Method for Treating a Fluid by Upflow Through a Bed of Adsorbent Media and Corresponding Installation

Abstract

Plant (1) intended for the treatment of a fluid (15) by passage of an upflow (90) of said fluid (15) through a bed of adsorbent media particles (13). The plant (1) comprises a reactor (2) intended to contain the bed of adsorbent media particles (13), comprising: a means for injecting and distributing fluid to be treated, disposed at the bottom part, for forming the upflow (90) of fluid (15) within the reactor (2) and enabling the fluidization and expansion of said bed of adsorbent media particles (13); a means for recovering treated fluid; a means for deflecting fluid (20) disposed at the top part, intended for reducing the speed of the upflow (90) of fluid (15) and enabling the formation of a tranquil zone (27), said means for recovering treated fluid being disposed downstream from said tranquil zone (27).

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A method of treating a fluid by flowing the fluid upwardly through a bed of adsorbent particles that include relatively large adsorbent particles and relatively small adsorbent particles, wherein the adsorbent particles are grains or micrograins chosen from activated carbon, resin, clay, zeolite, manganese dioxide, iron oxyhydroxide, or a mixture thereof, the method comprising: directing the fluid into a bottom of a reactor; from the bottom of the reactor, directing the fluid upwardly through an expansion zone in the reactor and through the bed of adsorbent particles in the reactor; fluidizing and expanding the bed of adsorbent particles in the expansion zone as the fluid flows upwardly through the reactor; reducing the speed of the upflowing fluid by at least one deflector disposed in the reactor above the expansion zone so as to form a tranquil zone above the expansion zone and about the deflector; contacting at least some of the smaller adsorbent particles with the deflector and generally preventing a substantial amount of the small adsorbent particles from flowing upwardly past the deflector, thereby reducing or preventing the leaking of adsorbent particles from the reactor; and directing treated fluid from the reactor and out an outlet disposed above the deflector.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the particle size of the relatively large adsorbent particles is between 600-1300 m and the particle size of the relatively small adsorbent particles is smaller than 400 m.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the deflector extends a substantial distance across the reactor.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the deflector includes a plurality of spaced apart blades that are angled relatively to the upward flow of fluid.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the blades are angled approximately 60 with respect to the upward flow of the fluid.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein contacting at least some of the relatively small adsorbent particles causes the relatively small adsorbent particles to fall into the bottom of the reactor by gravity.

21. The method of claim 15 including forming a transition zone between the expansion zone and the tranquil zone such that the concentration of adsorbent particles in the transition zone is less than the concentration of adsorbent particles in the expansion zone.

22. The method of claim 15 including maintaining the speed of the upflow fluid at 20-40 m/h.

23. The method of claim 15 including maintaining an area in the reactor above the deflector substantially free of adsorbent particles.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein the deflector comprises a prism-shaped chute with sides that form an angle 45-70 relative to a horizontal reference line.

25. The method of claim 15 including adjusting the speed of the upflowing fluid to form the expansion zone and to form a transition area interposed between the expansion zone and the deflector where the transition zone includes adsorbent particles that are less dense than the adsorbent particles in the expansion zone.

26. The method of claim 15 including maintaining the average rate of expansion of the bed of adsorbent particles in the expansion zone from 10%-90%.

27. The method of claim 15 including extracting adsorbent particles from the reactor and subjecting the extracted adsorbent particles to a solid/liquid separation process that produces a liquid phase and injecting the liquid phase back into the reactor.

28. The method of claim 15 including: taking a sample of the adsorbent particles from the reactor; analyzing the saturation of pollutants adsorbed on the sample of adsorbent particles; and extracting a portion of the adsorbent particles from the reactor when the saturation of pollutants exceeds a threshold value.

29. The method of claim 15 including maintaining the upflow speed of the fluid through the expansion zone at 8-40 m/h.

30. An apparatus configured to treat a fluid by flowing the fluid upwardly through a bed of adsorbent particles, the apparatus comprising: a reactor containing the adsorbent particles and wherein the adsorbent particles are grains or micrograins chosen from among activated carbon, resin, clay, zeolite, manganese dioxide, iron oxyhydroxide, or a mixture thereof; a reactor having an expansion zone where the expansion zone receives and holds the bed of adsorbent particles; an inlet configured to direct the fluid into the bottom of the reactor and upwardly through the reactor so as to fluidize and expand the bed of adsorbent particles; a deflector disposed in the reactor above the expansion zone and configured to contact the upflowing fluid and reduce the speed of the upflowing fluid and to deflect downwardly at least some of the adsorbent particles; a fluid tranquil zone formed in part at least by the deflector where the speed of the upflowing fluid in the fluid tranquil zone is substantially reduced; and a treated fluid outlet disposed above the deflector and configured to direct the treated fluid from the reactor.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the deflector comprises a plurality of generally parallel blades inclined, relative to the upward direction of the fluid flow, at an angle of 50-60.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the blades are spaced apart by a distance of 25 mm-100 mm.

33. The apparatus of claim 30 further including a prism-shaped chute with sides that form an angle of 45-70 relative to a horizontal reference line that extends through the reactor.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the prism-shaped chute includes at least one spout that serves as a baffle and which forms a part of the deflector.

35. A plant configured to treat a fluid by passing an upflow of the fluid through a bed of adsorbent particles, comprising: a reactor containing the bed of adsorbent particles wherein the adsorbent particles are grains or micrograins chosen from activated carbon, resin, clay, zeolite, manganese dioxide, iron oxyhydroxide, or a mixture thereof; wherein the reactor includes means for injecting and distributing the fluid to be treated that is disposed in a bottom part of the reactor and which forms the upflow of fluid within the reactor and is configured to fluidize and expand the bed of adsorbent particles; means for recovering the treated fluid; means for deflecting the upflowing fluid disposed in a top portion of the reactor and configured to reduce the speed of the upflowing fluid and configured to form a tranquil zone to form a tranquil zone about the means for deflecting the upflowing fluid.

36. The plant of claim 35 wherein said blades are spaced apart from one another by a distance of 25 mm to 100 mm.

37. The plant of claim 35 wherein the means for recovering fluid comprises a prism-shaped chute with side faces that form an angle of 45-70 relative to a horizontal reference line and being each provided with a first spout for fluid and a deflector serving as a baffle as a deflection means.

Description

5. LIST OF FIGURES

[0064] The invention as well as its different advantages will be understood more easily through the following description of two particular embodiments given with reference to the drawings in which:

[0065] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a plant for which the upflow reactor comprises blades that are inclined and mutually parallel;

[0066] FIG. 2 represents the inclined blades of the reactor of the plant according to FIG. 1;

[0067] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an upflow reactor comprising chutes provided with baffles; and

[0068] FIG. 4 represents a chute of the reactor of the plant according to FIG. 3.

6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ONE EMBODIMENT

[0069] Referring to FIG. 1, a plant 1 intended for the tertiary treatment of wastewater or the production of potable water is shown. The plant 1 comprises a reactor 2 containing a bed of activated carbon particles 13.

[0070] The activated carbon particles 13 have a particle size calibrated between 600 and 1300 m and generally comprise a proportion strictly below 5% of particles of a size smaller than 400 m. The concentration in particles 13 of activated carbon can be adjusted to a concentration of 1 g/L to 100 g/L depending on the type of water to be treated.

[0071] The reactor 2 as represented is cylindrical. The height of this type of reactor generally ranges from 3 meters to 10 meters.

[0072] A water intake pipe 10 provides water to be treated that is injected into the reactor 2. The water to be treated is injected by feeder ramps disposed in the lower part of the reactor 2 and enabling a uniform distribution of water 15 in the reactor. This enables the formation of an upflow 90 of water 15 within the reactor 2. The upflow 90 of water has such a speed that it causes the fluidizing and expansion of the particle bed 13 of activated carbon.

[0073] Referring in addition to FIG. 2, a set 20 of blades 21, inclined relative to the vertical by an angle close to 60 and spaced apart from one another by a distance of 36 to 42 mm, is disposed at the top part of the reactor 2. The blades have a length of about one meter. The set 20 of blades 21 enables the deflection of the upflow 90 and thus greatly reduces the speed of the incident flow, thus forming a tranquil zone 27. The particles 13 having arrived at the blades 21 get deposited on the blades 21 and flow downwards, therefore tending to drop into the bottom of the reactor by gravity. In the area 28 situated above said set 20 of blades 21, the water 15 no longer contains particles 13.

[0074] The speed of the water upflow 90 is computed so that it does not surpass a rate of expansion of the bed by 60% for a particle size of 0.8 mm. This enables the formation of an area of expansion 25 of the fluidized bed in which a large majority of the particles 13 of the fluidized bed are situated. This also enables the formation of a transition area 26 with a height of at least one meter to 1.5 meters beneath the set 20 of blades 21 in which the particles 13 are weakly concentrated. In this case, only those finest particles (<0.4 mm) that would have an expansion of 100% or more will be stopped by the set 20 of blades 21.

[0075] The reactor 2 works continuously at speeds of water upflow 90 generally ranging from 8 to 40 m/h, especially at upflow speeds ranging from 20 to 40 m/h. These flow speeds cannot be attained with prior-art reactors without causing major leakages of activated carbon. The speed of the upflow 90 can also be adjusted according to the desired duration allotted for the adsorption reaction. This duration can range from 5 min to 20 min.

[0076] Treated water is recovered by overflow in a pipe 30. At least one part of the treated water is recirculated in the reactor 2 through a pipe 35 enabling this part of recirculated treated water to be mixed with the water to be treated. This especially makes it possible to reduce the consumption of activated carbon. The fact is that by recirculating 50% of the flow of water with a COD of 2 mg/L, it is possible to pass from raw water to be treated, having a COD of 6 mg/L, to water to be treated, after mixing, having a COD of 4.66 mg/L. Thus, recirculation reduces the necessary dosage of activated carbon.

[0077] Samples of the fluidized bed of particles 13 of activated carbon are regularly taken by means of an outlet 40 disposed at the middle part of the reactor 2.

[0078] The iodine value of these samples is assessed in an analysis unit (not shown). The fresh activated carbon has a variable iodine value generally ranging from 900 to 1200 mg/g. The greater the extent to which the activated carbon becomes saturated in adsorbent substances, the less efficient it becomes for the treatment of water and the greater the reduction in the iodine value. A measurement of the iodine value above 300 mg/g allows the fluidized activated carbon bed to be maintained in the reactor. On the contrary, an iodine value lower than or equal to 300 mg/g means that the fluidized activated carbon bed must be renewed at least in part. To this end, an outlet 41, preferably disposed at the bottom part, enables the extraction, by a mechanical or hydraulic extraction device, of at least one part of the fluidized bed from the reactor 2. In parallel, in order that the concentration in activated carbon particles 13 should remain constant within the reactor 2, fresh activated carbon particles or refreshed activated carbon particles must be introduced into the reactor 2 at an activated carbon injection point 12. This sequential process of regular analyses of the iodine value of samples of the fluidized bed and of extraction from the fluidized bed, at least in part, when the iodine value becomes lower than or equal to 300 mg/g, reduces the consumption in activated carbon particles by 20% to 40%, as compared with methods where the activated carbon particles are periodically replaced without taking account of their higher or lower degrees of saturation.

[0079] The part of the fluidized bed extracted at the outlet 41 is then filtered into a filter bucket 3 or an equivalent (for example a filtering sieve). The recovered liquid phase, called drips, can then be recirculated in the reactor 2 by means of a pipe 11 enabling them to be mixed with the water to be treated. The water losses according to the method of treatment are therefore very low and remain below 1%. A concentrate of activated carbon particles can be discharged via an outlet 42 to be discarded or refreshed.

[0080] FIG. 3 shows a reactor 2 with a deflection means alternative to the set 20 of blades 21 and an alternative means for collecting and discharging water by chute. Such a reactor 2 can form part of a plant as described here above and can be used in a method as described here above using the same parameters. The description here below is focused on the elements differentiating the reactor 2 from the reactor 2 described here above.

[0081] A water inlet pipe 10 provides water to be treated injected into the reactor 2. The water to be treated is injected by water feeder ramps disposed at the lower part of the reactor 2 and enables a uniform distribution of water 15 into the reactor 2. This enables the formation of an upflow 90 of water 15 within the reactor 2. The upflow 90 of water causes the fluidization and expansion of the bed of particles 13 of activated carbon. The chutes 200 are provided with deflectors. These deflectors are spaced at 50-200 mm from the side faces of the chutes. They act as baffles and prevent the suspended particles from going out with the treated water. The particles are reinjected into the reactor.

[0082] Referring to FIG. 4, a chute 200 disposed at the top part of the reactor acts as a deflection means and enables the recovery of the treated water almost free of particles 15 in a pipe 30. The chute 200 has a prism-type polyhedral shape, the side faces of which (204, 204) form an angle of 45 to 70 relative to the horizontal. Preferably, the side faces form an angle of 60 relative to the horizontal. The side faces of the chute are each provided with a first water spout (205, 205) facing a deflector (206, 206) constituting a baffle.

[0083] The upper edges (207, 207) of the chute 200 are advantageously folded with a variable inclination to constitute a second spout (208, 208). The first water spout 205 is preferably oriented in an orthogonal direction relative to the side faces of the chute 200. Owing to its prismatic configuration, the chute is built symmetrically around the central axis XX and is thus constituted by two half-chutes G, G. Here below, the description will be limited to a description of the path taken by the water in the semi-chute G, symbolized by small arrows in FIG. 4. The water upflow 90 drives the finest particles 13 towards the first water spout 205. After having reached the threshold of the first spout 205, the flow of water flows downstream from it. The water turbulence is then limited by means of the deflector 206 forming a baffle on the path of the flow. Preferably, and as shown, the deflector is constituted by a smooth plate. It can also take the appearance of a grid, the mesh size of which is adapted to the dimensions of the activated carbon grains that are to be retained. Advantageously, it can be constituted by a stack of plates or an outline forming a honeycomb conduit. The orientation of the deflector 206 is variable. Advantageously, it is placed according to a direction parallel to the first water spout 205. The flow of water striking the baffle is slowed down and channeled into in a tranquil zone 209 demarcated by the inclined side face 204 of the chute. The water then collects in this area and follows an upward path until it reaches the threshold of the second spout 208. Water free of particles 13 can thus be recovered downstream from the second spout 208. The activated carbon particles 13, carried along by the water flow, are also collected in the tranquil zone 209, and owing to the inclination of this area, they slide along the side face 204 of the chute until the lower extremity of the first spout 205. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the lower extremity of the first spout 205 can advantageously be provided with a mobile flap 210 acting as a clack-valve. The particles 13 by their weight lift the flap and return into the mass of the fluidized bed.

[0084] In the reactors 2 and 2, it is possible to use adsorbent media that are alternatives to activated carbon, especially in the form of particles of resin, clay, zeolite, manganese dioxide or again iron oxyhydroxide. The use of these alternative adsorbent media can cause minor modifications in size or modifications of the parameters of the method of treatment that those skilled in the art will be able to adapt, especially according the particle size and density of the adsorbent media particles.