Compact wastewater concentrator using waste heat

Abstract

A compact and portable liquid concentrator includes a gas inlet, a gas exit and a flow corridor connecting the gas inlet and the gas exit, wherein the flow corridor includes a narrowed portion that accelerates the gas through the flow corridor. A liquid inlet injects liquid into the gas stream at a point prior to the narrowed portion so that the gas-liquid mixture is thoroughly mixed within the flow corridor, causing a portion of the liquid to be evaporated. A demister or fluid scrubber downstream of the narrowed portion removes entrained liquid droplets from the gas stream and re-circulates the removed liquid to the liquid inlet through a re-circulating circuit. Fresh liquid to be concentrated is also introduced into the re-circulating circuit at a rate sufficient to offset the amount of liquid evaporated in the flow corridor.

Description

technical field [0001] The present application relates generally to liquid concentrators and, more particularly, to compact, portable and inexpensive wastewater concentrators that can be easily connected to and utilize waste heat sources. Background technique [0002] Concentration of volatile species can be an effective form of treatment or pretreatment for various types of wastewater streams and can be performed in a variety of commercial treatment systems. Many highly concentrated wastewater streams can break down to residues in the form of slurries containing high concentrations of dissolved and suspended solids. This concentrated residue is readily solidified by conventional techniques for landfill disposal of residues, or may be suitable for sending to downstream processes for further processing prior to final disposal. Concentrating wastewater can greatly reduce transportation costs and required storage capacity, and can benefit downstream processes that recover mate...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, in order to capture and utilize the waste heat, extensive and expensive pipework and ductwork must be connected to the exhaust ducts to transfer the waste heat to where the treatment system is located, usually at ground level away from the building containing the generator

Importantly, the pipes, ductwork materials, and controls (e.g., throttle and shut-off valves) that can withstand the high temperatures (e.g., 1800 degrees Fahrenheit) of the exhaust gases in the exhaust pipe are very expensive and must be insulated during transport to retain the heat in the exhaust gas

Acceptable insulating materials suitable for the above purposes are often prone to failure due to various characteristics that add to the complexity of the design (e.g., brittleness, tendency to corrode over time, and susceptibility to thermal cycling)

Insulation adds weight to piping, ductwork materials, and controls, and also adds cost to structural support requirements

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