Water · Treatment & Resource Recovery
Reuse the water.
Recover the value.
On-site frac-water conditioning and non-membrane resource recovery. Combining non-fouling Magnetic Ballast Clarification with reactive nanobubble gas contacting (US Patent 11,459,257 B1) and conventional precipitation chemistry.
Primary Clarification Technology
See High-Rate MBC In Action
Watch step-by-step flocculation of wastewater, magnetic disc extraction, and continuous magnetite recovery yielding crystal-clear effluent in a single gravity pass.
- ≥95% Removal: Suspended solids, turbidity, and free oil extracted in seconds.
- Non-Fouling: Continuous self-cleaning magnetic discs — zero filter blinding.
- Ultra-Low Cost: $0.03–$0.05/bbl direct operating cost (magnetite, polymer & power).
- >99% Magnetite Recovery: Continuous high-shear magnetic drum ballast recycling.
01 / Platform Overview
A field-ready water factory at the point of origin.
On-Site Frac-Water Reuse
Condition flowback and produced brine by eliminating suspended solids, free oil, and multivalent scale-formers. Frac-water reuse maintains compatible salinity for fracturing fluid blending without requiring freshwater desalination.
Brine Resource Recovery
Convert dissolved sodium chloride into marketable industrial commodities using ammonia nanobubbles and CO₂ carbonation, avoiding membrane fouling and expensive thermal evaporators.
Non-Potable Irrigation Pathway
Segregated candidate water undergoes stringent agronomic qualification (EC, SAR, chloride, boron) prior to release, preventing chloride-rich mother liquid from entering crop applications.
Modular & Scalable Deployment
Self-contained, transportable units scalable from 50 to 2,000+ GPM (1,500 to 15,000+ bbl/day per unit), operating by gravity flow with minimal electrical demand.
02 / Process Architecture
Dual-route water management & chemical recovery.
Flow, TDS, TSS, oil, hardness, alkalinity & major ions
Shaker screens & hydrocyclones remove large particles (>80–100 μm) and free oil
Coagulant + polymer + magnetite → magnetized disc extraction → shear drum magnetite recovery (>99%)
Chemistry adjustment → operator spec verification → immediate on-site reuse
Polished brine → reactive gas nanobubble contactor
NH₃ nanobubbles + CO₂ carbonation → NaHCO₃ crystal maturation
Wash & dewater → commercial NaHCO₃ or calcination to Soda Ash (Na₂CO₃)
Hou Debang NH₄Cl crystallization OR Solvay lime NH₃ recovery + CaCl₂ brine
pH balance, trace residual oxidation & degasification
Complies with crop-specific EC, SAR, chloride, and boron limits
Automated diversion prevents off-spec land application
03 / Upstream Clarification
Stage 1: Magnetic Ballast Clarification (MBC).
MBC injects fine magnetite ballast into chemical micro-flocs, accelerating settling velocity up to 30× over conventional clarifiers. Magnetized rotating discs continuously pull flocs out of solution without filters or settling basins.
| Parameter / Feature | Specification / Metric | Operational Scope & Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Clarification Performance | ≥95% Turbidity, Solids & Oil Removal | Single-pass disc separation on raw produced water |
| Operating Characteristic | Non-Fouling | Continuous self-cleaning discs; no media backwashing |
| Direct Operating Cost | $0.03 – $0.05 / bbl | Magnetite makeup, polymer dosing & electrical consumption |
| Standard Unit Flow Rate | 500 GPM (~17,000 bbl/day) | Scalable from 50 to 2,000+ GPM in parallel trains |
| Physical Dimensions | 5′ × 5′ × 7′ High | Compact skid/trailer mobile footprint (weight ~1,200–1,500 lbs) |
| Connected Power | ~4 HP (3 kW) | VFD-controlled 230/460V 3-phase (single-phase compatible) |
| Magnetite Recovery | >99% Continuous Recovery | High-shear separation and magnetic drum scraper return |
| Startup / Shutdown | Instantaneous (<60 seconds) | Rapid cycle capability without biological lag or membrane prep |
04 / Reactive Gas Mass Transfer
Stage 2: Sub-micron nanobubble physics.
Conventional gas contactors suffer from rapid buoyant rise, limited interfacial contact area, and high atmospheric gas loss. XRF-FI utilizes reactive sub-micron nanobubbles (<1 μm / 1,000 nm) to maximize gas dissolution and accelerate chemical kinetics.
Massive Interfacial Area
Trillions of sub-micron bubbles generate exponential surface area per unit volume, creating intense localized micro-reaction zones for rapid salt conversion.
Laplace Internal Pressure
Elevated internal bubble pressure (ΔP = 2γ/r) drives rapid gas dissolution into high-TDS brine without needing high-pressure reaction vessels.
Brownian Motion Stability
Negatively charged surfaces (zeta potential) prevent coalescence and eliminate buoyant rise, maintaining reactive gas in solution until ionic contact occurs.
Patent Protection (US 11,459,257 B1)
Covers treating liquids with reactive gas nanobubbles (ammonia, CO₂, ozone, etc.) and flocculation for salt and contaminant precipitation.
2. Carbonation Stage: NaCl + NH₃ + CO₂ (nanobubbles) + H₂O → NaHCO₃(s)↓ + NH₄Cl(aq)
05 / Engineered Reaction Train
Bicarbonate crystallization & mechanical separation.
Controlled reactive crystallization isolates high-purity sodium bicarbonate crystals while maintaining clear separation between solid products and dissolved chloride liquid.
| Tag | Equipment Unit | Functional Role |
|---|---|---|
| TK-301 | Feed Conditioning & Surge Tank | Equalizes clarified brine; monitors temperature, alkalinity, and NH₃ loading |
| NB-301 | Ammonia Nanobubble Contactor | Generates sub-micron NH₃ bubbles for uniform, complete ammoniation |
| R-301 | CO₂ Reactive Carbonation Contactor | Delivers CO₂ gas, controls exotherm removal, and manages reaction pH |
| CR-301 | Seeded Reactive Crystallizer | Provides controlled supersaturation and crystal growth from seed stock |
| TK-302 | Slurry Maturation & Buffer Tank | Stabilizes crystal population and prepares slurry for mechanical dewatering |
| S-301 | Mechanical Solid–Liquid Separator | Continuous centrifuge or vacuum filtration; isolates NaHCO₃ cake (no membranes) |
| W-301 | Controlled Cake Wash System | Washes entrained chlorides from bicarbonate cake with closed wash-water recycle |
| TK-303 | Mother-Liquid Receiver Tank | Isolates chloride-rich liquid for downstream byproduct recovery or recycle |
06 / Byproduct Monetization
Hou Debang & Solvay recovery options.
Transform waste brine constituents into commercial chemical products for regional agricultural and industrial markets.
Hou Debang Option · Ammonium Chloride Co-Product
In the Hou Debang configuration, the ammonium chloride mother liquid is cooled and salted out with additional solid salt to precipitate ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) crystals for use as agricultural fertilizer or industrial flux. The remaining liquid is recycled back to the carbonation stage with a controlled purge, maximizing raw brine conversion and eliminating calcium waste.
Sodium Bicarbonate / Soda Ash
Precipitated NaHCO₃ can be dried for direct industrial sales or thermally calcined into dense Soda Ash (Na₂CO₃) for glass manufacturing, detergents, water treatment, and drilling fluid conditioning.
Completion & Workover Brines
Heavy CaCl₂ brines generated from the Solvay recovery cycle provide clear, solids-free completion fluids (9.5–11.5 lb/gal), offsetting commercial brine procurement costs.
07 / Environmental Release Controls
Non-potable irrigation qualification gate.
Non-potable water for agricultural and soil application must meet rigorous chemical stability and agronomic safety standards. Water is held in batch storage and verified via independent laboratory analysis before release.
| Agronomic Parameter | FAO / Target Limit | Agricultural Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Salinity (Electrical Conductivity, EC) | < 0.7 – 3.0 dS/m | Protects crop root osmotic balance and prevents soil salinization |
| Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) | < 3.0 – 9.0 (correlated to EC) | Maintains soil permeability and prevents structural clay dispersion |
| Chloride Concentration | < 4.0 – 10.0 meq/L | Prevents foliar burn and leaf-tissue toxicity in sensitive crops |
| Boron Concentration | < 0.7 – 2.0 mg/L | Eliminates plant toxicity while providing essential micro-nutrients |
| Residual Ammonia / Organics | Non-detect / Permitted Levels | Ensures complete reagent stripping and biological safety |
08 / Resource Recovery & Tonnage Engineering Model
Production water constituent extraction & byproduct economics.
Engineered mass-balance model based on production water chemical analysis, converting ionic constituents into marketable industrial products via reactive nanobubble Solvay/Hou Debang processing.
| Extracted Constituent / Commodity | Feed Tonnage (ton/day) | Market Value ($/ton) | Daily Product Value ($/day) | Value per Barrel ($/bbl) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recovered Fresh / Frac Water Equivalent | 0.0 ton/day | Water Reuse Credit | $0.00 | $0.00 / bbl |
| Sodium Bicarbonate / Soda Ash (Na₂CO₃) | 0.0 ton/day | $0.00 / ton | $0.00 | $0.00 / bbl |
| Ammonium Chloride Fertilizer (NH₄Cl) | 0.0 ton/day | $380.00 / ton | $0.00 | $0.00 / bbl |
| Less: NH₃ & CO₂ Reagent Input Cost | 0.0 ton/day | Reagent Makeup | ($0.00) | ($0.00 / bbl) |
| Avoided SWD Disposal Fee (Transport + Injection) | - | Disposal Offset | $0.00 | $0.00 / bbl |
09 / Overall Project Economics
Interactive site economics model.
Model field operating costs, byproduct revenues, and avoided SWD disposal fees across custom throughput scenarios.
Model reflects entered operational assumptions. Byproduct revenues and avoided disposal costs vary by basin and local market offtake.
10 / Field Equipment & Dewatering
Field equipment & single-pass clarity.
Operational demonstration units showing compact truck-mounted footprint, rapid solids extraction, and continuous cake dewatering.
Typical unit truck-mounted capability
Self-contained Magnetic Ballast Clarification (MBC) unit designed with compact footprint (5′×5′×7′, ~1,200–1,500 lbs) for direct truck or trailer mounting, rapid deployment, and minimal on-site infrastructure.
Oil & Gas Produced Water: Before and After
Laboratory field demonstration showing raw oilfield produced water containing heavy suspended solids and hydrocarbons (left) transformed into crystal-clear brine (right) in a single MBC gravity pass.
MBC Clarification Demo
Magnetic Ballast Clarification in Action
Live field demonstration of the MBC process — raw oilfield produced water loaded with suspended solids and hydrocarbons transformed into crystal-clear brine in a single gravity pass.
- Single-Pass Clarity: Coagulant + polymer + magnetite drive rapid solids capture.
- Magnetite Recovery >99%: Shear drum returns magnetite for continuous reuse.
- Compact Footprint: Truck-mountable unit (5′×5′×7′, ~1,200–1,500 lbs) for rapid field deployment.
11 / Intellectual Property
US Patent 11,459,257 B1.
Method of Treating a Liquid with Nanobubbles · Inventor: Robert W. Troy · Houston, Texas · Granted October 4, 2022.
| Claim Category | Patent Claims & Technical Scope |
|---|---|
| Independent Claims 1 & 20 | Creating nanobubbles of a gas comprising ammonia, flocculating, reacting with salt target components, and forming precipitate and treated liquid (uncharged and charged nanobubbles). |
| Claims 4 – 8 | Upstream filtration, shakers, hydrocyclones, and downstream precipitate/floc separation. |
| Claim 10 | Refinement achieving at least 95% turbidity removal. |
| Claims 11 – 15 | Polyaluminum chloride, polymers, ferromagnetic ballast material (magnetite), and magnetic recovery. |
| Claims 18 – 19 | Removal and precipitation of monovalent (NaCl) and divalent salts. |
12 / Commercial Collaboration
Evaluate your produced water.
Submit water analysis reports for bench treatability testing, pilot demonstration scheduling, and site-specific commercial modeling.