System for Treatment and Neutralization of Oxidizing Agents in Ballast Water

Abstract

A system for treating ballast water includes one or more electrolytic cells in fluid communication with a salt water source and in fluid communication with one or more ballast water tanks, a means for controlling hypochlorite generation by the one or more electrolytic cells, and a neutralization system in fluid communication with the one or more ballast water tanks. The neutralization system includes a means for measuring presence of oxidizing agents in the ballast water, a reducing agent source in fluid communication with the ballast water, and a means for controlling the amount of reducing agent supplied to the ballast water in communication with the means for measuring presence of oxidizing agents in the ballast water. The system may include a flow meter for measuring a ballast water flow rate and/or a TOC analyzer for measuring a TOC content of the ballast water.

1 . A system for treating ballast water, the system comprising:
 one or more electrolytic cells in fluid communication with a salt water source and in fluid communication with one or more ballast water tanks;   a means for controlling hypochlorite generation by the one or more electrolytic cells; and   a neutralization system in fluid communication with the one or more ballast water tanks, the neutralization system comprising:
 a means for measuring presence of oxidizing agents in the ballast water, 
 a reducing agent source in fluid communication with the ballast water, and 
 a means for controlling the amount of reducing agent supplied to the ballast water, the means for controlling the amount of reducing agent supplied in communication with the means for measuring presence of oxidizing agents in the ballast water. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
 a flow meter for measuring a flow rate of the ballast water, the flow meter in communication with the means for controlling hypochlorite generation; and   a total organic carbon analyzer for measuring a total organic carbon content of the ballast water, the total organic carbon analyzer in communication with the means for controlling hypochlorite generation.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , the means for controlling hypochlorite generation comprising:
 a control system in communication with at least one of: the flow meter and the total organic carbon analyzer; and   a power source electrically connected to the one of more electrolytic cells,   wherein the control system controls an amperage applied to the one or more hypochlorite electrolytic cells responsive to at least one of: the total organic carbon content measured by the total organic carbon analyzer and the flow rate of the ballast water measured by the flow meter.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , the means for measuring presence of oxidizing agents in the ballast water comprising one or more oxidation/reduction potential analyzers for determining an oxidation/reduction potential of the ballast water. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , the one or more oxidation/reduction potential analyzers in communication with the means for controlling hypochlorite generation,
 wherein the means for controlling hypochlorite generation utilizes the determined oxidation/reduction potential of the ballast water to confirm the presence of excess oxidizing agents in the ballast water.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , the reducing agent source comprising:
 a reducing agent tank; and   a pump in fluid communication with the reducing agent tank and in fluid communication with the one or more ballast water tanks, the pump in communication with the means for controlling the amount of reducing agent supplied to the ballast water.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , the reducing agent source comprising one or more reducing agents selected from a group consisting of: sodium sulfite, sodium metabisulfite, sodium bisulfite, sulfur dioxide, and sodium thiosulfate. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a means for discharging the ballast water from the one or more ballast water tanks.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , the means for discharging the ballast water from the one or more ballast water tanks comprising:
 one or more discharge pumps in fluid communication with the one or more ballast water tanks; and   discharge piping in fluid communication with the one or more discharge pumps, wherein the discharge piping defines a discharge opening.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the neutralization system is in fluid communication with the means for discharging the ballast water from the one or more ballast water tanks. 
     
     
         11 . A system for treating ballast water, the system comprising:
 one or more electrolytic cells in fluid communication with a side stream diverted from a main ballast water stream and in fluid communication with one or more ballast water tanks;   a means for controlling hypochlorite generated in the side stream by the one or more electrolytic cells;   at least one of:
 a flow meter for measuring a flow rate of the ballast water, the flow meter in communication with the means for controlling hypochlorite generation, and 
 a total organic carbon analyzer for measuring a total organic carbon content of the ballast water, the total organic carbon analyzer in communication with the means for controlling hypochlorite generation, 
 wherein the means for controlling hypochlorite generation controls an amperage applied to the one or more electrolytic cells responsive to at least one of: the total organic carbon content measured by the total organic carbon analyzer and the flow rate of the ballast water measured by the flow meter; 
   the system for treating ballast water further comprising:   a neutralization system in fluid communication with the one or more ballast water tanks, the neutralization system comprising:
 one or more oxidation/reduction potential analyzers for measuring an oxidation/reduction potential of the ballast water, 
 a reducing agent source in fluid communication with the ballast water, and 
 a means for controlling the amount of reducing agent supplied to the ballast water responsive to the measured oxidation/reduction potential of the ballast water. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a means for removing hydrogen gas from the side stream, the hydrogen gas generated as a by-product of hypochlorite generation.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , the means for removing hydrogen gas from the side stream comprising:
 a hydrocyclone separator comprising a cylindrical top section and a conical bottom section, the separator facilitating a separation process for removing hydrogen gas from the side stream entering the separator, the separation process resulting in removal of the hydrogen gas through the top section of the separator, the side stream having the hydrogen gas removed therefrom exiting the separator through the bottom section.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a filter positioned upstream of the one or more electrolytic cells to remove debris from the side stream prior to entering the one or more electrolytic cells.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the filter is a self-cleaning filter that measures a pressure differential across the filter and initiates a cleaning process responsive to a determination that the pressure differential has reached a predetermined threshold or responsive to a determination that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a booster pump for increasing a pressure of the side stream prior to re-introduction of the side stream into the main ballast water stream.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the side stream is diverted from the main ballast stream upstream of the one or more ballast water tanks or the side stream is taken from ballast water present in the one or more ballast water tanks. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , the means for controlling hypochlorite generation controlling the amount of hypochlorite generated in order to maintain a weight ratio of hypochlorite to total organic carbon content. 
     
     
         19 . A system for treating ballast water, the system comprising:
 one or more electrolytic cells in fluid communication with a side stream diverted from a main ballast water stream and in fluid communication with one or more ballast water tanks;   a means for controlling hypochlorite generated in the side stream by the one or more electrolytic cells;   at least one of:
 a flow meter for measuring a flow rate of the ballast water, the flow meter in communication with the means for controlling hypochlorite generation, and 
 a total organic carbon analyzer for measuring a total organic carbon content of the ballast water, the total organic carbon analyzer in communication with the means for controlling hypochlorite generation, 
 wherein the means for controlling hypochlorite generation controls an amperage applied to the one or more electrolytic cells responsive to at least one of: the total organic carbon content measured by the total organic carbon analyzer and the flow rate of the ballast water measured by the flow meter; 
   the system for treating ballast water further comprising:   a neutralization system positioned downstream from the one or more ballast tanks, the neutralization system comprising a sulfite auxiliary system that comprises:
 a sulfite tank, 
 a pump, and 
 a sulfite analyzer. 
   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the sulfite analyzer converts sulfite ions present in a treated effluent to sulfur dioxide, measures an amount of sulfur dioxide produced, and provides a control output to control the feed supplied from the sulfite tank to de-chlorinate the ballast water responsive to the amount of measured sulfur dioxide.