System and method for purification and distribution of water with separation barrier taking away the biological contamination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9926210-B2
Application number	US-201214125412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2012
Priority date	Jun 24, 2011
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

The invention concerns a treated water purification system ( 18 ) comprising a closed water flow loop ( 107 ) said loop comprising at least one treated water supply point (A), at least one point of use (U) of purified water, a pump means ( 101 ), a sterilization means ( 106 ) and a filtration means ( 103 ), characterized in that the zone ( 106 ) comprises the supply point (A) and a water extraction point (P), situated upstream of the supply point (A), and in that the extraction point (P) and the supply point (A) are both situated in a sector ( 106 B) of the sterilization zone ( 106 ) that is isolated from the two connection points (R M , R V ) of the loop ( 107 ) to the zone ( 106 ) by two other sectors ( 106 A, 106 C) of the zone ( 106 ). Method for use of such a system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A treated water purification system comprising a closed loop for water flow, said loop comprising: a water inlet supply connected to at least one UV radiation sterilizer having an upstream connection point and a downstream connection point; at least one pump directing water from said at least one UV radiation sterilizer via said downstream connection point to at least one filter, said at least one filter comprising a membrane having an upstream side and a downstream side; at least one point of use of purified water connected to said downstream side of said at least one filter; and a second connection pipe connecting said upstream side of said at least one filter to said upstream connection point of said at least one UV radiation sterilizer; wherein said at least one UV sterilizer has at least one treated water supply point through which said treated water enters via said water inlet supply, at least one purified water extraction point situated upstream of said at least one water supply point, and defines a zone for sterilization by UV, said zone comprising at least first, second and third sectors;
wherein the extraction point and the supply point are both situated in said first sector of the UV sterilization zone, said first sector being isolated from said upstream connection point and said downstream connection point by said second and third sectors of the UV sterilization zone, respectively, and
wherein said at least one filter is connected to said loop by two connection pipes: a first connection pipe situated upstream of said upstream side of said membrane and connected to said at least one pump, and said second connection pipe.

2. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one storage tank for purified water, wherein said storage tank is connected to said purified water extraction point by a recycling pipe.

3. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising an open tank and at least one recycling pipe in fluid communication with said at least one purified water extraction point and with said open tank.

4. A system according to claim 1 , wherein said loop further comprises a valve regulating the flow of water in said loop, said valve being positioned in said second connection pipe between said at least one filter and said upstream connection point.

5. A system according to claim 4 , further comprising a second filter comprising a membrane having an upstream side and situated between said at least one pump and said at least one filter and connected to said at least one filter by a linking pipe, and a diversionary pipe linking said upstream side of the membrane to a point of the loop situated downstream of said valve.

6. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising a second filter, which is situated between said at least one UV radiation sterilizer and said at least one filter, and such that a diversionary pipe links said second filter to a point of the loop situated upstream of said zone for sterilization.

7. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one heater disposed in the loop for heating at least one part of the loop.

8. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter is a single-use filter.

9. A method of purifying treated water comprising making treated water flow in a closed water flow loop, said loop comprising: a water inlet supply connected to a UV radiation sterilizer having an upstream connection point and a downstream connection point; at least one pump directing water from said UV radiation sterilizer via said downstream connection point to at least one filter separate from said UV sterilizer, said at least one filter comprising a membrane having an upstream side and a downstream side; at least one point of use of purified water connected to said downstream side of said at least one filter; and a second connection pipe connecting said upstream side of said at least one filter to said upstream connection point of said UV radiation sterilizer; wherein said UV radiation sterilizer has at least one treated water supply point through which said treated water enters via said water inlet supply, at least one purified water extraction point situated upstream of said at least one water supply point, and defines a zone for sterilization by UV, said zone comprising at least first, second and third sectors; wherein the extraction point and the supply point are both situated in said first sector of the UV sterilization zone, said first sector being isolated from said upstream connection point and said downstream connection point by said second and third sectors of the UV sterilization zone, respectively, and
wherein said at least one filter is connected to said loop by two connection pipes: a first connection pipe situated upstream of said upstream side of said membrane and connected to said at least one pump, and said second connection pipe;
the treated water entering said closed water flow loop by said at least one supply point during at least one supplying step and flowing into said UV radiation sterilizer and through said loop to said at least one point of use, said purifying comprising filtering said treated water with said at least one filter, sterilizing said treated water with said UV radiation sterilizer, the resulting purified water being extracted at said at least one point of use,
said method further comprising extracting part of the water flowing in the loop, at said at least one purified extraction point, and flowing said extracted water to said UV radiation sterilizer,
and wherein said sterilizing is carried out continuously on the water flowing in the loop in said first sector of said UV radiation sterilizer situated upstream of said extraction point, in said second sector of said UV radiation sterilizer situated downstream of said extraction point and upstream of said supply point, and in said third sector of said UV radiation sterilizer situated downstream of said supply point.

10. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising placing the extracted water in storage.

11. A method according to claim 10 , further comprising introducing at said extraction point of the loop, a part of the water that has been placed in storage.

12. A method according to claim 9 , wherein said closed water flow loop further comprises a heater, said heater surrounding said UV radiation sterilizer, said method further comprising heating the water flowing in the loop with said heater.

13. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising carrying out a second filtering step and wherein the purified water is extracted after either said second filter step or after said step of filtering said treated water with said at least one filter.

14. A method of purifying treated water according to claim 13 , further comprising purging part of the water flowing in the loop by causing part of the water flowing in the loop to flow in a diversion from the loop.

15. A method of purifying treated water according to claim 9 , further comprising evacuating any gas flowing in the loop to the atmosphere at a point in said second connection pipe downstream of said at least one filter and upstream of said at least one UV radiation sterilizer.

16. A system accordingly to claim 1 , wherein there is only one UV radiation sterilizer in said loop.

Assignees

• Gaignet Yves
• Meyer Didier
• Bole Julien
• Emd Millipore Corp

Inventors

• Gaignet Yves
• Meyer Didier
• Bole Julien

Classifications

• C02F1/44

  by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis {(general membrane separation processes B01D61/00, membrane modules B01D63/00, electrodialysis C02F1/4693, combination of membrane modules and bioreactors C02F3/1268)} · CPC title

• C02F9/20

  Portable or detachable small-scale multistage treatment devices, e.g. point of use or laboratory water purification systems · CPC title

• C02F1/32 Primary

  with ultraviolet light · CPC title

• C02F9/005

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic