Compact water treatment device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9650268-B2
Application number	US-201314390450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2013
Priority date	Apr 4, 2012
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a water treatment device comprising a mixing tank comprising an inlet path ( 12 ) for an effluent to be treated, an optional inlet path ( 13 ) for reagents, a stirring source ( 14 ) for generating a turbulent stir in a given volume of said tank, an extraction path ( 15 ) for discharging sludge, and an extraction path ( 16 ) for treated effluent, and further comprising above and adjacent to the given volume, but below the treated-effluent outlet path, a settling structure ( 17 ) comprising a plurality of ducts extending from the bottom to the top and arranged in the form of a baffle so that no particle can flow through said layer along a rectilinear path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A water treatment device comprising a mixing tank provided with an inlet path for an effluent to be treated, a source of stirring capable of inducing turbulent stirring in a given volume of the tank, an extraction path enabling the discharge of sludge, and a treated effluent extraction path, further comprising, above the inlet path for effluent to be treated and above and adjacent to the given volume, but below the outlet path for a treated effluent, a settling structure comprising a plurality of flow channels extending from a bottom of the settling structure to a top of the settling structure; the flow channels assuming a zig-zag configuration such that no particle can pass through the settling structure along a rectilinear path; wherein the flow channels include a plurality of rectilinear sections wherein a plurality of the rectilinear sections assume an acute non-zero inclination with respect to a horizontal plane; wherein the flow channels are contiguous and formed by parallel plates and a plurality of parallel strips and wherein the parallel plates and the parallel strips form polygonal cross-sections; wherein the settling structure comprises a plurality of at least two layers and wherein each layer constitutes a network of contiguous flow channels; and wherein a fluid stream moving from the top of the settling structure forms the treated effluent.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the channels have a helical configuration.

3. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the channels have a uniform cross-section from a lower face of the structure to an upper face.

4. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the channels have a cross-section which varies over at least part of the height of the settling structure.

5. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the channels have an inclination comprised between 35° and 85° relative to the horizontal plane.

6. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the two layers comprise sections inclined relative to the horizontal plane and are separated by a layer in which the sections are vertical.

7. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the channels are formed by corrugated walls.

8. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the channels are formed by planar walls.

9. A device according to claim 1 , further comprising a flow-guide around the stirring source.

10. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the settling structure is situated above the bottom of the tank between 0.25 and 3 times the hydraulic diameter of the tank.

11. A method of treatment by precipitation of an effluent containing dissolved pollution, wherein the effluent and precipitation reagents are injected into a tank in a given volume of which turbulent stirring is induced, the effluent, in which precipitation has been induced by the reagents, is made to flow from a bottom to a top through a settling structure situated above and adjacent to the given volume; and wherein the settling structure includes a plurality of flow channels extending from the bottom of the settling structure to the top of the settling structure; wherein the flow channels assume a zig-zag configuration such that no particle can pass through the settling structure along a rectilinear path; wherein the flow channels include a plurality of rectilinear sections and wherein a plurality of the rectilinear sections of the flow channel have a non-zero inclination with respect to a horizontal plane; wherein the flow channels are contiguous and are formed by a plurality of parallel plates and a plurality of parallel strips and wherein the plurality of plates and the plurality of strips form polygonal cross-sections; wherein the settling structure comprises a plurality of at least two layers and wherein each layer constitutes a network of contiguous flow channels; and wherein liquid streams leaving the settling structure form a treated effluent which is extracted at a level situated above the settling structure whereas a sludge is extracted at a lower part of said given volume.

12. The water treatment device of claim 1 wherein said settling structure includes a plurality of vertically spaced zones with each zone being defined, in part at least, by a series of the parallel plates that are angled relative to a vertical reference line; the plates of one zone being disposed at an angle relative to the plates of an adjacent zone; and a plurality of the strips extends generally vertically between the plates of each zone to form the plurality of the flow channels.

13. The water treatment method of claim 11 wherein the strips are disposed in parallel relationship to each other such that the strips and parallel plates form the flow channels which are of a uniform cross-section.

14. The water treatment method of claim 11 wherein there are provided at least three zones of parallel plates and generally vertical strips.

15. A reactor for treating water comprising:
a tank having an inlet associated with the tank for directing water to be treated into the tank, the inlet positioned intermediately on the tank between a top and bottom of the tank;
an outlet associated with the tank for directing treated water from the tank, the outlet positioned on the tank at a height above the inlet;
a mixer disposed in the tank for mixing the water with one or more reagents;
a settling structure disposed in the tank and located at a height in the tank generally between the inlet and outlet and wherein the settling structure is disposed over the mixer, the settling structure comprising:
i. plurality of flow channels that form a layer;
ii. wherein the flow channels extend generally upwardly from a bottom of the settling structure;
iii. wherein the flow channels are formed by a plurality of plates and strips which form a contiguous group of flow channels that have polygonal cross-sections;
iv. wherein respective flow channels include a series of connected rectilinear sections with a plurality of rectilinear sections of each flow channel assuming a different angular orientation relative to a horizontal plane such that the flow channels assume a zig-zag configuration from the bottom of the settling structure to the top of a settling structure such that no particle can pass through the settling structure in a rectilinear path; and
v. wherein treated water exits the top of the settling structure and is discharged through the outlet.

16. The reactor of claim 15 including at least two layers of flow channels disposed in the tank and wherein each layer includes a series of contiguous flow channels.

17. The reactor of claim 15 wherein the rectilinear sections of the flow channels form a plurality of zones and wherein the flow channels of each zone are disposed in parallel relationship but wherein the flow channels of each zone are disposed at different angles relative to the horizontal plane.

18. The reactor of claim 15 wherein respective flow channels include a rectangular or square cross-section.

19. The reactor of claim 15 wherein the respective flow channels have cross-sections having transverse dimensions which are the same order of magnitude in any transverse direction.

20. The reactor of claim 19 wherein there are two layers of flow channels disposed in the tank and wherein the orientation of the rectilinear sections of the flow channels of one layer are substantially different from the orientation of the rectilinear sections of the other layer.

Assignees

• Veolia Water Solutions & Tech

Inventors

• Barbier Eric
• Genin Arnaud

Classifications

• B01D21/0069 Primary

  Making of contact surfaces, structural details, materials therefor · CPC title

• C02F1/52

  by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities {(C02F1/463 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C02F2301/024

  Turbulent · CPC title

• B01D21/0042

  Baffles or guide plates · CPC title

• C02F2001/007

  Processes including a sedimentation step · CPC title