Pressure-Driven Ring Main Flushing for Hygienic Drinking Water
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Solution Overview
Problem
In drinking water systems, stagnant water in pipes can lead to contamination when not regularly flushed, especially in areas with low usage, as existing systems rely on pumps for circulation which can introduce contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
A passive drinking water system utilizing pressure differences between transfer and extraction points to create a flushing flow through ring lines, eliminating the need for a circulation pump and incorporating controllable valves for efficient water exchange, ensuring fresh water supply without active circulation or treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a circulation pump is used to flush stagnant water in pipes, then water exchange is improved, but contamination risk increases and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the circulation pump from the system, replacing active mechanical circulation with passive pressure-driven flow. By removing the pump, the source of contamination risk associated with mechanical circulation is eliminated, while water exchange is still achieved through natural pressure differences in the ring main system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing pressure differential between the public water supply and the building's water system to automatically drive flow through the ring mains. The pressure potential inherently present in the system serves the flushing function without requiring external energy input or active control mechanisms.
2Reliability
If a circulation pump is installed to maintain water flow, then water freshness is improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The circulation pump and associated active water treatment systems are removed from the design. The system achieves water freshness through passive pressure-driven circulation in the ring mains, eliminating the need for complex mechanical circulation equipment and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical circulation pump system with a pressure-driven flow system that utilizes the natural pressure differential between the public water supply and the building distribution system. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical components while maintaining water exchange functionality.
3Ease of operation
If water is drawn from a front area consumer, then local water supply is satisfied, but stagnant water remains in remaining line sections
Solution Approach 1:
The water distribution system is segmented into a ring main configuration with multiple flow paths. When a consumer draws water, the ring main structure allows flow to proceed through both directions, ensuring that water is flushed through all line sections including those not directly serving the active consumer, thereby preventing stagnant water accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having flow terminate at the first consumer encountered (front area), the ring main design inverts the traditional linear distribution approach by providing alternative flow paths that continue through the system. Water drawn at any point flows through the ring in both directions, ensuring comprehensive flushing of all line sections rather than leaving downstream areas stagnant.
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 design effectively reduces contamination risks by ensuring continuous flushing of stagnant water, maintaining hygiene, and simplifying the system by eliminating the need for pumps and active water treatment, while maintaining fresh water supply through pressure-driven flow.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure difference is generated, by which a flushing flow is generated in the ring line assigned to the consumer and in the ring line or lines in front of it in the direction of flow
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a drinking water or process water system with a transfer point (22) from a public drinking water supply network and at least one floor or riser pipe line (2) as well as several arranged one behind the other in the direction of extension of the line (2) and each connected to at least one consumer ( 12) leading ring lines (10), which branch off from the branch (2) and open into the branch behind it in the direction of flow of the branch. The present invention addresses the problem of possible contamination of the drinking water system in that the ring mains (10) and/or a branch (14) or a mouth (16) of the respective ring main (10) on the branch (2) are designed in such a way that when tapping drinking or process water at a tapping point (12) connected to the line by a flow in the line between the branch (14) and the mouth (16) of the ring line(s) (10 ) of the line, a pressure difference is generated, by which a flushing flow is generated in the upstream ring line(s) (10), and a flow in the drinking or industrial water system solely due to the difference between the pressure at the transfer point (22) and the extraction point (12) is generated.