IP Library Granted Patent US 10,472,265
Granted Patent B2
US 10,472,265 · App. 15/081,411 · Granted Nov 12, 2019

Systems and methods of reducing a bacteria population in high hydrogen sulfide water

Inventor: Wayne E. Buschmann (Boulder, CO)
Assignee: Clean Chemistry, Inc.
C02F1/722C02F1/5245C02F1/56C02F1/66C02F2101/101C02F2209/005C02F2209/02C02F2209/04C02F2209/06C02F2209/11C02F2209/40C02F2303/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,472,265
App. No.
15/081,411
Filed
Mar 25, 2016
Granted
Nov 12, 2019
Kind
B2
Art Unit
1777
USPC
210/721
Abstract

In some embodiments, a method may include treating water comprising sulfur based contaminants. The method may include contacting a portion of water comprising a quantity of hydrogen sulfide with a first oxidant. The method may include producing sulfur solids as a result of contacting the hydrogen sulfide in the portion of water with the first oxidant. In some embodiments, the method may include separating the sulfur solids from the water. The first oxidant may include hydrogen peroxide. In some embodiments, oxidation of contaminated fluids may be accelerated by adding an acid in combination with a second oxidant to the contaminated fluids. In some embodiments, oxidation of contaminated fluids may be accelerated by adjusting a pH of the contaminated fluids after addition of an oxidant to the contaminated fluids. In some embodiments, the pH may be adjusted to less than 7.

Claims (34)

1. A method of treating water comprising sulfur based contaminants, comprising:

first contacting a water comprising a quantity of hydrogen sulfide greater than 20 ppm hydrogen sulfide with a first oxidant of hydrogen peroxide solution;

subjecting the water to a first solids removal stage to separate from the water first solids comprising sulfur solids produced as a result of the first contacting;

providing a second oxidant of peracetate solution having a pH from about pH 10 to about pH 12 and a molar ratio of peracetate anions to peracid ranging from about 60:1 to about 6000:1, and after the first solids removal stage, second contacting the water with the peracetate solution; and

subjecting the water to a second solids removal stage to separate from the water second solids produced as a result of the second contacting.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the quantity of hydrogen sulfide is up to 1000 ppm hydrogen sulfide.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing at least 80% of the quantity of the hydrogen sulfide from the water prior to the first solids separation as a consequence of the first contacting.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first oxidant comprises a concentration of hydrogen peroxide in a range of from 10% to 50% by weight.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the peracetate solution comprises no hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen peroxide up to a molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide to peracetate of no larger than 1:16.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising inhibiting formation of oxoacids and oxoacid salts of sulfur during production of the sulfur solids and between the first contacting and the first solids separation stage.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the inhibiting formation of oxoacids and oxoacid salts of sulfur comprises controlling introduction of an amount of the first oxidant.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the inhibiting formation of oxoacids and oxoacid salts of sulfur comprises inhibiting formation of sulfate.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising contacting the water with a reagent after the first solids removal stage and prior to or during the second solids removal stage, wherein the reagent is selected from the group consisting of a coagulant, a flocculation polymer and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising contacting the water with a first reagent prior to or during the first solids separation stage, wherein the first reagent is selected from the group considering of a first coagulant, a first flocculation polymer and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first reagent comprises a coagulant, and further comprising controlling introduction of the coagulant based upon feedback from a sensor monitoring the water.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sensor comprises a turbidity sensor.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising controlling introduction of the first oxidant based upon feedback from a sensor monitoring the water.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sensor comprises a flow meter and/or an oxidative-reductive potential (ORP) sensor.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein after the first solids removal stage the water comprises a bacteria population prior to the second contacting, the method further comprising:

during the second contacting, contacting the water with the second oxidant and a coagulant;

producing coagulated solids comprising bacteria removed from the water as a result of the second contacting; and

during the second solids separation stage separating the coagulated solids from the water.

16. The method of claim 1 comprising prior to the first contacting, preparing the peracetate solution, as prepared the peracetate solution being at a pH of from pH 10 to pH 12 and containing no hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen peroxide up to a molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide to peracetate of no larger than 1:16.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the preparing the peracetate solution comprises mixing alkaline hydrogen peroxide and acyl donor at a molar ratio of acyl donor reactive groups to hydrogen peroxide in a range of from 1:1.25 to 1:4.

18. The method of claim 17 , comprising maintaining the pH of the peracetate solution in a range of from pH 10 to pH 12 between the preparing and the second contacting.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the peracetate solution comprises from 0.25 to 7% by weight sodium peracetate.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first oxidant comprises a concentration of hydrogen peroxide in a range of from 10% to 50% by weight.

21. The method of claim 20 , comprising further comprising adding the first oxidant to the water during the first contacting to provide a molar excess of the hydrogen peroxide to the quantity of hydrogen sulfide.

22. The method of claim 21 , comprising inhibiting the formation of sulfate from sulfur of the hydrogen sulfide during the first contacting and prior to the first solids separation stage.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the second contacting comprises removing from the water a portion of the quantity of the hydrogen sulfide not removed from the water prior to the first solids removal stage and with a total removal of the quantity of the hydrogen sulfide prior to the second solids removal stage being at least 99%.

24. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first contacting comprises adding the first oxidant to the water and the method further comprises:

providing a residence time for the water between the adding the first oxidant and the first solids removal stage of at least 8 minutes.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the second contacting comprises adding the second oxidant to the water and the method further comprises:

providing a residence time for the water between the adding the second oxidant and the second solids removal stage of at least 4 minutes.

Assignments (8)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 16, 2022
From: CLEAN CHEMISTRY, INC.
To: PACIFIC WESTERN BANK D/B/A PACIFIC WESTERN BUSINESS FINANCE
Reel/Frame 061127/0178 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 16, 2020
From: CLEAN CHEMISTRY, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 053784/0872 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE IDENTITY OF THE ASSIGNEE BY THE STATE OF INCORPORATION PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 045054 FRAME 0717. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jun 15, 2018
From: BUSCHMANN, WAYNE E.
To: CLEAN CHEMISTRY, INC.
Reel/Frame 046376/0529 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE IDENTITY OF THE ASSIGNEE BY THE STATE OF INCORPORATION PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 045054 FRAME 0840. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jun 15, 2018
From: BUSCHMANN, WAYNE E.
To: CLEAN CHEMISTRY, INC.
Reel/Frame 046376/0534 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE IDENTITY OF THE ASSIGNEE BY THE STATE OF INCORPORATION PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 045054 FRAME 0876. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jun 15, 2018
From: BUSCHMANN, WAYNE E.
To: CLEAN CHEMISTRY, INC.
Reel/Frame 046376/0539 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2018
From: BUSCHMANN, WAYNE E.
To: CLEAN CHEMISTRY, INC.
Reel/Frame 045054/0840 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2018
From: BUSCHMANN, WAYNE E.
To: CLEAN CHEMISTRY, INC.
Reel/Frame 045054/0876 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2018
From: BUSCHMANN, WAYNE E.
To: CLEAN CHEMISTRY, INC.
Reel/Frame 045054/0717 →
Continuity (4)
Provisional Application 62138627 · Mar 26, 2015
Provisional Application 62147558 · Apr 14, 2015
Provisional Application 62155741 · May 1, 2015
Related Publication 20160297697A1 · Oct 13, 2016
Cited By (2)
US 12,215,460 US 12,685,320