Bottom Suction Filtration for Flocculated Tank Water
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional filtration systems for large ornamental and recreational water bodies, such as lakes and pools, face high investment and operating costs, and inefficiencies in filtering the entire volume of water, leading to unmanageable and costly infrastructure and limited scalability.
Innovation Solution
A suctioning device that uses a synergistic combination of flocculant agents and ultrasound to precipitate suspended solids at the tank bottom, forming large, easily suctionable floccules, which are then filtered with a small, economic filter, reducing the need to filter the entire tank volume and minimizing chemical usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional filtration systems filter the entire tank volume, then water clarity is improved, but investment and operating costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the filtration process into two distinct stages: (1) flocculation stage where suspended solids are aggregated into larger particles using chemical flocculants, and (2) suction/filtration stage where only the concentrated flocculated material is removed. This segmentation allows treating a small portion of water (the suctioned portion) rather than the entire tank volume, significantly reducing infrastructure requirements while maintaining water clarity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies preliminary flocculation treatment to suspended solids in the water before the suction process. By pre-aggregating fine particles into larger, heavier floccules that settle to the tank bottom, the system prepares the water in advance, making the subsequent suction and filtration process more efficient and requiring less infrastructure to handle the actual filtration of the entire volume.
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional filtration systems filter all tank water, then suspended solids are removed, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filtration process is divided into energy-efficient segments: low-energy flocculation (chemical process) followed by targeted suction and filtration of only the concentrated solids portion. This avoids the high energy consumption required to pump and filter the entire tank volume through traditional filtration systems, while still achieving effective suspended solids removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of suspended solids by transforming them from fine, dispersed particles to larger, denser floccules through chemical aggregation. This parameter change (particle size and density) enables gravity-based settling and targeted suction, replacing energy-intensive mechanical filtration of the entire water volume with a more energy-efficient process that treats only the concentrated solids.
3Productivity
If traditional filtration systems are scaled up for larger tanks, then filtration capacity increases, but infrastructure becomes unmanageable and costs escalate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the large-volume water treatment into a two-stage process that scales efficiently: flocculation (chemical process independent of tank size) followed by suction of concentrated solids. This segmentation allows the same basic infrastructure (flocculation tank, suction system, small filter) to handle any tank size, unlike traditional systems where filtration capacity must be directly scaled up, making infrastructure unmanageable and costly.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies partial action by treating only the portion of water containing concentrated suspended solids (the flocculated portion) rather than the entire tank volume. This partial treatment approach maintains filtration capacity for large tanks without requiring proportional increases in infrastructure complexity, as the system processes only the necessary fraction of water containing the contaminants.
4Productivity
If chemical flocculants are used to precipitate solids, then suction efficiency improves, but chemical usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses chemical flocculants in controlled, minimal quantities sufficient to aggregate suspended solids into suctionable floccules, rather than excessive amounts that would treat the entire water volume. This partial application of chemicals achieves the necessary suction efficiency while minimizing chemical consumption and associated costs.
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 approach significantly reduces filtration costs and energy consumption, achieving high water clarity with lower investment and operating expenses, while efficiently filtering only a small percentage of the tank's water volume, comparable to traditional systems that filter the entire volume.
Implementation Method 1
uses a synergistic combination of flocculant agents and ultrasound to precipitate suspended solids at the tank bottom, forming large, easily suctionable floccules
Implementation Method 2
uses a synergistic combination of flocculant agents and ultrasound to precipitate suspended solids at the tank bottom
Implementation Method 3
The suctioning device suctions a water flow with flocculated particles in order to accomplish filtration of the water of said tank
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention comprises an efficient filtration process of water from a tank, where the filtration is performed over a small volume of water and not on the totality of the water from the tank; the process comprises the following steps: (a) emitting ultrasonic waves in the tank; (b) adding a flocculant agent to the water; (c) covering the tank bottom with a suctioning device which suctions a water flow with flocculated particles, discharging to a collecting effluent line; (d) filtering the effluent flow of the suctioning device from said collecting effluent line; and (e) returning the filtered flow to the tank. The present invention additionally comprises a suctioning device used in said efficient filtration process.