BIOLOGICAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT METHOD

• US 20120152829A1
• Filed: 06/21/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kellogg Brown & Root LLC (KBR Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Kellogg Brown & Root LLC (KBR Incorporated)
• Inventors: Henderson, Garry Mark, Connor, Thomas Blair
• Application Number:
  US13/391,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20120152829A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/604
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/44 by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis general membrane separation processes B01D61/00, membrane modules B01D63/00, electrodialysis C02F1/4693, combination of membrane modules and bioreactors C02F3/1268
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 11/04 Anaerobic treatment; Production of methane by such processes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/106 Thermophilic treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/1268 Membrane bioreactor systems
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/325 as symbiotic combination of algae and bacteria
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/20 Sludge processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of treating wastewater, and includes capturing carbon dioxide and oxygen produced during treatment of the wastewater by a wastewater treatment system, and using the captured carbon dioxide and oxygen to promote the growth of algae contained within the wastewater treatment system.

Claims

1. A method of treating wastewater, the method including the steps of:

capturing carbon dioxide and oxygen produced during treatment of the wastewater by a wastewater treatment system; and

using the captured carbon dioxide and oxygen to promote the growth of algae contained within the wastewater treatment system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wastewater treatment system comprises a population of bacteria.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the bacteria are anaerobic bacteria.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the carbon dioxide is from anaerobic digestion of constituents found in the wastewater.

5. The method of any one of claim 1-4, wherein the carbon dioxide is captured at night.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the captured carbon dioxide is used during the day.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the oxygen is from the algae contained within the wastewater treatment system.

8. The method of any one of claim 1-7, wherein the oxygen is captured during the day.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the captured oxygen is used during the night.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wastewater treatment system comprises a membrane operating system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the wastewater treatment system comprises a membrane biological reactor.

12. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

capturing methane produced during treatment of the wastewater by a wastewater treatment system.

13. The method of any one of claim 1-12, wherein the algae comprises a Spirulina spp.

14. The method of any one of claim 1-12, wherein the algae comprises lipid- or oil-producing algae selected from the group consisting of bacillariophytes, chlorophytes, cyanophytes, and chrysophytes.

15. A method of treating wastewater as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawing.