WASTE WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20110068060A1
• Filed: 09/22/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anue Environmental, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Anue Water Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Hatten, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,139,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/739
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/023 Preventing sedimentation, conglomeration or agglomeration of solid ingredients during or after mixing by maintaining mixed ingredients in movement
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/451 by injecting one liquid into another
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/53 in which the mixture is discharged from and reintroduced into a receptacle through a recirculation tube, into which an additional component is introduced
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/74 with rotating parts, e.g. discs
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/1453 by means of jets of fluid, e.g. air
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2112 Level of material in a container or the position or shape of the upper surface of the material
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2212 Level of the material in the mixer
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/34 designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl designed to control volume of flow B05B1/30
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0636 by means of rotatable spray heads or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/50 Arrangements for cleaning; Arrangements for preventing deposits, drying-out or blockage; Arrangements for detecting improper discharge caused by the presence of foreign matter
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/063 using a member, e.g. a deflector, for creating the tangential component of the jet
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/682 by addition of chemical compounds for dispersing an oily layer on water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/722 Oxidation by peroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/727 using pure oxygen or oxygen rich gas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/101 Sulfur compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/16 Nitrogen compounds, e.g. ammonia
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/32 Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/325 : Emulsions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/40 : containing sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/001 : Runoff or storm water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/784 : Diffusers or nozzles for ozonation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/001 : Upstream control, i.e. monitoring for predictive control
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/003 : Downstream control, i.e. outlet monitoring, e.g. to check the treating agents, such as halogens or ozone, leaving the process
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/006 : comprising a software program or a logic diagram
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 : comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/22 : O2
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/23 : O3
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/26 : H2S
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 : Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/42 : Liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/44 : Time
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/024 : Turbulent
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/043 : Treatment of partial or bypass streams
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/02 : Odour removal or prevention of malodour
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 : Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/08 : Corrosion inhibition
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/14 : Maintenance of water treatment installations
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/20 : Prevention of biofouling
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2305/023 : Reactive oxygen species, singlet oxygen, OH radical
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2305/04 : Surfactants, used as part of a formulation or alone
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/08 : Treatment of wastewater in the sewer, e.g. to reduce grease, odour
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/348 : characterised by the way or the form in which the microorganisms are added or dosed
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 37/00 : Methods or apparatus for cleaning boreholes or wells E21B21/00 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems, apparatus and methods are described that control and manage wastewater collection and treatment. One or more sensors monitor and measure levels of contaminants, other chemicals and or environmental conditions in a well of a collection station and/or in inflow and/or outflow mains. An additive that can include one or more of ozone, oxygen, a bioagent, bleach, peroxide and other chemicals, and selected to treat chemicals and/or contaminants in wastewater, can be mixed with waste water in the well and the main. A dispersion assembly deployed within the collection station is adapted to mix and spray the waste water and additive onto a wall of the well or surface of a body of wastewater in the well. A processor configured to control the rate at which the additive is provided to the dispersion assembly or force main based on measurements of contaminants received from the first and second sensors.

Claims

1. A water treatment system comprising:

a collection station having a well for collecting a body of waste water received from an inflow main;

a dispersion system that receives a portion of collected waste water from the well, the dispersion system comprising a hydrodynamic mixing chamber and a nozzle, wherein an additive is mixed with a portion of collected water passing through the mixing chamber and wherein the mixed collected waste water and additive is dispersed through the nozzle as a spray to one or more of the surface of the body of waste water and a wall of the well; and

a controller comprising one or more processors configured to monitor the level of waste water in the well and further configured to cause a pump to drive a portion of the waste water from the well through an outflow main when the level of waste water in the well exceeds a threshold level, wherein the controller is further configured to control a rate of flow of the additive to the mixing chamber.

2. The water treatment system of claim 1, wherein the dispersion system comprises a manifold that provides the portion of collected water and the additive to the mixing chamber.

3. The water treatment system of claim 1, wherein the additive comprises liquid ozone.

4. The water treatment system of claim 3, wherein the controller controls rate of flow of the liquid ozone based on measurements provided by sensors deployed in the well.

5. The water treatment system of claim 4, wherein the measurements include a measurement of residual ozone level in the collected waste water.

6. The water treatment system of claim 4, wherein the measurements include a measurement of sulfide in the collected waste water.

7. The water treatment system of claim 4, wherein the measurements include a measurement of hydrogen sulfide in the well.

8. The water treatment system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control a main treatment system, wherein the main treatment system mixes ozone with waste water in one or more of the inflow and outflow mains.

9. The water treatment system of claim 8, wherein the controller controls rate and frequency of treatment of the wastewater in the one or more mains based on a measurement of sulfide ions in the one or more mains.

10. The water treatment system of claim 8, wherein the controller controls rate and frequency of treatment of the wastewater in the one or more mains based on a measurement of residual ozone in the one or more mains.

11. The water treatment system of claim 8, wherein the controller controls rate and frequency of treatment of the wastewater in the one or more mains based on a measurement of wastewater flow in the one or more mains.

12. The water treatment system of claim 8, wherein the one or more mains includes a force main.

13. The water treatment system of claim 8, wherein the controller controls rate and frequency of treatment of the wastewater in the one or more mains based on a measurement of contaminants measured in the well.

14. A water treatment method comprising the steps of:

measuring a concentration of one or more contaminants in a collection station, the collection station maintaining a body of waste water received from an inflow main;

providing a portion of the waste water to a dispersion system comprising a hydrodynamic mixing chamber and a nozzle;

controlling the flow of an additive to the mixing chamber, wherein the additive operates to neutralize the one or more contaminants;

dispersing a mixture of the waste water and the additive through the nozzle onto one or more of the surface of the body of waste water and a wall of the well; and

evacuating a portion of the body of waste water through an outflow main.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the flow of the additive is controlled based on a measurement of a level of the one or more contaminants in the well.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the additive includes ozone.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

measuring a concentration of at least one contaminant in the outflow main; and

causing a downstream treatment station to mix the additive with the evacuated portion of waste water when the measured concentration of the at least one contaminant exceeds a predetermined threshold concentration.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the additive comprises ozone, and wherein the outflow main is a force main, and further comprising the steps of:

detecting a flow of waste water in the force main; and

causing a downstream treatment station to introduce ozone to the force main when waste water is flowing in the force main.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the additive comprises one or more of ozone and oxygen, and further comprising the steps of:

measuring a concentration of at least one contaminant in the well; and

causing an upstream treatment station to pre-treat waste water in the inflow main with the additive based on the measured concentration of the at least one contaminant in the well.

20. A control system for managing waste water treatment, comprising:

a first sensor provided in a well of a collection station, the first sensor monitoring a contaminant level in the well;

a second sensor provided in an outflow main, the second sensor monitoring a contaminant level in the outflow main;

a pump provided in the collection station, wherein the pump operates to evacuate waste water from the well when the volume of waste water in the well exceeds a predetermined threshold volume;

a dispersion assembly deployed within the collection station and adapted to mix a portion of the waste water from the well with ozone received from an ozone generator, and configured to spray one or more of a wall of the well and a surface of the volume of waste water in the well with a mixture of the ozone and the waste water; and

an outflow main treatment system operable to mix a portion of the waste water from the outflow main with ozone received from the ozone generator and configured to reintroduce the mixed ozone and waste water from the outflow main into the outflow main,

wherein a processor controls the rate at which ozone is provided to the dispersion assembly and to the outflow main treatment system based on measurements of contaminants received from the first and second sensors, and wherein the processor is configurable to maintain the level of contaminants in the well and the outflow main below a desired threshold level.