ES2203321B2 - MODULAR SYSTEM AND PROCEDURE TO CLEAN RESIDUAL LIQUIDS. - Google Patents

Abstract

Modular system and procedure for purifying residual liquids, consisting of devices that can be connected with pipes, stopcocks or solenoid valves (1, 2, 3), configurable with different modules depending on whether they treat domestic wastewater, acid effluents or leachate from landfills. Allows you to alternate the use of treatment units and have rest times to replace accessories or perform maintenance. The modules include liquid unsaturated filter blocks (4), saturation blocks (5), with or without limestone materials, and hydraulic devices (6). With pipes (7) it communicates with ditches with gravels and limestone material to saturation in liquids (8, 9, 12, 14), bands with burdensome materials to saturation (10), waterproofed (11), with or without wetland vegetation. In addition there may be a strip of meadow (13). It is used in the purification of domestic wastewater, acid effluents, landfill leachates and contaminated liquids.

Description

Modular system and debugging procedure residual liquids

The technical sector to which the invention relates to wastewater treatment and With environmental protection.

Regarding the state of the art, it should be noted that The need to purify wastewater and contaminated liquids is increases progressively due to population increase and generation of larger volumes of wastewater, and to the demands  regulations for the treatment of residual liquids of origin linked to productive activities of an industrial or mining nature and domestic activities. The search for a higher level of health supposes an increasing pressure so that even Smaller populations, or scattered dwellings, have wastewater treatment systems.

The medium and long term effectiveness of the systems Usual purification of domestic sewage to small scale, such as septic tanks, unfortunately has of being considered insufficient, mainly after a certain time since its installation and commissioning, sharpened the problem because in many cases the measures are not undertaken minimum maintenance essential to prolong its life Useful. As more serious, the situation of the areas in that there is no treatment for your wastewater.

Also, certain contaminated liquids of different origins, such as leachate and runoff from mining operations or landfills urban solids, are sometimes discharged without experiencing any scrubber treatment.

In order to explain the present invention, begins by presenting the problem that is intended to be resolved, caused due to insufficient efficiency of the purification systems of sewage from dispersed populations and individual dwellings, mainly, and of contaminated liquids related to certain industrial or mining activities, or leachate from urban waste dumps.

The present invention contributes to solving the problem, since the modular system it consists of complements or replaces commonly used debugging systems that do not are sufficiently effective, based on said solution in the appropriate combination of different modules, each of which It fulfills a specific debugging task.

The proposed system implies advantages with respect to conventional alternatives currently existing, since which can be used to complement or replace media integrated wastewater treatment, such as pits septic, and can also be located next to systems of pretreatment, primary treatment or secondary treatment of domestic wastewater, in case of pursuing a purification additional to that provided by the standard means. On the other hand, due to its modular configuration, constituted by the modules Timely is also applicable in the treatment of liquids contaminated such as percolates derived from certain mining waste, or leachate of urban waste. Of the same mode, to implement its installation and commissioning operation is relatively simple, if with the corresponding technical supervision adapts the provision of different modules and their dimensions to the type and volume of specific wastewater in question.

Figures 1 and 2 represent examples of possible system configurations combining different modules

Embodiment

To install and operate the debugging system is necessary to arrange, successively, the different devices and modules that are detailed to continuation.

The entry of contaminated liquids into the system (liquids that could even come from other systems to which the one described here complements itself) is regulated by means of keys step or electrovalves and an irrigation programmer, to manage the flow through the different distribution branches constituted by polyethylene pipes. In figures 1 and 2 it is represent (as an example) systems with liquid inlet pollutants through a pipe (1) that drifts in two branches, while that an irrigation programmer (2) connected to two solenoid valves (3) allows to regulate the alternative operation of one or the other driving branch. The programmer and solenoid valves can be replaced by manually operated stopcocks.

Each of the branches of driving communicates with a filter block, which in principle is not necessary indicate or restrict measures as it can be easily dimensioned by a technician - for the specific installation of which treat- depending on the flow rate of incoming contaminated liquids (which for domestic wastewater will be conditioned by the number of inhabitants or users) and hydraulic conductivity of the filling material, which can be determined by quantifying the time it takes for the volume of filter to pass through a volume of known liquid Therefore, this will be the first module proper of the system, constituted by a series of two or more cylindrical containers, filled with material coarse filter (4), such as quartz gravel, of particle size between 5 and 20 mm.

The containers will be built in fiber cement or fiberglass or other rigid material e waterproof. If you are interested in taking up little space, within it container, in its lower area (as reflected in the figure 1), a new smaller container would be located (for example with 40% of the volumetric capacity of the largest container), made of fiber cement or other rigid and waterproof material, with cylindrical or truncated cone shape, and filled with material fine filter (5), such as granulometry quartz sand between 0.5 and 1 mm, alone or mixed with others active substances such as small fragments of iron (for contribute to the retention of part of the phosphorus they carry sewage) or limestone materials, in proportions between 5% and 10%. The effluent from the thick container enters the container for fines, which works under conditions of saturation in liquids of the porous space (conditions therefore anaerobic and reducing). If available sufficient space may interest placing the container with fine filter (5) out of the larger container containing thick (4) -as illustrated in Figure 2-, communicating in series the effluent derived from the lower area of the container with thick, by means of a polyethylene pipe, with the container of fine located downhill to facilitate the flow.

The container for fines receives the liquids that will have circulated through the upper coarse filter, and that they will leave this container of fines overflowing their area higher.

The irrigation programmer (2) or other device control connected to the two solenoid valves (3) - which can be more of two, if the modular system is conceived for a higher number of treatment units - allows to govern the entry of liquids residuals to the different filter blocks, so that You can alternate the flow to one or another branch at a time when that interests, or allow the residual water to penetrate simultaneously in the different debugging units, the temporary blocking of the entrance to one of the units -for carry out maintenance or replacement of components-, or any other possible combination of activities.

In the filter blocks, the burdensome fraction thick (4) allows rapid circulation of liquids contaminated, maintaining the porous space of the unsaturated medium in liquids and therefore aerated (oxidizing conditions), which promotes the progressive growth of saprophytic microorganisms aerobic consumers of organic matter; on the other hand, it stimulates oxidation of reduced nitrogen forms, such as ammonium, up to nitrates, as occurs in so-called beds Conventional biologicals, and this will allow us to think about promoting denitrification in later modules.

In the fine granulometry filter medium (5), contained in containers with truncated or cylindrical cone shapes, the hydraulic conductivity is lower, as is the capacity volumetric of the container itself, facilitating waterlogging or saturation in liquids of the porous space, which ensures additionally providing a hydraulic accessory that regulates the liquid outlet through the upper zone (6), or, if desired simplify, allowing outflow only by overflow. These conditions are reductive and promote denitrification. from nitrates to nitrogen gas, mediated by the corresponding microorganisms involved in the process. The necessary carbon to nourish these reactions is provided by the waters themselves residual Liquids entering the filter block they finally leave the set by a pipe connected in the lower area of the larger container (7).

Serial combinations of filter blocks thick and thin are suitable mainly for the domestic wastewater treatment, in which you are interested decrease the contents of organic matter, generally quantified in relation to parameters such as chemical demands and oxygen biochemistry, and in which equally interested decrease the concentration of nutrients that favor the eutrophication of the waters, involve risks of methemoglobinemia or others environmental and public health and health problems, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in the form of ammonium, nitrates, orthophosphates or other molecules. To the extent that they can lower nutrient contents, along with the decrease that may experience indicator microorganism counts of faecal contamination, mainly due to competition, predation or antibiosis linked to saprophytes present in filter media, it could be understood that objectives of Tertiary type purification with the postulated devices.

When the waters to be treated are not of origin domestic but have a more specific problem linked to the specific activities that generate them, the modules Filters must also be adapted to these particularities. For example, in case you want to treat liquids acidified and even loaded with certain heavy metals, from sterile mines, the fine filter should be constituted by calcite, or alternatively by sludge alkalis from cutting and conditioning industries limestone, or a mixture of both, or alkaline materials similar. If this filter device with fines is made function by maintaining the porous space to saturation in liquids, no air circulation through it, reducing conditions prevent the inactivation of the alkaline material because of ferric concretions or other similar inconveniences, and therefore it can act by neutralizing the acidity of the liquids that cross it and hinder the mobilization of heavy metals

On the other hand, the initial entry of liquids contaminated to coarse material filter devices and Fine can be achieved easily, with a flow in favor of the severity, if there is an appropriate slope on the ground. In other case it might be necessary to use a submersible impeller pump, more advisable than the alternative to proceed to an excavation to condition the filter devices, since this it would make it difficult to connect effluents with subsequent modules or your final evacuation.

Occasionally, you might consider replacing the container in which the thicknesses (4) are introduced by a excavation in the field, of the same or similar dimensions to those that the rigid container would have, isolating such excavation in its bottom and sides with a waterproof synthetic polymer and flexible, filled with the thick gravel indicated above, and with a drilling, connection with polyethylene parts, rubber tires and channeling through fittings and pipe in its lower part to direct the effluent derived from this unit to modules later, also accessible thanks to the corresponding additional excavations that allow the flow in favor of gradient  topographic

On thick containers you can place, when appropriate, metal meshes with light of sieve of variable size, which is appropriate to the dimensions of possible thick particles dragged by liquids contaminated that are intended to be removed before entering the system.

If desired, fiber roofs can be placed of glass supported by the corresponding livelihoods, on these u other subsequent modules, to prevent direct entry of rainfall in them.

Subsequently, after crossing the coarse and fine containers, the filtered liquids will be able to pass to a new module (8, 9), of dimensions not necessarily defined from the beginning but rather conditioned by the volume of liquid to be treated and therefore estimated " in situ "by the technical supervisor of the installation, and that will be composed of a receptacle built in fiberglass, polyvinyl chloride or other appropriate material, waterproof and with some rigidity (which could also be simply a ditch with a waterproof polymer and flexible protecting its base and walls), which in any case contains a burdensome material that, depending on the treatment needs, will consist of limestone material such as calcite, of granulometry between 2 and 10 mm preferably -to attenuate acid effluents- , or, in other situations, quartz gravel of the same grain size. By means of any hydraulic level control accessory (6), or allowing only the overflow advance, it will be ensured that the burdensome material remains saturated and covered with liquid, thus preserving it from contact with atmospheric oxidants, which makes it difficult again the inactivation of the limestone material due to ferric or other concretions, and therefore the contribution of alkalinity is allowed that will be of special interest in the case that acidic liquids are treated and with notable contents in heavy metals, such as those coming from of accumulation areas of certain mining waste, or also leachate from landfills.

Then, the effluents derived from the previous module would pass to an area (10) that has a layer of about 5 or 10 cm of a 50% mixture of coarse-grained quartz gravel
-preferably between 5 and 20 mm- and commercial gravel limestone (granulometry preferably between 2 and 10 mm) or sludge from limestone cutting and conditioning industries, the mixture located in a strip of land -new dimensions that they can be variable depending on what the supervising technicians of the installation consider appropriate for the volume of liquids to be treated- on which a flexible and impermeable polymer is located (11); this strip remains saturated with liquids and communicates with a new ditch or receptacle located downhill (12), which can again be constructed as indicated for module 8, and which can also have a hydraulic control accessory (6), ensuring saturation in this receptacle and in the strip itself (10); the trench or receptacle (12) can be filled with 5-20 mm granulometry quartz gravel, or with a mixture of such quartz gravel and small pieces or iron filings, in cases where it is of interest to decrease phosphorus concentrations in sewage

Vegetables that withstand permanent humidity conditions, such as Tipha angustifolia or Phragmites australis , can optionally be implanted on the strip (10).

The module constituted by the described band fits expect the beneficial effects due to the alkalinity contribution of the limestone material, and the purification linked to the presence -when appropriate- of the mentioned vegetables and their performance and the of organisms related to them in a medium like configured, which among other aspects will alternate oxidizing environments in the environment of the roots and reducers in the rest of the strip, as occurs in wetlands with the presence of these plants.

Subsequently, residual liquids could circulate on a new module (13) constituted by a strip of soil on which there is vegetation, preferably meadow, with different species of grasses and compounds or others suitable, sized based on the volume to be treated and the hydraulic conductivity of said floor, so that preferably the porous space is not continuously saturated with liquids, to facilitate the different processes debuggers that are verified in the edaphic environment when the Ambience is aerobic.

In figure 1, right part, the possibility of working simultaneously and in parallel (and not in series, as it was indicated until now) with a strip of quartz and limestone gravel (10) and one of soil with vegetation of meadow (13), with a ditch or receptacle with limestone in header (9), which keeps the ditch and the strip saturated (10) thanks to the participation of the corresponding accessory hydraulic (6) and a new saturated ditch located downhill (14). Some solenoid valves or simple stopcocks (3) allow regulate the entry of effluents derived from the blocks Filters (4) and (5) to this zone of the double strip in parallel.

The assembly proposed above, so Concerning containers with filter materials intended adapt to a situation in which the system is of interest Compact and take up little space.

In Figure 2, however, a different situation, in which – given that the length, surface and slope of the land would not prevent or advise against-, the containers with both filter media (4) and (5) can be arranged separately and connected in series, as embodied, so that the sewage flow through the container first with thicknesses (4) and by means of a pipe, located in the part bottom of this first filter block, be directed towards the container with the fine filter (5), which remains in condition of saturation in liquids and therefore reducing thanks to any hydraulic conditioner that allows the evacuation of liquids only in the upper area. The corresponding pipes communicate with the rest of the modules and components, which are the same as those shown in figure 1.

As it was pointed out in different points, the sizing of the modules that make up the system is done depending on the volumes of contaminated liquids, the hydraulic conductivity of the materials used and the need or not to keep the medium of the module in question saturated. Too predictable rainfall can be taken into account, or counted with roofs to prevent rain from entering the modules This dimensioning work should therefore be performed individually for each installation concrete, with the participation of the technical designers and / or supervisors of the installation and commissioning process functioning.

It should be noted that the fact of having stopcocks or solenoid valves allows, in a manner simple, the commutation of flows towards some purification units or others, so that the operation can be alternated (especially of the units arranged in parallel), even providing rest periods if necessary, or enabling maintenance or replacement of components in the areas temporarily closed to the circulation of liquids.

Claims (11)

1. Modular system and debugging procedure residual liquids, the system consisting of the following successive components and modules:

to)

Input system of liquids consisting of pipes (1) equipped with stopcocks or irrigation programmer (2) and solenoid valves (3)

b)

Filter blocks unsaturated in liquids, with burdensome materials (4)

C)

Filter blocks to saturation in liquids (5), with or without limestone materials and hydraulic devices (6)

d)

Ditches with gravels and limestone material to saturation (8, 9)

and)

Bands with burdensome saturation materials (10), waterproofed (11), with or without the presence of wetland vegetation, and with new ditches burdensome at its lower end (12, 14)

F)

Ground strips, with vegetation, preferably of meadow (13).

2. Modular system according to claim 1, characterized in that the module of unsaturated filter blocks (4) is constituted by two or more waterproof containers, filled with coarse filter material, such as granulometry quartz gravel preferably between 5 and 20 mm, with the possibility of presenting filtering metal meshes in its upper zone. 3. Modular system according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the module of unsaturated filter blocks (4) is fed with contaminated liquids, by means of pipes, with regulated flows in each distribution branch by means of stopcocks or solenoid valves, and the corresponding commercial programmer. 4. Modular system according to claim 1, characterized in that the modules can be protected from the direct entry of precipitation by placing fiberglass roofs. 5. Modular system according to claims 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that each of the containers with coarse filter will be sized to operate in conditions of non-saturation in liquids, and will present in its lower part another container that constitutes a filter block to saturation in liquids (5), of smaller size - which will overflow its upper zone - that will contain fine filtering material, such as granulometry quartz sand preferably between 0.5 and 1 mm, alone or mixed with small iron fragments or limestone granulometry material preferably between 0.5 and 1 mm, in proportion usually between 5% and 10% with respect to dry weight. 6. Modular system according to claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, characterized in that, if interested, the container with fines (5), can be placed outside the larger container, connecting both in series thanks to pipes and fittings (7) , so that the effluent that leaves the lower area of the bulk container is directed towards the container of fines, from which it will later turn out to overflow. 7. Modular system according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a module consisting of ditches with gravels and limestone material to saturation (8, 9), consists of an elongated receptacle, preferably shallow (about 35 cm) and shallow ( about 40 cm), of variable dimensions adaptable to the specific volumes to be purified, built in material such as fiberglass, rigid polyvinyl chloride, or a simple protected excavation at its base and sides with a waterproof and flexible synthetic polymer, filled with a mixture preferably at 50% with respect to dry weight of quartz gravel, of size usually within the range 5-20 mm, and limestone material such as sludges from limestone cutting and conditioning industries or commercial limestone of variable grain size, but Usually within the range 2-10 mm and it is maintained at saturation. 8. Modular system according to claims 1 and 7, characterized in that, by overflow or with hydraulic control, the trenches communicate with the following module (10), which has a waterproof band at its base and sides with a flexible synthetic polymer (11 ), filled with a layer of about 5 to 10 cm of granulometry quartz gravel preferably between 5 and 20 mm, alone or mixed in a proportion of 50% preferably, with respect to dry weight, with sludge from limestone cutting industries or commercial limestone, of granulometry between 2 and 10 mm preferably, with the possibility of implanting wetland vegetables in said band, and maintaining the burglar material of the band to saturation, counting on it with the collaboration of a new gravel ditch ( 12) located at its lower end - downhill if there is topographic inclination - with the same dimensions as that located at the head of the band, and in which the liquids they advance by overflow, being this lower trench filled with granulometry quartz gravel usually between 5 and 20 mm, alone or with a mixture generally from 5% to 10% with respect to dry weight of small iron fragments, if retention is to be favored additional phosphorus 9. Modular system according to claims 1 and 8, characterized by the existence of a module located next to the lower gravel ditch, consisting of strips of soil with preferably meadow vegetation (13), sized based on the volume to be treated and to the hydraulic conductivity of said floor, so that preferably the porous building space remains unsaturated in liquids most of the time. 10. Modular system according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the necessary cases, the circulation of the liquids is achieved with the help of submersible impeller pumps, or preferably taking advantage of the topographic gradient, when they also exist, it is possible to install, in specific points, stopcocks or additional solenoid valves, to diversify the treatment by directing by means of parallel pipes the effluents from the filter blocks to several ditches and bands such as those described, also located in parallel, side by side. 11. Procedure for purifying residual liquids, according to the preceding claims, characterized by the use of successive scrubber modules on contaminated liquids, such as domestic wastewater, acid effluents and leachate from urban waste landfills.