Technical Manager, Hydropath Holdings Ltd. Dr Denzil Rodrigues Technical Manager, Hydropath Holdings Ltd.

Electronics

Electric current travels along whole pipe Electronics Electric current travels along whole pipe The Hydropath signal is a decaying sine oscillation Around 120 kHz (2000 times faster than mains!) Pulse separation time varies to work in a range of situations Extremely low power (Less than 20W)

Patented Electronics How do we get a signal into the pipe? Transformer AC current in primary circuit Magnetic field through ferrite AC current in secondary circuit Make secondary single loop Make loop bigger... Patented

Electronics Alignment of pipe Position of pipe through unit Topology (knot theory)

Electronics = =

Electronics

Electronics: Comparison with Magnetic Wirewrap (electromagnet) Magnet Magnetic fields (not Electric Fields) Very weak ( E = c B ) Depends on flow rate (no flow, no protection) Local (point protection only)

Electronics Signal Propagates over long distances AC signal allows current to flow in “open circuit” Faraday cage effect does not apply

Limescale

Limescale Calcium and bicarbonate dissolved in water Water becomes super-saturated when: Temperature increases or pressure decreases Ions precipitate as calcium carbonate: limescale Ca Calcium (HCO3)2 Bicarbonate CaCO3 Calcium Carbonate CO2 Carbon Dioxide H2O H2O Water

Limescale

Seed Crystals Crystals need a start point to form (a nucleation site) Crystals prefer to form on existing crystals No existing crystal: crystals form all along string Existing crystal: will grow rather than form new crystals

Prevention of scale Without Hydropath With Hydropath

Dissolving existing scale Crystals form Creates Carbon Dioxide Dissolves existing scale H2O Ca + (HCO3)2 CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O To dissolve scale, Hydropath requires Hard Water Feed

Dissolving existing scale After Before

Dissolving existing scale Plate exchanger After one month Before Before – AFTER CLEANING! After eight months

Flocculation

Flocculation Filters can only remove “big” particles With Hydropath Filters can only remove “big” particles Particles penetrate into filter material and cause clogging Stick particles together “flocculate” Enhance filtration Reduce backwashing by a factor of five Without Hydropath

Flocculation Hydropath unit Filter Pump Particles become charged Turbulence mixes up particles; flock formed Filter removes flock

Bacteria and Algae

Osmosis and Bacteria Semi-permeable membrane: passes water, but not salt. Water flows from dilute to concentrated region Na Cl H2O Semi-permeable membrane

Osmosis and Bacteria Semi-permeable membrane: passes water, but not salt. Water flows from dilute to concentrated region Bacteria cell: semi-permeable membrane In distilled water, water flows into bacteria Bacteria becomes “too dilute”, dies, bursts (kills even “freshwater” bacteria) Na Cl H2O H2O Na Cl H2O Na Cl H2O Na Cl H2O Na Cl H2O Na Cl Semi-permeable membrane

Hydropath and Bacteria Consider bacteria in salt water Hydropath charges bacteria, creating a wetting layer Layer of very pure water around bacteria Osmosis forces water into bacteria Bacteria dies Cl Na Cl Na Cl Na Cl Na

Hydropath and Bacteria

Limescale Flocculation Bacteria and Algae Cooling Towers Heat increase Pressure decrease Limescale Flocculation Bacteria and Algae

Hot coffee on edge of mug Cooling Towers Black = cold White = hot Hot coffee on edge of mug

Side-stream Filtering Side stream filter removes and returns water to same place Some of the water has already been filtered Need to pass about 10 times the total volume through filter before all water is filtered

Summary Electronics Limescale Flocculation Bacteria and Algae