Global Introduction of Aqua-Nu Ultra High Flow Rate Ceramic Membrane – Technology With The Potential To Make A World of Difference

The Next Generation Personal Water Filtration Device – the Project X Bottle Launched by Aqua-Nu

 A Backgrounder on Aqua-Nu

An Irish inventor is preparing to launch a water filtration system that he claims will be a major step forward in the delivery of clean water for commercial and humanitarian uses.

Pat Farrelly, from Dundalk in Co Louth, is in the process of patenting his Aqua-Nu technology in almost 70 countries after a five-year process that began in his kitchen. Farrelly said that the ceramic filtering technology could handle greater volumes of water than other systems and had no direct competition.

‘‘Effective removal of bacteria from municipal water schemes is difficult with traditional methods, because the water needs to be dramatically slowed down. With our filtering technology, water can flow unchallenged,” he said.

Farrelly said that Aqua-Nu had multiple applications, from filtering water for individual houses and group schemes to rainwater harvesting and small-scale filtration.

‘‘We can turn any container into a water-filtering device,” he said.’ ‘We are interesting because we have microbiological capability. Our technology can prevent a microbe one-quarter the size of a red blood cell from getting through.”

He also claimed that over 90 per cent of filter jugs did not stop microbiology.

The finished product is just six weeks old and, following the verification of independent tests, Farrelly embarked on the patenting process. Aqua-Nu have applied for patents in 67 different countries, 42 of which have already been granted.

‘‘It’s a world market, and an extensive one,” said Farrelly.

‘‘This is very new and unique. We’re 700 times faster than any other technology in the ceramics field. In that respect, I see no opposition to our technology.”

He said that Aqua-Nu had fielded inquiries from companies in several sectors, including waste water management. It has received a number of letters of intent, and is engaged with production and licensing opportunities as far afield as Malaysia.

The humanitarian prospects for the system were also considerable, said Farrelly.’ ‘We can start saving lives tomorrow. Our filtering can be as easily used in an Irish kitchen as in a mud hut in Africa.”

Farrelly owns 55 per cent of Aqua-Nu, and his fellow directors own a further 20 per cent.

The remaining shareholders are small investors. There are about 40 investors in total in the firm.

‘‘We’ve had small funding with Enterprise Ireland, and we are in promising talks with them,” said Farrelly.’ ‘Other investment has come from angel investors and high-worth individuals with an interest in our work.”

His immediate focus is on commercialising the Aqua-Nu system.’ ‘We’ll move it on ourselves. We’re looking for those established in the market to take it up,” he said.

Aqua-Nu Filtration Systems, an innovator of commercial point-of-use ceramic water filtration systems, is making its advanced solutions available in the USA. The company’s filtration innovation – in the form of its Purity Capsule, Ultra-high Flow Rate Ceramic Filter and other proprietary products – represents a major leap forward in commercial water purification techniques.

The solution delivers a breakthrough flow rate of 1.2 litres per minute at 100 millibar over a 19.6 sq cm ceramic disc, which is up to 700 times faster than the nearest closest ceramic competitor. It filters 99.99 percent of certain hazardous microbes such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Legionella. These advantages reduce the threat of often fatal water-borne bacteria commonly present in developed countries.

“Consumers should not have to choose between their health and the environment, but when it comes to drinking water, those are the options,” said Aqua-Nu’s CEO, Patrick Farrelly. “Existing filtration technologies, while better than nothing, can’t match Aqua-Nu’s flow rates and filtration performance. There is a reasonable demand from US consumers for drinking water that is healthy and affordable, and doesn’t penalise the environment by adding more plastic waste to the country’s landfills. Now, for the first time these demands can be met, giving consumers access to truly clean tap water.”

Aqua-Nu said its uniquely efficient, flexible and durable water filtration technology has performed well above industry standards and competing technologies in scientific tests conducted by independent laboratories, CAL Limited in Ireland, along with South East Water, Severn Trent and Eclipse in the UK. The company’s solution eliminates some of the smallest and most deadly bacteria on contact and is accommodated within a consumer friendly form factor – a small cap that fits neatly on top of bottles. The technology is suitable for volume manufacturing at a price that is competitive with conventional filtration systems.

Aqua-Nu is an innovator of water filtration systems and the creator of the Ultra-high Flow Rate Ceramic Filter, PurityCapsule and other related products, including the PURITYCAP® and PURITY JUG. The company says its proprietary technology has demonstrated superior filtration performance in independent laboratory testing versus existing consumer filtration products. Based in Dundalk, Ireland, the company is currently forming partnerships around the world to market its advanced clean water ceramic filtration technology.

1) Adjustable flow rate
2) Low, ultra-competitive cost
3) Quality of filtration
4) Environmental compatibility *
5) Flexibility and convenience

* Carbon neutrality and reduction in waste disposal/recycling requirements through reuse of PET bottles in the case of PURITYCAP®

In 2006 Patrick Farrelly was convinced of the potential to create an environmentally friendly and highly affordable water filtration system that does not deplete scarce world resources or create chemical or landfill waste. Pat had a vision of a low cost water filter that successfully removes harmful water-based microbes while enabling water to flow through a permeable structure at normal rates.

After considerable time and effort researching and evaluating the functionality and potential of GAC (Granulated Activated Carbon) and its varied different filtration capabilities, Pat realised the solution was elsewhere. His work then led him to consult with pioneers in health and sustainability such as Dr. Robert Verkerk.

Ultra high Flow Rate Ceramics soon became the focus of attention. Over three years of laboratory work undertaken in the sourcing, design, production and testing of ceramic membranes led to Aqua-Nu’s unique discovery in safe and clean water filtration with worldwide potential and diverse applications.

IT MAY HAVE taken six years, but Louth-based entrepreneur Pat Farrelly of Aqua-Nu has come up with a pioneering water filtration technology that has some of the biggest names in the water- filtration industry knocking on his door.

Farrelly is keeping mum about the detail of his invention (which is protected by 42 patents) but in broad terms he has developed a method of filtering water through ceramic that works 700 times faster than its closest rival and has the power to knock out a long list of water-borne illnesses such as legionella and E.coli and tropical diseases such as sleeping sickness and river blindness. The system also removes contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides.

Farrelly’s system (which can be retro-fitted) uses ultra-high unassisted flow rate ceramics and an original anti-microbial treatment system to clean the water. Farrelly says the technology has far-reaching commercial and humanitarian applications.

“We had six years of trial and error, no wages and a cost of around €1.7 million to get us this far,” says Farrelly, who is completely self-taught when it comes to the highly specialised world of ceramics technology. What makes Farrelly’s system of particular interest is that it works without pressure (ceramics usually need heavy pressure to work) and that the filter disc can be made in any shape or size. This means it will work with anything from a water bottle to a group water scheme and can be used in a wide range of industrial, commercial and domestic applications.

The product will initially be made for industrial use, but also on the way is the PurityCap, aimed at domestic consumers who regularly buy bottled water. The PurityCap fits into the top of most water bottles and means that bottles can be filled from the tap instead of replaced, and the water is filtered by the system before drinking.

Ceramics manufacturing is a specialised field and the discs will be made in Stuttgart. With the product now out there, Farrelly says the company is already in talks with some of the biggest household names in water filtration.

However, the company is also keen to bring its own range of products to market as soon as possible and is still looking for investors and additional funding from Enterprise Ireland to help make this happen.

The Aqua-Nu Ultra High Flow Rate Ceramic which has an adjustable flow-rate and pore value is capable of being manufactured to ANY SIZE.

This unique point-of-use filtration technology is the result of six years research and development, testing and evaluation by Aqua-Nu scientists into non-chemical based ‘Ultra High Flow Rate Ceramic’ and original anti-microbial treatment systems.

We are now seeking commercial partners to help us bring this exciting technology to market and fulfill our vision of delivering strong environmental benefits as well as helping alleviate the impending water crisis.

Municipal and Industrial Water Treatment Systems

Water treatment describes those processes used to make water more acceptable for a desired end-use. These can include use as drinking water, industrial processes, medical and many other uses. The goal of all water treatment process is to remove existing contaminants in the water, or reduce the concentration of such contaminants so the water becomes fit for its desired end-use. One such use is returning water that has been used back into the natural environment without adverse ecological impact.

The processes involved in treating water for drinking purpose may be solids separation using physical processes such as settling and filtration, and chemical processes such as disinfection and coagulation. Biological processes are also employed in the treatment of wastewater and these processes may include, for example, aerated lagoons, activated sludge or slow sand filters.

Aeration Treatment Systems

Aeration is more than the supply of oxygen and mixing. Aeration is the cornerstone of biological wastewater treatment and controls the treatment performance and operational economics of the entire wastewater treatment facility. Analysis of wastewater treatment plant costs repeatedly shows that aeration accounts for 50 to 80% of the overall plant-operating budget. Without the right aeration technology and a properly designed aeration system, treatment performance and plant operating cost objectives cannot be attained.

Reverse Osmosis (RO) or DeSal Treatment Systems

Reverse osmosis (RO) is a membrane technical filtration method that removes many types of large molecules and ions from solutions by applying pressure to the solution when it is on one side of a selective membrane. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and the pure solvent is allowed to pass to the other side. To be “selective,” this membrane should not allow large molecules or ions through the pores (holes), but should allow smaller components of the solution (such as the solvent) to pass freely.

Rainwater Harvesting Systems

Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the aquifer. It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as well as other typical uses. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses and local institutions can make an important contribution to the availability of drinking water. It can supplement the subsoil water level and increase urban greenery. Water collected from the ground, sometimes from areas which are especially prepared for this purpose, is called Stormwater harvesting. In some cases, rainwater may be the only available, or economical, water source.

Rainwater harvesting systems can be simple to construct from inexpensive local materials, and are potentially successful in most habitable locations. Roof rainwater can’t be of good quality and may require treatment before consumption. As rainwater rushes from your roof it may carry pollutants, such as mercury from coal burning buildings, or bird feces. Although some rooftop materials may produce rainwater that would be harmful to human health as drinking water, it can be useful in flushing toilets, washing clothes, watering the garden and washing cars; these uses alone halve the amount of water used by a typical home. Household rainfall catchment systems are appropriate in areas with an average rainfall greater than 200 mm (7.9 in) per year, and no other accessible water sources (Skinner and Cotton, 1992). Overflow from rainwater harvesting tank systems can be used to refill aquifers in a process called groundwater recharge; though this is a related process, it must not be confused with rainwater harvesting.

There are several types of systems to harvest rainwater, ranging from very simple home systems to complex industrial systems. The rate at which water can be collected from either system is dependent on the plan area of the system, its efficiency, and the intensity of rainfall (i.e. annual precipitation (mm per annum) x square meter of catchment area = litres per annum yield) So, for example, a 200 square meter roof catchment catching 1,000mm PA yields 200 kLPA.

Aqua-Nu is currenlty developing a full line of ceramic membrane products that will assist systems and equipment manufacturers to deliver high value, cost effective aeration solutions for even the most challenging applications. If you are a manufacturer of any of the above types of equipment and would like to find out more about about how our technology can help your business please contact us.

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SURFACE TENSION: The Future of Water – public

Aqua-Nu will be showing its ceramic and filter water bottle technology at the Science Gallery Dublin 2 exhibition running from 21st October 2011 to 20th January 2012. More information at www.sciencegallery.com/surfacetension/aqua-nu

Among the many water-themed exhibits, events, workshops, and interactive experiences, exhibition highlights include:

• An open-source prototype for a robotic swarming sailing ship that could clean up oil spills in the future
• Umbilical filters, artificial insemination kits and precocious puberty dolls, all responding to rising levels of chemicals and hormones in our drinking water
• A water pump that requires the same amount of energy to fill a plastic bottle as would go into producing it – approximately 3 hours of pumping per liter; 1,000 times more energy than would be required for tap water
• Artist Fergal McCarthy will swim across Dublin from south to north via the city’s many and varied waterways. A film that documents his journey will be screened throughout the exhibition
• A project by TCD researchers and Dublin-based illustrator Chris Judge that explores the future of washing

The Big Pitcher Provides 

• A developed world product to the developing world
• Pure clean filtered water on demand
• Minimal cost to all families worldwide
• A practical solution to Conserving water usage
• A reduction in the need for plastic bottles
• Superior filtration and takes out harmful microbes

Aqua-Nu Briefing Document on Solution Potential in Developing World v0.01

Overview: The Little Company with the Big Pitcher