10
C. Gutiérrez-Bouzán et al.
their key aspect come from the right tune of staying time and UV application. These
variables will have an impact in the overall system’s processing efficacy.
In this stage, the system can periodically check the water colour and stop the
process when it reaches the desired colour level. Then, it can either:
• Discard the treated effluent (but now with a lower colour load), so the process
would end here.
• Prepare it for further reuse in a dyeing process.
In case of preparation for reuse, the system should ensure a low level of oxidant
species and adjust the adequate pH level. These operations could be performed either
in the same tank or in a different liquid container arranged for such operation.
6 Industrial Implementation of the EC-UV System
In addition to the core steps of the EC-UV system, which would form the simplest
process at laboratory level, the industrial implementation sets additional requirements
in terms of process robustness and efficiency (which leads to cost and competitiveness, in the end). More in detail, industrial process optimisation involves avoiding
bottlenecks in the processing flow and also the right arrangement and fine tune of
each step. As a part of this optimisation, core steps must be supported by auxiliary operations in its industrial implementation, mainly preparatory checkpoints and
in-process checkpoints, although they do not have a relevant impact in the overall
productivity of the system.
The industrial implementation of the EC-UV system was tested in an Europeanfunded innovation project (ECO/13/630452) and has been object of two patents
[32, 33].
When designing the EC-UV industrial process, the following points, inherent to
the electrochemical decolouration, were considered, as well:
1. For the treatment of a fixed volume of water, the required oxidant agent can be
generated at higher rate in the electrochemical cells, but it requires more time
to perform its oxidation function, which means that it can become a bottleneck
2. Oxidation (decolouration) requires two simultaneous additional actions to be
completed: stirring and UV irradiation
3. Eventual preparation for reuse requires additional time for the pH adjustment
and residual oxidants removal.
Considering all the above key requirements, EC-UV system was designed
consisting of several tanks that are sequentially filled according to the requirements
of the process. The system as a whole was developed to work with effluent batches
rather than continuous operation. This allows to keep all the elements of the system
working continuously in parallel, thus maximising the overall system productivity,
although the fine tuning of the operating elements will have an impact on efficacy,
energy consumption and processing time.
C. Gutiérrez-Bouzán et al.
their key aspect come from the right tune of staying time and UV application. These
variables will have an impact in the overall system’s processing efficacy.
In this stage, the system can periodically check the water colour and stop the
process when it reaches the desired colour level. Then, it can either:
• Discard the treated effluent (but now with a lower colour load), so the process
would end here.
• Prepare it for further reuse in a dyeing process.
In case of preparation for reuse, the system should ensure a low level of oxidant
species and adjust the adequate pH level. These operations could be performed either
in the same tank or in a different liquid container arranged for such operation.
6 Industrial Implementation of the EC-UV System
In addition to the core steps of the EC-UV system, which would form the simplest
process at laboratory level, the industrial implementation sets additional requirements
in terms of process robustness and efficiency (which leads to cost and competitiveness, in the end). More in detail, industrial process optimisation involves avoiding
bottlenecks in the processing flow and also the right arrangement and fine tune of
each step. As a part of this optimisation, core steps must be supported by auxiliary operations in its industrial implementation, mainly preparatory checkpoints and
in-process checkpoints, although they do not have a relevant impact in the overall
productivity of the system.
The industrial implementation of the EC-UV system was tested in an Europeanfunded innovation project (ECO/13/630452) and has been object of two patents
[32, 33].
When designing the EC-UV industrial process, the following points, inherent to
the electrochemical decolouration, were considered, as well:
1. For the treatment of a fixed volume of water, the required oxidant agent can be
generated at higher rate in the electrochemical cells, but it requires more time
to perform its oxidation function, which means that it can become a bottleneck
2. Oxidation (decolouration) requires two simultaneous additional actions to be
completed: stirring and UV irradiation
3. Eventual preparation for reuse requires additional time for the pH adjustment
and residual oxidants removal.
Considering all the above key requirements, EC-UV system was designed
consisting of several tanks that are sequentially filled according to the requirements
of the process. The system as a whole was developed to work with effluent batches
rather than continuous operation. This allows to keep all the elements of the system
working continuously in parallel, thus maximising the overall system productivity,
although the fine tuning of the operating elements will have an impact on efficacy,
energy consumption and processing time.