Systems and methods for treating oil, fat and grease in collection systems

• US 9,969,633 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2010
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Innovators Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Robert Whiteman
• Inventors: Whiteman, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Tate, Chris R
• Assistant Examiner(s): White, Douglas F
• Application Number:
  US12/697,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20100193430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,025 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/05 Conductivity or salinity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/08 Chemical Oxygen Demand [COD]; Biological Oxygen Demand [BOD]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/10 Solids, e.g. total solids [TS], total suspended solids [TSS] or volatile solids [VS]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/11 Turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/22 O2
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/42 Liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/12 Prevention of foaming
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2305/06 Nutrients for stimulating the growth of microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/00 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage C02F1/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/006 Regulation methods for biological treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/12 Activated sludge processes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/28 Anaerobic digestion processes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/34 characterised by the microorganisms used
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/348 characterised by the way or the form in which the microorganisms are added or dosed
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Abstract

The present invention relates to apparatus, methods, and applications for treating wastewater collection systems contaminated with fats, oils and grease (FOG), such as wet wells, transfer or lift stations, or main sewer lines, and more particularly to biological processes for removing the FOG from wastewater. This invention further relates to apparatus and methods for growing microbes on-site at a wastewater treatment facility or FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system location, and for economically inoculating sufficient microbes to solve various treatment problems rapidly.

Claims

1. A method of reducing fat, oil, and/or grease (FOG) in a FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system, the method being performed on-site at the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system location and comprising the steps of:

providing an on-site system for growing of FOG-degrading microbes at the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system location, the on-site system comprising;

a main tank, an input for water, an output for a treatment batch, a mixing apparatus, and a temperature control apparatus, whereby the temperature is maintained at a predetermined temperature;

depositing nutrient, water and an inoculum comprising FOG-degrading microbes into the on-site system;

wherein the microbes in the inoculum are not isolated, concentrated or freeze dried;

growing the inoculum in the on-site system to provide a treatment batch comprising an increased number of the FOG-degrading microbes;

providing an aeration device, wherein the aeration device is placed on-site and adjacent to the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system and the on-site system, the aeration device providing a sufficient aeration to agitate the surface of the wastewater in the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system; and

,

directly applying at least a portion of the treatment batch, said portion containing at least 10⁶ cfu/ml FOG-degrading microbes, to the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system, such that the FOG-degrading microbes are not isolated, concentrated or freeze dried between the steps of growing and applying, and wherein the FOG-degrading microbes reduce FOG in the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system as measured by at least one of the following biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon or total carbon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the aeration device is a 100 cfm air blower or a compressor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the aeration device provides oxygen at a rate from about 20 scfm to about 200 scfm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the inoculum comprises indigenous microbes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inoculum comprises exogenous microbes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the inoculum comprises aerobic microbes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system is a wet well.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system is a transfer station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system is a main sewer line.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment batch comprises the FOG-degrading microbes in a concentration of at least 10⁹ cfu/ml.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment batch comprises the FOG-degrading microbes in a concentration of 10⁶ cfu/ml to 10¹⁰ cfu/ml.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment batch comprises the FOG-degrading microbes in a concentration of 10⁷ cfu/ml to 10¹⁰ cfu/ml.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment batch comprises the FOG-degrading microbes in a concentration of 10⁹ cfu/ml to 10¹⁰ cfu/ml.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the inoculum comprises the FOG-degrading microbes in a concentration of 10³ cfu/ml to 10⁸ cfu/ml.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the inoculum comprises the FOG-degrading microbes in a concentration of 10⁶ cfu/ml to 10⁷ cfu/ml.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the treatment batch applied to the FOG-contaminated wastewater provides a FOG-degrading microbe concentration in the contaminated wastewater of at least 10³ cfu/ml.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the treatment batch applied to the FOG-contaminated wastewater provides a FOG-degrading microbe concentration in the contaminated wastewater of at least 10⁴ cfu/ml.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying comprises releasing the portion of the treatment batch form the on-site system directly into the FOG-contaminated wastewater.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the on-site system is mobile.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the microbes are deposited into the on-site system as a liquid mother culture.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the microbes are deposited into the on-site system as a dried culture in a water-soluble package.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein growing comprises heating and mixing the inoculum, water and nutrient to provide the treatment batch.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing comprises aerating the inoculum.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing comprises heating, mixing and aerating the inoculum, water and nutrient to provide the treatment batch.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the depositing comprises adding a defoamer to the on-site system.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing comprises adding a defoamer to the on-site system.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying is through a spray nozzle device.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the on-site system comprises a pre-tank and growing comprises heating and mixing the inoculum in the pre-tank;

transferring the contents of the pre-tank into the main tank; and

heating and mixing the inoculum in the main tank.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein the growing comprises heating and mixing the inoculum in the main tank to provide the treatment batch;

transferring the contents of the main tank into a holding tank; and

applying at least a portion the treatment batch from the holding tank to the wastewater.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the FOG comprises substances listed as Federal Priority pollutants.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying is through a network of spray nozzle devices.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying comprises releasing at least a portion of the treatment batch, said portion containing the FOG-degrading microbes, into the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system at a first FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system location;

and releasing another portion of the treatment batch, said portion containing the FOG-degrading microbes, into the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system at a second FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system location.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the FOG-degrading microbes are deposited into the on-site system as a liquid inoculum.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the FOG-degrading microbes are deposited into the on-site system as a dried culture in a water-soluble package.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating and mixing the inoculum, water and nutrient to provide the treatment batch.

36. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the contents of the main tank into a holding tank;

and applying at least a portion of the treatment batch from the holding tank to the FOG-contaminated wastewater in the contaminated wastewater collection system.

37. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing a defoamer to the on-site system.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein the on-site system comprises a pre-tank for growing inoculum.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein the contents of the main tank are monitored from a remote location.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the treatment batch is used 42 to re-inoculate a subsequent growing.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein the FOG-degrading microbes are in gelatin capsules.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein the FOG-degrading microbes are custom blended.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein the nutrient is in water soluble bags.

44. The method of claim 1, wherein the on-site system comprises multiple growth tanks.

45. The method of claim 1, wherein the main tank holds from about 250 gallons to about 1000 gallons.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein the nutrient comprises micronutrients, macronutrients, and carbon sources.

47. The method of claim 1 wherein the on-site system comprises a post-tank and growing comprises heating and mixing the inoculum in the main tank;

transferring the contents of the main tank into the post-tank.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the growing comprises heating, mixing and aerating the inoculum in the post-tank.

49. The method of claim 1 wherein the growing comprises heating and mixing the inoculum in the main tank and wherein the contents of the main tank are monitored from a remote location.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the temperature of the contents is monitored.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein the growing comprises aerating the inoculum in the main tank.

52. The method of claim 1 wherein the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system comprises FOG-contaminated wastewater in a biological wastewater system.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system is a system selected from the group consisting of aerobic, anaerobic and facultative.

54. The method of claim 1, wherein the wastewater comprises wastewater in an aerobic biological wastewater system.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein the aerobic biological wastewater system is selected from the group consisting of an activated sludge system, an aerated lagoon, a single pass lagoon system, a stabilization pond, an aerobic stabilization basin, a rotating biological contactor, and a trickling filter.

56. A method for extending the time between consecutive pumping-out of fat, oil and/or grease (FOG) from a FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system comprising:

providing an on site system for growing of FOG-degrading microbes at a FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system location, the on-site system comprising;

a main tank, an input for water, an output for a treatment batch, a mixing apparatus, and a temperature control apparatus, whereby the temperature is maintained at a predetermined temperature;

depositing nutrient, water and an inoculum comprising the FOG-degrading microbes in the on-site system;

wherein the microbes in the inoculum are not isolated, concentrated or freeze dried;

growing the inoculum in the on-site system to provide a treatment batch comprising an increased number of the FOG-degrading microbes;

providing an aeration device, wherein the aeration device is placed on-site and adjacent to the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system and the on-site system, the aeration device providing a sufficient aeration to agitate the surface of the wastewater in the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system; and

,

directly applying at least a portion of the treatment batch, said portion containing at least 10⁶ cfu/ml FOG-degrading microbes, to the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system, such that the FOG-degrading microbes are not isolated, concentrated or freeze dried between the steps of the growing and applying, and wherein the FOG-degrading microbes reduce FOG in the FOG-contaminated wastewater collection system.