Safety device for circulating water utilization system and circulating-water utilization system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9783963-B2
Application number	US-201415100884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2014
Priority date	Dec 5, 2013
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A safety device of a recirculating-water utilization system to be constructed in a specific area includes: at least one of a circulating-water monitoring unit configured to monitor a water quality of circulating water purified by a purifying unit, or a treatment-vessel monitoring unit configured to detect abnormality of treatment vessels constituting the purifying unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A circulating-water utilization system comprising:
a circulation channel through which circulating water flows;
a discharge channel through which wastewater discharged from a water consumer is discharged to the circulation channel, the water consumer being composed of a plurality of water consuming members including at least one of a residence, a tenant shop, or an office which uses the circulating water flowing through the circulation channel;
a purifying unit configured to purify the circulating water containing the wastewater flowing through the circulation channel, the purifying unit comprising a plurality of treatment vessels connected to one another;
a supply channel configured to supply the circulating water purified by the purifying unit to the water consumer; and
a safety device comprising at least one of a circulating-water monitoring unit configured to monitor a water quality of the circulating water purified by the purifying unit, or a treatment-vessel monitoring unit configured to detect abnormality of the treatment vessels constituting the purifying unit,
wherein the safety unit further comprises:
a circulating-water shutoff valve disposed in the supply channel and configured to be capable of shutting off supply of the circulating water purified by the purifying unit to the water consumer;
a circulating-water shutoff valve control unit capable of controlling operation of the circulating-water shutoff valve;
an abnormality-time supply channel connecting a waterworks system and the supply channel at a downstream side of the circulating-water shutoff valve;
a gate valve disposed in the abnormality-time supply channel and configured to open and close the abnormality-time supply channel; and
a gate-valve control unit capable of controlling the gate valve to open and close, and

wherein the circulating-water shutoff valve control unit is configured to start operation of the circulating-water shutoff valve to shut off supply of the circulating water to the water consumer, and the gate-valve control unit is configured to open the gate valve to supply the supply channel with tap water from the waterworks system, if the circulating-water monitoring unit detects deterioration of the water quality of the circulating water purified by the purifying unit to below a predetermined water quality.

2. The circulating-water utilization system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the safety device further comprises a wastewater monitoring unit configured to monitor a water quality of the wastewater flowing through the discharge channel, and a plurality of wastewater storage tanks each of which is capable of storing a predetermined amount of the wastewater discharged from corresponding one of the plurality of water consuming members constituting the water consumer,
wherein the circulating-water shutoff valve control unit is configured to start operation of the circulating-water shutoff valve to shut off supply of the circulating water to the water consumer, and the gate-valve control unit is configured to open the gate valve to supply the supply channel with tap water from the waterworks system, if the wastewater monitoring unit detects contamination of the wastewater flowing through the discharge channel with a predetermined amount or more of a predetermined harmful substance.

3. The circulating-water utilization system according to claim 1 , further comprising a circulating-water storage tank capable of storing the circulating water purified by the purifying unit.

4. The circulating-water utilization system according to claim 2 , further comprising a circulating-water storage tank capable of storing the circulating water purified by the purifying unit.

5. A circulating-water utilization system comprising:
a circulation channel through which circulating water flows;
a discharge channel through which wastewater discharged from a water consumer is discharged to the circulation channel, the water consumer being composed of a plurality of water consuming members including at least one of a residence, a tenant shop, or an office which uses the circulating water flowing through the circulation channel;
a purifying unit configured to purify the circulating water containing the wastewater flowing through the circulation channel, the purifying unit comprising a plurality of treatment vessels connected to one another;
a supply channel configured to supply the circulating water purified by the purifying unit to the water consumer; and
a safety device comprising at least one of a circulating-water monitoring unit configured to monitor a water quality of the circulating water purified by the purifying unit, or a treatment-vessel monitoring unit configured to detect abnormality of the treatment vessels constituting the purifying unit,
wherein the purifying unit comprises a plurality of treatment-vessel rows of the plurality of treatment vessels connected in series, each of the treatment vessels comprising a container which houses a treatment device configured to perform a treatment step which constitutes a series of purifying step for purifying the wastewater,
wherein the safety device further comprises a switching unit capable of switching a flow of the circulating water so that the circulating water containing the wastewater flows through an optional treatment-vessel row of the plurality of treatment-vessel rows, and a switching-unit control unit capable of controlling the switching unit, and
wherein the switching-unit control unit is configured to control the switching unit so that the circulating water does not flow through the treatment-vessel row including the treatment vessel in which abnormality is detected, if the treatment-vessel monitoring unit detects abnormality of the treatment vessel.

6. The circulating-water utilization system according to claim 5 , further comprising a circulating-water storage tank capable of storing the circulating water purified by the purifying unit.

7. A circulating-water utilization system comprising:
a circulation channel through which circulating water flows;
a discharge channel through which wastewater discharged from a water consumer is discharged to the circulation channel, the water consumer being composed of a plurality of water consuming members including at least one of a residence, a tenant shop, or an office which uses the circulating water flowing through the circulation channel;
a purifying unit configured to purify the circulating water containing the wastewater flowing through the circulation channel, the purifying unit comprising a plurality of treatment vessels connected to one another;
a supply channel configured to supply the circulating water purified by the purifying unit to the water consumer;
a drinking-water producing unit configured to produce drinking water for the water consumer by purifying tap water taken in from a waterworks system;
a purified-water supply channel for supplying the drinking-water producing unit with the circulating water purified by the purifying unit, the purified-water supply channel connecting the circulation channel and the drinking-water producing unit; and
a safety device comprising at least one of a circulating-water monitoring unit configured to monitor a water quality of the circulating water purified by the purifying unit, or a treatment-vessel monitoring unit configured to detect abnormality of the treatment vessels constituting the purifying unit,
wherein the safety device further includes a gate valve configured to open and close the purified-water supply channel, an outage detecting unit capable of detecting outage of the waterworks system, and a gate-valve control unit configured to control the gate valve to open and close, and
wherein the gate-val

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Sys

Inventors

• Yagita Hiroyuki
• Minamiura Junichi
• Hyodo Jun
• Yokota Yukinobu
• Shin Hayato
• Kitagawa Riki

Classifications

• Y10T137/85954

  Closed circulating system · CPC title

• E03B1/041

  Greywater supply systems · CPC title

• E03B7/074 Primary

  Arrangement of water treatment devices · CPC title

• E03B1/042

  Details thereof, e.g. valves or pumps · CPC title