Summary

Electricity and the related energy, magnetism, have been used to treat and condition water since the late 1800’s. Significant improvements have been made in the technology periodically over the last century. Current knowledge in the art indicates that the Ecoloquip system makes another significant advance in this technology. More than 20 years of testing, development and implementation show a remarkably adaptable technology that can be appropriate for processing and treating wastewater as well as water supplies. Using the Ecoloquip advanced ElectroPurification technology (JOULE EP4) and traditional separation technologies, the consumption of chemicals and energy for water treatment can be significantly reduced. In addition, the area dedicated to water treatment (plant footprint) for the Joule EP4 is smaller than for traditional technologies. Often, the treated water is clean enough for reuse in the facility further reducing the cost of treatment associated with surface water supplies (rivers or lakes).

TERMINOLOGY

Electrocoagulation, Electroflocculation, and Electropurification are terms used to describe the utilization of electrical and magnetic energy to cause the release of contaminants from an aqueous medium. This is differentiated from Electrophoresis or Electrowinning where materials are caused to migrate and concentrate at or near an electrode in response to an electric field. Pathogen reduction is used to describe a treatment process that eliminates disease organisms (pathogens) from water. These may be bacteria, fungi, various worms, larvae or eggs and viruses.

HISTORY of Electrical Water Treatment

People have been endeavoring since the beginning of the 20th Century to treat or process water and aqueous solutions using electricity. Early patents such as the Dieterich patent, 1906 describe an array of systems and electrode designs. The treatment of water with electricity is known as electrocoagulation or electroflocculation and has seen periods of popularity in the 1920’s, 1960’s 1980’s and today. Each subsequent iteration of the technology has provided improvements in reliability, capacity and applicability. Each series of new devices increased the quality of water product and broadened the range of contaminants that responded to the use of electrical energy.

From the initial designs to the electrocoagulation systems in use today, the electrical treatment of water has been based on the ionization of the electrodes into charged soluble metal species which attract and hold components in the water matrix. In these systems (Andco, CURE, etc) the electrodes are sacrificial and corrode at an alarming rate. Treatment is based on purely the chemistry of the charged metal ions. The additional benefits of the total energy from the electric field are largely ignored.

A second popular genre of the electrocoagulation technology is the use of high potential across the treatment cell. Modern versions of this school use large capacitors and high frequency discharges or “shocks” across the treatment cell. The applicability of this type of electrical treatment of water is limited to the release of suspended and colloidal materials. In these applications, the treatment is a result of the energy imparted by a strong electric field and no benefits are derived from the flow of electrons through the solution.

The most well known and widely practiced electrical treatment of water is known as electrowinning. In this process, metals are plated from the water onto specialty electrodes. The process is metal specific so one electrode and power unit is required for each metal removed from the water. Generally, this technology is used in ore processing and mining waters and usually only for precious metals. Electroplaters use this technology to reclaim valuable materials from plating wastewater.

Variations of electrowinning have been attempted in which the electrodes attract certain components of the water in the treatment unit that can be affected by the electrostatic charge. The components collect on the anodes and cathodes based on their charges. Periodically, the current and flow are reversed releasing the components from the electrodes. The concentrated wastewater is collected for further treatment. This is a type of electrophoresis or precipitation much like that used to clean particulates from air. While the system enriches the wastewater, additional treatment is required.

Electrocoagulation and electroflocculation have been used by many industries over the last century, principally mining, metal finishing and fabrication. Energy companies developed high flow systems to treat the wastewater from coal slurry pipelines (Westinghouse, General Electric). Metal finishing industries have used both flow through and batch systems for several decades (Kaselco, Clean Water, etc.) Enviro-Chem (Monsanto) embellished the Russian membrane EC technology that separates the Anolyte (flow from anode) and Catholyte (flow from cathode) with a porous ceramic membrane. Controlling the composition of the influents and the electrical currents allows the production of “activated” water that can be used to sterilize or treat wastewaters. The Germans were first to note the ability of electrically processed water to carry energy and provide treatment after leaving an electrocoagulation cell. Monsanto has not made significant marketing efforts to expand the electrical treatment in favor of its market share in the multi-billion dollar water treatment chemicals industry (Nalco, Cytec, Rohm & Haas, Rhone Poulenc, Akzo Nobel, etc.)

Electrical treatment of water has been practiced in several countries for many years. Eastern Europe, Germany and Argentina are notable for the use of electrical energy for various purposes in water treatment. Electroflocculation is often used for removal of suspended solids from surface water supplies prior to chemical treatment to produce drinking water. On occasion, an induced current is used to remove microbes as a final step in drinking water distribution. Electroflocculation is not widely used as the primary treatment for either drinking water or wastewater.

One component of electrical energy that has been used since the late 1800’s is magnetism. Many boilers operate with electromagnets on the condensate return or feed water lines. The energy is critical to the prevention of scaling from calcium and magnesium in the feed water. A simple magnetic field around the pipe will significantly reduce scaling by controlling the speciation of these atoms as the precipitate from the water.

Today, electrical treatment of water and wastewater is again popular. Many companies are scrambling to produce a “me-to” electrical gadget or device that they can add to their product lines. An example is the electrically enhanced resin bed now offered by purification companies. Two simple electrodes are placed in the resin bed. Their primary function is to expedite the regeneration of the resins that absorb through ion exchange. The electrodes provide a type of electrophoresis that helps extract the contaminants from the resin to rejuvenate the material.

Electrocoagulation and electroflocculation are now part of water and wastewater text books used at the college level. (Eckenfelder, W. W. and Cecil, L.K., “Applications of New Concepts of Physical-Chemical Wastewater Treatment” Pergammon Press Inc.) As a technology with a long history and a well known capability, electrocoagulation has not been in the mainstream of water treatment. The high cost of replacing electrodes, the difficulties with production of reliable, steady state power and the general misunderstanding of electrical treatment have hindered its acceptance. In addition a number of unscrupulous companies proliferated in the late 1990’s promising miraculous treatments and not delivering quality equipment. The technology appears to be very simple and it is easy to effect treatment on bench scale or batch systems. Treatment with electricity is complex and many variables need to be addressed and accounted for to produce a successful full scale treatment unit.

In the following pages, the unique Joule EP4 technology will be described. This advanced system incorporates the Ecoloquip patented technique with all of the physical, chemical and electrical concepts practiced by a broad array of electrocoagulation companies. The Joule EP4 utilizes the energy from electromagnetic fields in addition to the flow of electrons to effect advanced water treatment. This patented technology is a major step forward in the field and provides the broadest applicability for the reduction in the concentration of organic, inorganic, gaseous and biological contaminants found not only in wastewater but in water supplies as well.

Water

Water is considered the universal solvent and has been the fundamental component of industrial and petrochemical development. Within the last century, the realization of a finite water supply has evolved. From shocking images of burning rivers and dead lakes to insidious birth defects, the impact of contaminated water has been broadcast worldwide. Society’s response has been the requirement for increasingly stringent treatment of water before use or release. The properties that make water a fundamental and important part of life also make it a difficult medium to purify. Contaminants can be dissolved, colloids, suspended, emulsified or any combination.

Water forms strong intermolecular bonds due to the polarity of the molecules. These bonds hold contaminants in the solution matrix or water in the contaminant matrix. Energy must be added to destabilize this system and free the water. As a polarized solvent, the charged water particles cause ions to dissociate and become part of the solution.

Attractive forces that hold materials in the water and cause water molecules to align based on charge proximity also affect the physical properties of water. Water can absorb and hold significant amounts of energy with few changes in physical properties.

This brief description of the unique properties of water will help explain the effectiveness of the Joule technology.

TREATMENT COMPARISONS

Water treatment has changed little over the last centuries. In general the technologies have been based on chemical additions to create insoluble products from contaminants and filtration to capture contaminants. Where organic components are present, biological, absorption or vapor extraction mechanisms have been added to the treatment process as appropriate. No new or dramatic approach has been brought to the industry for forty years or more since the advent of Reverse Osmosis which employs high pressure filtration and ion exchange resins. Improvements in chemicals and genetically engineered or specifically cultured degradation organisms are the normal changes in process.

Ecoloquip with its Joule EP4 technology offers an alternative to traditional water treatment. The Joule EP4 must be differentiated from typical electrocoagulation and electroflocculation treatments. To address this issue, it is critical to understand the nature of water treatment, the levels of ‘clean” and the application of the Joule EP4 technology.

Unwanted chemicals in wastewater may be categorized into numerous systems or formats. For simplicity, the categories discussed herein are:

Organic materials are most commonly treated through biological degradation followed by settling and/or filtration. Air (oxygen) may be provided to enhance and sustain the biological activity. Nutrients may be added to optimize the metabolism and hence the decomposition of the contaminants. Ideally, the contaminants are converted to biomass, CO2 and water. The biomass is removed in the filtration step with incorporated contaminants. Organics that are not a food source to the organisms are removed from the water by mechanical means or through concentration on media that is further processed or stripping and concentration as vapor. Low concentrations of organic solvents may be removed by using UV light and/or ozonation.

All processes identified require sizeable structures to accommodate flow or residency times. Current facilities represent significant capital expenditures and often do not meet current water quality standards. Facilities are forced to pay fines and fees (surcharges) to discharge over the legal limit.

Total Suspended Solids (TSS) are materials that can often be filtered from the wastewater. Filtration of large quantities of water is capital intensive and time consuming. More efficient separation can be achieved by altering the separation forces through centrifugation. The artificial gravity causes solids to migrate from the water to the equipment surfaces. These systems are either complex or expensive. Modern high-speed centrifuges can cost over $200,000.00 for 25 GPM capacity. Chemicals are readily available that react with the suspended solids and/or the water to enhance the separation and removal. Chemical treatment is the hallmark of the industry and the basis of all regulation. Additives function first to combine with the suspended solids and create larger particles that are easier to separate. Chemicals also are added to reduce the surface tension or polar attractiveness of the water allowing particles to move with less resistance.

Chemical treatment has advanced through the creation of new products that react more effectively with suspended solids. Some chemical treatments leave residual materials in the water. Overdosing is often practiced to accommodate variations in the wastewater. Residual treatment chemicals may cause the effluent stream to fail today’s stringent quality criteria.

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) may be treated with chemical addition but most often more sophisticated methods are employed after the suspended solids are removed. Clarified wastewater can be treated with ion exchange resins, mixed resin beds, ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis. Resins are chemicals that attract and capture certain ions or molecules. Each resin is ion specific so a mixture of resins are needed to absorb the variety of ions found in wastewater. Resins can be washed to remove the captured ions. The resin wash is a concentrated waste to be treated.

Ultrafiltration and Reverse Osmosis(RO) are mechanical separations conducted under high pressure. Both utilize specially formulated membranes that allow smaller water molecules to pass through while capturing the larger contaminant molecules. Both processes then produce a concentrate stream that must be managed.

The resins and membranes will produce the highest purity water. Industrial and bottled water needs are met by some combination of these techniques. De-mineralized and ultrapure water used for boiler feed, pharmaceutical production, and in chemical reactions, are created by these techniques.

Ecoloquip’s Joule EP4 fits between chemical/biological and De-mineralized/RO treatment. The technology is extremely efficient (>95% removal) on suspended solids and some dispersed oils and grease as well as inorganic dissolved solids. Joule EP4 treatment is less efficient (>85% removal) on dissolved organics (COD, BOD, TOC) and some dissolved inorganic materials. The technology is inappropriate for “stand-alone” treatment of alcohols, sugars, amines, amides, pesticides, herbicides, chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents and complex surfactant/emulsifier solutions.

Ecoloquip’s Joule EP4 technology will enhance most treatment systems in use and can be a powerful tool in treatment systems under design. The versatility and consistent response of electropurification allows for a wide range of applications and less concern for wastewater consistency. Water treatment free from dosage and flow limitations or monitoring allows more flexibility of design and reduced costs of attention, maintenance, supplies, reagents, and down-time. High purity systems benefit from pretreatment by electropurification. Efficient removal of most contaminants serves to extend resin or membrane life and increase capacity of systems. Per unit costs are reduced in these applications.

Replacing chemical application with electrical energy reduces the volume of residuals. Chemicals added become part of the solids or sludge for disposal. Residual contamination blended with treatment chemicals loses recycling value. Contaminants precipitated through electropurification are concentrated and available for recycle or reuse. Chemical and biological water treatment processes generally produce a sludge with a high moisture content due to water bound in the purification medium. The Joule EP4 technology releases the water from the contaminants generating a more stable and less bulky solid byproduct.

For an extensive discussion of the traditional water treatment technologies please see the publication by Metcalf and Eddy, Wastewater Engineering Treatment Disposal Reuse, Third Edition. This college text and reference will provide detailed descriptions of the technologies currently employed for traditional water treatment. Further information and details regarding the 1980’s electrocoagulation can be obtained from the Western Research Institute’s evaluation of Ligget EC technology (Ligget 1981 patent). Ligget is believed to have resurrected the concept of electrical treatment of water and spawned a number of new developments.

INTRODUCTION TO THE JOULE EP4

Many wastewater contaminants are held in solution due primarily to electrical charges. Bacteria, algae, oils, clays, carbon black, silica, phosphate, nickel, lead, chromate and other ions, are only some examples. Neutralization of these charges and the subsequent precipitation of these contaminants can be achieved either by chemical or by electrochemical means. ELECTROCOAGULATION systems have been employed for years in the treatment of wastewater. Most rely upon high voltages to produce a strong electromagnetic field in order to disrupt the attraction of the particles, allowing suspended contaminants to co-precipitate with metal ions sacrificed from the electrodes.

In the past, these systems have shown good contaminant removal compared to chemical precipitation, nevertheless, higher capital and operation costs, along with lower flow rates, have reduced the use of these systems. In today's environment, chemical addition is becoming less acceptable due to more stringent regulations and increased chemical costs. Solid residues are classified as hazardous and treatment levels are more difficult to achieve. Lower operating costs, higher flow rates and better knowledge of the process have moved ELECTROPURIFICATION to the forefront of water treatment technologies.

THE JOULE EP4 SYSTEM

ECOLOQUIP’S Joule EP4 System consists of a group of devices and equipment that apply advanced technologies based on principles of electrochemistry and physics. These advances were made possible by modern fundamental electronics. The Joule EP4 System combines these technologies and principles into a practical, compact, easy to use device. ECOLOQUIP’s unique design effects treatment of aqueous solutions that are contaminated with a variety of materials including heavy metals, oil, grease, suspended solids, some salts and dissolved solids as well as pathogen organisms and algae.

Our electrochemical process places an electrical charge in the waste fluid. This charge destabilizes the waste fluid, causing the coagulation of many of the dissolved and suspended materials present. Destabilization is the result of the suppression of zeta forces that keep components in the water matrix dissociated. Contaminants are free to associate and coalesce or migrate to areas of high energy near the electrodes. The energized components can then interact with other contaminants, free radicals from hydrolyzed water molecules or electrons flowing through the system. The result is a chemically altered, less soluble product capable of separation from the water.

The Joule EP4 System utilizes a proprietary and patented system that applies electrochemical energies to an aqueous waste stream. Contaminant-laden water moves through an electric field where treatment is accomplished by the action and interaction of four basic processes:

The most concise description of the activity within the Ecoloquip Joule EP4 is the disruption of the status quo to create an energized chaos and the recombination of the elements and compounds to dissipate the added energy.

Flocculation and coagulation are common to all water treatment systems. Chemical treatments generally require two or more additives and are sensitive to timing and mixing. The Joule EP4 System incorporates an electric current in order to neutralize ionic and particulate charges thereby allowing contaminants such as colloidal particulates, oils and dissolved metals to be coalesced and removed from stable suspensions and emulsions. The principles at play are double layer compression, charge neutralization, bridging/entrapment and increased particle size. The effects are caused by the four basic processes interacting with the suspended or colloidal particles dispersed in the water matrix.

Chemical reactions aid in the purification of water and are traditionally accomplished by addition of chemicals, control of pH, temperature manipulation, biological processing, or some form of energy addition. The Joule EP4 System accomplishes the same chemical reactions using electrical energy applied at the electrode interface and throughout the solution in the treatment unit. Ion formation, free radical formation, dissociation, hydrolysis and catalyzed complex formation are just a few of the processes that are initiated by the carefully controlled application of electrical energy in the Joule system. Inorganic minerals and compounds are most profoundly affected by these processes and are chemically altered into less soluble species. Organics may also be affected through the changes in atomic bonds either through elongation or bending due to the reaction to the electrical field. The altered bonds are more susceptible to attack by the free radicals in the energized aqueous medium resulting in less complex and more readily processed components.

THE TECHNOLOGY

The Joule EP4 technology was developed over fifteen years of research and development in an effort to minimize and optimize a large number of independent and interdependent variables associated with energy transfer, water chemistry and the phenomena described above. Each parameter was evaluated independently to determine the range of effect on certain components of aqueous solutions. This information was modeled in a complex system to evaluate the interrelationships and hierarchies of energy transfer that would allow Ecoloquip to interpret reaction sequences. The major parameters evaluated and optimized during this long theoretical and applied empirical evaluation were:

The result of these efforts is an optimized cell design. Understanding of the importance and the effect on treatment of each parameter allows for the standardization of critical elements in the treatment cell and the ability to adjust the remainder to the components in the waste stream.

Treatment Cells - The cell’s design is determined by the type and amount of contaminants to be treated. Treatment cells consist of sacrificial electrodes that provide most of the treatment chemistry. The number of cells in use is determined by flow demand. Cells can treat 5, 10 or 25 gallons or more per minute and, depending on the waste stream being treated, cell life span will vary anywhere between 120 and 180days treating at a flow rate of 25 GPM. Generally, a pair of cells are required in a series flow to process most waters.

Maintenance and Operation - Each cell is continuously monitored for voltage, current, water flow and temperature by systems within the control panel. These are the basic parameters affecting treatment of the contaminated water. Operating requirements of the system are minimal. The system is self-checking and correcting via the electronic control components. Daily verification is usually sufficient to maintain optimum operating conditions. Many of the system functions can be automated to further reduce personnel time. If the operator wishes, the units can be connected through wireless or hardwire communications to a central control room where monitoring and adjustment of key parameters may be conducted.

Electrical usage is controlled by the contaminants in the water being treated. Very little current flow results when the contamination level is low. This provides an efficient utilization of the energy required by the system. There is little wasted energy in the system.

The Major Advantages of the JOULE EP4 System

MAIN Features of the JOULE EP4 System

COSTS

A typical USA water cost diagram has been proposed by U.S. Filter and others. The values represent broad industrial and geographical averages. Costs of $3.00/1000 gallons represent standard chemical/biological treatment for effluent discharge quality water. The Joule EP4 technology can cut the treatment costs and disposal costs in half ($1.50/1000 gallons). More important is the benefits derived from compliance and the generation of exceptional quality water. In many instances the water may be simply recycled further reducing the costs for acquisition and initial treatment.

SUMMARY

The simplicity of operating a Joule EP4 system hides the complex reactions that occur within the process. What looks like a pipe, a pump and a power source is in fact the result of years of research, engineering and development. Ecoloquip has designed the JOULE EP4 system to optimize over twenty variables in order to effectively transfer the electrical energy to the continuously flowing contaminated water. Water-contaminant mixtures treated by a Joule EP4 system will generally separate into an organic rich floating layer, a mineral rich sediment and clean water. This separation occurs within minutes of treatment and conventional equipment may be used to extract the clean water. The lack of major chemical additives protects the potential to derive some benefit from the separated contaminants.

The product of Ecoloquip’s labor is a device that can be applied to a broad spectrum of water and wastewater treatment systems. The technology is most applicable to separation of inorganic contaminants, biological contaminants, and less than 5% hydrocarbons. Electropurification is not appropriate for solvents, water-in-oil emulsions, sludge, complex amines, sugars or alcohols as a stand alone unit. In combination with other technologies, the end result may be significantly higher quality water for reuse or discharge. The potential for broad applicability regardless of contaminant type has allowed installation at a variety of environmental remediation sites for both surface and groundwater contamination. Electropurification lends itself to treatment of complex mixed wastewater streams and as a pretreatment to increase efficiency of purification and desalination.

Ecoloquip has successfully operated units in a number of different applications. Metal finishing and plating plants are obvious candidates. The US EPA selected the JOULE for use in Superfund Site remediation. Petroleum production and maritime oily wastewater are processed and released free of contamination. Food processing, agricultural run-off and animal wastewater have been successfully treated with the JOULE system and standard filtration technology. Reductions in heavy metals, oil and grease, COD, BOD, TSS, TDS, Color, Turbidity, FOG, SAAM, TKN, Sulfide, Sulfate, and Phosphate are common.

Ecoloquip encountered a side benefit from the electric treatment of water, pathogen reduction. Various electrocoagulation devices utilized in Europe, Russia, and South America were designed specifically for this purpose. Ecoloquip has successfully treated animal and human wastewater removing chemical and biological contaminants. Tests confirm the destruction of Coliform bacteria, flagellates, helminthes adults and eggs, infective parasite larvae, and enteric viruses.