Membrane supported biofilm apparatus
First Claim
1. A bioreactor having,a tank for holding water to be treated containing both a suspended growth biomass and a plurality of gas permeable hollow fiber membranes supporting a plurality of biofilms each having a thickness of over 100 microns;
- a solids separation device downstream of the tank;
a recycle of separated solids from the solids separation device to the tank; and
,an aerator in the tank.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A membrane supported biofilm apparatus has a plurality of hollow fiber gas permeable membranes in a tank containing water to be treated. A biofilm supported on the membranes occupies between about 40% and 80% of the volume of water to be treated in a reactor. Wastewater treatment processes are described. A process to denitrify water or treat oxidized contaminants comprises introducing hydrogen into an inner volume of the membranes to grow autotrophic organisms in the biofilm near the membrane and heterotrophic organism near the water. Another process is operated as a biomass concentration of at least 10 g/L and up to about 40 g/L to maintain a biofilm having a surface area of over 1000 square meters per cubic meter of tank volume. A hybrid process has suspended biomass and a membrane supported biofilm.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A bioreactor having,
a tank for holding water to be treated containing both a suspended growth biomass and a plurality of gas permeable hollow fiber membranes supporting a plurality of biofilms each having a thickness of over 100 microns; -
a solids separation device downstream of the tank; a recycle of separated solids from the solids separation device to the tank; and
,an aerator in the tank. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification