Halophyte Plant Water Treatment System
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water treatment systems struggle to efficiently remove salts and ions from contaminated water, particularly in agricultural drainage water, due to high solubility of sodium, challenges in removing chloride, and issues with scaling and equipment failure.
Innovation Solution
A hydroponic water treatment system utilizing containerized plant systems with halophyte plants, specifically salt-tolerant, hyperaccumulator, and recretohalophyte plants, to treat contaminated water through evapotranspiration, salt accumulation, and salt excretion, thereby increasing salt concentration and reducing ion levels in the water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If thermal evaporation is used to reduce water volume, then water volume is reduced, but power consumption increases enormously and calcium sulfate scaling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal evaporation system (mechanical/thermal process requiring enormous power) with a biological system using halophyte plants that naturally perform evapotranspiration. This substitution eliminates the need for high-power thermal equipment while achieving the same water volume reduction goal, directly resolving the contradiction between volume reduction and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The halophyte plants perform evapotranspiration as a natural biological function without requiring external energy input. The plants self-regulate water uptake and evaporation processes, eliminating the need for powered mechanical evaporation systems and thereby reducing power consumption to near-zero levels while still achieving water volume reduction.
2Volume of moving object
If thermal evaporation is used to reduce water volume, then water volume is reduced, but calcium sulfate scaling potential dramatically increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal evaporation with biological evapotranspiration through halophyte plants. Since this process occurs at ambient temperatures rather than through boiling, it avoids the conditions that promote calcium sulfate scaling, thereby eliminating the harmful scaling effect while still achieving water volume reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating temperature parameter from high-temperature thermal evaporation to ambient-temperature biological evapotranspiration. This parameter change fundamentally alters the evaporation mechanism to avoid calcium sulfate precipitation, which occurs at higher temperatures, thereby resolving the scaling problem while maintaining water volume reduction effectiveness.
3Quantity of substance
If layered double hydroxide technique is used to remove chloride, then chloride is removed, but substantial skill and caustic chemicals are required
Solution Approach 1:
The halophyte plants naturally accumulate and remove chloride ions from water through their root systems as part of their biological function. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for skilled operators and caustic chemicals, achieving chloride removal through the plants' inherent physiological processes rather than complex chemical treatment methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical-based layered double hydroxide technique with a biological system using halophyte plants. This substitution eliminates the need for caustic chemicals and specialized technical skills, using instead the natural chloride accumulation capability of salt-tolerant plants to achieve the same removal objective with simpler, safer materials.
4Reliability
If conventional water treatment facilities are built for each farm, then water treatment capability is provided, but cost becomes financially impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses halophyte plants as a low-cost, easily replaceable treatment medium compared to expensive conventional treatment facility infrastructure. The plants provide effective water treatment capability at minimal cost and can be readily replaced or regenerated, making the system financially practical for individual farms without requiring expensive capital investment in permanent treatment facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive mechanical water treatment facilities with a simple biological system using halophyte plants. This substitution dramatically reduces the cost of providing water treatment capability, transforming an financially impractical expensive infrastructure solution into an affordable, scalable biological treatment approach suitable for individual farms.
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 effectively reduces the volume of water and increases salt concentration, allowing for efficient removal of salts and ions, while minimizing the need for chemical additives and reducing power consumption, thus providing a cost-effective and sustainable solution for water treatment.
Implementation Method 1
The first portion of the water taken up by the first root system is evaporated from the first plant via evapotranspiration
Implementation Method 2
The halophyte plants may be hyperaccumulator halophyte plants configured to store salt in the tissue of the plants
Implementation Method 3
The halophyte plants may be recretohalophyte plants configured to secret salt from the plants
Data Source
AI summary
A hydroponic water treatment system incudes a supply tank configured to receive water having contaminants dissolved therein. An irrigation pump is in fluid communication with the supply tank. The irrigation pump is configured to pump the water out of the supply tank. One or more above ground first containerized plant systems include a first growing container. A first plant having a first root system is disposed in a substrate contained in the first growing container. A first holding container is configured to contain the first growing container therein. The first holding container includes a fluid connection. The fluid connection is in fluid communication with the supply tank. The first root system is configured to receive a first portion of the water from the irrigation pump via drip irrigation and the fluid connection is configured to return a second portion of the water to the supply tank.