Fluid treatment systems, methods and applications
A fluid (i.e., generally water or wastewater) treatment system and associated methods provide for effectively treating the fluid (i.e., generally water or wastewater containing at least a plurality of salts) to provide a separated pure fluid (i.e., generally water) and a separated impurity (i.e., generally a salt). Also provided are a method for detecting or determining the need for a controlled process intervention to prevent the plugging of system components in a fluid (i.e., generally water) treatment system, and a process for preventing the plugging of the system components in the fluid (i.e., generally water) treatment system.
1. A fluid treatment system comprising:
a continuous feed style crystallizer;
a feed stock supply sub-system; and
a dilution sub-system, wherein:
the crystallizer is connected in fluid communication with the feed stock supply sub-system so that the crystallizer receives a feed stock, including a solvent and at least one impurity, from the feed stock supply sub-system through a crystallizer-input fluid stream;
the dilution sub-system is designed to selectively add a dilution fluid to the crystallizer-input fluid stream, responsive to one or more measurements or determinations of one or more operational parameters of the system deviating from an expected value of the operational parameter while the crystallizer-input fluid stream is fed into the crystallizer in a substantially continuous manner, and
an end product separation sub-system operative to produce purified water and at least one solid product.
2. The fluid treatment system of claim 1 further comprising a recirculation sub-system in fluid communication and recirculation with the crystallizer, the recirculation sub-system being designed for:
recirculation of the feed stock with respect to the crystallizer; and
at least one end product separation from the fluid treatment system.
3. The fluid treatment system of claim 2 further comprising an end product handling sub-system coupled with the recirculation sub-system and designed to handle the at least one end product separated from the fluid treatment system.
4. The fluid treatment system of claim 1 wherein the solvent comprises water and the at least one impurity comprises at least one salt.
5. The fluid treatment system of claim 1 wherein the dilution fluid is selectively added in an on-and-off fashion while the crystallizer-input fluid stream is fed into the crystallizer in the substantially continuous manner.
6. The fluid treatment system of claim 1 wherein the dilution fluid is selectively added in a variable rate of addition while the crystallizer-input fluid stream is fed into the crystallizer in the substantially continuous manner.
7. A fluid treatment method comprising:
providing a fluid treatment system comprising:
a continuous feed style crystallizer;
a feed stock supply sub-system; and
a dilution sub-system, wherein: the crystallizer is connected in fluid communication with the feed stock supply sub-system so that the crystallizer receives a feed stock, including a solvent and at least one impurity, from the feed stock supply sub-system through a crystallizer-input fluid stream; and
the dilution sub-system is designed to selectively add a dilution fluid to the crystallizer-input fluid stream while the crystallizer-input fluid stream is fed into the crystallizer in a substantially continuous manner;
measuring one or more operational parameters with respect to the fluid treatment system when operating the fluid treatment system;
introducing from the dilution sub-system into the crystallizer-input fluid stream the dilution fluid predicated upon a deviation of the measured value of the operational parameter from an expected value of the operational parameter; and
harvesting purified water and at least one solid product.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the operational parameter is selected from the group consisting of:
a vacuum in an evaporator vessel within a recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system;
an amperage in a recirculation pump within the recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system;
a pressure across a heat exchanger within the recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system;
a noise in a recirculation pump within the recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system;
a temperature across the heat exchanger within the recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system;
a temperature in the evaporator vessel within the recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system; and
a plugging of a hydrocyclone pump within the recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the fluid treatment system further comprises a recirculation sub-system in fluid communication and recirculation with the crystallizer, the recirculation sub-system being designed for:
recirculation of a feed stock with respect to the crystallizer; and
an end product separation from the fluid water treatment system.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the fluid treatment system further comprises an end product handling sub-system coupled with the recirculation sub-system and designed to handle at least one end product separated by the fluid treatment system.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein the solvent comprises water and the at least one impurity comprises at least one salt.
12. The method of claim 7 wherein the addition of the dilution fluid is automatically determined.
13. The method of claim 7 wherein the addition of the dilution fluid is manually determined.
14. A water treatment method comprising:
providing a water treatment system comprising:
a continuous feed style crystallizer;
a feed stock supply sub-system;
a dilution sub-system; and
a recirculation system, wherein:
the crystallizer is connected in fluid communication with the feed stock fluid sub-system so that the crystallizer receives feed stock, including water and salt(s), from the feed stock supply sub-system;
the dilution sub-system selectively adds a dilution fluid to a crystallizer-input fluid stream while the crystallizer-input fluid stream is fed into the crystallizer in a substantially continuous manner; and
the recirculation sub-system is in fluid communication with the crystallizer system and designed for:
recirculation of feed stock with respect to the crystallizer; and
end product separation from the water treatment system;
introducing an aqueous solution comprising at least one salt into the crystallizer; and
harvesting from the recirculation system purified water and the at least one salt.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one salt comprises at least two salts selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the at least two salts are separated predicated upon a solubility difference.
18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
measuring an operational parameter with respect to the fluid treatment system when operating the fluid treatment system; and
introducing from the dilution sub-system into the crystallizer the dilution fluid predicated upon a deviation of the measured value of the operational parameter from an expected value of the operational parameter.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the operational parameter is selected from the group consisting of:
a vacuum in an evaporator vessel within a recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system;
an amperage in a recirculation pump within the recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system;
a pressure across a heat exchanger within the recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system;
a noise in a recirculation pump within the recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system;
a temperature across the heat exchanger within the recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system;
a temperature in the evaporator vessel within the recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system; and
a plugging of a hydrocyclone pump within the recirculation loop within the fluid treatment system.