Water treatment equipment

Abstract

To provide a water treatment apparatus capable of simple operation and having improved maintainability.SOLUTION: A water treatment apparatus is equipped with an adsorbent-filled tank that performs adsorption treatment to raw water using an adsorbent, and the adsorbent is supplied from above the adsorbent-filled tank and discharged from below, and the raw water is supplied from below the adsorbent-filled tank and comes into contact with the adsorbent while moving upward. The adsorbent-filled tank includes a tank main body portion filled with the adsorbent, and the tank main body has a first opening and a second opening covered with a mesh member, respectively, and the raw water is supplied to the tank main body through the first opening, and the treated water flows out from the tank main body through the second opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a water treatment device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, water treatment devices have been known that remove dissolved substances from wastewater by contacting the wastewater with an adsorbent. These water treatment devices have an adsorption treatment tank equipped with an adsorbent, such as ion exchange resin, activated carbon, or zeolite, and are capable of removing dissolved substances from wastewater by adsorbing them with the adsorbent. The adsorbent's adsorption capacity decreases after adsorbing a certain amount of dissolved substances. Therefore, water treatment devices are operated by replacing the adsorbent as needed depending on the concentration of dissolved substances in the treated water (treated water) and the duration of use.

[0003] The upstream adsorbent, to which raw water (untreated wastewater) is supplied, can adsorb a large amount of dissolved substances even if its adsorption performance has deteriorated due to the high concentration of dissolved substances contained in the raw water. In contrast, the downstream adsorbent must recover dissolved substances from wastewater with a reduced concentration of dissolved substances, requiring a high treatment capacity. Therefore, the downstream adsorbent may be replaced with a new one and reused as the upstream adsorbent. Such water treatment equipment is equipped with multiple adsorption treatment tanks for continuous water treatment and is operated using a multi-stage adsorption system (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The multi-stage adsorption system involves switching between adsorption treatment tanks in use in sequence and replacing the adsorbents in some adsorption treatment tanks that have been put into a dormant state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-60241 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As mentioned above, conventional multi-stage adsorption water treatment systems require the replacement of adsorbents in the adsorption tank. Therefore, adsorbents with reduced adsorption capacity must be removed from the adsorption tank at regular intervals, and new adsorbents must be refilled. During these procedures, the adsorption tank must be idle for long periods of time, which reduces the efficiency of water treatment.

[0006] One of the objectives of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a water treatment device that allows for simple operation and improved maintainability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, a water treatment device includes an adsorbent tank that performs an adsorption process on raw water using an adsorbent, the adsorbent being supplied from above the adsorbent tank and discharged from below, and the raw water being supplied from below the adsorbent tank and coming into contact with the adsorbent as it moves upward.

[0008] The adsorbent-filled tank may include a tank body in which the adsorbent is filled, and the tank body may have a first opening and a second opening, each of which is covered with a mesh member. In this case, the raw water may be supplied to the tank body through the first opening, and the treated water may flow out of the tank body through the second opening.

[0009] The adsorbent-filled tank may include a raw water supply unit to which a raw water supply pipe is connected. The raw water supply unit may have a partition member between the raw water inlet of the raw water supply pipe and the first opening to change the direction of the water flow.

[0010] The adsorbent-filled tank may further include a water receiving section that receives the treated water flowing out from the second opening and sends it to a treated water transfer pipe.

[0011] The water treatment device may further include an adsorbent discharge unit including a discharge conveyor that transports the adsorbent discharged from below the adsorbent-filled tank. The position of the discharge outlet of the discharge conveyor is preferably higher than the position of the bottom side of the second opening.

[0012] The water treatment device may further include an adsorbent supply unit including an adsorbent holding unit that stores the adsorbent before use, and a supply conveyor that transports the adsorbent from the adsorbent holding unit to the adsorbent filling tank.

[0013] The adsorbent tank may further include a distance sensor that detects the position of the upper surface of the adsorbent filled inside the adsorbent tank. In this case, the water treatment device may further include a control unit that controls the timing of supplying the adsorbent in accordance with the detection result of the distance sensor. The control unit may further control the timing of discharging the adsorbent.

[0014] The adsorbent-filled tank may further include a leveling device that levels the upper surface of the adsorbent filled inside. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a water treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a water treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a side view schematically illustrating a configuration of a water treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a configuration of a water treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a raw water supply unit in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a water receiving portion in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a leveling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a water treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and should not be construed as being limited to the description of the embodiments exemplified below. To clarify the explanation, the drawings may show the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part more schematically than the actual form, but these are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of the present invention. In this specification and each drawing, elements having the same functions as those described with reference to the previous drawings may be assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0017] [First embodiment] [Water treatment system configuration] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a water treatment system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The water treatment system 10 of this embodiment includes a raw water storage tank 11, a flow rate adjustment tank 12, a water treatment device 100, and a treated water storage tank 13. However, the configuration of the water treatment system 10 is not limited to this example, and it is sufficient that the water treatment system 10 includes at least the water treatment device 100. For example, the water treatment system 10 may omit any or all of the raw water storage tank 11, the flow rate adjustment tank 12, and the treated water storage tank 13. Although not shown in FIG. 1 , a pump may be disposed in the piping as appropriate. For example, a pump may be disposed in at least one of the piping between the raw water storage tank 11 and the flow rate adjustment tank 12 and the piping on the outlet side of the treated water storage tank 13.

[0018] The raw water storage tank 11 is a tank that temporarily stores raw water (water to be treated) to be purified. The raw water is, for example, industrial wastewater or domestic wastewater. The raw water storage tank 11 stores raw water supplied via piping from a factory or the like. An adjustment tank that adjusts the pH of the raw water may be connected to the raw water storage tank 11.

[0019] The flow rate adjusting tank 12 is disposed between the raw water storage tank 11 and the water treatment device 100, and adjusts the flow rate of the raw water supplied to the water treatment device 100. Specifically, the flow rate adjusting tank 12 has the function of adjusting the flow rate of the raw water supplied to the water treatment device 100 to a constant value.

[0020] The water treatment device 100 is a device that performs a purification process (specifically, an adsorption process) on supplied raw water. Specifically, the water treatment device 100 of this embodiment has a function of removing dissolved substances (colloid particles and fine particles) from the raw water. The specific structure of the water treatment device 100 will be described later.

[0021] The treated water storage tank 13 is a tank that stores treated water (purified water after adsorption treatment) that has been purified by the water treatment device 100. The treated water stored in the treated water storage tank 13 may be supplied to a facility located outside the water treatment system 10 via piping or the like, or may be kept stored in the treated water storage tank 13.

[0022] [Configuration of water treatment device] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a water treatment device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The water treatment device 100 of this embodiment includes an adsorbent supply unit 110, an adsorbent filling tank 120, an adsorbent discharge unit 130, and a control unit 140. In Fig. 2, solid arrows indicate the movement of water. Dot-dash arrows indicate the movement of adsorbent. Broken arrows indicate communication paths.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 2, raw water supplied to water treatment device 100 (specifically, raw water supplied from flow rate adjustment tank 12 shown in Fig. 1) is subjected to adsorption treatment in adsorbent-filled tank 120 and discharged as treated water from water treatment device 100 (specifically, transferred to treated water storage tank 13 shown in Fig. 1). The adsorbent used in the adsorption treatment is temporarily stored in adsorbent supply unit 110 and supplied to adsorbent-filled tank 120 at a predetermined timing. Thereafter, the adsorbent used in adsorbent-filled tank 120 is discharged by adsorbent discharge unit 130 at a predetermined timing.

[0024] In this embodiment, an adsorbent using a carbide as a carrier is used as the adsorbent. Specifically, the water treatment device 100 brings raw water into contact with the adsorbent filled inside the adsorbent-filled tank 120, thereby adsorbing dissolved substances (e.g., organic substances) contained in the raw water into the pores of the carbide and removing them. For example, in this embodiment, a carbide with iron supported inside the pores is used as the adsorbent, thereby enabling efficient removal of phosphorus contained in the raw water. The removal of phosphorus using an iron-supported carbide is described, for example, in JP 2019-107632 A. Note that, although this embodiment illustrates an example of using physical adsorption using a carbide as a carrier, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, chemical adsorption using zeolite as a carrier can also be used.

[0025] The control unit 140 has the role of controlling each of the adsorbent supply unit 110, the adsorbent filling tank 120, and the adsorbent discharge unit 130. Specifically, the control unit 140 controls the timing of adsorbent supply by the adsorbent supply unit 110, and the timing of adsorbent discharge by the adsorbent discharge unit 130. Furthermore, the control unit 140 may control the adsorbent supply unit 110 or the adsorbent discharge unit 130 based on detection signals output from various sensors provided in the adsorbent filling tank 120, or may control the operation of mechanical components (such as the leveling device 124 described below) provided in the adsorbent filling tank 120.

[0026] Fig. 3 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of water treatment device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of water treatment device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 3 and 4 show the components of water treatment device 100, including an adsorbent supply unit 110, an adsorbent filling tank 120, and an adsorbent discharge unit 130. However, for ease of explanation, Figs. 3 and 4 omit illustration of control unit 140, and Fig. 4 omit illustration of leveling device 124.

[0027] 3 and 4, the adsorbent supply unit 110 has a function of temporarily holding an adsorbent (not shown) before use and supplying it to the adsorbent filling tank 120 at a predetermined timing. The adsorbent supply unit 110 of this embodiment includes an adsorbent holding unit 111 that holds the adsorbent and a supply conveyor 112 that transfers the adsorbent from the adsorbent holding unit 111 to the adsorbent filling tank 120.

[0028] The adsorbent holding unit 111 is a cylindrical container with an inverted pyramidal (or inverted conical) lower portion. A cylindrical container of this shape is also called a hopper. The adsorbent before use is pre-filled inside the adsorbent holding unit 111. An opening 111a is provided at the lower end of the adsorbent holding unit 111, and a rotary valve 113 is provided below the opening 111a. The rotary valve 113 functions as an on-off valve controlled by the control unit 140. In this embodiment, when the rotary valve 113 is opened at a predetermined timing under the control of the control unit 140, the adsorbent inside the adsorbent holding unit 111 falls from the opening 111a. In addition, the supply conveyor 112 operates when the rotary valve 113 is opened.

[0029] The adsorbent that has dropped from the adsorbent holding unit 111 is transferred to the adsorbent filling tank 120 by the operation of the supply conveyor 112. In this embodiment, a belt conveyor with bars attached to the belt is used as the supply conveyor 112. The belt portion of the supply conveyor 112 is provided with a plurality of bars, with the longitudinal direction being approximately perpendicular to the belt traveling direction, along the belt traveling direction. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the adsorbent is transferred from below the adsorbent holding unit 111 to above the adsorbent filling tank 120. Therefore, in this embodiment, by using a belt conveyor with bars, consideration is given to preventing the adsorbent from falling downward even if the belt is tilted.

[0030] In this embodiment, an example has been shown in which a belt conveyor with bars is used as the supply conveyor 112, but this is not limiting and other conveyors that can transport the adsorbent material upward without dropping it, such as a bucket conveyor in which buckets are attached to a chain or belt, may also be used.

[0031] The adsorbent-filled tank 120 is a treatment tank for purifying (adsorption-treated) raw water (water to be treated) using an adsorbent, and is filled with the adsorbent supplied from the adsorbent supply unit 110. The adsorbent-filled tank 120 of this embodiment includes a tank main body 121, a raw water supply unit 122, a water receiving unit 123, a leveling device 124, and a distance sensor 125. However, the configuration of the adsorbent-filled tank 120 shown in Figures 3 and 4 is merely an example, and does not prevent the addition of other elements or the elimination of the above-mentioned elements. The specific structure of the adsorbent-filled tank 120 will be described later.

[0032] The adsorbent discharge section 130 has a function of discharging used adsorbent (not shown) discharged from the tank main body 121 of the adsorbent filling tank 120. The adsorbent discharge section 130 of this embodiment includes a discharge conveyor 131 that transports the adsorbent and an adsorbent disposal section 132 that discards the discharged adsorbent. Specifically, the adsorbent discharged from the tank main body 121 is transported by the discharge conveyor 131 and fed into the adsorbent disposal section 132. The adsorbent accumulated in the adsorbent disposal section 132 is carried out at a predetermined timing and discarded or recycled.

[0033] The discharge conveyor 131 is a transfer device that transfers the adsorbent discharged from the tank body 121 of the adsorbent-filled tank 120. In this embodiment, a screw conveyor is used as the discharge conveyor 131. A screw conveyor is a device that has a structure in which blades are attached spirally around a shaft inserted into a pipe, and transfers materials introduced into the pipe by rotating the shaft with a motor or the like. In this embodiment, raw water is discharged together with the adsorbent from the opening 121a of the tank body 121, so it is desirable to use a transfer device that can form a sealed space as the discharge conveyor 131. In such cases, a screw conveyor is suitable.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the discharge conveyor 131 has an inlet 131a connected to the opening 121a of the tank main body 121. Therefore, the adsorbent and a portion of the raw water discharged from the tank main body 121 are directly fed into the discharge conveyor 131. The fed adsorbent is transported intermittently by the discharge conveyor 131 at predetermined intervals. In this embodiment, a screw conveyor with a pipe diameter of 10 cm or more is used as the discharge conveyor 131, and the discharge conveyor 131 is operated, for example, every 3 minutes per hour. As a result, the discharge conveyor 131 of this embodiment can transport the adsorbent at a discharge rate of approximately 500 g / hr. When the discharge conveyor 131 operates to transport the adsorbent directly below the tank main body 121, new adsorbent falls from inside the tank main body 121 and is discharged.

[0035] Discharge conveyor 131 is installed diagonally upward from below tank body 121. In this embodiment, the installation angle of discharge conveyor 131 is set in the range of 30 to 60 degrees with respect to the installation surface, but this is not limited to this example. In this case, when the installation surface (e.g., the ground) of water treatment device 100 is used as the reference, discharge outlet 131b of discharge conveyor 131 is located higher than opening 121c located at the top of tank body 121. More specifically, the lower end of discharge outlet 131b is located higher than the bottom of opening 121c of tank body 121. In this embodiment, the lower end of discharge outlet 131b is located a distance H higher than the bottom of opening 121c. Distance H is preferably 10 cm or more, but this is not limited to this example.

[0036] Although details of opening 121c of tank main body 121 will be described later, treated water purified inside tank main body 121 overflows from opening 121c and flows into water receiving section 123. In other words, the level of the raw water that has flowed into and accumulated inside discharge conveyor 131 does not rise higher than the bottom of opening 121c. Therefore, by positioning discharge outlet 131b higher than the bottom of opening 121c of tank main body 121, raw water inside discharge conveyor 131 can be prevented from flowing out from discharge outlet 131b. In this case, the adsorbent transported above the raw water level inside discharge conveyor 131 gradually dries out before being discharged from discharge outlet 131b, thereby preventing problems such as the adsorbent discharged to adsorbent disposal section 132 absorbing moisture and becoming heavy.

[0037] In this embodiment, the adsorbent disposal section 132 is, for example, a disposable container such as a flexible container bag, but this is not limited to this example, and a stationary container may be used, or the adsorbent disposal section 132 may be omitted.

[0038] [Configuration of adsorbent filling tank] The specific structure of the adsorbent-filled tank 120 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 will be described.

[0039] Tank main body 121 is a cylindrical container with an inverted pyramidal (or inverted conical) lower portion, and functions as a treatment tank for performing adsorption treatment on raw water. The adsorbent transported by supply conveyor 112 of adsorbent supply unit 110 is supplied to tank main body 121 from above. As described above, supply conveyor 112 operates intermittently at predetermined times, and therefore the supply of adsorbent to tank main body 121 is also performed intermittently.

[0040] The adsorbent supplied to the tank main body 121 is filled inside the tank main body 121. In this embodiment, because an opening 121a is provided at the bottom end of the tank main body 121, some of the adsorbent also falls into the discharge conveyor 131. However, because the discharge conveyor 131 operates intermittently, the adsorbent can be held inside the tank main body 121 while the discharge conveyor 131 is stopped. However, the structure of the adsorbent filling tank 120 is not limited to this example, and a structure may be adopted in which an opening / closing valve such as a rotary valve is provided at the bottom end of the tank main body 121 to prevent the adsorbent from falling. In this case, the timing of discharging the adsorbent can be controlled by the opening and closing operation of the rotary valve or the like.

[0041] In this embodiment, the adsorbent is filled up to a position a predetermined distance from the upper end of the tank main body 121. The amount of adsorbent filled into the tank main body 121 is controlled by the control unit 140 based on the detection value of the distance sensor 125, which will be described later.

[0042] 3 and 4 has a role of supplying raw water to the tank main body 121. The raw water supply unit 122 is connected to the flow rate adjusting tank 12 (see FIG. 1) via a raw water supply pipe 21. That is, the raw water supplied from the flow rate adjusting tank 12 is supplied into the tank main body 121 via the raw water supply unit 122.

[0043] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the raw water supply unit 122 in one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Fig. 5(A) is a perspective view for explaining the structure of the raw water supply unit 122, Fig. 5(B) is a front view of the raw water supply unit 122, and Fig. 5(C) is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the raw water supply unit 122 as viewed from above.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5(A), an opening 121b serving as a raw water supply port is provided in the side wall of the tank main body 121. In this embodiment, the opening 121b is located on the side wall of the inverted quadrangular pyramid-shaped portion of the tank main body 121. The opening 121b is covered with a mesh member (net-like member) made of a material such as metal or plastic. In other words, the outside and inside of the tank main body 121 are in communication with each other through the opening 121b covered with the mesh member. This makes it possible to supply raw water to the tank main body 121 through the opening 121b while preventing the adsorbent from falling off from the opening 121b.

[0045] The raw water supply unit 122 is attached so as to cover the opening 121b. That is, raw water flowing in from the raw water inlet 21a of the raw water supply pipe 21 is supplied into the inside of the tank main body 121 via the raw water supply unit 122 and the opening 121b. In this embodiment, the supply rate of the raw water is adjusted so that the linear velocity inside the tank main body 121 is 0.4 m / hr. By limiting the flow rate of the raw water to the above-mentioned linear velocity, contaminants such as sludge adhering to the adsorbent are not stirred up by the raw water rising inside the tank main body 121. However, the supply rate of the raw water is not limited to this example, and may be set to an appropriate value taking into account the required processing capacity, the shape of the tank main body 121, etc.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 5(A) to 5(C), the raw water supply unit 122 has a partition member 122a disposed between the raw water inlet 21a and the opening 121b so as to block the flow of raw water. In this embodiment, the partition member 122a is a rectangular plate-shaped member fixed to the inner wall (here, the bottom surface) of the raw water supply unit 122. The raw water flowing in from the raw water inlet 21a travels straight and hits the partition member 122a. The water flow that hits the partition member 122a changes direction laterally and heads toward the opening 121b, avoiding the partition member 122a. In this way, the raw water supply unit 122 of this embodiment has the partition member 122a therein that changes the direction of the water flow, and is configured so that the raw water flowing in from the raw water supply pipe 21 does not directly reach the opening 121b.

[0047] The raw water supply unit 122 has the above-described structure, and is therefore able to weaken the momentum of the raw water flowing into the tank main body 121. In other words, the raw water supply unit 122 serves to reduce the momentum of the raw water hitting the adsorbent filled inside the tank main body 121. This prevents the adsorbent-filled tank 120 from having a problem in which sludge or the like adhering to the adsorbent is detached by the supply of raw water and rises inside the tank main body 121 together with the raw water.

[0048] Although only one raw water supply unit 122 is illustrated in this embodiment, a plurality of raw water supply units 122 may be provided. That is, a plurality of raw water supply units 122 may be provided below the tank main body 121, and raw water may be supplied from each of them.

[0049] In addition, in this embodiment, an example in which the partition member 122a is provided as a structure for weakening the force of the raw water has been shown, but the structure of the raw water supply unit 122 is not limited to this example. For example, instead of the partition member 122a, another structure (such as a plurality of columnar members arranged side by side) having the function of changing the direction of the water flow or weakening the force may be arranged.

[0050] 3 and 4, the following describes the water receiving section 123 of the adsorbent-filled tank 120. The water receiving section 123 is provided at the top of the tank main body 121, and serves to receive treated water (water after adsorption treatment) that has overflowed (flowed out) from the opening 121c of the tank main body 121 and send it to the treated water transfer pipe 22.

[0051] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of the water receiving section 123 in one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of openings 121c are provided in the sidewall of the tank main body 121. The openings 121c are covered with a mesh member (net-like member) made of a material such as metal or plastic. In other words, the outside and inside of the tank main body 121 are connected via the openings 121c covered with the mesh member. This prevents the adsorbent from falling off from the openings 121c, while allowing the treated water to overflow from the tank main body 121 via the openings 121c.

[0052] The water receiving section 123 is attached so as to cover the opening 121c. That is, the treated water that overflows from the tank main body 121 through the opening 121c travels inside the water receiving section 123 and reaches the treated water transfer pipe 22. The treated water that flows into the treated water transfer pipe 22 is transported by the treated water transfer pipe 22 and stored in the treated water storage tank 13 (see FIG. 1) connected to the treated water transfer pipe 22.

[0053] In this embodiment, raw water supplied into tank body 121 via raw water supply unit 122 rises while coming into contact with the adsorbent filled in tank body 121 and overflows from opening 121c. This allows treated water to be removed from inside tank body 121, with bottom edge 121ca of opening 121c functioning similarly to a weir. In other words, the position of the treated water surface inside tank body 121 coincides with the position of bottom edge 121ca of opening 121c. Therefore, the position of the raw water surface inside discharge conveyor 131 coincides with the position of the treated water surface inside tank body 121, i.e., the position of bottom edge 121ca of opening 121c.

[0054] In this embodiment, three openings 121c are provided on each of two opposing surfaces at the top of the tank body 121. In other words, in this embodiment, two water receiving sections 123 are provided for the tank body 121. However, this is not limiting, and the number and positions of the openings 121c can be set arbitrarily in consideration of the speed of the adsorption process in the adsorbent-filled tank 120 (for example, the amount of raw water supplied per unit time). Furthermore, only one water receiving section 123 may be provided so as to surround the tank body 121, or three or four water receiving sections 123 may be provided corresponding to each side of the tank body 121.

[0055] 3 and 4, the leveling device 124 of the adsorbent-filled tank 120 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the leveling device 124 is disposed inside the upper end of the tank main body 121, and functions as a means for leveling the upper surface of the adsorbent filled inside the tank main body 121.

[0056] The adsorbent transported by the supply conveyor 112 of the adsorbent supply unit 110 falls from the discharge port 112a of the supply conveyor 112 into the inside of the tank main body 121. Therefore, immediately after supply, the upper surface of the adsorbent filled inside the tank main body 121 is locally raised directly below the discharge port 112a. Therefore, in this embodiment, after the timing of supplying the adsorbent, a process is performed using the leveling device 124 to level the locally formed undulations for a certain period of time.

[0057] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the leveling device 124 in one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Fig. 7(A) is a plan view of the leveling device 124 seen from above, and Fig. 7(B) is a side view of the leveling device 124 seen from the side. For ease of explanation, Figs. 7(A) and 7(B) focus on the structure of the leveling device 124, and other elements may be omitted from the illustration.

[0058] As shown in Figures 7(A) and 7(B), the leveling device 124 includes a first chain drive unit 124a, a second chain drive unit 124b, and a plurality of squeegee bars 124c stretched between the first chain drive unit 124a and the second chain drive unit 124b.

[0059] The first chain drive unit 124a includes a drive sprocket 31a, a driven sprocket 32a, and a roller chain 33a stretched between the drive sprocket 31a and the driven sprocket 32a. Similarly, the second chain drive unit 124b includes a drive sprocket 31b, a driven sprocket 32b, and a roller chain 33b stretched between the drive sprocket 31b and the driven sprocket 32b. Furthermore, the drive sprockets 31a and 31b are connected by a shaft 34a, and the driven sprockets 32a and 32b are connected by a shaft 34b.

[0060] When the leveling device 124 operates, the roller chains 33a and 33b rotate due to the rotation of the first chain drive unit 124a and the second chain drive unit 124b, and the multiple squeegee bars 124c move in the rotational direction. At this time, when the lower squeegee bar 124c comes into contact with the upper surface of the packed adsorbent 40, the contacting portion of the adsorbent 40 moves, and the upper surface of the packed adsorbent 40 is leveled.

[0061] In the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the leveling device 124 is controlled to operate at the timing when the adsorbent is supplied to the adsorbent filling tank 120, but the operation of the leveling device 124 may be controlled more precisely using the detection values ​​of various sensors such as a level sensor. For example, the leveling device 124 may have level sensors on each of the drive sprockets 31a and 31b and the driven sprockets 32a and 32b, and the rotation direction of the leveling device 124 may be controlled in accordance with the detection values ​​of the level sensors.

[0062] 7(B), when the left level sensor detects that the position of the upper surface of the adsorbent 40 has exceeded a predetermined threshold (upper limit), the leveling device 124 may level the adsorbent 40 to the right by rotating the first chain drive unit 124a and the second chain drive unit 124b to the left (counterclockwise). Conversely, when the right level sensor detects that the position of the upper surface of the adsorbent 40 has exceeded a predetermined threshold (upper limit), the leveling device 124 may level the adsorbent 40 to the left by rotating the first chain drive unit 124a and the second chain drive unit 124b to the right (clockwise).

[0063] Furthermore, when both the left and right level sensors detect that the position of the upper surface of the adsorbent 40 has exceeded a predetermined threshold (upper limit), the operations of the first chain drive unit 124a, the second chain drive unit 124b, and the adsorbent supply unit 110 may be stopped. This makes it possible to prevent excessive supply of adsorbent to the adsorbent filling tank 120.

[0064] In this embodiment, a pair of chain drives are used as the power source for rotating the multiple squeegee bars 124c, but a pair of belt drives may be used instead. In the case of a belt drive, rotational power can be obtained by rotating a belt wound around a pair of pulleys.

[0065] Finally, the distance sensor 125 shown in Figures 3 and 4 will be described. The distance sensor 125 functions as a means for measuring the distance between the distance sensor 125 and the upper surface of the filled adsorbent. Specifically, a sensor that measures the distance to an object using ultrasound, infrared rays, or a laser can be used as the distance sensor 125. In the water treatment device 100 of this embodiment, the control unit 140 shown in Figure 1 detects the position of the upper surface of the adsorbent filled inside the adsorbent filling tank 120 based on the detection value of the distance sensor 125.

[0066] As described above, the adsorbent discharge unit 130 operates intermittently, causing a gradual decrease in the amount of adsorbent filled inside the adsorbent filling tank 120. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 140 monitors the detection value of the distance sensor 125 to determine the position of the upper surface of the adsorbent filled inside the adsorbent filling tank 120, i.e., the amount of adsorbent filled inside the tank main body 121. Then, when the position of the upper surface of the filled adsorbent falls below a predetermined threshold (lower limit value) (when the amount of adsorbent filled falls below a predetermined amount), the control unit 140 operates the adsorbent supply unit 110 to replenish the adsorbent into the adsorbent filling tank 120.

[0067] In this embodiment, the lower limit is set so that the position of the upper surface of the filled adsorbent is higher than the position of the opening 121c provided in the tank main body 121 (specifically, the position of the bottom edge 121ca of the opening 121c). In other words, the position of the upper surface of the filled adsorbent is always higher than the water surface of the overflowing treated water. This allows the raw water supplied to the adsorbent-filled tank 120 to always be in contact with the adsorbent until it flows out as treated water.

[0068] In this manner, in this embodiment, the detection value of the distance sensor 125 is used to control the timing of adsorbent supply by the adsorbent supply unit 110. In addition, in this embodiment, the detection value of the distance sensor 125 can also be used for other purposes. For example, if clogging occurs inside the tank main body 121 for some reason and the adsorbent is not properly discharged, the detection value of the distance sensor 125 may hardly fluctuate. In such a case, the control unit 140 may notify the administrator that clogging has occurred.

[0069] As described above, water treatment device 100 of this embodiment has a function of automatically supplying adsorbent to adsorbent-filled tank 120 and a function of automatically discharging adsorbent from adsorbent-filled tank 120, and is capable of causing the adsorbent to flow from top to bottom inside adsorbent-filled tank 120. In other words, water treatment device 100 of this embodiment is structured to supply and discharge adsorbent to and from adsorbent-filled tank 120 alone, allowing for simple operation and providing improved maintainability compared to conventional devices.

[0070] Furthermore, raw water is supplied to the adsorbent-filled tank 120 from below, and overflowing treated water is discharged from above. That is, in the adsorbent-filled tank 120 of the water treatment device 100 of this embodiment, the supplied raw water moves upward inside the adsorbent-filled tank 120 and comes into contact with the adsorbent. Typically, the adsorption performance of an adsorbent deteriorates with use, and the older the adsorbent, the lower the adsorption performance. Therefore, it can be said that the lower the adsorbent located inside the adsorbent-filled tank 120, the lower the adsorption performance of the adsorbent. However, in this embodiment, because raw water is supplied from the bottom of the adsorbent-filled tank 120, the supplied raw water first comes into contact with the older adsorbent (the lower adsorbent). Because the supplied raw water has a high concentration of dissolved substances, even adsorbents with reduced adsorption performance can achieve a certain level of adsorption effect. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the supplied raw water moves upward while coming into contact with the adsorbent, and therefore comes into contact with newer adsorbents that maintain their adsorption performance as it moves upward. Therefore, even if the concentration of dissolved substances in the raw water has decreased due to the adsorption treatment, it is possible to efficiently remove (adsorb) the dissolved substances in the raw water by contacting the raw water with new adsorbent that maintains its adsorption performance.

[0071] Furthermore, in the water treatment device 100 of this embodiment, old adsorbent that has moved downward is discharged and new adsorbent is replenished from above, so that the adsorbent is continuously replaced and the adsorption performance of the entire device can be constantly maintained. That is, in the water treatment device 100, the adsorbent is continuously replaced, so fluctuations in adsorption performance (e.g., phosphorus removal rate, etc.) can be suppressed compared to conventional technologies in which the adsorbents are periodically replaced all at once, and loss of treatment capacity of the adsorbent can be reduced.

[0072] (Variation 1) In the water treatment device 100 of this embodiment, an example has been shown in which the adsorbent supply unit 110 operates to intermittently supply the adsorbent to the adsorbent filling tank 120, but the adsorbent supply unit 110 may be omitted. For example, when a predetermined amount of adsorbent is discharged by the operation of the adsorbent discharge unit 130, the control unit 140 may notify an administrator of this. The administrator who has received the notification may then replenish the adsorbent filling tank 120 with new adsorbent using a transport means such as a crane.

[0073] It is also possible to dispose the adsorbent holding section 111 in the adsorbent supply section 110 above the adsorbent filling tank 120, and supply the adsorbent discharged from the adsorbent holding section 111 directly to the adsorbent filling tank 120. In this case, the supply conveyor 112 can be omitted from the adsorbent supply section 110.

[0074] (Variation 2) In the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the timing of supplying the adsorbent to the adsorbent filling tank 120 and the timing of discharging the adsorbent from the adsorbent filling tank 120 are controlled by the control unit 140 and are performed intermittently, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the supply and discharge of the adsorbent may be performed continuously. In other words, the adsorbent may be configured to constantly flow inside the adsorbent filling tank 120.

[0075] When the adsorbent is continuously supplied and discharged, the rate at which the adsorbent is supplied to the adsorbent-filled tank 120 and the rate at which the adsorbent is discharged from the adsorbent-filled tank 120 may be synchronized. In this case, the adsorbent is constantly moving inside the adsorbent-filled tank 120, so it is desirable to determine the rate at which the adsorbent is supplied and the rate at which the adsorbent is discharged so as to ensure sufficient contact time between the raw water and the adsorbent. (Variation 3) In the adsorbent-filled tank 120 of this embodiment, an air supply port may be provided in the lower part of the tank main body 121. Specifically, the air supply port may be provided in the side wall below (for example, at a position near the lower end of) the inverted pyramidal (or inverted conical) part provided in the tank main body 121. An air compressor may be connected to the air supply port so that air can be forcibly fed in.

[0076] In this embodiment, the adsorbent naturally falls downward within the tank body 121, which may cause clogging of the adsorbent in the inverted pyramidal portion. In such cases, the clogging can be eliminated by forcibly supplying air using an air compressor. For example, if the detection value of the distance sensor 125 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 hardly fluctuates for a predetermined period of time (if the amount of fluctuation within the predetermined period of time is within a predetermined range), the control unit 140 may control the air compressor to forcibly supply air.

[0077] (Variation 4) In the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the detection value of the distance sensor 125 is used to control the timing of adsorbent supply by the adsorbent supply unit 110, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, load cells may be provided evenly on the side of the tank body 121 of the adsorbent filling tank 120, and the operation of at least one of the supply conveyor 112 and the rotary valve 113 in the adsorbent supply unit 110 may be controlled by sensing the change in weight of the tank body 121 (i.e., the change in weight of the filled adsorbent).

[0078] Second Embodiment In this embodiment, a water treatment system having a different configuration from that of the first embodiment will be described. Specifically, a water treatment system 10a of this embodiment can control the operation of the entire system by remotely monitoring the water level or water quality. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be described, and the same parts as those in the first embodiment will be indicated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0079] 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a water treatment system 10a according to one embodiment of the present invention. The water treatment system 10a of this embodiment includes a raw water storage tank 11, a flow meter 15, a control valve 16, a water treatment device 100, a treated water storage tank 13, and pumps 17 to 19. Furthermore, a monitoring sensor 51 is provided in the raw water storage tank 11, and a monitoring sensor 52 is provided in the treated water storage tank 13.

[0080] The raw water storage tank 11, the water treatment device 100, and the treated water storage tank 13 have the same configurations as those in the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here. However, in this embodiment, the raw water storage tank 11 has a monitoring sensor 51 that measures at least one of the water level and water quality (e.g., pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity, etc.) of the raw water stored therein. Similarly, the treated water storage tank 13 has a monitoring sensor 52 that measures at least one of the water level and water quality (e.g., pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity, etc.) of the treated water stored therein. The monitoring sensors 51 and 52 can be at least one of known water level sensors and water quality sensors depending on the application.

[0081] Flow meter 15 measures the flow rate of raw water supplied from raw water storage tank 11. Adjustment valve 16 is a valve for adjusting the flow rate of raw water supplied from raw water storage tank 11 to water treatment device 100. Known flow meters and adjustment valves can be used for flow meter 15 and adjustment valve 16.

[0082] Pumps 17 to 19 are devices that control the flow of water flowing through the pipes. In this embodiment, pumps 17 to 19 are respectively arranged in a pipe for supplying raw water to raw water storage tank 11, a pipe for supplying raw water from raw water storage tank 11 to water treatment device 100, and a pipe for discharging treated water from treated water storage tank 13. Known pumps can be used for pumps 17 to 19.

[0083] Although not shown in FIG. 8, the detection values ​​of the monitoring sensors 51 and 52 are transmitted to a control device that controls the entire water treatment system 10a. The control device is configured, for example, by an information processing device (e.g., a server, a mobile terminal, a tablet terminal, etc.) located in a remote location. The control device monitors the detection values ​​of the monitoring sensors 51 and 52. The control device controls the regulating valve 16 or the pumps 17-19 based on these detection values, thereby ensuring efficient operation of the water treatment system 10a. Specific operations of the water treatment system 10a performed by the control device are described below.

[0084] The monitoring sensor 51 measures the water level of the raw water inside the raw water storage tank 11 and transmits the detected value (measurement result) to the control device. When the control device determines that the water level of the raw water exceeds a predetermined threshold (i.e., the water level is high), it can control the pump 17 to stop the supply of raw water to the raw water storage tank 11. Conversely, when the control device determines that the water level of the raw water is below the predetermined threshold (i.e., the water level is low), it can control the pump 17 to resume the supply of raw water to the raw water storage tank 11.

[0085] The monitoring sensor 51 can also measure the quality of the raw water inside the raw water storage tank 11 and transmit the detected value (measurement result) to the control device. In this case, when the control device determines that the quality of the raw water is abnormal (i.e., the water quality has deteriorated), it can control the pump 17 to stop the supply of raw water to the raw water storage tank 11 and the pump 18 to stop the supply of raw water to the water treatment device 100. Conversely, when the control device determines that the quality of the raw water has recovered (i.e., the water quality has improved), it can control the pumps 17 and 18 to resume the supply of raw water to the raw water storage tank 11 and the water treatment device 100. The manager of the water treatment system 10a can perform maintenance on the water treatment device 100 or the sewage treatment facility 5 while the supply of raw water is stopped.

[0086] The monitoring sensor 52 measures the water level of the treated water inside the treated water storage tank 13 and transmits the detected value (measurement result) to the control device. When the control device determines that the water level of the treated water is below a predetermined threshold (i.e., the water level is low), it can control the pump 19 to stop the release of the treated water from the treated water storage tank 13. Conversely, when the control device determines that the water level of the treated water is above the predetermined threshold (i.e., the water level is high), it can control the pump 19 to resume the release of the treated water from the treated water storage tank 13.

[0087] Furthermore, monitoring sensor 52 can also measure the quality of the treated water inside treated water storage tank 13 and transmit the detected value (measurement result) to the control device. In this case, when the control device determines that the quality of the treated water is abnormal (i.e., the water quality has deteriorated), it can control pump 19 to stop the release of the treated water from treated water storage tank 13 and control pump 18 to stop the supply of raw water to water treatment device 100. Conversely, when the control device determines that the quality of the raw water has recovered (i.e., the water quality has improved), it can control pumps 17 and 18 to resume the release of the treated water from treated water storage tank 13 and the supply of raw water to water treatment device 100. In this case, too, the manager of water treatment system 10a can perform maintenance on water treatment device 100 or sewage treatment facility 5 while the release of treated water and the supply of raw water are stopped.

[0088] On the other hand, the flow rate of raw water supplied from raw water storage tank 11 to water treatment device 100 is adjusted by controlling regulating valve 16. In this embodiment, the control device monitors the measurement value of flow meter 15, thereby enabling feedback control based on the flow rate of raw water flowing through the piping. That is, the control device adjusts regulating valve 16 according to the value indicated by flow meter 15, thereby enabling real-time control of the flow rate of raw water.

[0089] As described above, in water treatment system 10a of the present embodiment, a control device (not shown) remotely monitors the detection values ​​(measurement results) of monitoring sensors 51 and 52 or flow meter 15 and controls pumps 17 to 19. As a result, water treatment system 10a of the present embodiment can appropriately control the flow of raw water or treated water based on the water level or water quality of raw water stored inside raw water storage tank 11 or the water level or water quality of treated water stored inside treated water storage tank 13, thereby improving water treatment efficiency.

[0090] The embodiments and their modifications of the present invention can be combined as appropriate as long as they are not mutually inconsistent. A water treatment device in which a person skilled in the art appropriately adds or deletes components or modifies the design, or adds or omits steps or modifies conditions, based on the water treatment device of the above-described embodiments or their modifications, is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as it includes the gist of the present invention.

[0091] Furthermore, even if there are other effects and advantages different from those brought about by the above-mentioned embodiments or their modified forms, if these are clear from the description in this specification or can be easily predicted by a person skilled in the art, they are naturally understood to be brought about by the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 5...Sewage treatment facility, 10...Water treatment system, 11...Raw water storage tank, 12...Flow rate adjustment tank, 13...Treated water storage tank, 15...Flow meter, 16...Control valve, 17-19...Pump, 21...Raw water supply pipe, 21a...Raw water inlet, 22...Treated water transfer pipe, 31a...Drive sprocket, 31b...Drive sprocket, 32a...Driven sprocket, 32b...Driven sprocket, 33a...Roller chain, 33b...Roller chain, 34a, 34b...Shaft, 40...Adsorbent, 51, 52...Monitoring sensor, 100...Water treatment device, 110...Adsorbent supply unit, 111...Adsorbent storage Holding portion, 111a...opening, 112...supply conveyor, 112a...discharge port, 113...rotary valve, 120...adsorbent filled tank, 121...tank main body, 121a to 121c...opening, 121ca...bottom, 122...raw water supply portion, 122a...partition member, 123...water receiving portion, 124...leveling device, 124a...first chain drive portion, 124b...second chain drive portion, 124c...squeegee bar, 125...distance sensor, 130...adsorbent discharge portion, 131...discharge conveyor, 131a...feeding port, 131b...discharge port, 132...adsorbent disposal portion, 140...control portion

Claims

1. An adsorbent-filled tank including a tank body portion filled with an adsorbent, and performing an adsorption treatment on raw water using the adsorbent, the tank body has a first opening and a second opening provided in a side wall of the tank body and each of the first opening and the second opening is covered with a mesh member; The adsorbent is supplied from above the adsorbent-filled tank and discharged from below, the raw water is supplied from below the tank main body through the first opening and moves upward to come into contact with the adsorbent, The treated water that has undergone the adsorption treatment flows out of the tank main body through the second opening. Water treatment equipment.

2. The adsorbent-filled tank includes a raw water supply unit to which a raw water supply pipe is connected, The water treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the raw water supply unit has a partition member between the raw water inlet of the raw water supply pipe and the first opening, the partition member changing the direction of the water flow.

3. The water treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the adsorbent-filled tank further includes a water receiving section that receives the treated water flowing out from the second opening and sends it to a treated water transfer pipe.

4. an adsorbent discharge section including a discharge conveyor that transports the adsorbent discharged from below the adsorbent filling tank, The water treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein a position of the discharge outlet of the discharge conveyor is higher than a position of a bottom side of the second opening.

5. an adsorbent holding section that stores the adsorbent before use; a supply conveyor that transfers the adsorbent from the adsorbent holding section to the adsorbent filling tank; The water treatment device according to claim 1 , further comprising an adsorbent supply unit comprising:

6. The water treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent tank further includes a distance sensor that detects the position of an upper surface of the adsorbent filled inside the adsorbent tank.

7. The water treatment device according to claim 6 , further comprising a control unit that controls a timing for supplying the adsorbent in accordance with a detection result of the distance sensor.

8. The water treatment device according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit further controls a timing for discharging the adsorbent.

9. The water treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent-filled tank further includes a leveling device that levels an upper surface of the adsorbent filled therein.

Images