Effluent Water Purification via Chemical Flocculation and Flotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional processes for treating effluent streams from waste materials, such as farm manure, fail to economically remove residual solid materials, leaving behind 1.5% to 4% non-aqueous content, which renders the water unusable for agricultural or drinking purposes and hinders the recycling of valuable solid materials for fertilizers.
Innovation Solution
A multistage process involving a plate separator, chemical treatments with cationic polyacrylamide and demulsifiers, and multiple dissolved air flotation devices, followed by reverse osmosis, to achieve a clean water stream with less than 100 ppm solids and the recycling of solid materials for beneficial uses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional processes (screens, air floatation, clarifiers) are used to separate solids from effluent, then large solids are removed, but residual solid materials (1.5% to 4%) remain that cannot be economically removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing chemical agents (coagulants and flocculants) to alter the physical-chemical properties of residual solids in effluent, enabling their aggregation into removable flocs. This transforms the separation problem from purely mechanical to chemically-assisted, achieving economically viable removal of sub-1.5% solids that conventional mechanical processes cannot remove
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional separation processes are used, then processing cost is reduced, but the effluent quality is insufficient for drinking or agricultural use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses chemical intermediaries (coagulants like alum or ferric chloride, and flocculants like polyacrylamide) as mediators between the residual solids and the effluent water. These intermediaries facilitate the aggregation and separation of fine particles at low concentrations, achieving drinkable or agricultural-grade effluent quality without requiring expensive advanced treatment technologies
3Device complexity
If residual solids (1.5% to 4%) are left in effluent, then processing complexity is reduced, but the water becomes unusable for drinking or agriculture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by adding coagulants and flocculants to the effluent before final separation. This pre-treatment step causes residual fine solids to aggregate into larger flocs that can be easily separated, ensuring the effluent achieves reliable drinkable or agricultural quality while maintaining relatively simple overall process complexity
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
The process effectively separates non-aqueous materials from water, producing a clean water stream suitable for drinking and recycling solid materials for fertilizers and animal feed, with the treated water and solids achieving the necessary purity and concentration for safe use.
Implementation Method 1
passing the source stream through a plate separator producing a first solids fraction and a first effluent fraction
Implementation Method 2
passing the first effluent fraction into a first dissolved air flotation device, wherein the first effluent fraction is separated into a third solids fraction and a third effluent fraction
Implementation Method 3
treating the first effluent fraction with acrylamide/Ethanaminium, N,N,N-trimethyl-2-((1-oxo-2-propenyl)oxo)-, chloride copolymer at about 5 ppm to 100 ppm by weight of the first effluent fraction
Implementation Method 4
treating the first effluent fraction with acrylamide/Ethanaminium, N,N,N-trimethyl-2-((1-oxo-2-propenyl)oxo)-, chloride copolymer
Data Source
AI summary
A process for separating clean water which has an impurities content of less than 100 ppm from waste materials such as farm manure is disclosed. In a first step, a plate separator splits the waste material stream into a first effluent fraction and a first solids fraction. The first solids fraction then undergoes two stages of pressing to increase the solids contents to about 30 to 40 percent which makes it suitable for granulation or pelletizing. The first effluent fraction is treated in successive stages with various chemical agents resulting in the removal of most of the solids and inorganic impurities from the effluent to achieve drinkable water purity.