receiving at least one internal device; And,

- at least one connection zone provided with fluidic and/or electrical and/or optical connection means to allow quick connection between said at least one internal equipment, and at least one other equipment located outside the floor, such as external equipment located on the floor or internal equipment located inside another adjacent floor module and/or with a processing input and/or output.

In the rest of the description of the invention, the terms "module(s)", "modular(s), "modular(s)" have the following meaning:

- A processing module constitutes a processing unit, and is intended to be assembled with at least one other processing module in order to form a modular processing station; a typical processing module notably comprises a floor module, which is generally surmounted by one or more external equipment(s). Optionally, a processing module can include a covering wall, typically a roof and/or one or more side walls, for example to enclose all or part of external equipment and/or protect it from the outside world;

- A floor module corresponds to a floor unit and is intended to be assembled with at least one other floor module so that this assembly forms the base and the support of a modular processing station; as will be seen below, a floor module is preferably in the form of a support structure which has on the one hand an interior volume (or interior housing) capable of receiving a first series of equipment (known as internal equipment ), and on the other hand an upper surface capable of receiving a second series of equipment (known as external equipment);

- an assembly of several floor modules will also be called a modular floor, the adjective “modular” being used here in its common sense meaning “made up of modules”. Similarly, a modular station according to the invention consists of several processing modules assembled together;

- the floor concept according to the invention is also said to be "modular" insofar as the implementation of a modular station consists in selecting the various modules appropriate to the intended use, and in assembling them on the site of exploitation according to a very diverse combination and modalities permitted by the modularity of the invention.

This particular design of the "operational" floor modules constitutes an essential characteristic of the invention which allows the specific modularity of the modular processing system of the invention, namely a system of modules for a modular processing station comprising a plurality of standardized treatment, all or part of said modules being able to be juxtaposed and/or interconnected with each other by all or part of their external or internal equipment according to a plurality of combinations to form a plurality of water treatment configurations and/or or sludge.

By system of modules, we mean here the principle of designing a set of complementary standardized modules, which can be combined with each other in whole or in part according to a plurality of combinations, and of being able, at a given moment, either to arrange each of them in a modular processing station, or store it while awaiting use in a modular station. Although the principle is that, in a given modular station, each module is generally different from another, the system of modules according to the invention also aims to cover the case where several identical or similar modules are used in the same modular station. , and/or several identical or similar modules can be stored in order to be available in order to be assigned each, in good time, to one or more different modular stations. Advantageously, according to the processing system of the invention, the standardized processing modules have a quadrangular horizontal section, the final length of which is composed of one unit or of subunits, the sum of which will be equal to one. In other words, for the same family of modules likely to be juxtaposed according to different combinations, the length of a module is equal either to a unit of reference length, or to a length equal to a sub-multiple of the unit of reference length. The width of a module belonging to the same family is preferably constant, even if it is possible here too to imagine multiples or sub-multiples thanks to the principle of standardization and modularity of the invention.

It will be noted that the system according to the invention can be seen both as a product, due to the fact that it consists of a plurality of structural means, and as a method due to the characterization of these means by their functional standardization.

In this way, the modular station can be assembled on a platform for receiving the processing modules on site, the dimensions of the receiving platform being chosen to match the dimension of the juxtaposed modules. More specifically, the platform fitted out on site must offer a space adjusted to the floor space resulting from the juxtaposition and combination (or successive combinations in the event of planned changes over time) of modules, the sizing of which will take into account standardized module lengths and widths discussed above.

Incidentally, such a modular system is also compatible on a secondary basis with modules without processing equipment ("process" equipment) commonly called "tertiary modules" to form an assembly of juxtaposed modules on site, some of which are not connected according to the terms of interconnection of "operational" modules (i.e. the methods of interconnection of internal and/or external equipment contributing to the water and/or sludge treatment chain in the treatment configuration permitted by the assembly in question). By way of example, these "tertiary modules" are assigned to a function related to the water and sludge treatment function, and belong to the group comprising the tool modules, the storage modules for reserve equipment and the rooms. staff reception (including rest or coffee room, etc.).

Thus, the invention aims to provide a system of the “plug and play” type intended to replace the conventional installations built solid on site.

More specifically, the invention aims in particular to propose a new module concept, tested in the workshop and intended to be assembled on site to form a prefabricated modular treatment station. Such a modular station is made by assembling and/or interconnecting at least two processing modules on the “horizontal” plane, or even by using a single module. The dimensioning of the modules is determined in order to allow the easy transport of each of them, then their assembly on site.

The principle of floor modules, which defines at least one lower space for housing so-called internal equipment under the floor, is accompanied by a requirement of compactness. Thus, in a preferred embodiment dedicated to the treatment of effluents, the invention makes it possible to include in the floor a compact deodorization equipment, typically a carbon filter. The underfloor housing may also collect, for example, storage tanks for sludge, water or substances such as a reagent, for example a polymer, a drip recovery system intended to collect and store floor cleaning water and possible leaks of effluents during treatment.

The internal equipment located under the floor is moreover rather infrequently maintained equipment, due to its lesser accessibility, even if the floors of the modules are completely or partially removable to allow this accessibility.

Thanks to the design and standardization of these modules, the interchangeability of equipment is also made possible, at least in part, at the structural and/or functional level, both by the interchangeability of equipment on the same floor module and by the possible interchangeability of one floor module with another. The invention thus has obvious advantages, in terms of flexibility and speed of implementation, in comparison with conventional installations. A simple and fast connection between equipment can thus be achieved while ensuring the safety of operations.

According to a particular aspect, each floor module has a width less than approximately 6 meters, and a length less than 40 meters, preferably a width less than or equal to 3 meters and a length less than or equal to 12 meters. Such sizing facilitates transport and easy assembly of each of them. Adapted dimensioning ranges can be defined to allow land transport between the place of manufacture in the workshop and the operating site.

According to an advantageous aspect of the floor modules, said upper surface of the floor of at least one module is partially or completely removable to allow temporary access to said at least one housing arranged under said upper surface.

According to another particular aspect of the floor module, said upper surface of the floor module comprises one or more gratings.

According to another particular aspect of the floor module, said upper surface of the floor module is perforated by a plurality of slots or orifices. These slits or orifices have the function of circulating dirty water and promoting the circulation of new air. Nevertheless, for certain floor modules, the surface may be wholly or partly solid, particularly when the treatment module includes installations liable to be corroded by stale air rising.

According to another particular aspect of the floor module, said at least one connection zone is provided on one of the side faces of said floor. This makes it easier to connect the equipment together, preferably by flexible connectors, making assembly of the station even faster.

According to another particular aspect of the floor module, at least one connection zone is arranged on the upper surface of said floor to allow the connection of the equipment external to the floor with the equipment internal to the floor. This allows easier intervention and assembly.

According to another particular aspect of the floor module, said at least one internal equipment preferably comprises the piping as well as equipment which does not require frequent maintenance, typically for example a fluidic system or network (typically hydraulic and/or aeraulic), a electrical system or network, an optical system or network, a deodorization system such as an activated carbon filter, a substance storage means such as a reagent, for example a polymer, a water storage means, or sludge, a dripping recovery system intended to collect and store floor cleaning water and any effluent leaks during treatment, without this list being exhaustive.

According to another particular aspect of the floor module, at least some of the elements constituting said electrical system and/or said fluidic system are elements integral with each other, so as to allow the installation or removal of a functional block from in one piece of said electrical system and/or of said fluidic system under said upper surface of said floor module.

Finally, as already mentioned, the processing modules themselves are interchangeable, a given module being able to be easily replaced by another module in an assembly of modules on site, by simple "ungraphing" or "unzipping" (with decoupling then recoupling of the connections between modules, typically disconnection then reconnection of flexible connections), as already suggested by the expression "plug and play". A replacement of a module, like moreover a removal or addition of a module to a given assembly, can be motivated for example by a need for repair, modification, evolution or additional processing.

The treatment module can optionally include a clad structure allowing the equipment to be protected from water and/or air. The floor module being designed to accommodate a trim. According to another particular aspect, the floor module comprises a space defined to accommodate at least one piece of equipment belonging to the group comprising: a centrifuge, a screw press, a take-up screw, a pump, a polymer preparation plant. The invention thus proposes the possibility of accommodating devices of different capacities.

In another particular embodiment of the invention, there is proposed a processing module comprising a floor module according to the aforementioned characteristics.

In another particular embodiment of the invention, a modular effluent treatment station is proposed, consisting of an assembly of at least two treatment modules each defined according to the aforementioned characteristics.

Of course, it is possible to envisage, depending on the needs, that the station be composed of only a single processing module.

According to a particular aspect of the station, each processing module is configured to respond to a standard processing functionality or a specific processing step.

It will be noted that the standardization of the modules according to the invention actually overlaps several types of standardization, including all or part of the following types of standardization:

- dimensional standardization, at least as regards the length, the width, and where appropriate the height of the modular floor modules and/or the processing modules;

- a standardization of the structure of the modules, typically by the architecture and the standardized conformation of the modular floors, in particular:

• their generally quadrangular shape,

• the use of the upper surface of the floor modules as a delimitation plane between the internal housing of the internal equipment in the floor and the support of external equipment on the external face of the upper surface, or even

• the fact of defining a unit of reference length for a set of modules belonging to the same family likely to form a plurality of combinations, this unit of reference length serving as a gauge or gauge in such a way that o certain modules will have as length this same unit of reference length; o where appropriate, other modules may have a length less than the reference length, for example 1/2, 1/3 or 1/4 of this reference length, so as to constitute sub-units of length whose sum will form the reference length unit.

- standardization of the implementation of equipment on the floor modules, by specializing the space under the floor, in particular for housing equipment requiring the least maintenance;

- standardization of the intra- and/or inter-modular interconnection methods, via the interconnection zones themselves standardized; - standardization by specialization of the processing modules by category, typically by category of processing, or throughput, and/or function;

- standardization in the procedures for the design, production, transport and on-site assembly of a treatment station in accordance with the needs of the site, the appropriate modules being selected and equipped in the factory or in the workshop according to the best quality guarantees and safety, and assembled on site under optimal conditions of ease and specialization of local operators;

- standardization in the preparation of the site itself thanks to the standardization of design

It is this plurality of standardizations that allows the different interchangeabilities at several levels, namely:

- at the level of the equipment installed on a module which can be exchanged or replaced;

- at the level of the modules themselves allowing at any time to substitute for a given processing module, another processing module of the same category or of a different category.

The principle of modularity and standardization, and its advantages in terms of construction, transport, on-site assembly and operation/maintenance applies particularly well to wastewater and/or sludge treatment plants. It is extendable to the entire field of water treatment.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description of various embodiments of the invention, given by way of non-limiting illustration, and/or as represented in the drawing figures.

4. Brief description of figures

[Fig. 1] presents a perspective view of an example of a floor module for a processing module according to a particular embodiment of the invention;

[Fig. 2] shows a perspective view of a set of two floor modules before assembly according to the invention;

[Fig. 3] shows all of the floor modules illustrated in FIG. 2 without upper surfaces; [Fig. 4] shows a modular floor according to the invention after assembly of two floor modules of the invention;

[Fig. 5] is an exploded perspective view illustrating the principle of assembly of the processing modules;

[Fig. 6] is a perspective view illustrating a modular station after assembly of several processing modules;

[Fig. 7] is a view of an embodiment of three floor modules making it possible to illustrate preferred embodiments of intra- and inter-module connection zones according to the invention; [Fig. 8] is a view of the modules of FIG. 7 in which the upper surfaces of the floor modules have been removed in order to reveal the supply logics of the connection zones.

5. Detailed description of the invention

FIG. 1 schematically represents an example of a floor module PM according to a particular embodiment of the invention.

A floor module PM according to the invention comprises an upper surface, one or more lower housings arranged under the upper surface, a connection zone (or connection block) and at least one piece of equipment located under the upper surface of the floor.

Such a floor module PM has a structure with the overall shape of a rectangular parallelepiped intended to be placed on the floor. It is dimensioned to allow its easy transport, as well as its rapid assembly with one or more adjacent floors of the station. The upper surface has a width of less than 6 meters and a length of less than 40 meters, preferably a width of less than or equal to 3 meters and a length of less than or equal to 12 meters, facilitating the circulation of operators and the reception of equipment of the station. A person skilled in the art will be able to determine that the length and/or the width will be greater than 1 m, without this being a limitation of the invention. The structure of this floor module is mechanically strong enough to withstand the static and dynamic loads applied by the equipment (known as "external equipment" T _or t), in particular equipment directly or indirectly linked to the operations of water and/or sludge treatment. The floor module PM defines an interior volume or housing E able to accommodate, in particular, a set of equipment (called “internal” equipment Tin) intended for processing.

The internal equipment T _in belongs to the group comprising: fluidic network, or electrical network, or optical network, deodorization system (such as an activated carbon filter), means for storing substances such as a reagent, for example a polymer , a water storage means, in particular rainwater/washing water/dirty water, a sludge storage means, a drip recovery system intended to collect and store floor cleaning water and any leaks of effluents being treated. This list is not exhaustive, other internal equipment helping directly or indirectly to the implementation of the treatment can be considered.

According to a particular implementation, the equipment requiring infrequent maintenance is arranged under the floor (because less accessibility). The other equipment is placed on the floor (external equipment) In a specific example of a sludge dewatering workshop, all or part of the following equipment may be provided: a centrifuge or a screw press, a screw or recovery pump, a polymer preparation plant, without being exhaustive.

Of course, depending on the specific needs of each installation, the floor module according to the invention may not include any equipment under the upper surface of the floor; in this case the module will be commonly called: "tertiary" module.

The floor module PM comprises an at least partially mobile and/or removable upper surface S, allowing temporary access to the interior housing E arranged under this surface, inside the floor PM. The removable and/or mobile part has sufficient dimensions to allow access to the interior housing E arranged in the floor, to allow, among other things, the installation and/or removal of the internal equipment contained in this interior housing. Such access also allows repair and/or cleaning work on this internal equipment of the installation. The removable and/or mobile part of the upper surface of the floor according to the invention can be in the form of one or more elements, such as for example a plate, a grid, or a set of removable and/or separately mobile tiles. or in one piece.

According to a particularly advantageous implementation, the floor is perforated by a plurality of slots or shaped orifices allowing the free circulation of dirty water. According to another variant, the floor is solid, that is to say a floor free of slots.

In the example illustrated in this figure 1, the upper surface S is partially removable so that it is possible to access the interior housing E while keeping the external equipment All on part of the floor PM. The removable part is made of a material whose mechanical properties make it possible to support the mass of one or more individuals and a set of external equipment T _or t. However, when external equipment will have a mass likely to generate vibrations during the operation of this equipment, this equipment will preferably be arranged on a non-removable part. A material of metal type, metal alloy, rigid polymer or else an organic material of composite type can be used for this purpose. This is a non-exhaustive list of materials, other materials or alloys making it possible to confer the mechanical properties aroused on the upper surface. Preferably, the removable part of the upper surface of the floor PM is a panel of generally rectangular shape, such as a removable grating or a plurality of removable gratings. The removable part of the upper surface of the floor PM can be completely detached from the floor or remain linked to the latter by one of its sides via a system of hinges for example. Thus, it is possible to install part of the equipment inside the floor, and to replace it with other equipment by simple substitution.

A floor module PM according to the invention can cooperate with one or more other adjacent floor modules so as to constitute, after assembly, a modular station of treatment according to the invention. According to a particularly simple and rapid implementation, the floor modules of a modular station are juxtaposed one beside the other. The floor modules are juxtaposed on a reception area on site, this area being preferably prearranged in the form of a platform. The floor modules are connected to each other for example by means of simple quick couplings (for fluidic and/or electrical networks). This principle of quick couplings allows easy installation, addition, removal or replacement of an adjacent floor module while maintaining the structure of the floor.

A floor module PM can also comprise one or more connection zones Z1, Z2, Z3. At least some of these connection zones are provided with fluidic and/or electrical and/or optical connection means to allow quick and reversible connection between at least one internal equipment Tin located inside the floor and at least one other equipment located outside the floor, such as external equipment located on the floor or internal equipment located inside an adjacent floor module

More generally, we can distinguish at least three categories of connection zones (or connection zones), namely:

- a first category of connection zones between the modules: Z1A and Z1B, typically for the continuity of a water and/or sludge treatment circuit from equipment located on a first treatment module to another equipment located on a second processing module;

- A second category of connection zones Z2 between the internal and external equipment of the same processing module (and therefore of the same floor module);

- A third category of connection zones of a module with the exterior: Z3, typically an inlet for water and/or sludge to be treated and/or a discharge outlet for treated water and/or sludge.

A single connection zone Z is illustrated in the diagram of FIG. 1, for the purpose of simplifying the description and making the drawings readable. Of course, this is a purely illustrative example, the floor module can be provided with a greater number of connection zones depending on the needs and configuration of the final installation, without departing from the framework of the invention. The connection zone can be located at the level of the upper surface of the floor, or be accessible from this upper surface, in the removable or non-removable part thereof. In this case, as illustrated and described later in relation to FIG. 2 (see reference Z2 in FIG. 2), the connection zone makes it possible to quickly connect external equipment T _or t positioned on the floor to internal equipment T _in located in the interior compartment E of the floor. Alternatively or additionally, such a connection zone can be located at the level of the side surfaces of the floor PM. In this case, the connection zone makes it possible to quickly connect internal equipment positioned in the interior housing of the floor to external equipment T _or t located outside the floor or even to equipment located in the interior housing of an adjacent modular floor . Within the meaning of the present invention, the expression “quick connector” designates elements which can be positioned in the connection zones of the floor module in a stable manner, and which make it possible to connect or connect a connector element by simple and rapid handling. .

The fluid connection means, for example a female fluid connection element configured to be coupled with a male fluid connection element, make it possible, for example, to quickly connect internal equipment Tin to an effluent supply to be treated (urban or industrial wastewater , sludge, drinking water, underground water, surface water, etc., air, etc.) or chemical product (a reagent such as a polymer for example), or to a pipe for the evacuation of an effluent or 'a product.

The electrical connection means, for example a female electrical connector configured to be coupled in a reversible manner with a male electrical connector or an electrical adapter, make it possible, for example, to quickly connect internal equipment _n to an electrical network for its power supply. They can also offer the possibility of supplying electricity to a network of sensors dedicated to monitoring the operation of internal equipment or the smooth running of sludge treatment within the installation.

Finally, the PM floor module includes a space shaped to accommodate at least one piece of equipment such as: a centrifuge or a screw press, a recovery screw or a pump, a polymer preparation unit, this list not being exhaustive.

Figures 2 and 3 show a set of two floor modules PMI and PM2 intended to be assembled at one of their vertical side faces. Each floor module of said set conforms to the aforementioned general principle relating to the floor module PM.

The first floor module PMI substantially corresponds to the floor module PM, the principle of which is described above in relation to FIG. top of the floor. The floor is also provided with a second connection zone Z1A, located laterally, and provided with fluidic and/or electrical connection means.

The second floor PM2 comprises an upper surface S2 which is also totally removable and a first connection zone Z1B provided with fluidic and/or electrical connection means and a second fluidic and/or electrical connection zone Z3

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the floors PMI and PM2 are represented without their upper surface SI and S2 respectively, which makes it possible to show the internal equipment Tini and Tin? contained in the inner housings El and E2 of these floors (essentially a network of hydraulic pipes and electrical cables are shown in the figure).

FIG. 4, for its part, illustrates the assembly of the two floor modules PMI and PM2 after assembly of the latter to one another, which assembly being placed on the ground to form a part a water and/or sludge treatment facility. A first set of external equipment Touti is arranged on the upper surface SI of the floor PMI and a second set of external equipment T _or t2 is arranged on the upper surface S2 of the floor PM2.

Thus, the invention is based on the principle of a floor module, the assembly of which allows the production of prefabricated installations, each floor module being able to be surmounted by any superstructure suitable for use to form a processing module. Each treatment module is configured to perform a distinct function or a distinct group of functions for carrying out on-site water and/or sludge treatment. The modules are assembled by juxtaposing said modules according to a predefined installation configuration. Such modules are designed to interface using a so-called “plug and play” approach for quick and easy on-site assembly and installation, in particular making it possible to limit on-site intervention time. In general, the installation can be carried out immediately after having prepared the ground in adequacy with the standards. Note that the same module can evolve over time while keeping the same functions to follow, for example, the evolution of new technologies, and/or increase its capacities.

One recognizes in FIG. 4 the references ZI and Z3 which designate different connection zones already presented above.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the principle of assembling floor modules according to a particular embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment given by way of illustrative and non-limiting example, the modular station (SM) represented here comprises a set of three prefabricated processing modules. These three modules, referenced U1, U2 and U3, are intended to be assembled on site after transporting them in order to easily and quickly reconstitute a complete installation according to the invention. Each processing module comprises a floor module according to the principle discussed above in relation to FIG. 1. Thus, the modules U1, U2 and U3 respectively comprise the floor modules PI, P2, P3 and, where applicable, optionally, a covering wall, typically a roof and/or one or more side walls, for example to completely or partially enclose external equipment and/or protect it from the outside world B1, B2, B3. Each treatment module is sized to be transported individually, by truck for example, from the factory where it is pre-arranged and assembled, to the site. The assembly is carried out by juxtaposing the various modules U1, U2 and U3 according to a predefined processing installation configuration. Each processing module is designed to interface using a “plug and play” approach for quick and easy assembly and on-site installation.

According to a particular implementation, each of the floors of the modular station SM is configured for the dewatering of sludge. For example, the PI floor is equipped with the equipment needed to implement the sludge removal and dehydration phases, and the unit ventilation and deodorization of stale air (in the floor); this is for example an activated carbon filter. For example, the floor PI comprises in particular under the upper surface a compartment for implementing a deodorization system (typically a carbon filter) and on the upper surface a network of stale air intake ducts. Thus, in this particular embodiment, the module is shaped to house the deodorization equipment within the floor. The invention is therefore particularly well suited to compact equipment.

The floor P2 is equipped with the equipment necessary for the implementation of the upstream pumping of the sludge and the preparation of the polymers for flocculation of the sludge. And the P3 floor is equipped with a first part of equipment dedicated to the control of the electrical installation, a second part of equipment dedicated to the pressurization of water and air and the liming unit sludge.

FIG. 6 illustrates an assembly of processing modules according to a particular embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment given by way of illustrative and non-limiting example, the standardized processing modules have a quadrangular horizontal section, the final length of which is composed of one or more subunits, the sum of which is equal to one.

In other words, according to the invention, for the same family of modules capable of being juxtaposed according to different combinations, the length of a module is equal either to a unit of reference length, or to a length equal to a sub-multiple of the reference length unit.

It will be noted that one of the modules can be specialized in a module without “processing equipment” commonly called a “tertiary” module, for example a storage room for reserve equipment, or for work or rest for the operators on site. In this case, there is no operational processing connection with this “tertiary” module.

It should be noted that the design can authorize the superposition of two modules, if necessary, with possible interconnection by their common horizontal face.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate preferred embodiments of the different categories of connection zones depending on the nature and the connection function, in a set of three modules 71, 72 and 73.

These two figures 7 and 8 thus show:

- an illustrative embodiment of a first category of connection zones between modules, with the examples Z1C and Z1D allowing rapid connection between the modules 71 and 72 (the connection zone Z1D being hidden in FIGS. 7 and 8);

- an illustrative embodiment of a second category of connection zones Z2 between the internal and external equipment of the same processing module (and therefore of the same floor module). On this point, note that in the "open" floor modules of Figure 8 (i.e. say devoid of their upper surface in order to better see certain equipment contained in the internal housings of the floor modules), we recognize pipe terminations 81, 82 likely to lead to the outer face of the upper surfaces of the floor modules, and to correspond to a connection zone Z2A, Z2B respectively of the second category;

- an illustrative embodiment of a third category of connection zones of a module with the exterior (Z3), typically an inlet of water and/or sludge to be treated and/or a water discharge outlet and/or treated sludge, or else an inflow of treatment product, for example a chemical or biological product or any other suitable treatment fluid.

It will be noted that, in the embodiment of the assembly represented in FIGS. 7 and 8, the processing circuit traverses the modules 71 and 72, in connection with an input/output zone Z3. The module 73, on the other hand, appears as a “tertiary” module with no processing function as defined above.

Naturally, these embodiments of the modules and of the connection zones are given by way of non-limiting illustration and those skilled in the art will be able to implement the invention according to other embodiments than those shown in the figures.

Claims

1. System of modules for a modular water and/or sludge treatment station comprising a plurality of standardized treatment modules, each treatment module comprising a floor module (PMI) capable of receiving at least one external equipment placed above said floor and/or at least one internal equipment housed under the floor, all or part of said modules being able to be juxtaposed and interconnected to each other by all or part of their external or internal equipment according to a plurality of combinations to form a plurality of water and/or sludge treatment configurations.

2. Module system according to claim 1 characterized in that said floor module (PMI) has an upper surface (SI) able to receive at least one external equipment, each floor module further comprising:

- At least one interior housing (El) arranged under said upper surface (SI) capable of receiving at least one internal equipment item; And,

- at least one connection zone (Zl, Z2, Z3) provided with fluidic and/or electrical and/or optical connection means to allow quick connection between said at least one internal equipment, and at least one other equipment located at the outside the floor, such as external equipment located on the floor or internal equipment located inside another adjacent floor module (PL2) and/or with a processing input and/or output.

3. Module system according to claim 2 characterized in that said upper surface (SI) of the floor of at least one module is partially or completely removable to allow temporary access to said at least one fitted housing (El) under said upper surface (WHETHER).

4. System according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the standardized processing modules have a quadrangular horizontal section whose length is equal either to a unit of reference length, or to a length equal to a sub- multiple of this unit of reference length.

5. Module system according to claim 4 characterized in that each standardized processing module has a width less than 6 meters, and a length less than 40 meters, preferably a width less than or equal to 3 meters, and a length less than or equal to at 12 meters.

6. Module system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it further comprises a platform for receiving the processing modules on site, and in that the dimensions of the receiving platform are chosen so as to to provide an adjusted surface to the juxtaposed modules.

7. Floor module intended to belong to a system of modules according to any one of claims 1 characterized in that it has:

- an upper surface (SI) capable of receiving at least one external device;

- at least one interior housing (El) arranged under said upper surface (SI) adapted to receive at least one internal equipment, said upper surface (SI) of the floor being partially or totally removable to allow temporary access to said at least one fitted housing (El) under said upper surface (SI); And,

8. Floor module according to claim 7 characterized in that said upper surface of the floor comprises one or more gratings.

9. Floor module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that all or part of said upper surface of the floor belongs to the group comprising at least a solid surface part and at least a perforated surface part comprising a plurality of slots or orifices.

10. Floor module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one connection zone (Zl, Z3) is provided on one of the side faces of said floor.

11. Floor module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one connection zone (Z2) is arranged to be accessible from the upper surface of said floor and/or to the upper surface of said floor.

12. Floor module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one internal piece of equipment is chosen from a fluidic system or network, an electrical system or network, an optical system or network, a deodorization system such as such as, for example, an activated carbon filter, a means for storing substances such as a reagent, for example a polymer, a means for storing water or sludge, a system for recovering drippings intended to collect and store water floor cleaning and possible leaks of effluent during treatment.

13. Floor module according to claim 12, characterized in that at least some of the elements constituting said electrical and/or fluidic and/or optical system are elements integral with each other, so as to allow their installation or their integrally removing under said upper surface of said modular floor.

14. Processing module characterized in that it comprises a floor module defined according to any one of claims 7 to 13.

15. Modular processing station characterized in that it consists of an assembly of at least two processing modules each defined according to claim 14.

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