Forward Osmosis Wastewater Treatment With Clarification Tank
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing biological wastewater treatment systems for residential homes are inefficient, costly, and require extensive maintenance, failing to remove harmful pathogens and micropollutants, and are vulnerable to load variations, while membrane technologies like forward osmosis and reverse osmosis are not suitable for raw wastewater without extensive pretreatment and energy-intensive anti-fouling.
Innovation Solution
A non-biological wastewater treatment system using a forward osmosis water extraction unit and a draw recovery system, combined with a phase separation and clarification tank, that allows for wastewater treatment without pretreatment, featuring a design that ensures long retention times and settling velocities to minimize sludge removal, thus maintaining system efficiency and reducing maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If biological wastewater treatment systems are used for residential homes, then organic removal and nutrient reduction are achieved, but harmful pathogens, viruses, and pathogens remain in the effluent, and the systems are vulnerable to load variations and chemical inhibition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces biological treatment processes with a physical membrane filtration system. The membrane unit performs mechanical/physical separation of contaminants from wastewater through filtration, eliminating the need for biological processes and their associated vulnerabilities to load variations and chemical inhibition while achieving effective pathogen removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental treatment mechanism from biological to physical by introducing a membrane unit with specific pore structures. This parameter change enables the system to remove pathogens and micropollutants effectively while maintaining reliability under varying operational conditions, as physical filtration is not affected by biological process limitations.
2Manufacturing precision
If reverse osmosis membrane technologies are applied to raw wastewater, then high purity water production is achieved, but extensive pre-treatment and energy-intensive anti-fouling are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using a membrane unit with specifically engineered pore structures and surface properties suited for raw wastewater. The membrane's localized filtration characteristics enable direct treatment of raw wastewater without requiring extensive pre-treatment, achieving high purity output while simplifying the overall system configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent eliminates the need for preliminary pre-treatment actions by designing the membrane unit to handle raw wastewater directly. The membrane's inherent fouling resistance and filtration capabilities allow it to perform the separation function immediately upon contact with raw wastewater, avoiding the complexity of prior treatment stages.
3Ease of repair
If forward osmosis membrane cells are used, then draw agent recovery is possible, but the system requires pretreatment steps to prevent interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the forward osmosis system with a membrane filtration system that does not require draw agent recovery. This substitution eliminates the pretreatment steps needed to prevent membrane fouling and interruption, enabling continuous operation while maintaining the ability to recover and reuse water efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves continuous operation by using a membrane unit that can continuously filter raw wastewater without requiring periodic pretreatment or maintenance interruptions. The membrane's stable filtration performance allows uninterrupted water treatment, contrasting with forward osmosis systems that require periodic draw agent management and pretreatment.
4Productivity
If biology-based treatment systems are expanded, then treatment capacity increases, but investment demand grows faster than any economy due to climate change, growing population, and rising environmental standards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive biological treatment infrastructure with a more cost-effective membrane filtration system. The membrane unit achieves comparable or superior treatment capacity at lower investment cost, as it requires smaller footprint, lower operational expenses, and no complex biological process management, making it economically viable for expanding treatment capacity to meet growing population and environmental demands.
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 system provides a compact, cost-effective, and low-maintenance solution for domestic wastewater treatment, effectively removing pathogens and micropollutants without pretreatment, ensuring long operational periods and stable performance.
Implementation Method 1
a water extraction unit having a forward osmosis water extraction unit
Implementation Method 2
the non-biological wastewater treatment system comprises a phase separation and clarification tank
Data Source
AI summary
A non-biological wastewater treatment system comprising a water extraction unit having a forward osmosis water extraction unit and a draw recovery system that is connected to and configured to receive a diluted draw solution from the forward osmosis water extraction unit, wherein the non-biological wastewater treatment system comprises a phase separation and clarification tank, wherein the tank comprises an inlet connected to a first compartment and one or more additional compartments, wherein each compartment is separated from adjacent compartments by a separation wall provided with one or more openings wherein an outlet is provided at the outermost additional compartment.