WO2016028737A1

WO2016028737A1 - Chemical release cartridge system

Info

Publication number: WO2016028737A1
Application number: PCT/US2015/045629
Authority: WO
Inventors: Laird Washburn
Original assignee: Nuvo Residential, Llc Dba Nuvoh2O
Priority date: 2014-08-19
Filing date: 2015-08-18
Publication date: 2016-02-25

Abstract

A chemical release cartridge system includes a cartridge having a treatment chamber and a mixing chamber separated by a flow restrictor. A treatment inlet channels fluid into the treatment chamber and a mixing inlet channels fluid into the mixing chamber. Fluid exiting the treatment channel through the flow restrictor mixes with the fluid in the mixing chamber and exits the cartridge.

Description

CHEMICAL RELEASE CARTRIDGE SYSTEM

BACKGROUND

[0001] The present invention relates to chemical release systems and methods of releasing chemicals into a fluid. More specifically, the invention relates to systems and devices for releasing water softening chemical for industrial and residential water softening.

[0001] Fresh water supplies across the world are typically derived from

underground aquifers or streams originating in terrain rich with alkaline earth metals, including calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺). As a result, much of the fresh water available for industrial or residential use is enriched with cationic mineral with an alkaline pH. Such water is frequently referred to as "hard water."

[0002] A number of technologies have been developed to soften water— that is to remove or replace alkaline earth metals and decrease the pH of the fresh water. Water treatment systems for such purposes typically substitute calcium and magnesium ions contained in hard water with alkaline ions such as sodium (Na⁺) and potassium (K⁺). For this softening function, conventional water softeners often include a softening tank to soften raw water. The softening tank is filled with an ion exchange resin loaded with sodium or potassium ions. The sodium and potassium ions exchange with the calcium and magnesium ions when the raw water passes through the softening tank. Eventually, however, the ion exchange resin become saturated with the alkaline earth metals and must be recharged— stripped of the unwanted ions and replaced with more alkaline ions. The regeneration process often involves discharging a costly and wasteful amount of water which is an increasingly important commodity. Also, this discharged water contains sodium or potassium chloride used to regenerate the ion exchange resin. In addition, many water systems were not built with water treatment systems for softening the water and use untreated water. Such systems often suffer from hard water buildup and become occluded over time.

[0003] There is, therefore, a need to provide water treatment systems that conserve the amount of fresh water consumed to soften hard water. Some past water treatment systems have added chemical agents to water to soften the water and thereby are able to soften water while reducing the amount of fresh water consumed. However, past systems have suffered from inconsistent mixing of the chemicals with the water. In systems in which a water stream is directed through a chemical media, the media tends to dissolve quickly and the operating life of the system is therefore compromised. In other systems, water does not flow through a chemical media, but instead mixes with a source of concentrated chemical solution provided by diffusion of chemical media. This approach results in an increased lifetime of the system, but the results are often inconsistent throughout the life of the system. For example, the system may introduce more chemicals early in its life and then taper to a reduced output at the end of its life. To compensate for the

inconsistent performance of such systems, metering has been introduced whereby a characteristic, such as pH., of the fluid is measured after treatment and the system is adjusted to obtain consistent treatment. While such metering and control may be effective to produce consistent results, it is an additional expense and potential maintenance issue. It would be beneficial if a chemical release system provided a consistent degree of softening throughout its lifetime without the use of additional metering or control.

SUMMARY

[0004] Embodiments include a cartridge for a chemical release system. The cartridge includes a body, a flow restrictor, a chemical, a mixing inlet, and a treatment inlet. The body has a wall defining an enclosed volume. The flow restrictor is disposed in the enclosed volume and divides the enclosed volume into a mixing chamber and a treatment chamber, and permits a restricted fluid flow between the mixing chamber and the treatment chamber. The chemical is disposed in the treatment chamber. The mixing inlet is disposed in the wall and defines a fluid passage through the wall into the mixing chamber. The treatment inlet is disposed in the wall and defines a fluid passage through the wall into the treatment chamber. The treatment inlet is positioned in the wall so that a flow path from the treatment inlet through the flow restrictor impinges on the chemical.

[0005] In another embodiment a cartridge for a chemical release system includes a body, a flow restrictor, a cartridge head, a cartridge base, a mixing inlet, a treatment inlet, and a chemical. The body has first and second ends, a wall, and an enclosed volume at least partially defined by the wall. The flow restrictor is disposed in the enclosed volume, and divides the enclosed volume into a mixing chamber and a treatment chamber and permits a restricted fluid flow between the mixing chamber and the treatment chamber. The cartridge head is disposed at the first end and has a cartridge outlet defining a fluid passage from the mixing chamber through the cartridge head. The cartridge base is disposed at the second end. The mixing inlet is disposed in the at least one wall between the cartridge head and the flow restrictor and defines a fluid passage through the at least one wall into the mixing chamber. The treatment inlet defines a fluid passage into the treatment chamber, and is disposed between the flow restrictor and the second end. The chemical is disposed within the treatment chamber and at least a portion of the chemical is above the treatment inlet.

[0006] In some embodiments, the cartridge base has a recess sized and shaped to receive a protrusion of a chemical release system. In some embodiments, the body is cylindrical. In some embodiments, at least one of the cartridge head and the cartridge base has an outer thread and the body has an inner thread, and the at least one of the cartridge head and the cartridge base is secured to the elongated body by the outer thread and the inner thread. In some embodiments, at least one of the cartridge head and the cartridge base has a recess having an inner thread and the body has an outer thread, and the at least one of the cartridge head and the cartridge base is secured to the body by the outer thread and the inner thread.

[0007] In some embodiments, the flow restrictor has a passageway between the treatment chamber and the mixing chamber, and the passageway has a

passageway cross sectional area, the treatment inlet has a treatment inlet cross sectional area, and the mixing inlet has a mixing inlet cross sectional area. The ratio of the passageway cross sectional area to the treatment inlet cross sectional area and the ratio of the passageway cross sectional area to the mixing inlet cross sectional area are configured to enable a predetermined amount of fluid flowing from the treatment chamber to mix with fluid flowing into the mixing chamber through the mixing inlet. [0008] In some embodiments, the treatment inlet is disposed between a portion of the chemical and the cartridge base. In some embodiments, the treatment inlet is disposed within a distance from the cartridge base that is less than the width of the cartridge.

[0009] In one aspect a chemical release system is disclosed. The chemical release system has a head portion, a housing and one of the previously described cartridges. The head portion has a head portion inlet and a head portion outlet. The housing has an inner volume. An annular space is formed between an interior surface of the housing and an outer surface of the cartridge. The head portion inlet connects with the annular space. The chemical release system is configured to direct a fluid flow from the head portion inlet into the annular space, from the annular space into the cartridge through the mixing chamber inlet and the treatment inlet, and from the cartridge into the head portion outlet.

[0010] In some embodiments, the housing has a protrusion extending upward from a lower end of the inner volume, and the cartridge has a recess sized and shaped to receive the protrusion. In some embodiments, the head portion outlet and the head portion inlet are isolated from one another within the head portion. In some embodiments the housing forms a fluid seal between a bottom of the cartridge and the housing. In some embodiments, the housing is cylindrical.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 depicts a cross sectional view of an embodiment of a chemical release system.

[0012] FIG. 2 depicts a cross sectional view of a chemical release cartridge.

[0013] FIG. 3 depicts a cross sectional view of a first end of the cartridge of FIG. 2.

[0014] FIG. 4 depicts a cross sectional view of a second end of the cartridge of FIG. 2.

[0015] FIG. 5 depicts a cross sectional view of a first end of the chemical release system of FIG. 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0016] As used herein, the term "whole house" refers to a water treatment system of a structure such as a residential home. In some embodiments of the invention, the water treatment systems and components may be used for industrial applications, whole-house systems, and subsystems. In some embodiments, the water treatment systems may be isolated to specific applications, such as for treating the water supply to cleaning and hygiene subsystems that would be found in dwellings such as sinks, bathing areas, and cleaning appliances such as dishwashers and laundry machines.

[0017] As used herein, the term "impinge" refers to contact something. For example, a flow of fluid impinges on an object if it strikes the object. In the present embodiments of the invention, a flow of fluid is said to impinge on a chemical if the flow of fluid is directed at the chemical such that a stream of fluid contacts the chemical.

[0018] In some embodiments, a water treatment system may have components that are removed for replacing water treatment composition. As used herein, the term "fixed components" are components that are not intended to be removed for replacing water treatment composition. In such systems, parts that are intended to remain in the same physical location whether in water treatment operation or in water treatment composition replacement, such components are fixed components.

[0019] As used herein, the term "removable components" refers to components that are intended to be removed for replacing water treatment composition. In such systems, parts that are intended to be removed from their physical location when replacing the water treatment composition, such components are removable components.

[0020] As used herein, the term "polyphosphates" refers to tetrahedral PO units linked together by sharing oxygen atoms such as those depicted below.

In some forms, the polyphosphates may be cyclic. In other forms, the

polyphosphates may be linear. [0021] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an implementation of a chemical release system 2. The system 2 includes a housing 4 coupled to a main head 6 at a first end 18 of the housing 4. The main head 6 has an annular flange extending from the main head 6. A cartridge 8 is disposed within the housing 4 and is held in place by a projection 14 within the housing 4 extending from a second end 16 and by the annular flange. The main head 6 includes an inlet 10 and an outlet 12 that are configured to be coupled in line with a water source (or other line carrying another type of liquid) through the use of any of a wide variety of fittings and/or connections, such as push-connect fittings, compression fittings, welds, or any other method of coupling pipe.

[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the cartridge 8 shown in FIG. 1 . The cartridge 8 generally has a body with a wall 28 defining an enclosed volume 29. In some embodiment the body has a first end 20 and a second end 22. A cartridge head 24 may be coupled to the first end 20 of the body and an end plug 26 is coupled to the second end 22 of the body. The cartridge head 24 may be integrally formed with the body, or it may be a separate component. Similarly, the end plug 26 may be integral to the body or may be a separate component. In some

embodiments the cartridge head 24 and/or the end plug 26 may be removable from the body. In one embodiment, the cartridge 8 may be cylindrical with a length between 7 inches and 20 inches and a diameter between 2.5 inches and 2.75 inches. In another embodiment, the cartridge 8 may be cylindrical with a length between 7 inches and 20 inches and a diameter between 4 inches and 5 inches. The end plug 26 may have a recess 40 (see FIG. 4) formed therein that is sized and shaped to receive the projection 14 (see FIG. 1 ) at the second end 16 of the housing 4. The body has a wall 28 having an inner surface 1 1 at least partially defining an enclosed volume 29. The wall 28 may be in the form of an annular cylinder, or in other embodiments the wall 28 may have other shapes such as, by non-limiting example, square, oval, elliptical, rectangular, octagonal, and any other closed shape.

[0023] A chemical 30 is disposed within the enclosed volume 29. Any of a wide variety of chemicals 30 may be included in various implementations of chemical release systems, depending upon the desired function of the system. For example, if the fluid flowing through the chemical release system were water, the chemical may be a blend of biodegradable citric acid and polyphosphate or other phosphates designed to prevent the build-up of scale caused by calcium carbonate and other ions in hard water on equipment and piping. In these implementations, the blend may be included in the form of a powder dispersed within the inner volume or within a water permeable bag that holds the material blend. An example of such a bag is found in U.S. Patent No. 7,297,257 to LeRoy Terry entitled "Chemical Release System," issued November 20, 2007, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. If the fluid flowing through the chemical release system were oil, the chemical 30 may be a reactive material that may be premixed with the oil before it enters a reactor. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily be able to selected chemicals and a proper way of placing the chemical within the body in order to create the desired effect of a particular chemical release system implementation.

[0024] FIG. 3 illustrates a detail view of the first end 20 and FIG. 4 illustrates a detail view of the second end 22 of the cartridge 8 of FIG. 2. The cartridge head 24 includes a through hole 32 that is configured to engage with the annular flange in the main head 6. The wall 28 includes a mixing inlet 34 in the wall 28 proximate the first end 20 and a treatment inlet 35 proximate the second end 22. In some

embodiments, the mixing inlet 34 is a round hole having a diameter between 0.5 inches and 0.8 inches and the treatment inlet 35 is a round hole having a diameter between 0.1 inches and 0.5 inches. In another embodiment, the mixing inlet 34 is three holes, each having a diameter between 0.5 inches and 0.8 inches and the treatment inlet 35 is single hole with a diameter between 0.1 inches and 0.5 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the treatment inlet 35 has a cross sectional area less than the cross sectional area of the mixing inlet 34. A flow restrictor plate 36 is disposed within the enclosed volume 29 between the mixing inlet 34 and the treatment inlet 35. The flow restrictor plate 36 separates the enclosed volume 29 into a mixing chamber 31 and a treatment chamber 33. The flow restrictor plate 35 provides for a restricted flow between the mixing chamber 31 and the treatment chamber 33. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the restrictor plate 35 has a passageway 38 providing restricted flow. In one embodiment, the passageway 38 has a diameter between 0.1 inches and 0.5 inches. In some embodiments, the passageway 38 may have the same cross sectional area as the treatment inlet 35. [0025] The mixing inlet 34 is located between the cartridge head 24 and the flow restrictor plate 36 in the mixing chamber 31 . The flow restrictor plate 36 has a shape complementary to the inner surface 1 1 of the wall 28 such that the flow restrictor plate 36 inhibits fluid from flowing around the flow restrictor plate 36 between the treatment chamber 33 and the mixing chamber 31 . The treatment inlet 35 is located so as to cause fluid flow from the treatment inlet 35 to the flow restrictor plate 36 to impinge on the chemical 30. Preferably the treatment inlet 35 is location between the flow restrictor plate 36 and the end plug 26 in the treatment chamber 33, proximate the end plug 26. The treatment inlet 35 is positioned such that a flow of fluid from the treatment inlet 35 through the treatment chamber 33 impinges on the chemical contained in the treatment chamber 33 when the chemical release system is in operation. The impingement may occur if the treatment chamber is completely full of chemical and when it is only partially filled.

[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates the second end 22 of the cartridge 8 showing the end cap 26, the treatment chamber 33, and the treatment inlet 35. The end cap 26 may have a recess 40 sized and shaped to correspond with the projection 14 that extends from the second end 16 of the housing 2. In some embodiments, the recess 40 may extend through the end cap 26 and a plug plate 42 may be disposed near the end cap 26 to seal the second end 22 of the body.

[0027] In FIG. 5, a cross section of the main head 6 illustrated in FIG. 1 is shown with the housing 4 and cartridge 8 coupled in their assembled positions. The main head 6 includes a second annular flange 44 which engages with a shoulder 46 at the first end of the housing 4. The second annular flange 44 may include external threads 48 that engage in corresponding internal threads 50 in an annular flange 52 extending from the shoulder 46 of the housing 4. In other embodiments the second annular flange 44 may have external threads and the housing annular flange 44 may have internal threads. Other implementations may have the housing 4 and main head 6 coupled through any of a wide variety of other structures and or systems, such as, by non-limiting example, gluing, welding, compression fittings, or any other method of coupling two pipes together.

[0028] When the chemical release system 2 is assembled, an annular cavity 55 is formed between the housing 4 and the wall 28 of the cartridge 8. The main head 6 includes an inlet opening 54 in fluid communication with the inlet 10 and an outlet opening 56 in fluid communication with the outlet 12. The inlet opening 54 opens from the outside of the main head 6 into the annular cavity 55. The outlet opening 56 opens from the outside of the main head 6 into the through hole 32 of the cartridge head 24. Thus, in the illustrated configuration, fluid must pass through the cartridge 8 to flow from the inlet 10 to the outlet 12. Additional flanges and gaskets may be included on the main head 6 to aid in seating and securing the cartridge 8 against the main head 6 in various implementations.

[0029] In operation a fluid may flow through the treatment system 2 as follows. Fluid from inlet 10 flows through inlet opening 54 to fill the annular cavity 55 of the housing 4. Fluid from the annular cavity 55 then flows into the enclosed volume 29 of the cartridge 8 through the mixing inlet 34 and the treatment inlet 35. Fluid flowing into the treatment chamber 33 dissolves or otherwise entrains a portion of the chemical 30 contained in the treatment chamber 33 to become a treated fluid. The treated fluid flows out of the treatment chamber 33 through the restrictor plate 36 where it encounters fluid flowing into the mixing chamber 33 from the mixing inlet 34. The fluid mixes with the treated fluid and exits the cartridge 8 through the through hole 32.

[0030] It has been found that the described system 2 is able to provide a consistent release of chemicals throughout its lifetime. As opposed to other systems that tend to taper off the release of chemicals until the system is no longer effective, the system 2 provides a consistent level of release throughout the life of the system 2 that then drops at the end of life of the system. The degree of treatment by the system can be controlled by adjusting the relative cross-sectional areas of the treatment inlet 35 and the mixing inlet 34. A larger treatment inlet 35 relative to the mixing inlet 34 tends to result in a lower concentration of treated water, while a smaller treatment inlet 35 tends to result in a higher concentration of treated water.

[0031] To verify the efficacy of the cartridge design, cartridges having inlets of varying sizes and placement were subject to tests suites representing different field conditions. In each test suite, the pH level, hardness, and temperature of an untreated water source were measured before and after flowing through the cartridge. The flow duration for each test was set to correspond to six months of average household use. By measuring the pH before and after flowing through the cartridge, the efficacy of the cartridge is determined. In the first test suite, the water pressure was limited to 35 pounds per square inch (psi) and the flow rate was limited to 10 gallons per minute (gpm). In the second test suite, the water pressure was limited to 35 psi and the flow rate limit was reduced to 3 gpm. In the third test suite, the pressure limit was increased to 55 psi and the flow rate limit remained at 3 gpm. In a fourth test suite, the tests were rerun for the cartridges exhibiting the best performance.

[0032] All of the known variables were held constant so that any variation should be due to the different cartridge design. An optimal pH treatment range with lower and upper limits was determined based on previous testing and experience. The goal of a pH treatment is a lower pH from a typical water source, which has a high pH. However, too low of a pH can generate potential side effects, while results above the upper pH limit indicates minimal treatment efficacy. The test results were combined by treatment inlet placement to determine the effect of the inlet placement.

[0033] The test results indicate that water treatment using prior art inlet positioning resulted in operation at the lower range limit for approximately fifteen percent (15%) of the anticipated cartridge life. The cartridge operated within the target range for the next thirty percent (30%) of the anticipated cartridge life. The next twenty-five percent (25%) of the anticipated cartridge life the cartridge tested at or slightly above (within 3%) the target range. The cartridge operated the final thirty percent (30%) of its life above the optimal treatment range with decreasing

effectiveness until at anticipated end-of-life the cartridge exhibited almost no measurable pH treatment results.

[0034] The test results indicate that water treatment using the currently embodied cartridge having a treatment inlet in a lower position resulted in operation at the lower range limit for approximately twenty percent (20%) of the anticipated cartridge life. The cartridge then operated within the target range for the next seventy percent (70%) of the anticipated cartridge life. It was only during the last five percent (5%) of the anticipated cartridge life that the cartridge tested slightly above (within 3%) the target range. [0035] Embodiments of the new cartridge design operated at a nearly optimal range through the entire anticipated cartridge life and showed almost none of the decrease in efficacy exhibited by the traditional treatment inlet placement. This design change provides a much more measured application of the treatment media over time and offers the possibility of decreasing the amount of required treatment media saving space, costs or instead it could extend the anticipated life of the cartridge.

[0036] Implementations of chemical release systems 2 may be installed in either free standing or wall or flat support configurations. Referring to FIG. 5, in wall or flat support configurations, a bracket 128 may be used with a plurality of fastener holes 130 there through for fastening the chemical release system 2 to the wall or flat support. Any of a wide variety of configurations is possible using the principles disclosed in this document.

[0037] In places where the description above refers to particular implementations of chemical release systems, it should be readily apparent that a number of modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof and that these implementations may be applied to other chemical release system implementations

[0038] Although the invention has been described with reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings, further modifications may be made while still falling within the same inventive principles stated in the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A cartridge for a chemical release system, the cartridge comprising:

a body having a wall defining an enclosed volume;

a flow restrictor disposed in the enclosed volume, the flow restrictor dividing the enclosed volume into a mixing chamber and a treatment chamber, and permitting a restricted fluid flow between the mixing chamber and the treatment chamber;

a chemical disposed in the treatment chamber;

a mixing inlet disposed in the wall defining a fluid passage through the wall into the mixing chamber;

a treatment inlet disposed in the wall defining a fluid passage through the wall into the treatment chamber; and

wherein the treatment inlet is positioned in the wall so that a flow path from the treatment inlet through the flow restrictor impinges on the chemical.

2. A cartridge for a chemical release system, the cartridge comprising: a body having first and second ends, a wall, and an enclosed volume at least

partially defined by the wall;

a flow restrictor disposed in the enclosed volume, the flow restrictor dividing the enclosed volume into a mixing chamber and a treatment chamber and permitting a restricted fluid flow between the mixing chamber and the treatment chamber;

a cartridge head disposed at the first end, the cartridge head having a cartridge outlet defining a fluid passage from the mixing chamber through the cartridge head;

a cartridge base disposed at the second end;

a mixing inlet disposed in the at least one wall between the cartridge head and the flow restrictor, the mixing inlet defining a fluid passage through the at least one wall into the mixing chamber;

a treatment inlet defining a fluid passage into the treatment chamber, the treatment inlet being disposed between the flow restrictor and the second end; and a chemical within the treatment chamber, at least a portion of the chemical being disposed above the treatment inlet.

3. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the cartridge base has a recess sized and shaped to receive a protrusion of a chemical release system.

4. The cartridge of any one of claims 1 -3, wherein the body is cylindrical.

5. The cartridge of any one of claims 2-4, wherein at least one of the cartridge head and the cartridge base has an outer thread and the body has an inner thread, wherein the at least one of the cartridge head and the cartridge base is secured to the elongated body by the outer thread and the inner thread.

6. The cartridge of any one of claims 2-5, wherein at least one of the cartridge head and the cartridge base has a recess having an inner thread and the body has an outer thread, wherein the at least one of the cartridge head and the cartridge base is secured to the body by the outer thread and the inner thread.

7. The cartridge of any one of claims 1 -6, wherein the flow restrictor has a passageway between the treatment chamber and the mixing chamber, wherein the passageway has a passageway cross sectional area, the treatment inlet has a treatment inlet cross sectional area, and the mixing inlet has a mixing inlet cross sectional area, wherein the ratio of the passageway cross sectional area to the treatment inlet cross sectional area and the ratio of the passageway cross sectional area to the mixing inlet cross sectional area are configured to enable a predetermined amount of fluid flowing from the treatment chamber to mix with fluid flowing into the mixing chamber through the mixing inlet.

8. The cartridge of any one of claims 2-8, wherein the treatment inlet is disposed between a portion of the chemical and the cartridge base.

9. The cartridge of any one of claims 2-8, wherein the treatment inlet is disposed within a distance from the cartridge base that is less than the width of the cartridge.

10. A chemical release system comprising:

a head portion having a head portion inlet and a head portion outlet; and

a housing having an inner volume; and

the cartridge of any one of claims 1 -9, wherein an annular space is formed between an interior surface of the housing and an outer surface of the cartridge;

wherein the head portion inlet connects with the annular space;

wherein the chemical release system is configured to direct a fluid flow from the head portion inlet into the annular space, from the annular space into the cartridge through the mixing chamber inlet and the treatment inlet, and from the cartridge into the head portion outlet.

1 1. The chemical release system of claim 10, wherein the housing has a protrusion extending upward from a lower end of the inner volume, and wherein the cartridge has a recess sized and shaped to receive the protrusion.

12. The chemical release system of any one of claims 10 and 1 1 , wherein the head portion outlet and the head portion inlet are isolated from one another within the head portion.

13. The chemical release system of any one of claims 10-12, wherein the housing forms a fluid seal between a bottom of the cartridge and the housing.

14. The chemical release system of any one of claims 10-13, wherein the housing is cylindrical.