Biocidal sonication chamber for fluids

Abstract

A biocidal sonication chamber for fluids, consisting of a device for the treatment of fluids for biocidal purposes, characterized by comprising a stainless steel tank, prismatic in shape with a regular polygonal base of four, five, six or more sides, with a body (2), lid (3) and legs (4), equipped with an inlet pipe (5) and an outlet pipe (6) with respective valves (7), having attached to the bottom of the tank and to each of its side walls, a series of ultrasonic emitting transducers (8), and having inside the tank several resonance plates (10), in the form of flat plates, attached to the tank by means of welded support rods.

Description

Biocidal sonication chamber for fluids Technical object of the invention The present invention relates to a device for treating fluids for biocidal purposes. The inventor proposes applying this solution as a replacement for other methods based on the use of ozone or ultraviolet radiation. Technical field to which the invention relates The invention presented herein falls under Section B, Miscellaneous Industrial Techniques, of the International Patent Classification (IPC), specifically the chapter on separation and mixing, under the subsection on physical or chemical processes or apparatus in general. From an industrial perspective, it relates to the manufacture of machines intended for installation in wastewater treatment plants for the removal of bacteria from water or any other fluid. Background of the invention In water supply facilities, treatment plants, transport tanks, and other locations, incidents frequently occur due to infiltration or the growth of fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms that compromise the required water quality, posing a significant risk to human health. The same can happen with any other fluid used in the food industry or general industry, resulting in substantial economic repercussions for companies forced to discard affected products or incur significant costs for decontamination. To prevent this problem, industries and public bodies use various types of biocides with different solutions, some of which are registered with the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office and other industrial property organizations. The most common solutions consist of treatments based on ozone, nitrogen, or ultraviolet radiation. Utility Model ES-1299053 U, entitled "Nitrogen dosing device in dye tanks for tinting machines", is known, which describes an installation to disinfect and purify the tanks of tinting machines by using nitrogen generated in the machine itself. There is another registration by the same author, on the same subject, processed as Utility Model ES-1301361 U, entitled "Ozone dosing device and ultraviolet radiation in tanks of point of sale or industrial tinting machines." The inventor of what is described in this document processed and registered, at the time, Patent ES-2366066 A1, entitled "Filtration equipment intended for filtering used or contaminated fluids and filtration procedure for used or contaminated fluids." Also known are document US 4747920 A, entitled "Solid-liquid separation process for fine particle suspensions by means of an electric and ultrasonic field" and document US 5626767 A entitled, "Acoustic filter for separation and recycling of suspended particles" and document US 2006037916 A1, entitled "Apparatus for separating dispersed particles". In all cases, inventions are described that propose disinfection or purification using ozone or nitrogen or ultraviolet rays or ultrasound, the closest being those that describe treatments with ultrasound. However, in light of this background, the inventor proposes a biocidal solution that significantly improves upon what has been proposed so far using ultrasound, resulting in a simple and highly effective solution intended to complement the equipment commonly used in wastewater treatment plants. Summary description of the invention The invention presented in this document, as previously stated, relates to a device intended for the treatment of fluids for biocidal purposes. Its main elements are the following: • A deposit • An oscillator • An ultrasound emitting transducer • A series of resonance plates • Pilots providing information on operation The tank, preferably made of stainless steel, is a right prism with a polygonal base of any number of sides, and is equipped with fluid inlet / outlet pipes. The oscillator is the electronic device that generates the frequency or frequencies necessary for the operation of the sonication chamber. As we will see, two frequency ranges are used. The ultrasound emitting transducers, essential elements of the invention, are conveniently installed at the base of the tank and at various points on its side walls. The resonance plates, in the form of flat plates oriented in vertical planes, serve to enhance the biocidal effect of the device of the invention. They are secured to the tank by means of electro-welded rods. The indicator lights show the system's overall proper functioning. The inventor designed the system with two or three independent lines to ensure continuous water treatment in case of incidents or failures in any of the components. Drawings Five figures are included, which are considered sufficient for the correct interpretation of the invention. Figure 1 This schematic drawing shows the external perspective view of a square-based prism-shaped biocidal sonication chamber. The following elements have been identified: 1.- Biocidal sonication chamber 2.- Body 3.- Lid 4.- Legs 5.- Inlet pipe 6.- Outlet pipe 7.- Valve Figure 2 It shows the view of the sonication biocide chamber in a position that allows you to see its lower part, in which a series of ultrasound emitting transducers have been installed. 8. Ultrasound emitting transducer 9. Power cable Figure 3 This figure shows a sectioned side view of the biocidal chamber so that we can observe elements that are inside it. 10.- Resonance plates 11.- Fluid Figure 4 This figure shows the details of the connection of an ultrasound emitting transducer that is installed in the biocidal sonication chamber. 8.1 Ultrasound waves 12.- Oscillator at the first frequency 13.- Oscillator at the second frequency 14.- Switch Figure 5 It is a schematic block diagram showing the existence of several lines of ultrasound emitting transducers, installed in a biocidal sonication chamber. 15.1.- First line 15.2.- Second line 15.3.- Third line 16.- Indicator of normality 17.- Malfunction indicator Detailed explanation of a mode of implementation of the invention A biocidal sonication chamber for fluids (Figs. 1 to 4) consists of a device intended for the treatment of fluids for biocidal purposes. In a preferred embodiment of its inventor, it is shown as a prismatic stainless steel tank with a regular polygonal base of four, five, six or more sides through which the fluid to be subjected to biocidal treatment is circulated. To simplify the description, a biocidal sonication chamber (1) is represented in (Fig. 1), in the form of a square-based right prism, consisting of a body (2) with a lid (3) and legs (4), through which a fluid is circulated, driven by a pumping system of the usual kind, whose fluid enters the sonication chamber (1) through the inlet pipe (5) and exits through the outlet pipe (6), with the possibility of occasional closure of the inlet (5) and outlet (6) pipes, by means of valves (7). In Figure 2, the same biocidal chamber (1) is shown after a series of ultrasonic transducers have been installed on it. Although only one transducer is placed on each side and another on the bottom in the figure, it is planned to install a greater number of them on each side to achieve a faster and more aggressive treatment; that is, the inventor proposes the installation of three or more ultrasonic transducers (8) on each side and on the bottom of the sonication biocidal chamber (8), depending on the dimensions and total volume of said chamber. Figure 3 shows a sectioned side view of the biocidal sonication chamber (1) to reveal internal components that complement the installation. These are a series of resonance plates (10) consisting of a support rod and a flat plate that facilitates the deflection of waves by reflection, thus enhancing the action of the ultrasonic waves. The resonance plates (10) are positioned on both the base and the side walls of the chamber. The ultrasonic transducers (8), shown in Figures 2 and 3, are the essential elements of the invention, as they emit the ultrasonic waves that eliminate bacteria and other harmful elements present in the fluid to be purified. They are powered by oscillators that generate specific frequencies. Two highly effective frequencies for this purpose are known: 28 kHz and 40 kHz. Both frequencies are well-suited for the intended use when used independently. However, the invention presented here also incorporates an alternative operation involving an automatic cycle switch that sequentially powers the system with each of these frequencies for a predetermined time. This operation is shown schematically in (Fig.4) where a first frequency oscillator (12) and a second frequency oscillator (13) are distinguished, which feed the ultrasound emitting transducer (8) continuously or alternately, by means of the automatic switch (14), so that it emits the ultrasonic waves (8.1) that act either directly on the fluid to be treated or with a series of previous bounces on the walls of the chamber and on the resonance plates (10). An important feature of the device of the invention is shown in (Fig. 5) where it is shown schematically that the various ultrasound emitting transducers (8) are arranged according to three independent lines, in parallel, in such a way that, if for any circumstance a failure occurs in one of them, the system continues to function normally in its biocidal work thanks to the normal functioning of the other lines. For the correct monitoring of the operation of the entire installation, there is a control panel with indicator lights for normality (16) and other indicators of failure (17). It is not considered necessary to expand upon this description to enable a person skilled in the art to understand the scope and advantages of the invention, as well as to develop and implement it. However, it should be understood that the invention has been described according to a preferred embodiment, and therefore may be subject to modifications without affecting or altering the fundamental principles of the invention. In other words, the terms in which this preferred description of the invention has been presented should always be interpreted broadly and not as limiting.

Claims

1. A biocidal sonication chamber for fluids, consisting of a device for the treatment of fluids for biocidal purposes, characterized by comprising a stainless steel tank, prismatic in shape with a regular polygonal base of four, five, six or more sides, with a body (2), lid (3) and legs (4), equipped with an inlet pipe (5) and an outlet pipe (6) with respective valves (7), having attached to the bottom of the tank and to each of its side walls a series of ultrasonic emitting transducers (8), and having inside the tank several resonance plates (10), in the form of flat plates, attached to the tank by welded support rods.

2. A biocidal sonication chamber for fluids, according to claim 1, characterized in that the ultrasonic emitting transducers (8) are arranged in two or three independent lines connected in parallel. 3.A biocidal sonication chamber for fluids, according to claim 1, characterized by having a control screen with indicator lights for normal operation (16) and indicator lights for malfunction (17).

4. A biocidal sonication chamber for fluids, according to claim 1, characterized in that the ultrasonic emitting transducers (8) are powered by an oscillator at the first frequency (12) and an oscillator at the second frequency (13) that impinge on each ultrasonic emitting transducer (8) either independently or sequentially through an automatic switch (14).

5. A biocidal sonication chamber for fluids, according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that the first frequency (12) is 28 kHz and the second frequency (13) is 40 kHz.