Microplastic Removal System Using Segmented Filtration and Comminution
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for an effective system and method to remove micro plastics from water environments, as they are harmful to marine and freshwater ecosystems and current technologies are inadequate for large-scale remediation and recycling.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a flexible volute pipe for siphoning water, a screen for trapping contaminants, a comminutor for grinding them into smaller particles, primary and secondary actuation tanks for separation, ozone treatment for mitigating hydrolytic processes, and an effluent processing system for generating treated water, which can be extended to depths of up to 5,000 feet and utilizes solar and wind energy to maintain a neutral carbon footprint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional filtration methods are used to remove micro plastics, then large scale remediation is difficult to achieve, but the system complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the micro plastic removal process into distinct functional modules: screening section for initial filtration, comminution section for particle size reduction, and separation section for particle-water separation. Each module handles a specific task, enabling large-scale remediation through modular deployment while keeping individual component complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces intermediate processing stages between conventional filtration and final separation. The comminutor acts as an intermediary device that grinds larger particles into finer particles, creating an intermediate state that facilitates more efficient separation in subsequent stages, thereby enabling scalable remediation without proportionally increasing system complexity.
2Reliability
If micro plastics are collected for recycling or research, then environmental remediation is achieved, but the collection efficiency and purity are insufficient with current technologies
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different processing qualities to different size fractions of contaminants. The screening section targets larger particles with coarse filtration, while the comminution section specifically processes particles within a certain size range, and the separation section handles the finest particles. This localized quality approach improves collection efficiency for specific micro plastic size ranges without requiring complex universal processing systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The comminutor performs preliminary action by pre-grinding larger particles into smaller particles before the separation stage. This preliminary size reduction ensures that particles are in the optimal size range for efficient separation and collection, thereby improving overall collection efficiency and purity while maintaining reasonable system complexity through staged processing.
3Productivity
If the system processes large volumes of water for micro plastic removal, then remediation effectiveness increases, but the energy consumption and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs passive flow mechanisms where water naturally moves through the screening section and comminution section driven by gravity and pressure differentials created by the system's own operation. This self-service approach allows large volumes of water to be processed with minimal external energy input, as the water flow itself drives the particle separation process rather than requiring high-energy pumping at each stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes hydraulic principles to enable large-volume water processing with reduced energy consumption. The screening section uses water flow pressure to drive particles through the screen, and the separation section employs water density differences and flow dynamics to separate particles from water. These hydraulic mechanisms process large volumes efficiently without proportionally increasing energy consumption.
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 efficiently collects and removes large volumes of micro plastics, producing treated water and recyclable raw materials for industries, while maintaining a neutral carbon footprint and minimizing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible volute pipe to siphon water from the water environment
Implementation Method 2
a screen configured to trap micro plastics in the water siphoned by the flexible volute pipe
Implementation Method 3
a comminutor configured to receive the trapped micro plastics from the screen, grind the micro plastics to particles smaller than a given size
Implementation Method 4
Ozone supplied to the one or more storage tanks dissolves to mitigate hydrolytic processes and thermal oxidation, and to remove biological contaminants from the separated micro plastics
Data Source
AI summary
Some implementations can include method and system to collect and remove micro plastics from a water environment or ecosystem.