Contact Reactor with Movable Partitions for Water Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water treatment processes using powdered adsorbents struggle to maintain consistent effluent quality due to coupling of flow rate and residence time, which is problematic with fluctuating inflows and requires constant reaction volume or complex structural adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A contact reactor with variable zone operation and fixed water level, allowing decoupling of flow rate and residence time through adjustable inlet and outlet openings, and optional addition of flocculants and adsorbents, ensuring consistent contact times and process stability without moving parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a constant reaction volume is used in the contact reactor, then the residence time remains constant, but the effluent quality cannot be maintained with fluctuating inflows because flow rate and residence time are coupled
Solution Approach 1:
The partition walls are made movable instead of fixed, allowing the reactor volume to be dynamically adjusted. This enables the system to adapt to varying flow rates while maintaining constant residence time, resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability. The movable walls allow operators to change the active reaction volume in response to inflow fluctuations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of reactor volume by adjusting movable partition walls. This parameter change allows decoupling of flow rate and residence time relationships, enabling constant residence time to be maintained even when flow rate varies, thus improving effluent quality consistency while adapting to different inflow conditions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the water level is varied to change reaction volume, then flow rate and residence time can be decoupled, but a non-pressurised discharge cannot be guaranteed and additional measurement and control technology is required
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of varying water level dynamically with complex controls, the invention uses movable partition walls to dynamically adjust the effective reaction volume. This mechanical approach to volume adjustment achieves decoupling of flow and residence time without requiring complex level measurement and control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the water level variation problem from the system by using movable partition walls to define the reaction volume directly. This removes the need for complex measurement and control technology that would be required to manage variable water levels while maintaining discharge pressure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If movable walls are used to vary reactor size, then flow rate and residence time can be decoupled, but production costs and sealing effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reactor is segmented into multiple zones by movable partition walls, allowing independent adjustment of each section's volume. This segmentation enables flexible reactor size adjustment while using simple, standardized wall components that are easier and cheaper to manufacture and seal compared to a single complex movable wall system.
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 ensures consistent removal of trace substances and organic contaminants with varying inflows, reducing equipment costs and complexity while maintaining constant water level and optimal reaction times.
Implementation Method 1
a suspension of powdered activated carbon is metered into the first of the three stages of the same size of a subsequent contract reactor. In the three stages of the reactor, which is operated without pressure and with a free water level, the adsorption of the water constituents on the activated carbon
Implementation Method 2
the flocculation of the carbon particles take place simultaneously. After the contact reactor, flocculant is dosed to improve the separation of the flocs
Implementation Method 3
separation of the flocs
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for removing dissolved water constituents from water, which is either drinking water, surface water, process water, or wastewater, using powdered adsorbents. This method is used in process treatment in the chemical industry and in water and wastewater technology, preferably in drinking water treatment and wastewater purification. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method. The object of the invention is to provide a cost-effective and technologically simple method for removing dissolved water constituents from water, which is either drinking water, surface water, process water, or wastewater, while decoupling flow rate and residence time and maintaining a constant water level. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method. According to the invention, this object is achieved by...that - in single-zone operation, the water is fed into the contact reactor through an inlet opening (8) in the first zone (1) and is discharged in this zone (1) through an outlet opening (9) located at water level (7) in free-surface flow, - in two-zone operation, the water is directed through an inlet opening (10) into the second zone (2) of the contact reactor, flows under a sealed second partition (5) and is directed into the third zone (3) and is subsequently discharged through an outlet opening (11) located at water level (7) in free-surface flow, - in three-zone operation, the water is fed through an inlet opening (8) located in the first zone (1), flows over the first partition (4), is directed into the second zone (2), and then flows under the second partition (5),is directed into the third zone (3) and is discharged through a drainage opening (11) located at water level (7) in the free-surface flow - as well as the device for carrying out the procedure.