MOBILE, REPLACEABLE, AND REGENERABLE CARTRIDGE FOR TREATMENT OF WATER

Abstract

The mobile water treatment cartridge is connectable into a water treatment circuit and includes fluid connectors and power and data connection ports. The cartridge includes an outer shell having an upper opening that can be hermetically sealed by a lid, and an inner shell having an opening at the top and delimiting an internal volume of the cartridge, in which all the technical equipment for operation of the cartridge is placed. The inner shell is secured to at least one structure that can be inserted into the interior volume through the opening. There is a device for handling the cartridge secured to the outer shell and a device for rendering the cartridge mobile.

Claims

1. A mobile, replaceable and regenerable water treatment cartridge connected into a water treatment circuit, the cartridge comprising: connectors for intake and discharge pipes for at least one fluid; connecting ports for power and data transport input/output channels an outer shell having an upper opening that can be hermetically sealed by a lid, as well as at least one rapid access to the connectors and connecting ports; an inner shell also having an upper opening, delimiting an internal volume of the cartridge in which all of the technical equipment for the operation of the cartridge is placed, secured to at least one structure able to be inserted into the internal volume through the opening, said volume and the structure comprising mutual guiding means for final positioning thereof inside the internal volume; means for handling the cartridge, secured to the outer shell; and means for rendering the cartridge mobile.

2. The mobile, replaceable and regenerable cartridge for treating water in the form of effluents generated by toilets and regenerated using live purifying activated sludge in the cartridge, according to claim 1, further comprising: an internal water treatment reservoir delimited by the inner shell; and a chassis able to be inserted into the inner shell that serves as a lining, said chassis including all of the technical equipment for the operation of the cartridge.

3. The mobile, replaceable and regenerable water treatment cartridge, according to claim 2, wherein said chassis comprises at least one plate delimiting compartments in the reservoir; the technical equipment for the operation of the cartridge comprising: guiding/positioning means in the reservoir; fluid pipes; connectors to connecting means, preferably sealed, quick and without tools, for the fluid intake and discharge pipes; connection ports provided with connectors allowing a quick and tool-free connection/disconnection of the power and data transport input/output channels; measuring instruments; and sensors.

4. The mobile, replaceable and regenerable water treatment cartridge, according to claim 1, wherein the outer and inner shells are in a single piece, without any orifice other than the upper opening.

5. The mobile, replaceable and regenerable water treatment cartridge, according to claim 1, wherein the shells are molded from a composite material.

6. The mobile, replaceable and regenerable water treatment cartridge, according to claim 1, further comprising: an insulating material inserted between the outer shell and the inner shell in order to limit the thermal exchanges with the outside medium.

7. The mobile, replaceable and regenerable water treatment cartridge, according to claim 1, wherein the means for rendering the cartridge mobile comprises at least one axle with at least one rolling member protruding below the outer shell.

8. The mobile, replaceable and regenerable water treatment cartridge, according to claim 7, wherein the means for rendering the cartridge mobile comprises a rolling support on which the cartridge is fastened removably.

9. The mobile, replaceable and regenerable water treatment cartridge, according to claim 1, wherein said chassis comprises at least one vertical plate, the plate defining adjacent columns in the reservoir, each plate arranging upper and lower sludge circulation passages.

10. The mobile, replaceable and regenerable water treatment cartridge, according to claim 9, wherein the equipment of the chassis comprises: at least one air diffuser per column, and their respective supply pipes; at least one effluent intake pipe; at least one emptying pipe; a membrane filter and its permeation pipe; at least one connector plate comprising connectors to the fluid intake and discharge pipes and/or connecting ports for power and data transport input/output channels; measuring instruments; and sensors.

11. The mobile, replaceable and regenerable water treatment cartridge, according to claim 10, wherein said sensors of the chassis comprises at least two level alert sensors.

12. The mobile, replaceable and regenerable water treatment cartridge, according to claim 1, wherein at least the following sensors and measuring instruments equip the chassis: at least one temperature measuring instrument; at least one instrument for measuring the oxydo-reduction (Redox) potential and/or a dissolved oxygen (DO) sensor; at least one pH sensor; at least one turbidity sensor; and at least one conductivity sensor.

13. The mobile, replaceable and regenerable water treatment cartridge, according to claim 12, wherein the cartridge is parallelepiped, the connectors of the fluid intake and discharge pipes and/or connecting ports of the power and data transport input/output channels being placed on a first side of the cartridge situated opposite a second side comprising at least part of the means for handling the cartridge in order to move it, said connectors and ports being able to connect very quickly to receiver connectors of a host station, the connections being done automatically when the first side of the cartridge abuts in the host station.

14. The mobile and replaceable cartridge for the biological treatment of water, according to claim 13, further comprising: a connection locking lever is placed in or near the side including the handling means of the cartridge, the activation of said lever causing the mechanical locking of the cartridge in the host station at the same time as the opening of the fluid intake and discharge connectors and that of the connecting ports of the power and data transport input/output channels.

15. A device for the biological treatment of water with a cartridge, according to claim 1, the device comprising: at least one host station able to house at least one water treatment cartridge; outside connectors to sealed, quick and tool free-means for connecting fluid intake and discharge pipes; outside connecting ports to connectors allowing a quick and tool-free connection/disconnection of power and data transport input/output channels; internal compartments each able to house a cartridge, the bottom of which is equipped with internal fluid connectors, as well as internal connecting ports for power and data transport input/output channels; and means for guiding cartridges being provided in each compartment so that once the cartridges are abutting, they are connected to said internal connectors and connecting ports; and at least one cartridge, a first side of which has fluid intake and discharge connectors and power and data transport input/output channel connecting ports, said first side being situated opposite a second side including handling means for moving it, wherein said connectors and ports of each cartridge being able to connect automatically to internal connectors and ports of a host station, the connections being done automatically when the cartridge abuts in a compartment.

16. A device for the biological treatment of water according to claim 15, wherein each host station comprises electronic processing means for data coming from the cartridge, and means for sending/receiving and/or transferring at least some of this information derived from at least one cartridge.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0070] The invention will now be described in more detail, in the preferred example of the biological treatment of effluents generated by toilets, in reference to the appended figures.

[0071] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cartridge according to the present invention.

[0072] FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the assembly of the inner and outer shells.

[0073] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the chassis able to be inserted into said assembled shells.

[0074] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cartridge seen from the opposite side.

[0075] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an enlargement of the upper corner of the cartridge provided with connecting means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0076] In reference to FIG. 1, the cartridge (1) is made up, from the outside, essentially of an outer shell (2) and an upper lid (3). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer shell (2) houses an inner shell (4) that in fact adjusts in an insulating intermediate layer. A rolling support (5) fastened to the outer shell (2) removably makes it possible to allow the movement of the cartridge (1). The latter has a substantially parallelepiped shape, this shape making it possible to optimize its storage during maintenance operations and its use in combination with a host station for example on a train, the parallelepiped compartments being particularly advantageous for guiding/housing the cartridges.

[0077] A connector (6) allows the connection to a supply pipe coming from the outside circuit conveying the fluid to be treated. The chassis (10) appears in FIG. 3. It is on this part that the equipment is concentrated in a cluster, such that for any maintenance operation, it suffices to remove the internal shell (4) to be able to perform a complete technical treatment. This chassis (10) is primarily based on a vertical plate (11), which, in the case at hand, defines, with the internal volume of the shell (4) delimiting a reservoir, two parallel vertical treatment columns.

[0078] A certain number of sensors and measuring instruments are arranged on this plate (11), regarding which no details are necessary at this time.

[0079] In reference to FIG. 3, the assembly of the different elements of the cartridge (1) according to the invention is well illustrated. Thus, the inner shell (4) is inserted into the outer shell (2) until it abuts by gravity at the bottom of the latter. Then, the chassis (10) itself is slid and guided by gravity in the inner shell (4).

[0080] In reference to FIG. 1, the pipe (8) that appears on the left side of the cartridge (1) is assigned to emptying during maintenance operations, for example when it involves a wastewater biological treatment cartridge, for which the bacterial medium is regenerated before reconditioning a new cartridge. This hose (8) is accessible from outside the lid (3).

[0081] A connector plate (9), for example secured to the chassis (10), includes both fluid connectors (14) and power and data transport input/output ports, as will be seen in detail below. This connector plate (9) is also accessible from outside the cartridge (1), as in particular shown in the enlarged detail appearing in FIG. 5. It may in particular include a connector connected to an internal discharge tube for fluid treated by the cartridge (1), and an air intake connector connected to an external pump sending pressurized air therein (not shown, belonging to the external circuit in which the cartridge (1) is connected).

[0082] An air discharge stopper (12) is also provided near the connector plate (9) (see FIGS. 4 and 5). On the lateral sides of said plate (9), power and data transport input/output ports (13) are provided for the connection for example to a power source, and/or electronic means for processing signals from the sensors and/or measuring instruments, making up the useful data from which the proper operation of the cartridge (1) can be evaluated.

[0083] When the cartridge (1) according to the invention is for example used for the biological treatment of wastewater generated by toilets on a train, the cartridge (1) is inserted into a host station located in the train, which includes electronic data processing means. The connection of the various connectors (14) and ports (13) is done automatically when the cartridge abuts in its host station, in particular guided by the complementary shapes of the cartridge and the compartment of the host station. The connection between the power or data transport input/output ports (13) and a control unit is in particular done automatically.

[0084] The connection of such a cartridge (1) in a wastewater treatment circuit assumes the connection of the connector (6) with an intake pipe for effluents coming from a toilet basin. The treated water can be returned, directly or via other treatment steps, to the toilets in order to fill the flush tank. These fluid connections are also implemented automatically when the cartridge (1) abuts at the bottom of its housing, and automatically closed off in case of removal of the cartridge (1).

[0085] FIG. 2 shows, in a simplified manner, the rolling support (5) of the cartridge (1), in the form of a profile for example including a plurality of rollers that can be situated at the ends of said profile.

[0086] The example embodiment resulting from the figures is of course not exhaustive with respect to the invention. The latter on the contrary encompasses all alternative shapes and configurations resulting from the claims, the parallelepiped shape in particular not being restrictive, although it is practical. Furthermore, the allocation of a cartridge (1) to a function other than the biological treatment of effluents may lead to a substantially different chassis, or the placement in the inner shell of several chasses and/or structures supporting components and equipment capable of performing the function of the cartridge, without there necessarily being a reservoir, etc.