US 11,897,787 B2Granted

Zero discharge water treatment apparatus and method

AssigneeZero Discharge, LLC

InventorsDavid D. Calhoun, Mark D. Lorusso, R. Edward Rose, Jr., Ernest M. Hawkesworth

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Abstract

A wastewater management system includes a series of water treatment modules to treat wastewater and produce reusable and/or potable water and other beneficial byproducts of the wastewater treatment process. A pretreatment module, a filtration module, an evaporator module, an odor control module, a UV-light module, an autoclave module, a sonolysis module, an ozone module and a chlorination module are combined in multiple combinations along with holding tanks, condensers, flash tanks and other components to address water purification and reclamation needs based upon specific wastewater conditions. The system captures condensate from AC systems and rainwater from rainwater gutter systems processes the water to produce reusable and/or potable water with or without re-mineralization. Any CO2 produced by the water treatment system is captured and processed using naturally-occurring flora. The wastewater treatment system includes multiple closed-loop subsystems to minimize energy usage and maximize water purification and reclamation for reuse.

Claims49

Dependent claims

A wastewater/water treatment and management system for processing wastewater with a solids component comprising:

at least one pre-treatment tank or module for separating solids from liquids;
at least one filtration module to filter solids from liquids connected downstream from the at least one pre-treatment tank or module via piping;
an inlet pipe having an upstream end and a downstream end, wherein the upstream end is connected to, and downstream from, the at least one filtration module;
at least one autoclave module connected to, and downstream from, the inlet pipe, wherein each of the at least one autoclave module is selected from the group consisting of a first autoclave module comprising a plurality of autoclave pipes and an autoclave jacket, wherein the plurality of pipes are secured to an inlet manifold at an inlet end and an outlet manifold at an outlet end, wherein the inlet manifold is connected to, and in fluid communication with, the inlet pipe, wherein the outlet manifold is connected to, upstream from, and in fluid communication with, an outlet pipe, wherein the outlet pipe is downstream from the first autoclave module, wherein the autoclave jacket is secured about the plurality of autoclave pipes and secured to the inlet pipe at an inlet jacket end and to the outlet pipe at an outlet jacket end, and wherein the combination of the autoclave jacket, inlet jacket end, outlet jacket end and plurality of autoclave pipes form an autoclave chamber, and a second autoclave module comprising at least one serpentine autoclave pipe and an autoclave jacket, wherein an inlet end of the at least one serpentine autoclave pipe is connected to, downstream from, and in fluid communication with, the inlet pipe, wherein an outlet end of the at least one serpentine pipe is connected to, upstream from, and in fluid communication with, the outlet pipe, wherein the autoclave jacket is secured about the at least one serpentine autoclave pipe and secured to the inlet pipe at an inlet jacket end and to the outlet pipe at an outlet jacket end, and wherein the combination of the autoclave jacket, inlet jacket end, outlet jacket end and the at least one serpentine autoclave pipe form an autoclave chamber and combinations thereof;
and,
at least one evaporator module connected to, and downstream from, the outlet pipe to distill effluent received by the at least one evaporator module.

3 more elements

A wastewater/water treatment and management system comprising an autoclave module comprising a plurality of one-piece autoclave pipes and an autoclave jacket, wherein each of the plurality of one-piece pipes are secured to an inlet manifold at an inlet end and to an outlet manifold at an outlet end, wherein the inlet manifold is connected to, and in fluid communication with, an inlet pipe, wherein the outlet manifold is connected to, and in fluid communication with, an outlet pipe, wherein the autoclave jacket is secured about the plurality of autoclave pipes and secured to the inlet pipe at an inlet jacket end and to the outlet pipe at an outlet jacket end, and wherein the combination of the autoclave jacket, inlet jacket end, outlet jacket end and plurality of one-piece autoclave pipes form an autoclave chamber.

A wastewater/water treatment and management system comprising an autoclave module comprising at least one single-piece serpentine autoclave pipe and an autoclave jacket, wherein an inlet end of the at least one single-piece serpentine autoclave pipe is connected to, and in fluid communication with, an inlet pipe, wherein an outlet end of the at least one single-piece serpentine pipe is connected to, and in fluid communication with, an outlet pipe, wherein the autoclave jacket is secured about the at least one single-piece serpentine autoclave pipe and secured to the inlet pipe at an inlet jacket end and to the outlet pipe at an outlet jacket end, and wherein the combination of the autoclave jacket, inlet jacket end, outlet jacket end and the at least one single-piece serpentine autoclave pipe form an autoclave chamber.

A wastewater/water treatment and management system for processing wastewater with a solids component comprising:

at least one pre-treatment tank or module for separating solids from liquids;
at least one filtration module to filter solids from liquids connected to, and downstream from, the at least one pre-treatment tank or module via piping;
an odor control module positioned about, or in close proximity to, the at least one pre-treatment tank or module and/or the at least one filtration module to capture and neutralize gases produced by, or escaped from, the at least one pre-treatment tank or module and/or the at least one filtration module;
at least one autoclave module having an autoclave jacket and an autoclave pipe secured in the autoclave jacket, wherein the autoclave pipe is selected from the group consisting of a plurality of autoclave pipes secured with inlet and outlet manifolds, a serpentine autoclave pipe and combinations thereof, wherein the autoclave jacket defines an autoclave chamber, and wherein the at least one autoclave module is connected via piping to, and downstream from, the at least one filtration module;
and,
at least one evaporator module connected via piping to, and downstream from, the at least one autoclave module to distill effluent received by the at least one evaporator module.

3 more elements

A wastewater/water treatment and management system for treating wastewater without solids comprising:

at least one autoclave module having an autoclave jacket and an autoclave pipe secured in the autoclave jacket, wherein the autoclave pipe is selected from the group consisting of a plurality of one-piece autoclave pipes secured with inlet and outlet manifolds, a one-piece serpentine autoclave pipe and combinations thereof, wherein the autoclave jacket defines an autoclave chamber;
and,
at least one evaporator module connected via piping to, and downstream from, the at least one autoclave module.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/867,202Filed 18 Jul 2022 · continuation in part
Priority: 29 Apr 2020
Published: US 2023/0040351 A19 Feb 2023
Granted: 13 Feb 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification32 codes

C02F 1/048
By distillation or evaporation: purification of waste water by evaporation
C02F 9/00
Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
B01D 1/30
Evaporating: accessories for evaporators ; Constructional details thereof
B01J 3/04
Processes of utilising sub-atmospheric or super-atmospheric pressure to effect chemical or physical change of matter; Apparatus therefor: pressure…

Family

Application16/862,121Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 Apr 2020
PCT/US2021/021013Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 5 Mar 2021
PCT/US2021/058142Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Nov 2021
US 2023/0040351 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Feb 2023
US 11,390,545 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2020/0339454 A1Published application
US 11,897,787 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.