Ballast Flocculation Sludge Recirculation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Water treatment facilities face inefficiencies in sludge management, including high sludge volume, loss of ballast, and the need for large equipment and spaces for sludge thickening, particularly in processes involving coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation.
Innovation Solution
A simplified sludge recirculation system that uses repeated cycling of sludge through a downstream vessel and recirculation apparatus, including a hydro cyclone and reinsertion line, to progressively purge water and recover ballast, reducing sludge volume and equipment size, and eliminating the need for exterior sludge purging basins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional sludge thickening equipment is used, then sludge volume reduction is achieved, but equipment size and facility space requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the sludge thickening function from traditional large-scale equipment and relocates it within the existing sedimentation zone by using a recirculation system that processes sludge in-situ, thereby eliminating the need for separate exterior thickening basins and reducing overall facility space requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The sludge recirculation system is nested within the existing sedimentation zone infrastructure, using the same tanks and processing capacity to achieve multiple functions including ballast recovery, sludge concentration, and water purification, thereby avoiding additional equipment installation
2Productivity
If ballast is added to flocculation zone, then flocculation efficiency is improved, but ballast loss increases and requires additional recovery equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements a feedback mechanism where ballasted sludge is recirculated back to the flocculation zone after initial processing, allowing ballast material to be recovered and reused in subsequent treatment cycles, thereby minimizing ballast loss without compromising flocculation efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers ballast material from the sludge stream through centrifugal separation and gravity settling, then returns it to the flocculation zone for continued use in enhancing floc formation, thereby converting what would be waste into a valuable process material
3Quantity of substance
If sludge is repeatedly recirculated through the system, then water purification is enhanced and sludge volume is reduced, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recirculation system performs multiple functions simultaneously including sludge concentration, ballast recovery, water purification, and process control within a single integrated loop, thereby achieving enhanced purification without proportionally increasing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own operational flow and existing processing capacity to drive the recirculation process, with gravity and centrifugal forces providing the necessary driving mechanisms without requiring external energy input or complex control systems
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 achieves significant reduction in sludge volume (up to 97%), enhances ballast recovery, and minimizes equipment needs, improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of water treatment processes by creating a complex fluid flow that prevents sludge re-entry into the sedimentation zone.
Implementation Method 1
a recirculation apparatus, comprising: i. liquid and solid separation means that allows the purification of a liquid solution by removing solid contaminants located therein
Implementation Method 2
the next step of the water treatment process is called sedimentation. It takes place in the sedimentation zone and capitalizes on the fact that gravity pulls every object toward the surface of the earth with a force proportional to its weight
Implementation Method 3
a flocculation zone where a flocculating agent, either a polymer (like modified polyacrylamides), a chemical product (like sodium silicate) or in rare occasions a natural product with the same properties, is introduced within the water. With the addition of such a flocculating agent, flocs particle aggregates) of contaminants start to form out of the colloids
Data Source
AI summary
A process for water treatment, including a combination of methods from the group comprising coagulation, sedimentation, flocculation and ballast flocculation, which is further improved by the addition of a simplified sludge recirculation system. The recirculation system corresponding to this process allows higher sludge density as well as less significant water volume losses by making the sludge accumulating at the bottom of the sedimentation zone go through a hydro cyclone a certain number of times in repeated cycles thus augmenting the solid particles density of the extracted sludge. The system may also be controlled by a suspended solid analyser, a flow meter and/or a timer. The present invention also includes a method of producing specific fluid flow control behavior with this simplified sludge recirculation system, which furthermore improves the efficiency of the process.