Energy reduction and monitoring control system for backwashing media systems

Abstract

The present technology relates to control systems for use with fluid treatment systems. In one embodiment, for example, a fluid treatment system includes a vessel configured to receive a fluid having one or more constituents and to separate one or more constituents from the fluid. The system can also include a tube extending along at least a portion of the vessel and a sensor. The tube can be in fluid communication with a pressurized air source, and the sensor can be configured to obtain a measurement of an operating parameter. The system can also include a controller in communication with the sensor and pressurized air source. The controller can execute one or more algorithms to determine a filter parameter based on the measurement of the operating parameter, compare the filter parameter to a threshold, and, based on the comparison, activate or deactivate the pressurized air source.

I/we claim: 
     
         1 . A fluid treatment system, comprising:
 a vessel configured to receive a fluid having one or more constituents and configured to separate one or more constituents from the fluid;   a tube extending along at least a portion of the vessel, wherein the tube is fluidly coupled to a pressurized air source;   a sensor positioned on or within the vessel, wherein the sensor is configured to obtain a measurement of an operating parameter;   a controller in communication with the sensor and pressurized air source, wherein the controller includes memory and processing circuitry, and wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the controller using the processing circuitry, cause the controller to
 determine a filter parameter based on the measurement; 
 compare the filter parameter to a threshold; and 
 based on the comparison, activate or deactivate the pressurized air source. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein, to determine the filter parameter, the controller calculates the filter parameter based on the measurement. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the sensor is a first sensor and the measurement is a first measurement, and wherein the system further includes a second sensor configured to take a second measurement, and wherein the threshold is based on the first measurement and the second measurement. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the filter parameter is calculated based on at least one of influent, effluent, and a headloss of a washbox coupled to the vessel. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the threshold is a single value. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the threshold is a static or dynamic range of values. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the operating parameter is at least one of concentration, temperature, pressure, a fluid flow rate to the system, or a rate of energy pulsations in a washbox positioned within the vessel. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the filter parameter is one of headloss or constituent mass loading. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the vessel includes an outlet configured to receive a reject stream, and wherein the outlet includes a valve, and wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the controller using the processing circuitry, cause the controller to
 determine a filter parameter based on the measurement; 
 compare the filter parameter to a threshold; and 
 based on the comparison, open or close the reject valve. 
 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the vessel further includes a washbox, and wherein the sensor is coupled to the washbox and configured to measure at least one of a fluid level within the washbox or energy pulsations within the washbox. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the controller is configured to compare a filtrate constituent concentration and a reject constituent concentration and open or close the reject valve based on that comparison. 
     
     
         12 . A method for controlling one or more filtration operations of a fluid treatment system, the method comprising:
 delivering a fluid to a fluid treatment system, wherein the fluid includes one or more constituents, and wherein the fluid treatment system includes a vessel configured to receive the fluid, a tube extending through at least a portion of the vessel and coupled to a pressurized air source, and   obtaining a measurement related to the ongoing filtration operations;   determining a filter parameter based on the measurement;   evaluating the filter parameter by comparing the filter parameter to a threshold; and   based on the comparison, activating or deactivating the pressurized air source.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein determining the filter parameter includes the calculating the filter parameter based on the measurement. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein obtaining a measurement is obtaining a first measurement, and wherein the method further includes obtaining a second measurement related to the ongoing filtration operations. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein determining the filter parameter includes determining the filter parameter based on the first measurement and the second measurement. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein determining the filter parameter includes comparing an influent headloss and an effluent headloss. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the filter parameter is a first filter parameter, and wherein the method further comprises determining a second filter parameter based on the measurement. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the filter parameter is a first filter parameter related to a first filtrations operation, the measurement is a first measurement, and the threshold is a first threshold, and wherein the method further comprises
 obtaining a second measurement, wherein the second measurement is related to a second filtrations operation that is different than the first filtrations operation; 
 determining a second filter parameter based on the second measurement; 
 evaluating the second filter parameter by comparing the second filter parameter to a second threshold; and 
 based on the comparison of the first filter parameter to the first threshold and the comparison of the second filter parameter to the second threshold, activating or deactivating the pressurized air source. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the measurement is at least one of a concentration measurement, a temperature measurement, and a flow rate measurement. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the filter parameter is one of headloss or constituent loading.