Apparatus and process for biological wastewater treatment
First Claim
1. A wastewater treatment facility comprising:
- an inlet flow path for receiving wastewater from a source;
a primary treatment system including;
a first tank for containing wastewater received through said inlet flow path;
a plurality of rotating media wheels mounted in said first tank for rotation within the wastewater and each containing a bacterial colony capable of digesting organic carbon in the wastewater and respiring CO2, and each media wheel including surfaces for supporting algal growth, said surfaces arranged to be alternately immersed in the wastewater and exposed to sunlight;
an air supply disposed within said first tank and having a plurality of outlets directed at a corresponding one of said plurality of media wheels to rotate said wheels within the wastewater and operable to aerate the wastewater; and
a primary outlet for discharge of effluent treated by said primary treatment system after contact with the bacteria and algae;
a secondary treatment system including;
a second tank for receiving the effluent discharged from said primary outlet of said primary treatment system;
a plurality of media wheels, each configured substantially identical to said media wheels in said primary treatment system;
an air supply disposed within said second tank and configured substantially identical to said air supply of said primary treatment system; and
a secondary outlet for discharge of effluent treated by said secondary treatment system after contact with the bacteria and algae.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A self-sustaining wastewater treatment facility abates greenhouse gas abatement, captures CO2 and produces biomass to address multiple critical environmental needs. The facility includes an array of rotating media wheels that create an optimum ordered mixing of algae for sustained growth. Biomass harvested from the rotating media wheels may be provided to other processing facilities to produce, for instance, bio-fuels. Waste CO2 from the processing facility may also be returned to the treatment system for enhanced algae growth. Bacteria are provided to form a symbiotic relationship with the algae, fueled by sunlight to effectively remove toxic materials from the wastewater. The multi-functional facility may also be integrated into a regenerative facility in which the biomass obtained from the algal and bacterial colonies is used in a separate facility and byproducts of the operation of the separate facility are used by the multi-functional facility to fuel further algal growth.
21 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A wastewater treatment facility comprising:
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an inlet flow path for receiving wastewater from a source; a primary treatment system including; a first tank for containing wastewater received through said inlet flow path; a plurality of rotating media wheels mounted in said first tank for rotation within the wastewater and each containing a bacterial colony capable of digesting organic carbon in the wastewater and respiring CO2, and each media wheel including surfaces for supporting algal growth, said surfaces arranged to be alternately immersed in the wastewater and exposed to sunlight; an air supply disposed within said first tank and having a plurality of outlets directed at a corresponding one of said plurality of media wheels to rotate said wheels within the wastewater and operable to aerate the wastewater; and a primary outlet for discharge of effluent treated by said primary treatment system after contact with the bacteria and algae; a secondary treatment system including; a second tank for receiving the effluent discharged from said primary outlet of said primary treatment system; a plurality of media wheels, each configured substantially identical to said media wheels in said primary treatment system; an air supply disposed within said second tank and configured substantially identical to said air supply of said primary treatment system; and a secondary outlet for discharge of effluent treated by said secondary treatment system after contact with the bacteria and algae. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification