Method and system for sustainable treatment of municipal and industrial waste water

• US 20030038080A1
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Luc Vriens, Ron Gerards
• Original Assignee: Luc Vriens, Ron Gerards
• Inventors: Vriens, Luc, Gerards, Ron
• Granted Patent: US 6,758,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/605
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/24 by flotation C02F1/465 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 11/12 by de-watering, drying or thickening
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/001 Runoff or storm water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/121 Multistep treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/1263 Sequencing batch reactors [SBR]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/30 Aerobic and anaerobic processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for treatment of wastewater. More particularly, the methods of the present invention are designed for the biological removal from wastewater of contamination in the form of insoluble suspended solids and soluble and insoluble organic and inorganic material, including nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients. A wastewater treatment process is described, which process is a hybrid continuous flow, cyclic operating, substantially constant level, activated sludge process with a symmetric functional cycle. In this functional cycle each compartment of a reactor is subsequently in a different functional phases, which functional phases are continuously separated: phase 1, phase 2, phase 3, phase 4, phase 1, phase 2, phase 3, phase 4, etc. . . . The symmetric functional cycle allows for symmetric (equal) influent distribution and therefore symmetric sludge and oxygen demand distribution.

Claims

1. - A continuous flow, cyclic operating, constant level, activated sludge process for treating wastewater, characterised by the steps of:

operating the process according to a symmetric functional cycle with a series of fluidly connected compartments, and

in an intermediate process step one compartment is prepared for becoming a compartment for separation of biomass and effluent in a next cycle.

2. - An activated sludge wastewater process for treating wastewater according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

(a) in a first phase of operation;

continuously receiving wastewater into a first compartment (A) of a series of fluidly linked compartments where it mixes with sludge received from a subsequent compartment of the series,

(b) passing the wastewater-sludge mixture along the series of compartments from the first compartment (A) of the series to subsequent compartments (B, C) of the series where internal substrates are further metabolised,

(c) passing the metabolised wastewater-sludge mixture to a last compartment (D) of the series where biomass is separated from effluent,

(d) discharging effluent from the current last compartment (D),

(e) preparing a compartment (C) of the series which is not the current last compartment to become a new last compartment for separation of biomass and effluent in a new phase of operation,

(f) repeating steps (a) to (e) in the new operating phase, whereby all compartments (A, B, C, D) of the first phase become a series of fluidly linked compartments in the new phase with the new last compartment being used for separation of biomass and effluent.

3. - An activated sludge wastewater process for treating wastewater according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

(a) continuously receiving wastewater into a first compartment (A) where it mixes with sludge received from a subsequent compartment

(b) passing the wastewater-sludge mixture from the first compartment (A) to a series of subsequent compartments (B, C) where internal substrates are further metabolised, those subsequent compartments (B, C) comprising at least a last subsequent compartment (C),

(c) passing the wastewater-sludge mixture from the last subsequent compartment (C) to a last compartment (D) where biomass is separated from effluent,

(d) discharging effluent from the last compartment (D),

(e) preparing the last subsequent compartment (C) to become a separation compartment,

(f) repeating steps (a) to (e) in a new phase, whereby the last subsequent compartment (C) of the previous phase becomes the last compartment of the new phase, the last compartment (D) of the previous phase becoming the first compartment of the new phase, all other compartments (A, B) of the previous phase becoming subsequent compartments in the new phase.

4. - An activated sludge wastewater process for treating wastewater according to claim 2 or 3, wherein in step (e) circulation to and from the compartment (C) being prepared is stopped to prevent disturbance of the sedimentation process in the compartment (C) being prepared.

5. - An activated sludge wastewater process for treating wastewater according to claim 4, wherein in step (e) sludge transport is through compartments other than the comapartment (C) being prepared in a reverse direction.

6. - An activated sludge wastewater process for treating wastewater according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

(a) continuously receiving wastewater into a first compartment (A) where it mixes with present sludge,

(b) passing the wastewater-sludge mixture from the first compartment (A) to a series of subsequent compartments (B, C) where internal substrates are further metabolised, those subsequent compartments (B, C) comprising at least a first subsequent compartment (B) and a last subsequent compartment (C),

(c) passing the wastewater-sludge mixture from the last subsequent compartment (C) to a last compartment (D) where biomass is separated from effluent,

(d) discharging effluent from the last compartment (D),

(e) preparing the first compartment (A) to become a separation compartment,

(f) repeating steps (a) to (e) in a new phase, whereby the first compartment (A) of the previous phase becomes the last compartment of the new phase, the first subsequent compartment (B) of the previous phase becoming the first compartment of the new phase, all other compartments (C, D) of the previous phase becoming subsequent compartments in the new phase.

7. - An activated sludge wastewater process for treating wastewater according to claim 6, wherein in step (e) circulation to and from the compartment (A) being prepared is stopped to prevent disturbance of the sedimentation process in the compartment (A) being prepared.

8. - An activated sludge wastewater process for treating wastewater according to claim 7, wherein in step (e) sludge transport is through compartments other than C in the same direction direction.

9. - A process according to any of claims 2 to 8, characterised in that it furthermore comprises the step of discharging biosolids from the last compartment (D).

10. - A process according to any of claims 3 to 9, characterised in that the series of subsequent compartments comprises 1 compartment.

11. - A process according to any of claims 3 to 10, characterised in that the series of subsequent compartments comprises 2 compartments.

12. - A process according to any of claims 3 to 10, characterised in that the series of subsequent compartments comprises more than 2 compartments.

13. - A process according to any of claims 2 to 12, characterised in that the wastewater-sludge mixture is treated aerobically, anaerobically, or anoxically in all active compartments, being all compartments (A, B, C) but the last compartment.

14. - A process according to claim 13, characterised in that in at least one active compartment, during at least part of a phase, alternates between aerobic and anaerobic or anoxic states.

15. - A process according to any of claims 2 to 14, characterised in that biomass is separated from effluent by sedimentation.

16. - A biological reactor comprising a plurality of fluidly connected compartments, characterised in that all compartments are identical in equipment and follow the same symmetrical functional cycle of reaction and separation in a rotation cyclus, said reactor being adapted in an intermediate phase to prepare one compartment to become a compartment for separation of biomass and effluent in a next cycle.

17. - A biological reactor according to claim 16, each compartment being filled up to a certain level, characterised in that the levels in the compartments are substantially constant during activation and sedimentation.

18. - A biological reactor according to claims 16 or 17, comprising:

(a) a series of fluidly linked compartments,

(b) means for continuously receiving wastewater into a first compartment (A) of the series where it mixes with sludge received from a subsequent compartment of the series,

(c) means for passing the wastewater-sludge mixture along the series of compartments from the first compartment (A) of the series to subsequent compartments (B, C) of the series where internal substrates are further metabolised,

(d) means for passing the metabolised wastewater-sludge mixture to a last compartment (D) of the series where biomass is separated from effluent,

(e) means for discharging effluent from the current last compartment (D),

(f) means for preparing a compartment (C) of the series which is not the current last compartment to become a new last compartment for separation of biomass from effluent in a new phase of operation,

(g) control means for controlling the series of compartments in the new operating phase so that all compartments (A, B, C, D) of the first phase become a series of fluidly linked compartments in the new phase with the new last compartment being used for separation of biomass and effluent.

19. - A biological reactor according to claim 18, wherein the means for preparing also is adapted to stop circulation to the compartment (C) being prepared to prevent disturbance of the sedimentation process in the compartment (C) being prepared.

20. - A biological reactor according to claim 19, wherein the preparing means are adapted so that transport of sludge is through compartments other than the compartment (C) being prepared.

21. - A continuous flow, constant level process for treating wastewater in a single reactor, the reactor comprising fluidly linked compartments allowing alternating biological treatment and sedimentation, characterised in that sedimented sludge is recirculated to an infeed compartment by mechanical means.

22. - A process according to claim 21, characterised in that sludge is recirculated from an active compartment having biological treatment to the infeed compartment.

23. - A process according to claim 21, characterised in that sludge is recirculated from a compartment for sedimentation to the infeed compartment.

24. - A process according to any of claims 21 to 23, characterised in that the mechanical means comprises a pump.

25. - A single reactor for continuous flow, constant level treatment of wastewater, the reactor comprising fluidly linked compartments allowing alternating biological treatment and sedimentation, characterised mechanical means for recirculating sedimented sludge an infeed compartment.

26. - A single reactor according to claim 25, characterised in that mechanical means recirculates sludge from an active compartment having biological treatment to the infeed compartment.

27. - A single reactor according to claim 25, characterised in that the mechanical means recirculates sludge from a compartment for sedimentation to the infeed compartment.

28.A. -A single reactor according to any of claims 25 to 27, characterised in that the mechanical means comprises a pump.