Apparatus and process for water conditioning

Abstract

Conditioning processes and equipment for removing hardness from water circulated in a system. A sidestream is routed to a reactor and back. A buffer is added to the circulated water, in some embodiments in a sidestream exiting the reaction chamber, forming soluble metal complexes with metal ions of the type that cause scaling. A conditioner is added to the sidestream water which breaks the soluble metal ion-buffer complexes and precipitates and accumulates the released metal ion as a solid for accumulation and disposal. In some embodiments a polymer is added, a corrosion inhibitor blend is added and / or pre-mixed with the buffer, and a chlorine generator removes sodium chloride from the buffered sidestream, and makes chlorine gas, hydrogen gas, and sodium hydroxide for use in the process or for disposal.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of, and is a continuation in part of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 879,656, filed Jul. 17, 2007, which claims the benefit of, and is a continuation in part of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 645,875, filed Dec. 27, 2006, which claims the benefit of, and is a continuation in part of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 085,337, filed Mar. 21, 2005, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,157,008, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 568,134, filed May 5, 2004, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 648,097 filed Jan. 28, 2005, the inventor for all applications being Samuel Rupert Owens.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Technical Field

[0003] The field of the invention is water treatment, or, more specifically, my invention relates to the treatment of water used in systems wherein water is circulated for repeated use, such as evap...

Examples

example 1

[0153]An exemplary embodiment of the apparatus and processes of the present invention is illustrated by a first example with respect to the evaporative cooling system 10 shown schematically in conjunction with an exemplary embodiment of my invention 40 in FIG. 2.

[0154]Confidential and experimental tests of this exemplary embodiment were conducted over a period of weeks on an evaporative cooling system 10 servicing a multi-story office building. Prior to the installation of my invention, the hardness of the evaporative cooling system water at a time shortly before blowdown through the drain 24 was typically about 850 ppm. Following blowdown and the addition of makeup water, the hardness was typically 765 ppm. The highest concentration ratio achieved by the owners in prior treatments was approximately 5.5, and the cooling system's blowdown volume was approximately 20 percent of the evaporation in gallons per day.

[0155]In this first example, my process was enabled using the configurati...

example 2

[0172]An exemplary embodiment of the apparatus and processes of the present invention is illustrated by a second example with respect to the evaporative cooling system 10 shown schematically in FIG. 2. In this example, the controller 80 is installed and connected as described above. The controller is microprocessor based and is configured to receive the pH value measured by the supply line pH monitor for the evaporative cooling water entering the tank, and to cause the conditioner injection pump 64 to inject conditioner from the conditioner supply 62 when the pH is shown by the pH measurement to be less than the 9.2-9.4 optimum range, or about to fall from such range. Subsequent measurements communicated to the controller, indicating the pH has returned to the predetermined desired level, cause the controller to signal the conditioner injection pump to cease injection.

[0173]Similarly, the controller 80 in this exemplary embodiment is configured to receive the pH value measured by th...

example 3

[0177]An exemplary embodiment of the apparatus and processes of the present invention is illustrated by a third example with respect to the evaporative cooling system 10 shown schematically in FIG. 2. In this example, the glycolic acid was replaced by a 10 percent citric acid solution. The substitution worked in the process although it was noted that significantly increased volumes of citric acid and increased chemical handling were required, when compared to glycolic acid.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of, and is a continuation in part of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 879,656, filed Jul. 17, 2007, which claims the benefit of, and is a continuation in part of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 645,875, filed Dec. 27, 2006, which claims the benefit of, and is a continuation in part of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 085,337, filed Mar. 21, 2005, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,157,008, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 568,134, filed May 5, 2004, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 648,097 filed Jan. 28, 2005, the inventor for all applications being Samuel Rupert Owens.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Technical Field

[0003] The field of the invention is water treatment, or, more specifically, my invention relates to the treatment of water used in systems wherein water is circulated for repeated use, such as evap...

Examples

example 1

[0153]An exemplary embodiment of the apparatus and processes of the present invention is illustrated by a first example with respect to the evaporative cooling system 10 shown schematically in conjunction with an exemplary embodiment of my invention 40 in FIG. 2.

[0154]Confidential and experimental tests of this exemplary embodiment were conducted over a period of weeks on an evaporative cooling system 10 servicing a multi-story office building. Prior to the installation of my invention, the hardness of the evaporative cooling system water at a time shortly before blowdown through the drain 24 was typically about 850 ppm. Following blowdown and the addition of makeup water, the hardness was typically 765 ppm. The highest concentration ratio achieved by the owners in prior treatments was approximately 5.5, and the cooling system's blowdown volume was approximately 20 percent of the evaporation in gallons per day.

[0155]In this first example, my process was enabled using the configurati...

example 2

[0172]An exemplary embodiment of the apparatus and processes of the present invention is illustrated by a second example with respect to the evaporative cooling system 10 shown schematically in FIG. 2. In this example, the controller 80 is installed and connected as described above. The controller is microprocessor based and is configured to receive the pH value measured by the supply line pH monitor for the evaporative cooling water entering the tank, and to cause the conditioner injection pump 64 to inject conditioner from the conditioner supply 62 when the pH is shown by the pH measurement to be less than the 9.2-9.4 optimum range, or about to fall from such range. Subsequent measurements communicated to the controller, indicating the pH has returned to the predetermined desired level, cause the controller to signal the conditioner injection pump to cease injection.

[0173]Similarly, the controller 80 in this exemplary embodiment is configured to receive the pH value measured by th...

example 3

[0177]An exemplary embodiment of the apparatus and processes of the present invention is illustrated by a third example with respect to the evaporative cooling system 10 shown schematically in FIG. 2. In this example, the glycolic acid was replaced by a 10 percent citric acid solution. The substitution worked in the process although it was noted that significantly increased volumes of citric acid and increased chemical handling were required, when compared to glycolic acid.

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