WO2011098301A1

WO2011098301A1 - Method and device for treating contaminated liquids, in particular water, without adding chemicals

Info

Publication number: WO2011098301A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/000715
Authority: WO
Inventors: Edwin Ell
Original assignee: Aqua Vivendi Ltd.
Priority date: 2010-02-15
Filing date: 2011-02-15
Publication date: 2011-08-18
Also published as: DE102010007969A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for treating contaminated liquids, in particular water, by means of a combination of a plurality of methods that are based on different methods of action, without adding chemicals. The liquid is first fed to an electrolysis unit (3). The mixture of solids and liquid generated there is then fed to a filtration unit (8) and subsequently is fed to one or more ultra-filtration units (12).

Description

Process and device for the treatment of contaminated liquids, in particular water, without the addition of chemicals

The invention relates to a method and a device for the treatment of contaminated liquids, in particular water, without the addition of chemicals, by means of a combination of several purification units.

There are plants, such as devices for disinfecting water, for example from DE 60 2004 008 584 T2 known in which electrolysis units are used for the oxidation of microorganisms. In this case, the aim is to keep the reaction products in solution or to remove them by appropriately connecting the electrodes, such as cathodes and anodes, and arranging them. Furthermore, for example from DE 20 2005 015 370 Ul Trinkwasseraufbereitungs- / disinfection devices are known in which filtration units are used before the start of further treatment in order to filter to achieve an efficient water disinfection solids from the water.

From DE 198 35 592 Al a method for wastewater treatment in the field of coarse pollution or sewage sludge with a perforated tube and an anode rod in use as a sacrificial anode is known.

Such systems are not suitable to prepare a liquid with a large amount of stress potential.

Rather, they are only suitable for the treatment of with low loads, for example, to kill microorganisms.

The invention has for its object to provide a method and apparatus for the treatment of contaminated liquids, especially water, which is also suitable for higher loads.

This is achieved by a combination of several cleaning units of different active principles in conjunction with an electrolysis unit and downstream of a filtration unit and subsequently one or more rotating fines filter, wherein the liquid first supplied to the electrolysis unit with one or more pairs of electrodes and an electrical voltage to the Electrodes is applied. In addition to water, organic solvents, for example alcohols and mixtures thereof, can be used as liquids. According to a further essential feature of the invention, a double occupancy within the electrolysis unit is provided in the seawater area, ie a heat flow from minus to plus as well as from plus to minus, wherein the anodes are not the same shape, but are rotated in S-shape. In this way the atoms are entangled and an acceleration of the flocculation is achieved.

A treatment plant according to the inventive method is used to produce clean drinking water quality drinking water as a result of filtration of contaminated liquids, in particular contaminated water, e.g. Sewage from slaughterhouses, seawater, ballast water from ships,

Brackish water and the like. The proposed combination of an electrolysis unit with a downstream filtrate Onseinheit is based on a modified principle of action of the electrolysis unit. For coarse cleaning of the contaminated liquid can be preceded to prevent clogging of the E lektrolyseeinheit a Grobstofffilter, which may also be formed as a filtration unit with at least one rotating fines filter.

Depending on the in the liquid, which has at least a predetermined, necessary for the treatment by means of an electrolysis unit electrical conductivity - this is especially true for contaminated water -, contained impurities will type, material, number, area and distance of the electrodes, which are used as anodes and cathodes are operated in an electrical circuit, given. The connection of the electrodes can depend on the application in the form of direct current with a firmly impressed voltage and / or in the form of current-voltage profiles, for example alternating current with a matched to the expected impurities, the type of liquid and the like the voltage amplitudes and frequencies take place, wherein corresponding regeneration cycles can be provided for the regeneration of the electrodes. In addition, the voltage applied to the electrodes is specified in particular in terms of the electrochemical voltage series, overvoltages occurring at the electrodes and the electrochemical properties and concentration of the impurities by means of a control device. The impurities and parts of the liquid are hereby reacted electrochemically on the electrodes and decompose into flocculent solids and gaseous components, for example hydrogen, oxygen, chlorine and other reaction products of the predominantly organic and / or impurities present as inorganic salts. If this process is carried out with sufficient intensity, it will result in ne sufficient purity of the liquid, such as water in drinking water quality.

In an embodiment of the inventive concept, it has proven advantageous in this case if the electrolysis unit is followed by the rotating filtration unit in order to separate the liquid from the liquid immediately after its formation for filtration of the solids formed in large quantities during the electrochemical treatment of the liquid.

In this case, the pore size of the at least one fines filter of the downstream filtration unit depends on the pore size of the solid formed at the electrodes, which flocculates due to the resulting on the electrode surfaces of the reaction solids and thus finely divided due to the resulting solids at the electrodes, so that a pore size from about 0.1 microns to 0.5 microns may be required. Under a rotating fines filter is compared to a housing of the fines filter with an inlet of the liquid to be filtered rotating shaft with a drain of the filtered liquid to understand, between the inlet and the outlet, a rotating filter is disposed on the shaft, so that for example sufficient revolutions per minute, the deposited on the filter solids due to the centrifugal force can be removed and be discharged through an opening provided in the housing. In this case, in a preferred embodiment, a filtration unit is provided, in which one or more parallel and / or serially arranged rotating fines filters are provided. This or these fines filter consist of at least one filter unit with a plurality of axially to each other around the shaft, for example, attached to a rotating drain sleeve arranged and attached to this filter discs. The surfaces of these filter discs are charged with the mixture and the filtered liquid is introduced into the drain sleeve. The fines filter is driven as such by the resulting hydropower or alternatively by an electric motor.

According to the inventive idea, the filter discs are made of plastic, for example polyethylene. It has proved to be advantageous for reasons of a broad field of application, when the filter discs are made of a single plastic component, sintered for example from a granulate or powder of predetermined particle size, so that only a plastic component is to be considered in targeted conditions of use only borrowed. Several filter discs may be axially connected to each other, e.g. by fusion, be connected to each other, so that at this point no additional, used as an adhesive components must be used.

The design of the filter disks can be equipped with respect to an optimized flow of the liquid with respect to the distribution of the pore size in the filter disk such that the filter disks have a core of coarse-pored and a shell of fine-pored material, the coarse-pored core merely serving as support for the fine-pored material , the filtering of the liquid cause and therefore with respect to a

Layer thickness relative to the core preferably thinly executed coat serves.

The removed by the filter discs by their rotation and separated from the liquid solid can be compacted by means of a solid press and collected in a solids container. It has proved to be advantageous according to the inventive method for the operation of a plant oriented thereon, in particular for ecological and umweitrelevanten aspects when the resulting gases in the electrolysis unit, for example hydrogen, oxygen, chlorine and the like are used. For example, these can be collected, optionally separated, compressed and reused. Be particularly advantageous, it has proven the resulting and. to incinerate trapped gases in an energy conversion machine and then use their energy. In this way, at least a part of the energy used in the electrolysis unit can be recovered.

The energy conversion machine can, for example, a

Be internal combustion engine, which is operated depending on the resulting gases as a detonating gas, chlorine gas engine, as a fuel cell or the like.

In this case, in the case of using a fuel cell e- lectric energy and kinetic energy obtained when using an internal combustion engine. The latter can be at least partially also converted into electrical energy when connecting a power generator.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to Figures 1 to 5. 1 shows a schematic overview of a method

underlying system for liquid treatment Fig. 2 shows a section through a schematically illustrated, rotating fines filter

Fig. 3 electrolysis unit in section

Fig. 4 shows a filter unit in function

Fig. 5 shows a filter in section

1 shows a plant 1 for the treatment of contaminated liquids using the example of a treatment of contaminated water, such as wastewater or seawater in the form of a schematically illustrated block diagram. In the feed 2 while the contaminated water is supplied under pressure, for example by gravity or a pump. Before the electrolysis unit 3, a buffer memory can be arranged. In the electrolysis unit 3, the water is guided past electrode pairs spaced apart from one another such as anodes and cathodes, it being possible for a plurality of pairs of electrodes to be arranged parallel and / or in series in the water flow depending on the flow to be managed. In the case of a serial arrangement of electrode pairs, these can be connected in the form of a cascade of differently set electrochemical parameters such as electrode spacing, electrode material, impressed voltage and the like. By applying the voltage to the electrodes formed from the water electrolytically formed gases such as hydrogen and oxygen. Furthermore, under the electrochemical conditions, if appropriate in cooperation with the gases formed, the impurities contained in the water at the electrodes are at least partially oxidized or reduced. This can be additional gases, for example in the case of organic contaminants such as proteins and fats in the In the case of slaughter effluents, for example methane and depending on the pH of the water, carbon dioxide is produced.

The resulting gases can be discharged and supplied to the internal combustion engine 4, which burns these gases, for example predominantly as oxyhydrogen gas or, in the case of a high concentration of chloride as an impurity, for example in seawater desalination, as chlorine gas. The resulting energy can be utilized directly or transferred under the driven by the internal combustion engine energy conversion machine 5 in a different form of energy. If the energy conversion machine 5 is provided as a current generator, electrical energy can be obtained which is available to the plant and can charge a current accumulator and / or can be fed into a power grid after appropriate voltage equalization. Alternatively or additionally, the energy conversion machine 5 may be designed as an air conditioner or replace a power generator or be switched on.

Alternatively or in addition to the utilization of the gases produced in the electrolysis unit 3 in the internal combustion engine 4, these can be collected in the gas collector 6, optionally separated there and used separately, or - provided safety-friendly composition - compacted and fed to another utilization ,

In the electrolysis unit 3, the impurities of the water accumulate as a solid which, for example, is formed on the electrodes during the electrolytic treatment and flocculates in a fine form. The solid, which is thus amorphous, colloidal or otherwise present, is mixed with the electrolytically purified aqueous phase of the solid in the electrolyte. lysis unit 3 directly into the filtration unit 8 or - as shown - previously transferred to the buffer memory 7 and from there into the filtration unit. In this case, the buffer memory 7 already serve to sediment the solid, wherein from the buffer 7 already settling portions of the solid can be discharged and according to the - described later - filter cake can be worked up. The filtration unit 8 with the illustrated rotary fines filter separates the mixture into the solid and the aqueous phase. The solid is separated from the filtration unit 8 in the solid press 9 and compacted there, wherein excess water is squeezed out and, if necessary, again the filtration unit 8 or the buffer memory 7 is supplied. From the solid press 9, the solid is transferred to the solid container 10, which may be provided as a replacement container. Depending on the impurities of the water to be treated, the solid forming the filter cake may contain, for example, slaughterhouse effluents, organically utilizable fractions, for reprocessing effluents from the potash industry, for example, proportions of reusable alkali ions and salts of seawater, in particular saline and iodine salts.

The filtered water is supplied to the buffer tank 11 in the illustrated embodiment or can also be transferred directly into the ultrafiltration unit 12. The buffer container 11 can - when the ultrafiltration unit 12 is designed for peak loads - be dispensed with.

Buffer container 11 is followed by a possible ultrafiltration unit 12 which, for example, designed as a membrane filtration unit, remaining suspended solids and turbid substances and depending on the design of the membranes still remaining residues of microorganisms filters.

The possible ultrafiltration unit 12 may comprise units in stages, which additionally contains a stage with ion exchange membranes, which, in particular for achieving drinking water quality of the purified water, can on the one hand reduce an increased ion concentration and, on the other hand, can set a predetermined pH value.

The completely purified water is supplied from the ultrafiltration directly via the sequence 15 of a further use, for example, fed into a supply line or optionally cached in the water tank 13. For the distribution of the water flow, a regulated valve 14, which is arranged only schematically at this point, can be provided. Additionally or alternatively, further valves may for example be provided between ultrafiltration unit 12 and water tank 13.

In Appendix 1, a control unit is provided which controls the operations described. For this purpose, corresponding sensors such as fill level sensors, flow sensors and the like can be provided at a plurality of locations. Depending on these signals, the system 1 is controlled according to the method, for example the electrolysis unit 3, the water flow and the like, and the necessary energy, such as electrical energy, is provided, which regulates the energy conversion machine 5 designed as a current generator and optionally dissipates electrical energy.

FIG. 2 shows a section through a schematically illustrated rotating fines filter 16 of the filtration unit 8 of FIG. 1. The fines filter 16 is made of a rubber. home 17, which receives the example of an electric motor in the direction of arrow 18 driven shaft 19 which is formed as a drain sleeve 20 for the filtered water with the one-sided open drain 21, rotatable and sealed.

The housing 17 has an inlet 22 for the mixture of water and solids produced in the electrolysis unit 3 of FIG. 1 and an outlet opening 23 through which the remaining solid is discharged. To simplify the application of the solid can be arranged on the bottom 27 of the housing 17, a screw conveyor, not shown, or the like. On the shaft 19 a plurality of axially spaced filter discs 24 are fixed, which have on its outer surface a fine-pored filter 25, which is applied to a coarse-pored core 26, which serves as a carrier for the filter 25.

This results in the following function: upon supply of the mixture via the inlet 22, the aqueous phase of the mixture is forced through the filter 25 of the filter discs 24 via the coarse-pore core 26 into the drain sleeve 20 and from there via the outlet 21 for further processing, for example in the UV treatment unit 11 of Figure 1 fed. Due to the rotation of the shaft 19, for example at about 500 rpm, the solid settling on the filters 25 is detached and fed to the solids press 9 of FIG. 1 via the discharge opening 23.

FIG. 3 shows an electrolysis unit 3 in section with the special configuration of the anodes 28 in the S configuration. FIG. 4 shows a filter unit as a combination filter 29 in operation, suitable both for dirty water and also for seawater treatment, wherein a self-cleaning effect takes place by means of internal and external pressure via slings and scraping edges of the filter discs 24. The filter rotation of the filter discs 24 is generated by a at the junction 34 of the shaft 19 with this fixed, but solvable, not shown in the figure E-motor. With Pos. 33 is the raw water inlet, with the Pos. 30 and Pos. 31 are the pure water drains and Pos.32 the dirty water outlet 32 is marked with Pos. 35 the vent.

4 shows a filter with the filter discs 24 in section.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 plant

2 inlet

3 electrolysis unit

4 internal combustion engine

5 energy conversion machine

6 gas collectors

7 buffer memory

8 filtration unit

9 solids

10 solid containers

II buffer tank

12 Possible ultrafiltration unit

13 water tank

14 valve

15 process

16 fine filter

17 case of 16

18 arrow

19 wave

20 drain sleeve

21 process

22 inlet

23 discharge opening

24 filter discs

25 fine-pored filters on 24

26 core of 24

27 floor

28 anodes in S-shape

29 combination filter for dirty and sea water

30 pure water

31 pure water 32 dirty water 33 raw water

34 Electric motor / or hydropower 35 Ventilation

Claims

claims

1. A process for the treatment of a contaminated liquid, in particular water, without addition of chemicals, characterized by

a combination of several cleaning units of different active principles (3,8, possibly 12) in a plant (1), comprising an electrolysis unit (3) and a downstream filtration unit (8) and subsequently one or more possible ultrafiltration units (12), wherein the Liquid first of the electrolysis unit (3) equipped with supplied to one or more energized electrodes and such a mixture of solids and liquid is generated.

2. The method according to claim 1,

characterized in that

in the seawater area a double occupancy within the electrolysis unit (3) is provided, ie a heat flow from minus to plus as well as from plus to minus, wherein the anodes (18, 19) are not the same shape, but are rotated in S-shape.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,

characterized in that

the possible ultrafiltration unit (12) and that the combination filter is designed for contaminated and sea water and a self-cleaning effect on internal and external pressure, with the filter discs spin and Abschabkanten are provided.

4. Process according to claims 1 to 3,

characterized in that the possible ultrafiltration unit (12) is composed of one or more fines filters.

5. The method according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that

the rotating fines filter (16) comprises at least one filter unit, comprising a plurality of axially adjacent to each other, a rotating drain sleeve (20) and attached to the ser filter discs (24) whose surfaces (25) is acted upon by the mixture of solids and liquid keit and the filtered liquid is introduced into a drain sleeve (20).

6. The method according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that

the rotating fines filter (12) is driven by an electric motor (4).

7. Apparatus according to claim 7,

characterized in that

the filter discs (24) are formed from a single plastic component.

8. Device according to one of claims 6 or 7,

characterized in that

the filter discs (24) have a core (26) of coarsely porous and a filter (25) of fine-pored material.

9. The method according to one or more of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that

the solids separated from the liquid by means of the filtration unit (8) are compacted by means of a solid press (9) and collected in a solids container (10).

10. Method, in particular according to claim 1,

characterized in that

arranged in the vertical plane, in their entirety, the impurities eliminating elements in the horizontal, starting from the electrolysis unit (3) and in parallel to their residual and waste recycling units (4, 5, 6) are assigned, wherein the unit (6 ) is identified as a gas collector and in the opposite side strand via an internal combustion engine (4) for selective application controlled energy conversion machine (5) can be attached.

11. The method according to claim 10,

characterized in that

in which in the plant (1) the internal combustion engine (4) is provided for combustion of the gases generated by the electrolysis unit (3).