System and Method for Biological Wastewater Treatment and for Using the Byproduct Thereof

• US 20080135475A1
• Filed: 12/17/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christopher A. Limcaco
• Original Assignee: Christopher A. Limcaco
• Inventors: Limcaco, Christopher A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,736,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/602
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/76 with halogens or compounds of halogens C02F1/4674 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/24 Separation of coarse particles, e.g. by using sieves or screens
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2305/06 Nutrients for stimulating the growth of microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/082 Rotating biological contactors
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/32 characterised by the animals or plants used, e.g. algae
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 7/00 Fertilisers from waste water, sewage sludge, sea slime, ooze or similar masses
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/023 Methane
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/08 produced as by-product or from waste or cellulosic material substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/20 Fertilizers of biological origin, e.g. guano or fertilizers made from animal corpses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/40 Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse

Abstract

A wastewater treatment system and process biologically treats wastewater to produce substantially clean water effluent and byproducts. The treatment system includes an array of media wheels that rotate into and out of exposure to sunlight for sustained algae growth. One byproduct is algae removed from the rotating media wheels, which may be provided to other processing facilities to produce, for instance, bio-diesel fuel. Waste CO₂ from the processing facility may also be returned to the treatment system for enhanced algae growth. Bacteria is provided to form a symbiotic relationship with the algae, fueled by sunlight to effectively remove toxic materials from the wastewater. Large scale facilities may integrate the treatment systems in a regenerative cycle in which the biomass obtained from the algal colonies is used in a separate facility and byproducts of the operation of the separate facility are used by the treatment system to fuel further algal growth.

Claims

1. A wastewater treatment facility comprising:

an inlet flow path for receiving wastewater from a source outside the treatment facility;

a secondary treatment system connected to said intake for receiving wastewater therefrom, said secondary treatment system including;

a tank for containing wastewater received through said intake; and

at least one media wheel configured for growth of algae thereon, said media wheel mounted for rotation within said tank so that a portion of the media wheel is immersed in wastewater during rotation and a portion of the media wheel is above the wastewater during rotation to alternately expose algae growing on the media wheel to sunlight and to the wastewater; and

an effluent flow path connected to said tank for discharging wastewater that has been treated by said secondary treatment system.

2. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 1, wherein said inlet flow path includes a primary tank having connectable between the source of wastewater and said tank of said secondary treatment system.

3. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 2, wherein said primary tank is buried underground.

4. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 3, wherein said primary tank includes an access port accessible above ground.

5. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 2, wherein said primary tank includes an internal weir defining a settling area for settling of solids contained in the wastewater.

6. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 1, wherein said effluent flow path includes a tertiary tank connected to said tank of said secondary treatment system for receiving wastewater treated therein.

7. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 5, wherein said tertiary tank is buried underground.

8. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 7, wherein said tertiary tank includes an access opening accessible above ground.

9. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 6, wherein said tertiary tank includes a discharge outlet and an effluent filter for removing solids from effluent discharged through said outlet.

10. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 1, wherein said effluent flow path includes a clarifier configured for extracting bio-solids from wastewater treated by said secondary treatment system.

11. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 1, wherein said effluent flow path includes a chlorine disinfection chamber.

12. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 1, wherein said effluent flow path includes an aeration component.

13. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 1, wherein said secondary treatment system includes an array of several media wheels, each receiving wastewater from said inlet flow path.

14. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 13, wherein said inlet flow path includes:

an intake channel bordering a wall of said tank;

a diverter plate at an upper edge of said wall of said tank between said intake channel and said tank; and

a series of spaced notches along said diverter plate configured for controlled flow of wastewater from said intake channel through said notches into said tank.

15. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 13, wherein said outlet flow path includes:

an effluent channel bordering a wall of said tank;

a diverter plate at an upper edge of said wall of said tank between said effluent channel and said tank; and

a series of spaced notches along said diverter plate configured for controlled flow of wastewater from said tank through said notches into said effluent channel.

16. The wastewater treatment facility of claim 1, wherein at least said secondary treatment system is housed within a greenhouse.

17. A process for wastewater treatment comprising:

biologically treating wastewater in a treatment facility to produce a substantially clean effluent and a byproduct of biosolids;

extracting the biosolids from the treatment facility; and

providing the biosolids to a separate facility for processing the biosolids.

18. The wastewater treatment process of claim 17, wherein the separate facility includes one or more of a methane digester, a bio-fuel production facility, an ethanol production facility and a power generation plant.

19. The wastewater treatment process of claim 17, wherein the treatment facility uses algae to treat the wastewater.

20. The wastewater treatment process of claim 19, further comprising receiving waste CO₂ into the treatment facility to contribute to algae growth.

21. The wastewater treatment process of claim 17, wherein the biosolids includes algae collected from the treatment facility.

22. A process for wastewater treatment comprising:

operating a first treatment facility operable to biologically treat wastewater to produce a substantially clean effluent and a byproduct of biosolids;

extracting the biosolids from the first treatment facility;

providing the biosolids to a separate facility for processing the biosolids; and

recycling output from the separate facility back to the first treatment facility to affect its operation.

23. The wastewater treatment process of claim 22, wherein the separate facility is a power generation plant operable to generate electricity from the combustion of the biosolids.

24. The wastewater treatment process of claim 23, wherein the recycled output of the power generation plant is CO₂.

25. The wastewater treatment process of claim 24, wherein the CO₂ output from the power generation plant is substantially completely attributable to combustion of the biosolids.

26. The wastewater treatment process of claim 23, wherein the recycled output of the power generation plant is electricity that is supplied to the treatment facility to power electrical components thereof.

27. The wastewater treatment process of claim 22, further comprising:

operating an additional treatment facility to receive effluent from the first treatment facility and recycled output from the separate facility when the capacity of the first treatment facility to use the recycled output is exceeded.

28. The wastewater treatment process of claim 27, wherein additional treatment facilities are added until the operation of the separate facility is optimized.