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

• US 6,758,972 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Luc Vriens, Ron Gerards
• Original Assignee: Luc Vriens, Ron Gerards
• Inventors: Vriens, Luc, Gerards, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Prince, Fred G.
• Application Number:
  US10/220,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20030038080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 210/605, 210/621, 210/622, 210/623, 210/630, 210/252, 210/259, 210/260, 210/903, 210/906
• 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, constant level, activated sludge process for treating wastewater, comprising, in a first phase of operation:

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

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

(c) passing the metabolised wastewater-sludge mixture to a current 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 (A, B, C) of the series to become a new last compartment (A,B,C) for separation of biomass and effluent in a new phase of operation, by temporarily stopping circulation to and from this compartment (A,B,C), this compartment (A,B,C) not being the current last compartment (D) while discharging from the current last compartment (D) and receipt of the waste water into the compartment is maintained during the preparation step to provide continuous flow,

(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,

(g) repeating step (f) to rotatively cycle the operation of the compartments.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the at least one subsequent compartment (B, C, D) comprises at least a last subsequent compartment (C), the wastewater-sludge mixture from the last subsequent compartment (C) is passed in step (c) to the current last compartment (D), and the last subsequent compartment (C) is prepared in step (e) to become the last separation compartment in the new phase of operation.

3. An activated sludge wastewater process for treating wastewater according to claim 1,

wherein in step (e) sludge transport is through compartments, other then the compartment (C) being prepared, in a reverse direction.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein the first compartment (A) is prepared in step (e) to become the last separation compartment in the new phase of operation.

5. A process according to claim 4, wherein in step (e) sludge transport is through compartments other than the compartment (A) being prepared in the same direction.

6. A process according to claim 1, characterised in that it furthermore comprises the step of discharging biosolids from the last compartment (D).

7. A process according to claim 1, 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.

8. A process according to claim 7, characterised in that in at least one active compartment, during at least part of a phase, alternates between aerobic and anaerobic or anoxic states.

9. A process according to claim 1, characterised in that biomass is separated from effluent by sedimentation.

10. A biological reactor comprising:

(a) a series of at least three 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 the at least one subsequent compartment (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 (A,B,C) of the series which is not the current last compartment (D) to become a new last compartment (A,B,C) for separation of biomass from effluent in a new phase of operation, the means for preparing being adapted to temporarily stop circulation to and from the compartment (A,B,C) being prepared and to maintain discharge from the current last compartment (D) and receipt of waste water into a compartment to provide continuous flow, the compartment (A,B,C) being prepared not being the current last compartment (D) and,

(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 and all compartments follow the same symmetrical functional cycle of reaction and separation in a rotation cycle.

11. A biological reactor according to claim 10, wherein all the compartments are identical in equipment.

12. A biological reactor according to claim 10, wherein each compartment is filled up to a certain level, and the reactor is adapted to maintain the levels in the compartments substantially constant during activation and sedimentation.

13. A biological reactor according to claim 10, wherein the compartment to be prepared is the next adjacent upstream compartment to the last current compartment in the series.

14. A biological reactor according to claim 10, wherein the compartment to be prepared is the first compartment in the series.

15. A biological reactor according to claim 13, wherein the preparing means are adapted so that transport of sludge is through compartments other than the compartment (C) being prepared.