Waterless pool filtration machine
Patent Information
- Application Number
- ES2024032264U
- Authority / Receiving Office
- ES · ES
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-09
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-12-05
Abstract
Description
Waterless pool filtration machine TECHNICAL SECTOR The sector in which the invention is situated is that of water filtration and treatment. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Currently, all membrane water filtration systems operate in a similar way. They rely on membrane pores of a certain size, through which larger particles cannot pass. A portion of the water is rejected, forming a current inside the membrane and carrying the particles that pass through it. This water is then disposed of via the drain. Backwashes can also be performed to remove particles embedded in the membrane. These backwashes (water flowing in the opposite direction) carry away these particles and eliminate them via the drain. The current, along with the rejection it produces, means that almost no particles are deposited on the membrane, and backwashes remove the few particles that are widely dispersed in the backwash water. These particles are microscopic in size, less than 1 micron, so no filter placed in the drain could retain them. EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION This filtration system removes all microscopic suspended particles from pool water without discarding any water. It creates a closed recirculation system, eliminating the need for additional water to remove the filtered particles. Pool water gets dirty due to the microscopic particles it acquires. Bathing or industrial water storage pools may have a sand filter or membranes, for example, for continuous filtration. Filtration systems use direct current or backwashing for cleaning. Our machine is a membrane filtration system that performs an internal current in continuous recirculation without rejection, and causes a compaction of these microscopic sediments turning them into large composite particles and performs a low pressure cleaning to be able to remove them with a subsequent filter. Without rejection, microscopic particles accumulate in the membrane's holding space. These particles are too small, below 1 micron, to be retained by a standard particle filter body with a filtration capacity of 0.5 to 500 microns. When recirculation without rejection increases the number of particles, these become compacted on the membrane surface, but without causing rapid clogging. Compaction occurs simply due to the pressure exerted by the water passing through the membrane. This compaction is weak, so if a backwash or reverse cleaning were performed and the water were forced through a drain filter for retention and subsequent removal, the membrane would easily break down, resulting in individual microscopic particles that are difficult to retain. This is why our system uses a buffer tank for cleaning, where the cleaning pressure is released and, at a low pressure of 0.01-1 bar, the water passes very slowly through a downstream filter where lightly compacted sediments are retained and not broken down. The water that passes through this downstream filter is returned to the main water source for reuse. This eliminates water consumption. . BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To complement the description being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is included as an integral part of said description, in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented: Figure 1.- Shows a representation of phase 1 of filtering and compaction of the invention. Figure 2.- Shows a representation of phase 2 of cleaning and solids removal of the invention. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The reference filtration machine may be manufactured in any suitable material and in the most convenient shapes and dimensions, there being no limitation in this regard. Having sufficiently described the nature of the model, it is expressly stated that any modification of detail introduced into it will be considered included within this protection, as long as its characteristic purpose is not essentially altered or modified. The machine (1) comprises: - a main water source (3), with an outlet (8); - a filtration container, comprising: - a water recirculation volume and a filtered water production volume, separated from each other by an ultrafiltration membrane (4) of 0.01 - 0.1 microns; - a recirculating water inlet and a recirculating water outlet, located in the water recirculation volume, and a filtered water production outlet (10) located in the filtered water production volume; - a cleaning inlet (11) in the filtered water production volume and a cleaning outlet (9) located in the water recirculation volume; - a recirculation circuit for the water in the filtration container, with a recirculation pump, running between the recirculation water outlet and the recirculation water inlet of the filtration container; - a cleaning pump; - a low-pressure cleaning collection buffer tank (6), between 0.01 and 1 bar, with one inlet and one outlet; - a post-cleaning filter (7) of 1 - 100 microns. The main water source (3) receives water from the pool (1), feeding, through its outlet (8) the recirculation circuit; The filtered water production outlet (10) feeds back into the pool (1); The cleaning pump draws in filtered water and feeds the cleaning inlet (11) into the filtered water production volume of the filtration container; The cleaning outlet (9) located in the water recirculation volume of the filtration container feeds the low-pressure cleaning collection buffer tank (6); The low-pressure cleaning collection reservoir (6) feeds the rear cleaning filter (7); The rear cleaning filter (7) feeds the main water source (3). Between the filtered water production outlet (10) and the pool (1) there is a final buffer tank (5) for collecting filtered water. The cleaning pump draws filtered water from the final surge tank (5). The cleaning pump draws filtered water from the pool (1), alternately. The cleaning collection buffer tank (6) can be opened or closed. The rear cleaning filter (7) is removable and cleanable. The main water source (3) consists of one or more tanks or containers. Thus, the machine consists of 3 basic elements: 1. Ultrafiltration membrane with a porosity of 0.01 microns to 0.1 microns. With recirculation system. 2. Low-pressure cleaning collection tank. 3. Post-filter for sediment collection with 1 to 100 micron porosity under low pressure. The machine works by performing the following two phases: Phase 1, filtration and compaction: (Figure 1) The water to be cleaned comes from a main water source (3), which can be filled with pool water (1) directly and / or with cleaning reject from the pool's filtration systems (2). This water is forced by a pressure system through a porous ultrafiltration membrane whose pores can range from 0.01 to 0.1 microns (4). These pores retain microscopic particles larger than this range. Part of the water passes through the membrane and part is recirculated, with no wastewater. Only the same amount of water that is produced enters from the main tank. This produced water will be collected in a final buffer tank (5) for recirculation to the pool (1), or poured directly into the pool (1). However, this filtered water, whether from the tank (5) or from the pool (1), will be used to clean the machine's membrane later. This phase 1 circulation operation is performed using solenoid valves. (Opens 8, 10. Closes 9, 11) As the filtration and compaction process progresses, it becomes necessary to remove the compacted solids. Phase 2, cleaning and removal of solids: (Figure 2) Once it becomes necessary to clean the compacted solids, a pressure unit takes some of the filtered water accumulated from the final buffer tank or the pool, and performs a backwash in the opposite direction to the filtration. This phase 2 circulation maneuver is performed using solenoid valves (valves 8, 10 are closed, 9, 11 are opened). Compacted sediments have a weak bond, so if we tried to filter this water, which would normally go down the drain, directly with a 1 to 100 micron filter using a cleaning pressure of more than 1 bar, these compacts would break and pass through it without difficulty. Therefore, these compacted sediments are transferred to a buffer tank for collecting cleanings (6). In this tank, the cleaning pressure is released. This tank can be open or a closed membrane tank (like a boiler). Water flows from this tank, either by gravity (if open) or by membrane (if a boiler), at a pressure of between 0.01 and 1 bar, to a subsequent filter (7) with a filtration capacity of between 1 and 100 microns, where the solids are trapped. The water from this filtration then returns to the main tank (3). The solids are easily removed from this final filter (7) manually with a cloth or brush without using any water.
Claims
1. A water-free swimming pool water filtration machine (1), characterized in that it comprises: a main water source (3) with an outlet (8); a filtration container comprising: - a water recirculation volume and a filtered water production volume, separated from each other by a 0.01-0.1 micron ultrafiltration membrane (4); - a recirculation water inlet and a recirculation water outlet, located in the water recirculation volume, and a filtered water production outlet (10) located in the filtered water production volume; - a cleaning inlet (11) in the filtered water production volume and a cleaning outlet (9) located in the water recirculation volume; a water recirculation circuit of the filtration container, with a recirculation pump,which runs between the recirculation water outlet and the recirculation water inlet of the filtration container; a cleaning pump; a low-pressure cleaning collection buffer tank (6), between 0.01 and 1 bar, with one inlet and one outlet; a post-cleaning filter (7) of 1-100 microns; where the main water source (3) receives water from the pool (1), feeding,through its outlet (8) the recirculation circuit; where the filtered water production outlet (10) feeds the pool (1) back into the pool; where the cleaning pump draws filtered water and feeds the cleaning inlet (11) into the filtered water production volume of the filtration container; where the cleaning outlet (9) located in the water recirculation volume of the filtration container feeds the low-pressure cleaning collection buffer tank (6); where the low-pressure cleaning collection buffer tank (6) feeds the downstream cleaning filter (7); and where the downstream cleaning filter (7) feeds the main water source (3).
2. A water-consumption pool water filtration machine according to claim 1,characterized in that a final buffer tank (5) for collecting filtered water is interposed between the filtered water production outlet (10) and the pool (1).
3. A waterless pool water filtration machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the cleaning pump draws filtered water from the final buffer tank (5).
4. A waterless pool water filtration machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cleaning pump draws filtered water from the pool (1).
5. A waterless pool water filtration machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning water collection buffer tank (6) is open.
6. A waterless pool water filtration machine according to any of claims 1 to 4,characterized in that the cleaning collection reservoir (6) is closed.
7. A water-free swimming pool water filtration machine, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the downstream cleaning filter (7) is removable and cleanable.
8. A water-free swimming pool water filtration machine, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the main water source (3) consists of one or more tanks or containers.