Grantee Research Project Results
Drinking Water Treatment by Directional Freeze Crystallization
EPA Contract Number: 68D30135Title: Drinking Water Treatment by Directional Freeze Crystallization
Investigators: Conlon, William M.
Small Business: Polar Spring Corporation
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 1993 through March 1, 1994
Project Amount: $50,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (1993) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Water and Wastewater , Watersheds , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
Small water systems are increasingly challenged to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. Existing technologies impose heavy operational burdens on small systems and provide only narrowly focused solutions.Polar Spring Corporation proposes to demonstrate the feasibility of Directional Freeze Crystallization (DFC) to significantly reduce the concentration of dissolved solids, organic chemical and particulates. The DFC method is expected to be especially suitable for small water systems because of its modularity, low maintenance, no expendable filters or membranes, and long life-time. Innovative process simplification and thermal optimization would minimize energy consumption. It uses commercially available vapor compression refrigeration equipment for cooling, so reliability is enhanced and field deployment can be accelerated. The DFC process is expected to remove a broad spectrum of contaminants, yet it works without expendable filters or membranes.
Water to be treated would fill a cylinder, and be cooled through the cylinder wall by a refrigerant. Crystals of purified ice would form on the wall, concentrating the contaminants within an unfrozen core. Typically, one-half or more of the water would be crystallized in batches. The liquid core would then be drained from the vessel and the purified ice melted using heat rejected from the refrigerant condenser.
Supplemental Keywords:
Sustainable Industry/Business, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Water, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Engineering, Chemistry, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, Drinking Water, New/Innovative technologies, Directional Freeze Crystallization (DFC), Safe Drinking Water, treatment, innovative technologies, solid particles, organic contaminants, drinking water contaminants, drinking water treatment, water treatment, particulates, water contaminants, innovative technologyProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.