Fluidized Bed Activated Carbon Water Treatment
Solution Overview
Problem
Current water treatment processes using powdered activated carbon are costly due to high consumption of coagulation and flocculation agents, and there is a need for a method to reduce these costs while maintaining effective treatment and a reduced footprint.
Innovation Solution
The process involves pre-contacting the aqueous fluid with coagulation, flocculation agents, and fresh powdered activated carbon before treatment, which is then injected into a fluidized bed reactor, allowing for significant reduction in agent consumption by up to a factor of 10 while maintaining depolluting performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If powdered activated carbon is used in fluidized bed reactors with coagulation and flocculation agents, then effective removal of organic micropollutants is achieved, but the consumption of coagulation and flocculation agents increases treatment costs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by pre-mixing powdered activated carbon with coagulation and/or flocculation agents before introducing the mixture into the fluidized bed reactor. This pre-combination ensures that the carbon particles are already associated with the chemical agents, allowing them to work synergistically during the treatment process. The pre-mixed particles are introduced into the ascending water flow, where they effectively remove organic micropollutants while minimizing the overall consumption of coagulation and flocculation agents compared to traditional separate application methods.
2Reliability
If traditional separate treatment stages are used, then effective water treatment is achieved, but the treatment installation footprint increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple treatment functions into a single fluidized bed reactor. By combining the adsorption function of powdered activated carbon with the coagulation and flocculation functions in one integrated system, the invention eliminates the need for separate treatment stages. The pre-mixed particles of activated carbon combined with coagulation and/or flocculation agents perform multiple functions simultaneously within the fluidized bed, significantly reducing the installation footprint while maintaining effective water treatment.
3Reliability
If high doses of coagulation and flocculation agents are used, then effective particle aggregation is achieved, but treatment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite material system by pre-mixing powdered activated carbon with coagulation and/or flocculation agents. This composite approach allows the chemical agents to work more efficiently because they are directly associated with the carbon particles during the treatment process. The synergistic interaction between the carbon and the chemical agents enhances particle aggregation efficiency, allowing effective treatment with lower doses of coagulation and flocculation agents compared to using these agents alone in traditional separate treatment processes.
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 effectively reduces the mass consumption of coagulation and flocculation agents by up to 10 times, maintaining equivalent or superior treatment performance to existing methods while minimizing the treatment installation footprint.
Implementation Method 1
Activated carbon allows the elimination of many organic micropollutants and many natural organic materials by adsorption
Implementation Method 2
gravity separation of the depolluted aqueous fluid from the particles of powdered activated carbon in the upper part of the fluidized bed
Implementation Method 3
bringing the aqueous fluid to be treated into contact with a coagulation agent, a flocculation agent and fresh powdered activated carbon
Implementation Method 4
bringing the aqueous fluid to be treated into contact with a coagulation agent, a flocculation agent and fresh powdered activated carbon
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention concerns a method for treating an ascending flow of an aqueous fluid by adsorption on activated carbon powder in a fluidised bed of activated carbon. The method comprises bringing the aqueous fluid to be treated into contact with a coagulation agent, a flocculation agent and fresh activated carbon powder, followed by injecting the aqueous fluid obtained from this first step into the lower part of a fluidised bed of activated carbon powder of which the average concentration of activated carbon varies from 2 to 10g/L. This step is followed by gravity separation of the aqueous fluid from the activated carbon powder particles, producing a cleaned and settled aqueous fluid.