US 5,958,240 AGranted

System for recycling waste water

OwnerTimothy L. Hoelinventor

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for treating waste water to generate clarified water for reuse in industrial processes which includes the steps of adding agents to the waste stream to generate floccules, aerating the waste stream to cause a portion of the floccules to float, decanting floating floccules and lighter than water immiscible pollutants from the top surface of the waste stream, directing the waste stream through an incline clarifier so as to permit heavier than water floccules to form sludge in a bottom region of the clarifier. Sludge and decanted pollutants are sent to a bioremediation tank where hydrocarbons are decomposed and the remaining sludge is dewatered and compacted to a solid condition for disposal in a public waste facility. The clarified water is transferred to a steam generator or pressurized water delivery system for reuse. The invention is particularly useful for equipment cleaning operations such as in truckyards or airports.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method for removing pollutants from water used in an industrial process wherein the process discharges said pollutants into water whereby a waste water stream is generated, said pollutants including at least one of immiscible floatable liquid and a polluting constituent that can be converted to floccules, said method including the steps;

mixing in a chemical agent prepared by the steps;
adding CaO or Ca(OH).sub.2 to about 15% sulfuric acid to raise the pH to a range of 12.1 to 13.1 thereby preparing an additive solution;
filtering said additive solution to remove precipitated Ca sulfate particles whereby said polluting constituent are converted to floccules;
injecting air into said waste water stream whereby a portion of aid floccules becomes associated with said air and becomes a floatable portion of floccules in said water;
decanting said floatable portion of floccules and said floatable liquid from said waste stream in said separation region;
passing said waste stream into a sludge forming region below an array of incline panels and up through spaces formed between the panels to a clarified region at the upper end of said inclined panels thereby permitting non-floatable floccules to settle in said sludge forming region;
removing said sludge from a bottom section of said sludge forming region;
discharging said clarified water from said clarified region for reuse in said industrial process.

5 more elements

A system communicating with a source of water containing contaminants used to clean equipment, said system for use in removing said contaminants from said water wherein said contaminant consists of immiscible floatable liquid and a polluting constituent convertible to a precipitate by a precipitating agent after being subject to a magnetic field wherein said system comprises:

a conduit communicating with the source and arranged for conducting said water from said source;
an array of magnets arranged to generate a north homopolar magnetic field around said conduit;
means communicating with said conduit for injecting said precipitating agent into said water and for adjusting a pH of said water to a required value selected to generate said precipitate;
means communicating with said injecting means for aerating said water containing said precipitate whereby one portion of said precipitate are rendered floatable in said water leaving a remainder of said precipitate being non floatable;
means communicating with said aerating means for separating said floatable one portion of said precipitate from said water;
means for separating said nonfloatable remainder of said precipitate from said water and drawing off said water from said system;
said means for separating said nonfloatable remainder of said precipitates from said water communicating with said means for separating said floatable portion of precipitates from said water.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.