Dual stage bioreactor system for removing selenium from water
OwnerTimothy Michael Pickett, James John Petersoninventors
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Abstract
The present invention provides, in at least one embodiment, an upflow bioreactor removes trapped gases within the bed that effect water flow and a downflow bioreactor removes carbonaceous compounds and retains the particulate elemental selenium. The system integrates biological selenium reduction with biological filtration (via the downflow bioreactor) and an optional membrane filtration. The membrane filtration removes residual selenium and other particulate matter, which would get into the effluent. In one embodiment, the novelty of the invention is the utilization of an upflow bioreactor followed by a downflow bioreactor applied to selenium removal.
Claims7
A system comprising:
- an upflow bioreactor having a bed, the upflow reactor configured to precipitate, concentrate, and biologically reduce dissolved selenium from water, wherein the water flows upwards in the upflow bioreactor, wherein the upward flow of water removes trapped gasses from the bed, wherein the upflow bioreactor creates carbonaceous compounds and particulate selenium in the water;
- and
- a downflow bioreactor coupled to the upflow bioreactor, the downflow bioreactor configured to filter the carbonaceous compounds and configured to filter the particulate selenium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.