Particulate Sorbent Bed for Water Purification
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for efficient and cost-effective technologies to purify non-fresh water sources, such as recycled or industrial wastewater, to produce water suitable for industrial and commercial use without requiring drinking water standards, particularly in scenarios where traditional methods like reverse osmosis are insufficient.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the formation of agglomerates of suspended particles in feed water, followed by passing the water through a bed of particulate sorbent material to sorb ionic species and filter particles, using the sorbent as a filtration medium, and regenerating the sorbent for reuse, which includes steps of coagulation, flocculation, and desorption to produce a product water stream with reduced turbidity and ionic species.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional reverse osmosis is used to purify non-fresh water, then water purification is achieved, but the process is insufficient for removing suspended particles and requires additional filtration steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single sorbent bed: filtration of suspended particles and sorption of ionic species occur simultaneously in one unit. The sorbent material serves dual purposes as both filter medium and ion-exchange medium, eliminating the need for separate filtration and purification steps that would otherwise be required
Solution Approach 2:
The sorbent material is designed to perform multiple functions: it acts as a physical barrier to filter suspended particles, provides ion-exchange sites to remove ionic species, and can be regenerated for repeated use. This multi-functional approach replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate treatment units
2Quantity of substance
If coagulation and flocculation are used to remove suspended particles, then particle removal is improved, but additional treatment steps and chemicals are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates particle agglomeration and removal into the same unit operation as ion sorption. Agglomerates form within the sorbent bed and are captured by the filtration mechanism, while ionic species are simultaneously sorbed. This combines what would traditionally be separate coagulation/flocculation steps with the purification process
3Quantity of substance
If sorbent material is used to remove ionic species, then ion removal efficiency is improved, but the sorbent requires regeneration and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a regeneration cycle where the sorbent, after becoming loaded with ionic species and particles, is subjected to backwashing and chemical regeneration. The regenerated sorbent is then returned to service, creating a continuous cycle that recovers the sorbent's capacity without requiring replacement. This addresses the operational complexity by establishing a systematic regeneration protocol
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 process effectively removes up to 99% of ionic species and suspended particles, producing a water product with turbidity <0.5 NTU and Silt Density Index <4, making it suitable for further treatment or direct use, while reducing the need for additional filtration steps and lowering operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
sorb the ionic species from the feed water onto the sorbent
Implementation Method 2
filter the agglomerated particles from the feed water using the bed of particulate sorbent material as a filtration medium
Implementation Method 3
desorbing the ionic species from the sorbent using a desorbent to provide a regenerated sorbent material
Data Source
AI summary
A process for removing suspended particles and at least one ionic species from a feed water stream to produce a product water stream, the process includes the steps of forming agglomerates of the suspended particles in the feed water stream; passing the feed water stream containing agglomerated particles through a bed of particulate sorbent material so as to sorb the ionic species from the feed water onto the sorbent to provide a loaded sorbent and filter the agglomerated particles from the feed water using the bed of particulate sorbent material as a filtration medium to load the bed with the agglomerated particles, and thereby produce the product water stream; removing the filtered particles and the ionic species from the filtration medium; and re-using the regenerated sorbent in step b).