Technology Summary

I. First-Generation Technology

Zero Discharge’s first-generation technology included four basic components: 1) a pretreatment tank, 2) a filtration system (OVIVOMicroBLOX), 3) a UV treatment unit, and 4) an evaporator (Encon).  The system was designed to simply separate solids out of wastewater, treat the liquid component (water) with UV light and evaporate the liquid component.  This system permits residential buildings such as condominium and apartment complexes, as well as commercial and industrial buildings to be taken off municipal sewer systems.

II. Second-Generation Technology

Zero Discharge’s second-generation technology addresses three optional components added to its first-generation technology that have the following improvements: toxic chemical reduction/removal, energy conservation and water reclamation.

A. Sonolysis Unit

One or more sonolysis units is incorporated into the wastewater treatment train to break up, degrade and/or destroy toxic chemicals in the liquid component of the wastewater, particularly PFAS compounds.

B. Autoclave Unit

One or more autoclave units is incorporated into the wastewater treatment train to break up, degrade and/or destroy toxic chemicals in the liquid component of the wastewater, particularly PFAS.  The autoclave unit(s) can be combined with the sonolysis unit(s) and/or replace the UV light units upstream the evaporator unit(s).  A novel feedback loop is used to operate the autoclave unit(s).  Steam produced by the evaporator unit(s) is compressed and fed into the autoclave heating chamber to provide the high-heat, high-pressure environment [3000 psi & 700°F] needed to degrade and/or destroy PFAS & other toxic chemicals in the effluent derived from the filtration process.  The treated effluent is transferred to the evaporator unit(s) for further processing.  The treated effluent may be further treated with base chemicals to neutralize the products of the toxic chemical destruction before transfer to the evaporator unit(s).  The steam is transferred back to the evaporator unit(s) using reciprocating steam compression or to the condenser for re-distillation or phase transformation, respectively.  The feedback loop conserves and repurposes the heat energy generated by the evaporator unit(s) and reduces the overall energy needed to run the evaporator unit(s) after the first cycle.

C. Post-Evaporator Water Reclamation

To capture the water distilled and evaporated by the evaporator unit(s), a condenser is used to condense the vapor to a liquid phase.  The liquid is then treated with one or more post-evaporator treatments, i.e., ozonation, UV-light treatment and/or chlorination, to further purify the water to a potable state.  The distilled water is then stored in a food-grade holding tank which allows the purified water to be used for many potential uses in a building.

D. CO2 Capture

For wastewater treatment systems that use natural gas to activate the evaporator unit(s), an emissions capture system was developed to capture the CO2 and water products of the natural gas combustion process.  A separator separates the CO2 and water components.  The water is transferred to the post-evaporator treatment units for processing and reclamation.  The CO2 component is captured and stored as its point of origin for controlled transfer to carbon capturing plants in a greenhouse, hydroponic system or like structure added to a building, e.g., a rooftop garden structure.  CO2 produced by other functions in a building, e.g., a heating system may be transferred to the CO2 capture system to further reduce a building’s carbon footprint.

III. Third-Generation Technology

The third-generation technology improved the energy efficiency and water reclamation functions of the prior generations.  The system now includes a series of water treatment modules that can be interchanged, substituted, rearranged, etc., to address specific water treatment needs.  The key features are as follows.

A. Improved Sonolysis Unit

The improved sonolysis unit modifies the post-filtration holding tank with transducers to process the effluent in the holding tank.

B. Improved Autoclave Unit

The autoclave unit was improved by forming tanks with multiple pipes in either serpentine or manifold-type configurations to significantly increase the surface-to-volume ratio of the autoclave system. Reciprocating steam compression is used to obtain the high heat and pressures required.

C. Flash Tank

To address the high-temperature, high-pressure of the liquids transferred out of the autoclave unit(s), one or more flash tanks is placed between the autoclave unit(s) and the evaporator unit(s).

D. Odor Control

To ensure odors are not released into a building from the filtration unit, an ozone hood is incorporated into the system to draw in and neutralize any odors produced by the filtration process.

E. Improved Energy Efficiency

The energy needed to evaporate the liquids is reduced by incorporating a parabolic mirror heating system to transfer solar heat to a pre-evaporator-holding tank.  This reduces the overall energy needed to run the evaporator unit(s) as well as the autoclave unit(s).  If CO2 is produced by any part of the system, the CO2 is piped back through a coiled pipe positioned around the holding tank modified with the transducers to lower the water temperature for sonolysis treatment. The CO2 is cycled back to the CO2 holding tank in a closed loop. Steam compression is used to recycle the waste steam from the evaporator unit(s).

F. Improved Water Reclamation

Water reclamation is improved by optionally transferring HVAC and/or AC system condensate to the wastewater treatment system.  A building’s rainwater gutter system also is connected to the wastewater treatment system.  The condensate and rainwater are transferred to a float-controlled holding tank connected to the system at least before the evaporator unit(s) for distillation and post-distillation treatments.  This results in a potential significant increase in the overall amount of water captured, reclaimed, purified and made potable for all uses including drinking water.  Consequently, this will reduce the strain on municipal water supplies.  This additional feature would be applicable to jurisdictions that permit water reuse and/or are under severe drought conditions.  The system is further modified to connect the pure water holding tank to all the fixtures in a building to create a closed-loop water use, reclamation and reuse system.

G. Water Remediation

The overall wastewater treatment system has been modified to address water remediation needs on military bases and the like where ground water contamination is present.  The modified system eliminates the pretreatment units and filtration units.  The water remediation system incorporates the sonolysis and/or autoclave units with the evaporator and condenser units (including the feedback loops) to purify the water and return it to the ground.  The water may be further treated with any of the post-treatment processes used in full wastewater treatment system, i.e., ozonation, UV-light treatment  and perhaps chlorination.

IV. Patent Status

Zero Discharge has received two U.S. patents, 11,390,545 and 11,897,787.  The ‘545 Patent covers various combinations of Zero Discharge’s comprehensive wastewater treatment system.  The ‘787 Patent covers Zero Discharge’s proprietary through-put autoclave system specifically designed to process large volumes of water/wastewater in a cost-efficient manner.  A third patent application, U.S. Serial No. 18/439,725, is pending.  Zero Discharge has filed three Patent Cooperation Treaty (“PCT”) applications, all of which have received positive decisions on the issue of patentability at the international level.  Multiple national-stage foreign patent applications are pending in Brazil, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, Mexico and the UAE.  The first of two European patent applications has received a positive examination.  Zero Discharge currently holds a patent in India, Indian Patent No. 407661, and a patent in Israel, Israel Registration No. 287695, for its comprehensive water/wastewater treatment system.  All of these patents have claimed priority back to the first application filed, U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62/839,901, filed April 29, 2019, now expired. 

Solutions Derived From Zero Discharge Systems

  • Elimination of any septic system
  • Elimination of use of any sewer systems
  • Elimination of all Nitrates/Nitrites
  • Elimination of all “micro plastic fibers” found in the wastewater
  • Elimination of all noxious odors while destroying any viruses and bacteria present including COVID-19
  • Degradation & elimination of all PFAS while maintaining volume treatment levels
  • Elimination of all CO2 emissions by recycling CO2 from exhaust and use of any excess in available greenhouse; hydroponic gardens or rooftop gardens
  • Elimination of possible Legionnaire’s disease by recycling & treating rooftop HVAC systems and A/C systems
  • Elimination of any & all pharmaceutical and/or medical pollutants that may be in the water
  • Utilizes rainwater harvesting that is collected, treated and re-used within the re-use system and may allow as much as 100%+ recovery of all water introduced into the system – if there is an excess perhaps can be resold back to the utility like excess power is
  • Creates the treated (PFAS free) waste as fertilizer to be sold offsite
  • Utilizes solar energy and parabolic solar to create power & heat where feasible
  • The use of autoclave technology combined with Encon’s evaporative technology using a “feedback loop” (via steam compression) lowers the costs of the system dramatically.

As more systems go in place, and time goes by, we are sure that many other uses will be found for these combined technologies.