Flotation Mixing Zone Perforated Panel and Diffusion Nozzles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing water clarification installations by flotation face issues with non-homogeneous contact between treated water and pressurized water, leading to reduced effectiveness and contamination of clarified water due to recirculation phenomena.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a perforated panel and diffusion nozzles to ensure homogeneous contact between coagulated/flocculated water and pressurized water, along with partitions in the flotation zone to prevent recirculation, optimizing the agglomeration of particles and improving water quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a conventional mixing zone design is used, then the structure is simple, but the contact between water to be treated and pressurized water is non-homogeneous

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehomogeneity of contactVSAvoidmixing zone structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mixing zone is segmented into multiple compartments separated by partition walls with openings. This segmentation allows the water flow to be divided into multiple streams, ensuring homogeneous contact between the water to be treated and the pressurized water across the entire horizontal section, while maintaining reasonable structural complexity through modular partition design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the flotation zone allows natural flow, then the structure is simple, but recirculation phenomenon occurs causing impurity departure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclarified water qualityVSAvoidflotation zone structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flotation zone is divided into multiple compartments by partition walls with openings, creating separate flow paths. This segmentation prevents the recirculation phenomenon by ensuring that clarified water cannot return to the region where air bubbles are generated, thereby improving water quality while maintaining structural simplicity through modular partition design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Partition walls with controlled openings act as intermediaries between different regions of the flotation zone. These partitions guide the flow of water and air bubbles, preventing direct recirculation while allowing controlled interaction between compartments, thus improving clarified water quality without excessive structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If pressurized water is injected without diffusion nozzles, then the device is simpler, but the agglomeration of particles with air bubbles is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater treatment effectivenessVSAvoiddiffusion system
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Diffusion nozzles with porous structures are installed in the mixing zone to inject pressurized water. The porous design creates fine bubbles and enhances the contact surface area between air and water, significantly improving particle agglomeration effectiveness. The porous nozzle structure achieves high productivity while maintaining reasonable device complexity through efficient mass transfer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

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

Enhances the homogeneity of water treatment, reduces hydraulic short circuits, and prevents recirculation, resulting in improved water quality and efficiency of the clarification process.

Implementation Method 1

an installation for clarifying water by flotation... mixing zone 1 in the lower part of which are admitted, in an ascending current, the water to be treated previously coagulated and flocculated... and a pressurized then expanded water... so that micro air bubbles are formed. As represented by the arrow C, the air bubbles thus formed make it possible to bring back towards the surface of the mixing zone all the particles in suspension in the water to be treated agglomerated with the air bubbles.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFlotation: Froth Floatation

Implementation Method 2

In the coagulation zone, one or more coagulating agents (for example aluminum polychloride, aluminum sulphate, ferric chloride, etc.) are injected into the water to be treated... Flocculation is a physico-chemical step which aims to modify the state of colloidal particles suspended in water so that they coagulate with each other.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCoagulation: Coagulation

Implementation Method 3

said mixing zone accommodates at least one nozzle for diffusing said pressurized water... The passage of the water to be treated through the perforated panel makes it possible to homogenize and fragment the flow of the water to be treated. This contributes to ensuring that the contact between the water to be treated and the micro air bubbles formed in the mixing zone by the introduction of pressurized then expanded water is homogeneous

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDiffusion: Diffusion

Data Source

PatentEP2150324B1Flotation water treatment plant and corresponding water treatment method
Publication Date: 2018.09.12 VEOLIA WATER SOLUTIONS & TECHNOLOGIES SUPPORT SAS
  • EP2150324B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2150324B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2150324B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6bis

AI summary

The invention relates to a flotation water treatment plant comprising at least: an inlet zone (31) for the water to be treated, which is coagulated and flocculated beforehand; a mixing zone (32), for mixing pressurized and then depressurized water with said water to be treated; a flotation zone (35) separated from said mixing zone by a wall; a clarified-water take-up zone (36) provided in the lower part of said flotation zone (35). According to the technique shown here, said mixing zone accommodates (32) at least one spray nozzle (40, 91, 92) for spraying said pressurized water, said spray nozzle (40, 91, 92) lying close to a panel (33), at least part of which has perforations (331), said panel separating said inlet zone (31) from said mixing zone (32).