Water cleaning method and apparatus using trace quantities of zinc and at least one other biocide

Abstract

An automatic, self-regulating method of water treatment for use in water circulating towers in which water is evaporated, and make up water is added, with components which synergistically function to cut chemical, energy, water, corrosion, pollution, and maintenance costs, by passing the water through a Water Conditioning unit to prevent adhering evaporation scale deposits along with their content of concentrated biofouling nutrients from forming on the flooded surfaces of the tower and its associated water flow circuit, adding. a trace level of iodine to the input make-up water to enhance the further disinfection of nutrient-deprived surfaces from any residual biofilm and chance pathogen contaminations, and adding a trace level addition of zinc ions in the water such as by an assured treatment feeder to the input make-up flow for inhibiting residual iodine-resistant algal and bacterial organisms of hazard for restoring bionutrient tower conditions, such as within sun-lit environments, and apparatus for carrying out the foregoing method.

1 . A method comprising: 
 providing water to be cleaned of an organic infecting agent;    combining the water to be cleaned with: 
 trace quantity of zinc; and  
 at least one other biocide;  
 to provide resultant cleaned water.  
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein combining the water to be cleaned with a trace quantity of zinc comprises combining the water to be cleaned with the zinc to yield a zinc concentration substantially at a saturation level of dissolved zinc in the water.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the water to be cleaned comprises water recirculating in a cooling tower.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein combining the water to be cleaned with a trace quantity of zinc comprises combining the water to be cleaned with the zinc to yield a zinc concentration no more than about 1.25 parts per million.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein combining the water to be cleaned with a trace quantity of zinc comprises introducing dissolved zinc into a source of make-up water, and combining the water to be cleaned with the make-up water.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the dissolved zinc is introduced into the source of make-up water by passing at least a portion of the make-up water to be cleaned through a micromineral suppressant container.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the micro-mineral suppressant container comprises, at least in part, a fluidized bed-based flow-through apparatus that is configured and arranged to facilitate a scrubbing of granular zinc by water passing therethrough.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the container has a substantially cone-shaped chamber.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein scrubbing of the granular zinc by water comprises, at least in part, discharging the water through holes in an inlet tube located in the chamber.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one other biocide comprises iodine.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the iodine comprises no more than a trace amount of the iodine.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 physically removing a significant amount of dissolved scale forming material from the water to be cleaned.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein combining the water to be cleaned with at least one other biocide comprises combining the water to be cleaned with iodine to yield an iodine concentration in the water to be cleaned of no more than about 1 part per million.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein combining the water to be cleaned with a trace quantity of zinc comprises combining the water to be cleaned with a sufficient quantity of the zinc to kill pseudomonas that can otherwise regenerate unwanted bionutrients in the water to be cleaned.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein combining the water to be cleaned with at least one other biocide comprises combining the water to be cleaned with no more than a trace quantity of iodine, and wherein combining the water to be cleaned with a trace quantity of zinc comprises combining the water to be cleaned with a sufficient quantity of the zinc to inhibit unwanted algae that might otherwise reduce the efficacy of the at least one other biocide.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the unwanted algae comprises, at least in part, blue-green group algae.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a container configured and arranged to hold water to be cleaned;    a biocide conditioner containing a biocide and being operably coupled to the container to facilitate a combination of the water to be cleaned with the biocide; and    a micro-mineral suppressant conditioner that is also operably coupled to the container to facilitate an introduction of no more than a trace quantity of a given mineral into the water to be cleaned.    
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the given mineral comprises zinc.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the micro-mineral suppressant conditioner is configured and arranged to introduce no more of the zinc into the water to be cleaned than will comprise a concentration of the zinc in the water to be cleaned of no more than about 1.25 parts per million.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the micro-mineral suppressant conditioner comprises, at least in part, a fluidized bed-based flow-through apparatus that is configured and arranged to facilitate the scrubbing of at least one zinc surface by water passing therethrough.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the zinc surface comprises, at least in part, a substantially cone-shaped zinc surface.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the fluidized bed-based flow-through apparatus further comprises at least in part, an inlet tube having holes disposed therethrough that are substantially equally spaced apart from one another, such that the water passing through the fluidized bed-based flow-through apparatus passes through the holes and scrubs the zinc surface.