System and method for treating wastewater via phototactic heterotrophic microorganism growth
First Claim
1. A wastewater treatment and biomass cultivation method, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an aerated bioreactor supporting a population of a phototactic heterotrophic microorganism;
supplying to the aerated bioreactor a wastewater influent having nutrients and an organic carbon substrate for growth of the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population;
cultivating the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to convert at least a portion of the nutrients and the organic carbon substrate into the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population, the wastewater influent and the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population together forming a bioreactor effluent;
transferring the bioreactor effluent from the bioreactor to a light clarifier;
concentrating the bioreactor effluent in the light clarifier to form a low-solids effluent and a high-solids effluent, the concentration performed by inducing the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to phototactically self concentrate by exposing the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to a source of light having at least one of an intensity and a wavelength sufficient to cause the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to migrate away from the source of light, wherein the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population is concentrated to form the high-solids effluent;
dewatering the high-solids effluent to form a concentrated biomass paste; and
processing the low-solids effluent to form a treated water stream.
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Abstract
A wastewater treatment method includes the steps of supplying a wastewater influent having nutrients for a population of phototactic heterotrophic microorganisms to an aerated bioreactor. At least a portion of the nutrients is converted into the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population. The wastewater influent and the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population together form a bioreactor effluent that is transferred to a light clarifier. The bioreactor effluent is concentrated in the light clarifier to form a low-solids effluent and a high-solids effluent. The concentration is performed by inducing the population of phototactic heterotrophic microorganisms to phototactically self concentrate through exposure to a light having at least one of an intensity and a wavelength sufficient to cause the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to migrate away from a source of the light. The high-solids effluent is then dewatered to form a concentrated biomass paste. The low-solids effluent is further processed to form a treated water stream.
83 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A wastewater treatment and biomass cultivation method, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing an aerated bioreactor supporting a population of a phototactic heterotrophic microorganism; supplying to the aerated bioreactor a wastewater influent having nutrients and an organic carbon substrate for growth of the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population; cultivating the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to convert at least a portion of the nutrients and the organic carbon substrate into the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population, the wastewater influent and the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population together forming a bioreactor effluent; transferring the bioreactor effluent from the bioreactor to a light clarifier; concentrating the bioreactor effluent in the light clarifier to form a low-solids effluent and a high-solids effluent, the concentration performed by inducing the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to phototactically self concentrate by exposing the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to a source of light having at least one of an intensity and a wavelength sufficient to cause the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to migrate away from the source of light, wherein the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population is concentrated to form the high-solids effluent; dewatering the high-solids effluent to form a concentrated biomass paste; and processing the low-solids effluent to form a treated water stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for cultivating biomass, comprising:
an aerated bioreactor supporting a population of a phototactic heterotrophic microorganism and configured to receive an influent stream having nutrients and an organic carbon substrate for growth of the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population, the influent stream and the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population together forming a bioreactor effluent. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A biomass cultivation method, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing an aerated bioreactor supporting a population of a phototactic heterotrophic microorganism; supplying to the aerated bioreactor an influent stream having nutrients and an organic carbon substrate for the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population; cultivating the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to convert at least a portion of the nutrients and organic carbon substrate into the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population, the influent stream and the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population together forming a bioreactor effluent; and at least one of concentrating the bioreactor effluent in the light clarifier to form a low-solids effluent and a high-solids effluent, the concentration performed by inducing the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to phototactically self concentrate by exposing the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to a source of light having at least one of an intensity and a wavelength sufficient to cause the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to migrate away from the source of light, wherein the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population is concentrated to form the high-solids effluent, treating the bioreactor effluent with a base to form the low-solids effluent and the high-solids effluent, wherein the base lyses at least a portion of the heterotrophic microorganism population in the bioreactor effluent, and wherein the lysed heterotrophic microorganism population precipitates to form the high-solids effluent, introducing a flocculent to the bioreactor effluent to induce a rapid settling of at least a portion of the heterotrophic microorganism population to form the low-solids effluent and the high-solids effluent, filtering the bioreactor effluent through a membrane filter to remove at least a portion of the phototactic heterotrophic microorganism population to form the low-solids effluent and the high-solids effluent, and separating the bioreactor effluent into the low-solids effluent and the high-solids effluent by dissolved air flotation. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification