Apparatus and method for ballast water treatment
OwnerHalvor Nilseninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for treating ballast water to achieve IMO standards for ballast water includes a reactor fabricated of copper nickel for receiving and discharging ballast water, a UV source for irradiating the water in the presence of copper nickel thereby to generate free radicals for biocidal and bactericidal effects on organisms and microbes entering the reactor with ballast water.
Claims16
A method for treating ballast water comprises the following steps:
- a. establishing an enclosed chamber;
- b. passing a continuing flow of ballast water containing organisms and microbes through the chamber;
- c. exposing the flow of ballast water to copper nickel;
- d. exposing the flow of ballast water to ultraviolet radiation at 254 nm in the presence of copper nickel to produce biocidal and bactericidal effects on organisms and microbes in the ballast water to reduce:
- (i) organisms in discharge water to less than 10 viable organisms per cubic meter greater than or equal to 50 micrometers in minimum dimension and less than 10 viable organisms per cubic meter less than 50 micrometers in minimum dimension and greater than 10 micrometers in minimum dimension;
- and to reduce:
- (ii) indicator microbes:
- .1 Toxicogenic Vibrio cholerae (O1 and O139) to less than 1 colony forming unit (cfu) per 100 milliliters or less than 1 cfu per 1 gram (wet weight) zooplankton samples;
- .2 Escherichia coli to less than 250 cfu per 100 milliliters;
- .3 Intestinal Enterococci to less than 100 cfu per 100 milliliters.
An apparatus for ballast water treatment comprising an enclosed watertight reactor formed of copper nickel, means for inflow and discharge of ballast water through the reactor, an ultraviolet lamp extending through the reactor so as to irradiate ballast water flowing through the reactor, a power source for the lamp for emitting UV radiation within the reactor so that free radicals are generated in the presence of copper nickel so as to reduce organisms and microbes entering the reactor in ballast water to levels established by IMO Convention Regulation D-2 Ballast Water Performance Standard.
An apparatus for ballast water treatment comprising a reactor in the form of a hollow cylinder with ends closed to define a watertight reactor chamber, the reactor fabricated of copper nickel, means for inflow and discharge of ballast water through the reactor, a medium pressure ultraviolet lamp extending through the reactor chamber to emit ultraviolet C range radiation into the ballast water, a power source for activating the lamp to emit radiation in the presence of copper nickel so as to generate free radicals having a biocidal and bactericidal effect on organisms and microbes entering the reactor with ballast water.
An apparatus for ballast water treatment comprising a reactor in the form of a hollow cylinder, ends caps closing the cylinder to define a watertight reactor chamber having a longitudinal axis, the reactor fabricated of copper nickel and having a test pressure of 15 bars, means for inflow and discharge of ballast water through the reactor, the inflow and discharge means located at opposites ends of the reactor, each end cap having a fitting for supporting an end of an optically transparent quartz tube extending along said axis and encasing a medium pressure ultraviolet lamp extending through the reactor chamber to emit ultraviolet C range radiation into the ballast water, a power source cooperating with the end cap fittings for activating the lamp to emit radiation in the presence of copper nickel so as to generate free radicals having a biocidal and bactericidal effect on organisms and microbes entering the reactor with ballast water to reduce the presence of organisms and microbes to levels established by IMO Convention Regulation D-2 Ballast Water Performance Standard.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.