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

3. Electronics

4. 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)

5. 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

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

7. Electronics = =

8. Electronics

9. 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)

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

11. Limescale

12. 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

13. Limescale

14. 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

15. Prevention of scale
Without Hydropath
With Hydropath

16. 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

17. Dissolving existing scale
After
Before

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

19. Flocculation

20. 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

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

22. Bacteria and Algae

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

24. 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

25. 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

26. Hydropath and Bacteria

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

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

29. 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

30. Summary
Electronics
Limescale
Flocculation
Bacteria and Algae