(12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT)

(19) World Intellectual Property

Organization
International Bureau (10) International Publication Number
(43) International Publication Date WO 2018/216034 Al
29 November 2018 (29.11.2018) W !P O PCT
(51) International Patent Classification: Bangalore- 560075, Karnataka (IN). RAGHUNANDAN,
BOW 43/00 (2006.01) C02F 1/48 (2006.01) Karthik; #434, Anushree Nilaya, 3rd Cross, AG's Layout,
B01J 19/08 (2006.01) Subramanyapura Post, Bangalore - 56006 1, Karnataka (IN).
(21) International Application Number: (74) Agent: BHATTA, Narendra Hosakere Lakshmi-
PCT/IN2018/050332 narayana; c/o Intellocopia IP Services, 29, 'Sheshasri', I
' C Cross, Sn Layout, Basaveswarnagar, Bangalore-560079
(22) International Filing Date:
(IN).
24 May 2018 (24.05.2018)
(81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every
(25) Filing Language: English
kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM,
(26) Publication Language: English AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, BZ,
CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DJ, DK, DM, DO,
(30) Priority Data:
DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, HN,
201741018204 24 May 2017 (24.05.2017) IN
HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IR, IS, JO, JP, KE, KG, KH, KN, KP,
(71) Applicant: OPENWATER.IN PVT. LTD. [IN/IN]; #445, KR, KW, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME,
9th Main, 2nd Cross, HAL 3rd Stage, Jeevan Bhima Nagar, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ,
Bangalore - 560075, Karnataka (IN). OM, PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SA,
SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN,
(72) Inventors: SAMBANDAN, Sanjiv; # No. 445, 9th TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW.
Main, 2nd Cross, HAL 3rd Stage, Jeevan Bhima Nagar,

(54) Title: A HIGH THROUGHPUT FLUID TREATMENT SYSTEM

105
101

103, 103J

107

FIG. 1

¾ (57) Abstract: The invention provides a high throughput fluid treatment system. The high throughput fluid treatment system includes
a pre-processing arrangement, at least two fluid filtration modules connected to the pre-processing arrangement and a post -processing
arrangement coupled to the fluid filtration modules. A fluid filtration module is also provided. The fluid filtration module includes
a plurality of concentric electrodes and a pair of insulating elements in cooperating arrangement with the concentric electrodes. The
electrodes are configured to have a plurality of projections and/or indentations of various geometry. Further, the fluid filtration module
includes a casing configured for placing the concentric electrodes and the insulating elements.

[Continued on next page]

 WO 2018/216034 Al llll I I I I 11III II I I II III llll I I III II I II
(84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every
kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH,
GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, ST, SZ, TZ,
UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, TJ,
TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK,
EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV,
MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM,
TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW,
KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG).

Published:
— with international search report (Art. 21(3))
— in black and white; the international application as filed
contained color or greyscale and is availablefor download
from PATENTSCOPE
 A HIGH THROUGHPUT FLUID TREATMENT SYSTEM

FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention generally relates to the field of electromechanical
devices and particularly to a high throughput treatment system.

BACKGROUND
Water purification is a process of removing impurities and
contaminants from water to make it potable. The impurities in
the water include but are not limited to sand, mud, dissolved
inorganic compounds, colloids, micro-organisms, pesticides and
heavy metals. Various techniques for purification of water
available in the art include but are not limited to membrane
based filtration, adsorbent based, ion exchange, photo-catalytic,
di-electrophoresis and irradiation.
Membrane based filtration techniques are further divided on the
basis of the pore size of the membrane as micro-filtration, ultra
filtration, reverse osmosis and nano-filtration. Some significant
disadvantages of these are high cost of membranes, low lifetime
of membranes, high fabrication cost and high operation cost as
high pressure is required for filtration. Adsorbent based
techniques employ specially functionalized chemicals to remove
the impurities. The usage of chemicals adds to pollutants and
also at the same time expensive.
Ion exchange technique uses anion or cation exchange resins
for purification of water. Ion exchange technique is generally
used to remove hardness from water. Some of the
disadvantages of ion-exchange are adsorption of organic matter,
organic contamination from the resin itself and bacterial
contamination.
Photo-catalytic reactions include decomposition of organic
compounds into water and carbon dioxide. Dielectrophoresis
depend on field gradient and therefore requires micro-
fabrication. One significant disadvantage of photo-catalysis and
dielectrophoresis is low efficiency. Hence, for effective
purification, combination of the aforementioned techniques is
adopted. Combination of two techniques increases the cost of
assembly and maintenance of the purification system. Thus,
there is a need to develop a filtration system that is economic,
easy to fabricate, maintain and capable of filtering sub-micron
sized particles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the recited features of the invention
can be understood in detail, some of the embodiments are
illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however,
that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments
of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting
of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally
effective embodiments.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a high throughput
fluid treatment system, according to an embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 2a shows a schematic representation of a fluid filtration
module, according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2b shows an exploded view of the fluid filtration module,
according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3a shows a schematic representation of the electrode
arrangement, according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3b shows the exploded view of the electrode arrangement,
according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3c shows a cross-sectional view of the electrode
arrangement, according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 (a) - 4(c) generally shows electrodes having projections of
various geometric patterns, according to an embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of an insulating element of the
electrode arrangement, according to an embodiment of the
invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the invention provides a high throughput fluid
treatment system. The high throughput fluid treatment system
includes a pre-processing arrangement, at least two fluid
filtration modules connected to the pre-processing arrangement
and a post-processing arrangement coupled to the fluid filtration
modules.
Another aspect of the invention provides a fluid filtration module.
The fluid filtration module includes a plurality of concentric
electrodes and a pair of insulating elements in cooperating
arrangement with the concentric electrodes. The electrodes are
configured to have a plurality of projections and/or indentations
of various geometry. Further, the fluid filtration module includes
a casing configured for placing the concentric electrodes and the
insulating elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments of the invention provide a high throughput
fluid treatment system. The high throughput fluid treatment
system includes a pre-processing arrangement, at least two fluid
filtration modules connected to the pre-processing arrangement
and a post-processing arrangement coupled to the fluid filtration
modules. The device described herein briefly, shall be explained
in detail.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a high throughput

fluid treatment system, according to an embodiment of the
invention. The high throughput fluid treatment system includes a
pre-processing arrangement 10 1 . The pre-processing
arrangement 10 1 includes a first reservoir and a pre-filtration
chamber. The first reservoir is used to store a fluid. Example of
fluid includes but is not limited to contaminated water. The fluid
is then subjected to a time dependent electrical gradient. The
time dependent electrical gradient is achieved through selective
input of a specific frequency component of electric field. Further,
the time dependent electrical gradient results in at least one of
an enhanced diffusion limited aggregation (EDLA), a dipole-
dipole interaction, a dielectrophoresis or an electro coagulation.
The first reservoir is connected to the pre-filtration chamber. The
pre-filtration chamber is configured to filter out the impurities. In
one example of the invention, the impurities include suspended
particles. Examples of pre-filtration chamber includes but is not
limited to a sand filtration chamber, a candle filtration chambers,
a plate and frame filter press chamber, an automatic filter press
chamber, and a recessed plate filter press chamber. In one
example of the invention, the pre-filtration chamber includes a
metal mesh.
The pre-filtration chamber is connected to at least two fluid
filtration modules 103 1 1032 ,... , 1 03 n, hereinafter referred to as
fluid filtration module 103. The system is provided with a means
for regulating the flow of fluids to each fluid filtration module 103.
In one example of the invention, the system is provided with a

plurality of solenoid valves 105 for regulating the flow of fluid to

each of the fluid filtration modules 103. In another example of
the invention, the flow of fluids is regulated by using sensors.
The fluid filtration modules 103 are arranged in series, parallel or
a combination thereof. In one example of the invention, the fluid
filtration modules 103 are connected in parallel. A post
processing arrangement 107 is coupled to the fluid filtration
modules 103. The post-processing arrangement 107 includes
but not limited to at least one settling tank, at least one post-
filtration chamber and a second reservoir. The settling tank is
configured for enabling settling of impurities that include micro
particles. The settling tank is further connected to the post-
filtration chamber to filter out the remaining impurities to make
the fluid potable. The second reservoir is coupled to the post-
filtration chamber for receiving the filtered fluid.
FIG. 2a shows a schematic representation of a fluid filtration
module, according to an embodiment of the invention. The fluid
filtration module includes a casing 1. The casing 1 includes an
elongated hollow base 1a and a top surface 1b . The top surface
1b is provided with a lid 2 . The casing 1 is provided with at least
one fluid inlet and at least one fluid outlet. The lid 2 is fixed to
the top surface 1b by using a plurality of connecting means. In
one example of the invention, the connecting means is a bolt 3 .
FIG. 2b shows an exploded view of the fluid filtration module,
according to an embodiment of the invention. The fluid filtration
module includes a plurality of concentric electrodes 4 . The
concentric electrodes 4 are separated by a pair of insulating
elements 5 . The pair of insulating elements 5 is in cooperating
arrangement with the concentric electrodes 4 . The concentric
electrodes 4 and the insulating elements 5 are placed in the
casing 1. In one embodiment of the invention, the casing 1 is
configured to act as an electrode.
FIG. 3a shows a schematic representation of the electrode
arrangement, according to an embodiment of the invention. The
electrode arrangement shows the plurality of concentric
electrodes 4 and the pair of insulating elements 5 in cooperating
arrangement with the concentric electrodes. Each of the
electrodes is a positive electrode and/or a negative electrode. In
one example of the invention, the concentric electrodes 4
include alternatively arranged positive and negative electrodes.
FIG. 3b shows an exploded view of the electrode arrangement,
according to an embodiment of the invention. In one
embodiment of the invention, the electrodes are configured to
have projections and/or indentations of various geometric
patterns. The projections and/or indentations described herein
can be on interior surface and/or exterior surface of the
concentric electrode. The projections and/or indentations on the
electrodes enhance the dielectrophoresis effect, improve the
penetration depth of the electric field in the fluid and increase the
surface area for electro coagulation. In one example of the
invention, the alternate electrodes are configured to have
projections and/or indentations on the exterior surface of the
electrode. Examples of geometric patterns include but are not
limited to a speckled pattern, a threaded pattern, a nerved
pattern and a wire wound pattern. FIG. 3c shows a cross-
sectional view of the electrode arrangement, according to an
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4(a) - 4(c) generally shows electrodes having projections of
various geometric patterns, according to an embodiment of the
invention. FIG. 4(a) shows a threaded electrode, according to an
embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4(b) shows a speckled
electrode, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4(c)
shows a nerved electrode, according to an embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of an insulating element of the
electrode arrangement, according to an embodiment of the
invention. The pair of insulating elements 5 is configured for
providing spacing between the concentric electrodes 4 .
Industrial Applicability
The fluid is fed into the concentric electrodes through the inlet of
the fluid filtration module. The alternate electrodes are
configured to have projections of various geometric patterns to
improve the efficiency of filtration. When the fluid passes through
the concentric electrodes, the fluid is subjected to a time
dependent electrical gradient to obtain filtered fluid. The time
dependent electrical gradient is achieved through selective input
of a specific frequency component of electric field. Further, the
time dependent electrical gradient results in at least one of an
enhanced diffusion limited aggregation (EDLA), a dipole-dipole
interaction, a dielectrophoresis or an electro coagulation.
Thus, the invention provides a high throughput fluid treatment
system which is cost effective, energy efficient and easy to
maintain. The applications of high throughput fluid filtration
system includes but are not limited to industrial waste water
treatment, domestic and sewage waste water treatment, river
water purification and groundwater water purification. The fluid
filtration removes the impurities that include but are not limited to
Arsenic, Nitrates Fluoride and bacteria. The high throughput
filtration system purifies the sewage waste water and makes it
potable. The foregoing description of the invention has been set
for merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be
limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments
incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur
to a person skilled in the art, the invention should be construed
to include everything within the scope of the appended claims
and equivalents thereof.
We Claim:
1. A high throughput system for treatment of a fluid, the
system comprising:
a pre-processing arrangement;
at least two fluid filtration modules connected to the
pre-processing arrangement; and
a post-processing arrangement coupled to the fluid
filtration modules.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is
subjected to a time dependent electrical gradient.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the time
dependent electrical gradient is achieved through selective
input of a specific frequency component of electric field.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the time
dependent electrical gradient results in at least one of an
enhanced diffusion limited aggregation (EDLA), a dipole-
dipole interaction, a dielectrophoresis or an electro
coagulation.
5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is
provided with a means for regulating the flow of fluids to
each fluid filtration module.
6. The system according to claim 1, wherein each fluid
filtration module comprises of a plurality of electrodes.
7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid filtration
modules are arranged in series, parallel or a combination
thereof.
8. A fluid filtration module, the module comprising:
 a plurality of concentric electrodes, wherein the
electrodes are configured to have a plurality of
projections and/or indentations of various geometry;
a pair of insulating elements in cooperating
arrangement with the concentric electrodes; and
a casing configured for placing the concentric
electrodes and the insulating elements.
9. The module according to claim 8 , wherein the fluid
filtration module further comprises of a means for
connecting the electrodes to a power source.
10 . The module according to claim 8 , wherein each of the
electrodes is a positive electrode and/or a negative
electrode.
11. The module according to claim 8 , wherein the pair of
insulating elements is configured for providing spacing
between the electrodes.
12 . The module according to claim 8 , wherein the casing is
optionally configured to act as an electrode.
13 . The module according to claim 8 , wherein the casing is
provided with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet.
14 . The module according to claim 8 , wherein the fluid is
subjected to a time dependent electrical gradient.
15 . The module according to claim 14 , wherein the time
dependent electrical gradient is achieved through selective
input of a specific frequency component of the electric
field.
The module according to claim 14 , wherein the time
dependent electrical gradient results in at least one of an
enhanced diffusion limited aggregation (EDLA), a dipole-
dipole interaction, a dielectrophoresis or an electro
coagulation.
The module according to claim 8 , wherein the module is
optionally portable.
 nternat ona app cat on o.

PCT/IN2018/050332

A CLASSIFICATION O F SUBJECT MATTER

B01D4 3/00,B01J19/08,C02Fl/4 8 Version=2 018 .01

According to International Patent Classification (IPC) or to both national classification and IPC
B FIELDS SEARCHED
Minimum documentation searched (classification system followed by classification symbols)

B01D; B01J; C02F

Documentation searched other than minimum documentation to the extent that such documents are included in the fields searched

Electronic data base consulted during the international search (name of data base and, where practicable, search terms used)

TotalPatent One, IPO Internal Database

C. DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT

Category* Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No

U S 8460520 B 2 (RIGBY DAVID) 1 1 JUNE 2013 1-17

(11-06-2013) abstract; figure 1-7, 13-14; column
8 line 41-line 51; column 2 line 40-46; column 1 6
line 32-36; column 8 line 42-46; column 8 line
52-54; column 1 7 line 40-42

Further documents are listed in the continuation of Box C . See patent family annex
* Speciai categories of cited documents: later document published after the international filing date or priority
"A" document defining the general state of the art which is not considered date and not in conflict with the application but cited to understand
to be of particular relevance the principle or theory underlying the invention
"E" earlier application or patent but published on or after the international document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot be
filing date considered novel or cannot be considered to involve an inventive
"L" document which may throw doubts on priority claim(s) or which is step when the document is taken alone
cited to establish the publication date of another citation or other
speciai reason (as specified) document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot be
considered to involve an inventive step when the document is
"O" document referring to an oral disclosure, use, exhibition or other combined with one or more other such documents, such combination
means being obvious to a person skilled in the art
"P" document published prior to the international filing date but later than document member of the same pate family
the priority date claimed
Date of the actual completion of the international search Date of mailing of the international search report
13-09-2018 13-09-2018

Name and mailing address of !he ISA/ Authorized officer

Indian Patent Office A jay Kumar Maurya
Plot No. 32, Sector 1 4 ,Dwarka, e w Delhi-110075
Facsimile No. Telephone No. +91-1125300200

Form PCT/ISA/210 (second sheet) (January 2015)

 International application No.
Information on patent family members
PCT/IN2018/050332

Citation Pub. Date Family Pub. Date

U S 8460520 B2 11-06-2013 US 20090321251 Al 31-12-2012

EP 2303783 A2 06- 04-2011
EP 2303783 A4 07- 05-2014
CA 2729599 Al 30-12-2009
WO 2009158589 A2 30-12-2012
WO 2009158589 A3 25-03-2010

Form PCT.'ISA/210 (patent family annex) (January 20 15 )