# US 2014/0190902 A1 · Method for reprocessing wastewater and water treatment machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190902 A1 - Document ID: US20140190902A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/239,497 - Filed: 2012-08-01 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-16 - Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Andreas Büttner; Thomas Hammer; Cosima Sichel; Martin Tackenberg; Gernut van Laak - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190902A1 ## CPC - C02F 1/048: {Purification of waste water by evaporation} - C02F 1/16: using waste heat from other processes - C02F 1/32: with ultraviolet light - C02F 2101/30: Organic compounds - C02F 2103/32: from the food or foodstuff industry, e.g. brewery waste waters - C02F 2301/046: Recirculation with an external loop - C02F 2303/10: Energy recovery - C02F 2305/10: Photocatalysts - Y02W 10/30: Wastewater or sewage treatment systems using renewable energies - 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 Waste water from an industrial process, including an organic acid, is reprocessed by introducing the waste water into a heat exchange process in which a heat exchange medium is used so that the waste water which is to be treated is heated to a temperature between 60° C. and the boiling point of the waste water. Subsequently, the waste water is partially evaporated and re-condensed, with the waste water irradiated with UV radiation during the evaporation and condensation process in the liquid and/or gas phase. As a result, a chemical transformation of the organic acid in H2O and carbon dioxide is at least partially carried out. Then, the condensed part of the purified waste water is fed back into the industrial process. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-11. (canceled) ### Claim 12 A method for reprocessing an industrial process wastewater that contains acetic acid and/or peracetic acid, comprising: Introducing the wastewater into a heat-exchange process that uses a heat-exchange medium to heat the wastewater to a vaporization temperature between 60° C. and the boiling point of the wastewater; partially vaporizing and then condensing the wastewater while irradiating the wastewater with ultraviolet radiation in liquid phase and/or gas phase during the vaporizing and condensing, as a result of which the acetic acid and/or peracetic acid is at least partially converted into H2O and a carbon oxide; and returning condensed purified wastewater to at least one industrial process. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising repeating said vaporizing and condensing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the heat-exchange medium is in a thermal circuit with waste heat from a thermal process. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the ultraviolet radiation has a wavelength not greater than 254 nm ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the wavelength of the ultraviolet radiation is not greater than 184 nm, ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the wavelength of the ultraviolet radiation is not greater than 172 nm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising using at least one catalyst in converting the acetic acid and/or peracetic acid to H2O and carbon oxide. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the at least one catalyst includes at least one photocatalyst that generates OH-radicals during the ultraviolet irradiation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the at least one photocatalyst includes titanium oxide. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising: performing preheating treatment of fresh water for the at least one industrial process until the fresh water is in thermal equilibrium with a condenser device used in condensing the waste water; and heating the fresh water for the at least one industrial process to a temperature above 100° C. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising heating fresh water for the at least one industrial process to a temperature above 100° C. to obtain the heat-exchange medium. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising: heating fresh water for the at least one industrial process to a temperature above 100° C. to obtain temperature-treated fresh water; and preheating the fresh water, before said heating, in a heat exchanger through which the temperature-treated fresh water passes. ### Claim 24 A water treatment machine for reprocessing wastewater containing acetic acid and/or peracetic acid, comprising: a wastewater collecting device; a heat exchanger, coupled to the wastewater collecting device, heating the wastewater to a vaporization temperature between 60° C. and the boiling point of the wastewater; an evaporation device, coupled to the heat exchanger, providing partial vaporization of the heated wastewater; a condenser, coupled to the evaporation device, condensing vaporized wastewater; and an ultraviolet radiation device irradiating heated wastewater in liquid phase and/or gas phase, thereby converting the acetic acid and/or peracetic acid into H2O and a carbon oxide.