Compact wastewater concentrator and contaminant scrubber

Abstract

A compact and portable liquid concentrator and contaminant scrubber includes a gas inlet, a gas exit and a flow corridor connecting the gas inlet and the gas exit, wherein the flow corridor includes a narrowed portion that accelerates the gas through the flow corridor. A liquid inlet injects liquid into the gas stream at a point prior to the narrowed portion so that the gas-liquid mixture is thoroughly mixed within the flow corridor, causing a portion of the liquid to be evaporated. A demister or fluid scrubber downstream of the narrowed portion removes entrained liquid droplets from the gas stream and re-circulates the removed liquid to the liquid inlet through a re-circulating circuit. A reagent may be mixed with the liquid to react with contaminants in the liquid.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A control system for a wastewater concentrator, the control system comprising:
 a controller operatively connected to a new liquid pump and to a re-circulated liquid pump, the controller metering the amounts and ratios of new liquid and re-circulated liquid delivered to a concentrator assembly of the wastewater concentrator by operating the new liquid pump and the re-circulated liquid pump; and   a reagent pump operatively connected to the controller, the controller operating the reagent pump to supply reagent to the wastewater concentrator.   
     
     
         22 . The control system of  claim 21 , wherein the controller operates the new liquid pump and the re-circulated liquid pump to maintain a ratio of new liquid to re-circulated liquid at a ratio of about 1:10. 
     
     
         23 . The control system of  claim 21 , wherein the controller operates the reagent pump to supply between 150% and 600% of the reagent needed to sequester a desired amount of a chemical in the wastewater. 
     
     
         24 . The control system of  claim 21 , wherein the reagent pump supplies reagent to a sequential mixing and settling tank located upstream of a new liquid inlet to the wastewater concentrator. 
     
     
         25 . The control system of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is a digital signal processor. 
     
     
         26 . The control system of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is a programmable logic controller. 
     
     
         27 . The control system of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is operatively connected to a flare cap drive motor for a flare cap. 
     
     
         28 . The control system of  claim 27 , wherein the controller operates the flare cap drive motor to open and close a flare cap. 
     
     
         29 . The control system of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is operatively connected to an ambient air inlet valve. 
     
     
         30 . The control system of  claim 29 , wherein the controller is operatively connected to a temperature sensor located in the concentrator assembly. 
     
     
         31 . The control system of  claim 30 , wherein the controller operates the ambient air inlet valve to maintain a selected temperature at an inlet of a venturi section of the wastewater concentrator, based on an input from the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         32 . The control system of  claim 30 , wherein the temperature sensor is located proximate an inlet portion of a venturi section of the concentrator assembly. 
     
     
         33 . The control system of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is operatively connected to a sump level sensor in a sump of the wastewater concentrator. 
     
     
         34 . The control system of  claim 33 , wherein the controller operates the new liquid pump and the re-circulated liquid pump to maintain a selected level of fluid in the sump. 
     
     
         35 . The control system of  claim 33 , wherein the sump level sensor is one of a float sensor, a radar sensor, a sonic sensor, and a differential pressure sensor. 
     
     
         36 . The control system of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is operatively connected to an induction fan. 
     
     
         37 . The control system of  claim 36 , wherein the controller is operatively connected to a pressure sensor in the wastewater concentrator. 
     
     
         38 . The control system of  claim 37 , wherein the controller operates the induction fan to maintain a selected differential pressure across a fluid scrubber of the wastewater concentrator, based on a pressure input from the pressure sensor. 
     
     
         39 . The control system of  claim 36 , wherein the induction fan is a variable speed fan.