Ballast Water Filter Backwashing via Volume Expansion and Pressurization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ballast water treatment systems face issues with increased water flow resistance due to clogging by foreign matters like plankton and suspended particles, leading to inefficient filtering and potential system interruptions, which conventional rinsing methods may not adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A ballast water production method involving a filtering step, a volume-increasing step, a pressurizing step, and a rinsing step, where the volume-increasing step enhances the rinsing efficiency by increasing the water volume in the filtering unit's secondary side, and the pressurizing step uses compressed air and water to effectively remove foreign matters from the filter, followed by a rinsing step that reduces water flow resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous filtering is conducted using a filter, then foreign matters such as plankton and suspended particles are captured and removed from raw water, but water flow resistance increases due to filter clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic rinsing operations where the filtering process is interrupted at predetermined intervals to reverse-flow rinse the filter element. This periodic action removes accumulated foreign matters from the filter, restoring water flow resistance to initial levels and enabling continuous operation without filter replacement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs reverse-flow rinsing where fluid is directed through the filter element in the opposite direction of normal filtration. This inversion of flow direction dislodges and removes captured foreign matters from the filter pores, effectively reducing water flow resistance while maintaining filtering effectiveness
2Productivity
If a rinsing step is conducted to recover water flow resistance, then filter operation is restored, but system operation must be interrupted for filter replacement when rinsing is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary rinsing operations at predetermined intervals before the filter becomes completely clogged. By proactively rinsing the filter element during operation, the system prevents situations requiring filter replacement and maintains continuous productivity without system interruptions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates rinsing operations into the continuous filtering process through automated periodic rinsing. The system alternates between filtering and rinsing modes, ensuring that the filter element is continuously maintained in an effective state without requiring system shutdowns or filter replacements, thus maintaining uninterrupted useful action
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method extends the operational time of the ballast water treatment system by effectively recovering water flow resistance and reducing the need for filter replacement, allowing for efficient removal of marine microbes and suspended particles while minimizing the use of sterilizers and power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a filtering step of capturing foreign matters such as zooplankton, phytoplankton, and suspended particles included in raw water
Implementation Method 2
a pressurizing step of pressurizing an inside of the housing from the secondary side
Implementation Method 3
the filter is rinsed by periodically conducting a rinsing step of allowing a fluid to flow in a direction opposite to that in the filtering step
Data Source
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AI summary
A ballast water production method includes a filtering step of passing raw water supplied into a housing (20) through a filter (21) from a primary side that is upstream of the filter (21) to a secondary side that is downstream of the filter; a volume-increasing step of, after the filtering step, increasing a volume of water present in a space on the secondary side of the housing (20) while the supply of the raw water into the housing (20) is stopped; a pressurizing step of, after the volume-increasing step, pressurizing an inside of the housing (20) from the secondary side while the supply of the raw water into the housing (20) is stopped; and a rinsing step of, after the pressurizing step, passing a fluid through the filter (21) from the secondary side to the primary side while the supply of the raw water into the housing (20) is stopped.