# US 11,998,859 B2 · Compact containerized system and method for spray evaporation of water > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,998,859 B2 - Document ID: US11998859B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/115,569 - Filed: 2020-12-08 - Published: 2021-04-22 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-10 - Assignees: Energy Water Solutions, LLC - Applicants: Energy Water Solutions, LLC - Inventors: Stephen M. Shiner; Chuck Hanebuth - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998859B2 ## CPC - B01D 1/14: with heated gases or vapours {or liquids} in contact with the liquid - B01D 1/16: by spraying (B01D1/22 takes precedence) - B01D 1/0082: {Regulation; Control} - B01D 1/20: Sprayers (in general B05B) - B01D 1/305: {Demister (vapour-liquid separation)} - B01D 5/006: {with evaporation or distillation} - B01D 5/009: {Collecting, removing and/or treatment of the condensate} - B01D 19/04: by addition of chemical substances - B05B 1/26: with means for mechanically breaking-up or deflecting the jet after discharge, e.g. with fixed deflectors; Breaking-up the discharged liquid or other fluent material by impinging jets - C02F 1/008: {Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F} - C02F 1/042: {Prevention of deposits} - C02F 1/048: {Purification of waste water by evaporation} - C02F 1/12: Spray evaporation - C02F 1/50: by addition or application of a germicide or by oligodynamic treatment {(C02F1/4606, C02F1/467, C02F1/76 take precedence)} - C02F 1/66: by neutralisation; pH adjustment (for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58) - C02F 5/08: Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents - C02F 2201/005: Valves - C02F 2209/006: comprising a software program or a logic diagram - C02F 2209/008: comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas - C02F 2209/02: Temperature - C02F 2209/03: Pressure - C02F 2209/05: Conductivity or salinity - C02F 2209/06: pH - C02F 2209/38: Gas flow rate - C02F 2209/40: Liquid flow rate - C02F 2303/04: Disinfection - C02F 2303/12: Prevention of foaming - C02F 2303/22: Eliminating or preventing deposits, scale removal, scale prevention (C02F1/042, C02F1/4602, C02F5/00 take precedence) - C02F 2303/26: Reducing the size of particles, liquid droplets or bubbles, e.g. by crushing, grinding, spraying, creation of microbubbles or nanobubbles - Y02W 10/37: using solar energy - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract A wastewater evaporation system for spray evaporating water comprising: a wastewater feed inlet; a pump, wherein the wastewater feed inlet is fluidly connected to the pump and wherein the pump is fluidly connected to an inlet of a manifold; a drip orifice, wherein the manifold is fluidly connected to the drip orifice; a container, wherein an upper portion of the container is enclosed with a demister element; a packing and/or tray system disposed within the container, wherein the drip orifice discharges water droplets onto the packing and/or tray system; a discharge outlet, wherein a bottom of the container is fluidly connected to the discharge outlet; and an air system, wherein the air system discharges air flow counter to the water droplets from the drip orifice is disclosed. A method of spray evaporating water while limiting emission of particles regulated as pollutants is also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wastewater evaporation system for spray evaporating water comprising: a. a wastewater feed inlet; b. a pump, wherein an outlet of the wastewater inlet is fluidly connected to an inlet of the pump and wherein an outlet of the pump is fluidly connected to both: an inlet of a manifold via a feed valve downstream of the pump, and a discharge outlet via a discharge valve downstream of the pump; c. a drip manifold comprising a drip orifice, wherein an outlet of the manifold is fluidly connected to an inlet of the drip manifold; d. a container, wherein a first portion of a ceiling of the container is constituted by a demister element such that the first portion of the ceiling is entirely configured as an outlet for evaporated water and wherein a second portion of the ceiling is adjacent to an upper edge of a wall of the container; e. a packing system and/or a tray system disposed within the container, wherein the drip orifice discharges wastewater and/or water droplets onto the packing system and/or tray system; f. the discharge outlet, wherein a bottom of the container is fluidly connected to the discharge outlet; and g. an air system comprising an air blower and an air preheater; wherein the air system is disposed through the wall of the container and wherein the air system discharges air flow counter to the wastewater and/or water droplets from the drip orifice, wherein the air blower produces an air flow rate from about 4,500 CFM to about 25,000 CFM; and wherein the outlet of the pump is selectively fluidly connected to cause: a first fluid flow from the outlet of the pump to the manifold via the feed valve, a second fluid flow from the outlet of the pump to the discharge outlet via the discharge valve, and the first fluid flow and the second fluid flow simultaneously. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising; a. a first valve, wherein the wastewater feed inlet is fluidly connected to an inlet of the first valve and an outlet of the first valve is fluidly connected to the inlet of the pump; b. a second valve, comprising the feed valve, wherein the outlet of the pump is fluidly connected to an inlet of the second valve and wherein an outlet of the second valve is fluidly connected to the inlet of the manifold; c. a third valve, wherein the bottom of the container is fluidly connected to an inlet of the third valve and wherein an outlet of the third valve is fluidly connected to the inlet of the pump; d. a fourth valve, comprising the discharge outlet, wherein the outlet of the pump is fluidly connected to an inlet of the fourth valve and wherein an outlet of the fourth valve is fluidly connected to the discharge outlet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the wastewater evaporation system is capable of evaporating between about 30 barrels and about 100 barrels of wastewater per day. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the pump produces a water flow rate into the system from about 15 GPM to about 100 GPM. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the demister element is from about 4-inches to about 12-inches thick. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the demister element is about 10-inches thick. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the demister element is a crossflow cellular drift eliminator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the packing system and/or tray system comprises random packing, structured packing, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the packing system and/or tray system comprises a porous tray. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the packing system comprises: a. a porous tray; and b. a packing, wherein the packing is disposed on the porous tray. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the packing system comprises random packing, structured packing, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the packing is a random packing, wherein the packing is made of ceramics, plastics, metals, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the packing is a structured packing, wherein the packing is made of ceramics, plastics, metals, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the packing is a containerized packing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the tray system comprises: a. a first porous tray; and b. a second porous tray, wherein the first porous tray discharges water droplets onto the second porous tray. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the air preheater comprises a natural gas burner. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the air preheater comprises a natural gas burner, wherein the natural gas burner is adapted to be moved relative to the packing system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the air preheater comprises a natural gas burner and a natural gas powered electric generator. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the air preheater comprises a natural gas burner and a natural gas control valve and wherein the natural gas control valve is capable of providing fixed flow or modulated flow. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein air flow from the air blower disperses water droplets from the drip orifice. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein an air flow inlet of the air preheater is fluidly connected to an air flow outlet of the air blower. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the air preheater produces an air heating rate from about 0 million BTU per hour to about 5 million BTU per hour. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the air preheater produces air temperatures from about 50° F. to about 400° F. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the air system is disposed through the wall of the container upstream of the demister element. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the air system is disposed through the wall of the container at a location below the demister element. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a deflector or a diffuser, wherein the deflector or diffuser is disposed within the container to redirect air flow in the container. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a vane, wherein the vane is disposed within the container to redirect the air flow in the container. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the vane extends across a cross-section of the container. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a vane, wherein the vane is disposed in an air duct between an air discharge outlet of the air system and an air inlet to the container. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a programmable logic controller (PLC) or other computing device, wherein the PLC or other computing device controls the air flow rate from the air blower. ### Claim 31 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising an acid conditioning system, wherein the acid conditioning system adds an acid solution to the wastewater. ### Claim 32 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a bactericide conditioning system, wherein the bactericide conditioning system adds bactericide to the wastewater. ### Claim 33 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a scale inhibition conditioning system, wherein the scale inhibition conditioning system adds scale inhibitor to the wastewater. ### Claim 34 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a defoamer system, wherein the defoamer system adds defoamer to the wastewater. ### Claim 35 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a skid, wherein the wastewater evaporation system is mounted on the skid. ### Claim 36 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a skid mounted on or removably secured to a trailer or a truck, wherein the wastewater evaporation system is mounted on the skid. ### Claim 37 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a containment system, wherein the containment system comprises a skid surrounded by a liner and wherein the wastewater evaporation system is mounted on the skid. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The system of claim 37, further comprising a draw line, wherein an inlet of the draw line is disposed in the liner and an outlet of the draw line is fluidly connected to an inlet of the container. ### Claim 39 (depends on 37) The system of claim 37, further comprising a draw line, wherein an inlet of the draw line is disposed within the footprint of the liner and an outlet of the draw line is fluidly connected to the inlet of the pump. ### Claim 40 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising insulation and/or heat tracing disposed around the pump. ### Claim 41 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, further comprising insulation and/or heat tracing disposed around the pump, the first valve, the second valve, the third valve and the fourth valve. ### Claim 42 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a heated enclosure disposed around the pump, optionally a lower portion of the container, optionally an electric generator, and optionally a nitrogen purge system. ### Claim 43 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising an air, argon or nitrogen purge system comprising an air, argon or nitrogen source, wherein an outlet of the air, argon or nitrogen purge system is fluidly connected to the inlet of the pump. ### Claim 44 (depends on 1) A method for spray evaporating water comprising: a. providing the wastewater evaporation system of claim 1; b. selecting predetermined parameters for the wastewater evaporation system for spray evaporating water; c. drawing wastewater into the wastewater evaporation system from an external water source using the pump; d. diverting wastewater to the drip orifice; e. flowing the wastewater through the drip orifice to create water droplets; f. flowing the water droplets onto the packing system and/or tray system disposed within the container of the wastewater evaporation system; g. blowing air into the container counter to the water droplets from the drip orifice using the air blower; h. collecting condensed wastewater in the bottom of the container; i. recycling the condensed wastewater from the bottom of the container, and j. diverting concentrated wastewater to the discharge outlet. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, further comprising monitoring the conductivity of the condensed wastewater using a conductivity meter. ### Claim 46 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein the predetermined parameters comprise air flow rate, and air heating rate. ### Claim 47 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, further comprising monitoring an ambient air temperature using a temperature sensor, wherein the predetermined parameters further comprise a minimum air temperature. ### Claim 48 (depends on 47) The method of claim 47, wherein the system is shut down when the ambient air temperature reaches the minimum air temperature. ### Claim 49 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, further comprising monitoring the pH of the condensed wastewater using a pH meter and adding acid solution to the condensed wastewater to maintain the pH of the condensed wastewater at about 6.5 or below. ### Claim 50 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, further comprising adding bactericide to the condensed wastewater. ### Claim 51 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, further comprising adding scale inhibitor to the condensed wastewater. ### Claim 52 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, further comprising adding defoamer to the condensed wastewater. ### Claim 53 (depends on 50) The method of claim 50, further comprising monitoring the pH of the condensed wastewater using a pH meter and adding acid solution to the condensed wastewater to maintain the pH of the condensed wastewater at about 6.5 or below. ### Claim 54 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, further comprising using a programmable logic controller or other computing device to control the system. ### Claim 55 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein the system is capable of evaporating from about 30 to about 100 barrels of wastewater per day. ### Claim 56 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein the pump produces a water flow rate into the system from about 15 GPM to about 100 GPM. ### Claim 57 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein the demister element is about 4-inches to about 12-inches thick. ### Claim 58 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein the demister element is about 10-inches thick. ### Claim 59 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein the demister element is a crossflow cellular drift eliminator. ### Claim 60 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein the packing system and/or the tray system comprises pall rings, random packing or combinations thereof. ### Claim 61 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein the packing system and/or the tray system comprises a porous tray. ### Claim 62 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein the packing system comprises: a. a porous tray; and b. a packing, wherein the packing is disposed on the porous tray. ### Claim 63 (depends on 62) The method of claim 62, wherein the packing is selected from random packing, structured packing, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 64 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein the tray system comprises: a. a first porous tray; and b. a second porous tray, wherein the first porous tray discharges water droplets onto the second porous tray. ### Claim 65 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein an air flow inlet of the air preheater is fluidly connected to an air flow outlet of the air blower. ### Claim 66 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein the air preheater produces an air heating rate from about 0 million BTU per hour to about 2.1 million BTU per hour. ### Claim 67 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein the air preheater produces air temperatures from about 50° F. to about 400° F. ### Claim 68 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, further comprising pretreating the wastewater to reduce or remove volatile organic compounds upstream of the wastewater feed inlet of the wastewater evaporation system. ### Claim 69 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, further comprising discharging evaporated water through an evaporated water outlet. ### Claim 70 (depends on 69) The method of claim 69, further comprising collecting the evaporated water from the evaporated water outlet and condensing the evaporated water in a conduit. ### Claim 71 (depends on 69) The method of claim 69, further comprising heating the evaporated water upstream of the evaporated water outlet. ### Claim 72 (depends on 69) The method of claim 69, further comprising heating the evaporated water downstream of the evaporated water outlet.