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US 11,447,412 B1Granted
Portable multi-step apparatus and method for producing potable water
AssigneeTanmar Rentals, LLC
InventorsSteven Anton McCune, Jeffery Paul LeBlanc, Gary Wayne Bledsoe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable, multi-step apparatus and method for producing potable water in remote locations.
Claims20
A series of components for producing potable water from a raw water supply, comprising:
- (a) a sediment knockout tank equipped with an inlet process line, an outlet process line, and a waste process line, where said sediment knockout tank receives said raw water through said inlet process line, and where said sediment knockout tank removes substantially all of any sand, large sediments, and other particulates in said raw water inside said sediment knockout tank, after which said sediment knockout tank discharges a processed water through said outlet process line and periodically discharges said sand, large sediments, and other particulates removed from said raw water through said waste outlet line;
- (b) an oil filter tank equipped with an inlet process line and an outlet process line, where said oil filter tank receives said processed water from said outlet process line of said sediment knockout tank through said inlet process line of said oil filter tank, and where said oil filter tank removes substantially all of any oil in said processed water inside said oil filter tank, after which said oil filter tank discharges said processed water through said outlet process line of said oil filter tank;
- (c) a gas off tank equipped with an inlet process line, an outlet process line, a gas off valve, a drain line, and a top, where said gas off tank receives said processed water from said outlet process line of said oil filter tank through said inlet process line of said gas off tank, and where said gas off tank removes substantially all of any gas and particulates in said processed water inside said gas off tank, after which said gas off tank discharges said processed water through said outlet process line of said gas off tank, and said gas off tank discharges said gas removed from said processed water through said gas off valve, and said gas off tank periodically discharges said particulates removed from said processed water through said drain line;
- (d) an ozone generator for generating and supplying ozone into a slipstream of said processed water discharged from said gas off tank through said outlet process line of said gas off tank;
- (e) an oxygen concentrator for generating and supplying concentrated oxygen to said ozone generator;
- (f) a venturi injector for introducing said ozone generated and supplied by said ozone generator into said slipstream of said processed water discharged from said gas off tank;
- (g) a circulating pump for pumping said slipstream of said processed water discharged from said gas off tank through said venturi injector and back to said gas off tank through said inlet process line of said gas off tank, where said gas off tank removes substantially all of any gas and particulates in said slipstream inside said gas off tank, after which said gas off tank discharges said slipstream through said outlet process line of said gas off tank, and said gas off tank discharges said gas removed from said slipstream through said gas off valve, and said gas off tank periodically discharges said particulates removed from said slipstream through said drain line;
- (h) a first filtration tank equipped with an inlet process line, an outlet process line, a backwash mechanism, a backwash process line, and a top, where said first filtration tank receives said processed water from said outlet process line of said gas off tank through said inlet process line of said first filtration tank, where said first filtration tank contains catalytic filtration media for removing oxidized iron, hydrogen sulfide, manganese, and other metals and particulate matter from said processed water received from said gas off tank, where said first filtration tank removes substantially all of any oxidized iron, hydrogen sulfide, manganese, and other metals and particulate matter from said processed water inside said first filtration tank, after which said first filtration tank discharges said processed water through said outlet process line of said first filtration tank, and said backwash mechanism periodically backwashes said oxidized iron, hydrogen sulfide, manganese, and other metals and particulate matter removed by said catalytic filtration media inside said first filtration tank, after which said backwash mechanism discharges said oxidized iron, hydrogen sulfide, manganese, and other metals and particulate matter removed by said catalytic filtration media through said backwash process line;
- (i) a second filtration tank equipped with an inlet process line, an outlet process line, a backwash mechanism, a backwash process line, and a top, where said second filtration tank receives said processed water from said outlet process line of said first filtration tank through said inlet process line of said second filtration tank, where said second filtration tank contains a carbon filtration media for removing chemicals, sediments, and suspended minerals from said processed water received from said first filtration tank, where said second filtration tank removes substantially all of any chemicals, sediments, and suspended minerals from said processed water inside said second filtration tank, after which said second filtration tank discharges said processed water through said outlet process line of said second filtration tank, and said backwash mechanism periodically backwashes said chemicals, sediments, and suspended minerals removed by said carbon filtration media inside said second filtration tank, after which said backwash mechanism discharges said chemicals, sediments, and suspended minerals removed by said carbon filtration media through said backwash process line;
- (j) a means for introducing an anti-scalant/dispersant into said processed water discharged through said outlet process line of said second filtration tank;
- (k) a reverse osmosis unit equipped with an inlet process line and an outlet process line, where said reverse osmosis unit receives through said inlet process line of said reverse osmosis unit said processed water from said outlet process line of said second filtration tank that contains an anti-scalant/dispersant, where said reverse osmosis unit uses reverse osmosis to remove dissolved salts, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride, and other impurities such as bacteria, phosphates, nitrates, arsenic, and lead, from said processed water flowing through said reverse osmosis unit, after which said reverse osmosis unit discharges potable water through said outlet process line of said reverse osmosis unit;
- (l) a calcite tank equipped with an inlet process line, an outlet process line, a second bypass line, and a top, where said calcite tank receives a slipstream of said potable water from said outlet process line of said reverse osmosis unit through said inlet process line of said calcite tank, where said calcite tank contains a calcium carbonate media for raising the pH and improving the taste of said potable water from said outlet process line of said reverse osmosis unit, after which said calcite tank discharges said slipstream of said potable water through said outlet process line of said calcite tank;
- (m) a means for introducing chlorine into said potable water discharged from said outlet process line and said second bypass line of said calcite tank;
- and
- (n) a portable trailer for housing said series of components for producing potable water from a raw water supply.
12 more elements
A multi-step method for producing potable water from raw water, comprising the steps of:
- (a) removing substantially all of any sand, large sediments, and other particulates in said raw water by flowing said raw water through a sediment knockout tank, after which said raw water is discharged from said sediment knockout tank as processed water;
- (b) removing substantially all of any oil in said processed water discharged from said sediment knockout tank by flowing said processed water through an oil filter tank, after which said processed water is discharged from said oil filter tank;
- (c) removing substantially all of any gas and particulates in said processed water discharged from said oil filter tank by flowing said processed water through a gas off tank, after which said processed water is discharged from said gas off tank;
- (d) using a venturi injector to supply ozone from an ozone generator into a slipstream of said processed water discharged from said gas off tank, after which said slipstream of said processed water is returned to said gas off tank;
- (e) supplying concentrated oxygen from an oxygen concentrator to said ozone generator;
- (f) removing oxidized iron, hydrogen sulfide, manganese, and other metals and particular matter in said processed water discharged from said off gas tank by flowing said processed water through a first filtration tank containing a catalytic filtration media designed to remove oxidized iron, hydrogen sulfide, manganese, and other metals and particulate matter from said processed water discharged from said off gas tank, after which said processed water is discharged from said first filtration tank;
- (g) removing chemicals, sediments, and suspended minerals in said processed water discharged from said first filtration tank by flowing said processed water through a second filtration tank containing a carbon filtration media designed to remove chemicals, sediments, and suspended minerals from said processed water discharged from said first filtration tank, after which said processed water is discharged from said second filtration tank;
- (h) introducing an anti-scalant/dispersant into said processed water discharged from said second filtration tank;
- (i) using reverse osmosis in a reverse osmosis unit to remove dissolved salts, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride, and other impurities such as bacteria, phosphates, nitrates, arsenic, and lead, from said processed water discharged from said second filtration tank, after which said processed water is discharged from said reverse osmosis unit as potable water;
- (j) raising the pH and improving the taste of said potable water discharged from said reverse osmosis unit by flowing a slipstream of said potable water discharged from said reverse osmosis unit through said calcite tank containing a calcium carbonate media, after which said slipstream of said potable water is discharged from said calcite tank;
- (k) introducing chlorine into said potable water discharged from said reverse osmosis unit and discharge from said calcite tank.
8 more elements
A series of components for producing potable water from a raw water supply, comprising:
- (a) a sediment knockout tank for removing substantially all of any sand, large sediments, and other particulates in said raw water flowing through said sediment knockout tank;
- (b) an oil filter tank for removing substantially all of any oil in said raw water discharged from said sediment knockout tank and flowing through said oil filter tank;
- (c) a gas off tank for removing substantially all of any gas and particulates in said raw water discharged from said oil filter tank and flowing through said gas off tank;
- (d) an ozone generator for generating and supplying ozone into a slipstream of said raw water discharged from said gas off tank;
- (e) an oxygen concentrator for generating and supplying concentrated oxygen to said ozone generator;
- (f) a venturi injector for introducing said ozone generated and supplied by said ozone generator into said slipstream of said processed water discharged from said gas off tank;
- (g) a circulating pump for pumping said slipstream of said processed water discharged from said gas off tank through said venturi injector and back to said gas off tank through said inlet process line of said gas off tank;
- (h) a first filtration tank containing a catalytic filtration media for removing oxidized iron, hydrogen sulfide, manganese, and other metals and particulate matter from said raw water discharged from said gas off tank and flowing through said first filtration tank;
- (i) a second filtration tank containing a carbon filtration media for removing chemicals, sediments, and suspended minerals from said raw water discharged from said first filtration tank and flowing through said second filtration tank;
- (j) a means for introducing an anti-scalant/dispersant into said raw water discharged from said second filtration tank;
- (k) a reverse osmosis unit for producing potable water by removing dissolved salts, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride, and other impurities such as bacteria, phosphates, nitrates, arsenic, and lead, from said raw water discharged from said second filtration tank and flowing through said reverse osmosis unit;
- (l) a calcite tank containing a calcium carbonate media for raising the pH and improving the taste of said potable water discharged from said reverse osmosis unit and flowing through said calcite tank;
- (m) a means for introducing chlorine into said potable water discharged from said calcite tank;
- and
- (n) a portable trailer for housing said series of components for producing potable water from a raw water.
12 more elements
A multi-step method for producing potable water from raw water, comprising the steps of:
- (a) removing substantially all of any sand, large sediments, and other particulates in said raw water by flowing said raw water through a sediment knockout tank, after which said raw water is discharged from said sediment knockout tank;
- (b) removing substantially all of any oil in said raw water discharged from said sediment knockout tank by flowing said raw water discharged from said sediment knockout tank through an oil filter tank, after which said raw water is discharged from said oil filter tank;
- (c) removing substantially all of any gas and particulates in said raw water discharged from said oil filter tank by flowing said raw water discharged from said oil filter tank through said gas off tank, after which said raw water is discharged from said gas off tank;
- (d) supplying ozone into a slipstream of said raw water discharged from said gas off tank by providing an ozone generator;
- (e) removing oxidized iron, hydrogen sulfide, manganese, and other metals and particulate matter from said raw water discharged from said gas off tank by flowing said raw water discharged from said gas off tank through a first filtration tank, after which said raw water is discharged from said first filtration tank;
- (f) removing chemicals, sediments, and suspended minerals from said raw water discharged from said first filtration tank by flowing said raw water discharged from said first filtration tank through a second filtration tank, after which said raw water is discharged from said second filtration tank;
- (g) introducing an anti-scalant/dispersant into said raw water discharged from said second filtration tank;
- (h) removing dissolved salts, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride, and other impurities such as bacteria, phosphates, nitrates, arsenic, and lead, from said raw water discharged from said second filtration tank by flowing said raw water discharged from said second filtration tank through a reverse osmosis unit;
- (i) raising the pH and improving the taste of said raw water discharged from said reverse osmosis unit by flowing said raw water discharged from said reverse osmosis unit through a calcite tank containing a calcium carbonate media, after which said raw water is discharged from said calcite tank;
- (j) introducing chlorine into said raw water discharged from said calcite tank.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.