Electrocoagulation Reactor for Removal of TSS, HM, COD, BOD, Color, Inorganic Organic Contaminants from a drinking water or wastewater stream

Abstract

A non-chemical sustainable treatment reactor process utilizing electrochemistry for treating and reducing certain long chain inorganic and organic compounds including TSS, silica, color, BOD among other mineral compounds in drinking water, grey water and wastewater streams.

The electrocoagulation reactor chamber is built into a modular platform for ease of use and replacement of the metallic material as it used in this electrochemical process. The process is scalable for smaller and larger flow rate application when required using a continuous batch process. The reactor process includes a system controller integrating Artificial intelligence (AI) technology to optimize the system parameters and energy consumption based on the inlet water quality.

Claims

1. The system of claim 1 utilizes a system controller with artificial intelligence (AI) that is capability of optimizing system parameters including, polarity reversal, current density, power consumption, and recirculation/hydraulic retention time to maximize the systems treatment performance.

2. The system of claim 2 has both sacrificial and non sacrificial electrodes utilizing different electrode material and shapes to maximize surface area. This configuration includes, perforated plates, rods, balls, or irregularly shaped metallic pieces.

3. The system of claim 3 wherein there is a modular capability to increase system flow capacities with the manifolding of multiple treatment systems.

4. The system of claim 4 wherein there is a positive cathode and a negative anode involved in the systems electrochemical reactions.

5. The system of claim 5, wherein the system reactor design is capable of rectangular, square or circular configuration with non reactive chamber materials of construction.

6. The system of claim 6 wherein the electrodes have a diameter in the range of 0.4 cm to 1 cm

7. The system of claim 7, wherein the electrode material can be installed vertical or horizontal in the reactor chamber based on the optimized configuration for the specific treatment application.

The system of claim 7, wherein the electrode material can be installed vertical or horizontal in the reactor chamber based on the optimized configuration for the specific treatment application.

Description

4. Drawing

[0009] A drawing titled, FIG. 1 is provided for better understanding of the reactor design to be patented.

5. Detailed Description

[0010] Many contaminants in wastewater or drinking water streams, whether they be organic or inorganic in nature can be capable of being electrically removed through the use of an electrolysis process in a water source using specific metallic electrode materials.

[0011] This can be understood through chemical reactions that are created by an electrical charge created by the application of an electrical current on the surface of metallic electrode material. This electrical charge causes the release of hydrogen and oxygen in the water source, as well as an attraction of opposite charged molecules in the water source to attach to the metallic molecules of the electrode material to form coagulated suspended solids that can easily be clarified and filtered. According to FIG. 1, the source water is pumped into the modular reactor vessel, which can be of circular, square or rectangular configuration from the bottom of the reactor vessel. This source water flows through the reactor electrode material which can be composed of perforated plates, tubes, rods, irregular shapes or balls in an upward direction based on water pressure. The quantity, spacing, and size of the reactor material is based on the flow rate of the treatment system with a 1-1.5 minute hydraulic reaction time utilizing a continuous batch process.

[0012] An electrical charge is introduced by an external DC supply to the primary electrodes of the reactor design which have both positive (cathode) and negative (anode) connections.

[0013] To avoid potentially fouling/clogging of the electrode material, there is a polarity reversal capability in the system controller.

[0014] This system controller uses AI technology to optimize the chemical reactions, recirculating reaction time, and power consumption which is determined by current density and surface area of the electrode material.

[0015] The coagulated treated water flows through the system outlet and is pumped to a dissolved air flotation system or clarifier system with flocculant addition or by using a centrifugal filtration process. This would be followed by polishing tertiary filtration and disinfection steps prior to sustainable discharge, reuse or distribution.