Water Purification via Distillation and Vapor Phase Oxidation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water purification processes for flowback and produced water from hydraulic fracturing operations face challenges in effectively removing organic matter, particularly soluble compounds like formic acid, benzene, and phenol, while meeting cost and size constraints.
Innovation Solution
A process involving distillation to remove suspended and dissolved solids, followed by a vapor phase oxidation using a thermal oxidizer or catalytic reactor to convert organic matter to CO2 and H2O, with heat recovery to enhance energy efficiency and reduce operational costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If membrane filtration, distillation, evaporation ponds, adsorption and filtration, or chemical oxidation processes are used to treat flowback and produced water, then some contaminants are removed, but the diverse composition of contaminants (suspended solids, dissolved material, and organic matter at varying concentrations) makes it difficult to achieve trace level purification while meeting cost and size constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment process is divided into distinct sequential stages: a first treatment process that removes suspended solids and dissolved material, followed by a second treatment process that removes organic matter. This segmentation allows each process to be optimized for its specific function, achieving trace level purification for all contaminant types without requiring a single complex system to handle all contaminants simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate treatment step where dissolved material is removed before final organic matter removal. This intermediary process prepares the water for more effective organic matter removal by reducing interference from dissolved substances, thereby achieving better overall purification while managing process complexity through staged treatment.
2Manufacturing precision
If advanced treatment processes are used to remove all contaminants to trace levels, then purification quality improves, but treatment cost and system size increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the treatment into two separate processes with different functions, each process can be designed at an appropriate scale and complexity level. The first process handles inorganic contaminants, and the second handles organic matter, allowing for cost-effective and compact system design while achieving comprehensive trace level purification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs treatment processes that are proven and established in the industry, adapting them for sequential use rather than developing entirely new complex systems. This approach leverages existing reliable technologies to achieve trace level purification without incurring the high costs and complexity associated with novel advanced treatment systems.
3Device complexity
If a single treatment process is used to handle all contaminant types, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to effectively remove diverse contaminants (suspended solids, dissolved material, and organic matter) to trace levels is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment system is segmented into two specialized processes: the first process is optimized for removing suspended solids and dissolved material, while the second process is optimized for removing organic matter. This functional segmentation ensures each process can effectively target its specific contaminant type, maintaining high reliability for comprehensive contaminant removal while keeping individual process units relatively simple.
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 process achieves high-purity water by effectively removing organic compounds and suspended solids, reducing energy input, and enabling the reuse or release of treated water, with energy recovery minimizing operating costs.
Implementation Method 1
boiling a contaminated water to distill the contaminated water
Implementation Method 2
boiling a contaminated water to distill the contaminated water; removing a vapor stream from the boiling contaminated water
Implementation Method 3
delivering the vapor stream to an oxidation unit; removing additional contaminants from the vapor stream in the oxidation unit
Implementation Method 4
A process involving distillation to remove suspended and dissolved solids, followed by a vapor phase oxidation using a thermal oxidizer or catalytic reactor
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments may include a system for removing contaminants from contaminated water comprising: a distillation still supplying heat to contaminated water to boil the contaminated water; a vent allowing a vapor stream to exit the distillation still; an oxidation unit removing additional contaminants from the vapor stream; an outlet discharging a purified water stream from the oxidation unit; and a heat exchanger transferring heat from the purified water stream leaving the oxidation unit to the vapor stream exiting the distillation still before the vapor stream enters the oxidation unit.