# US 2019/0169047 A1 · Systems and processes for the treatment of waste streams allowing direct activated carbon and membrane contact > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0169047 A1 - Document ID: US20190169047A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/318,218 - Filed: 2017-07-20 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-25 - Assignees: Siemens Energy, Inc. - Applicants: Siemens Energy, Inc. - Inventors: William Cunningham; Philip A. Burclaff; Chad L. Felch; Andrea J. Larson; Duane R. Smith; Simon Larson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169047A1 ## CPC - C02F 1/283: {using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them} - B01D 61/08: Apparatus therefor - B01D 61/16: Feed pretreatment - B01D 61/422: {Electrodialysis} - B01D 61/58: Multistep processes - B01D 71/024: {Oxides} - B01D 71/36: Polytetrafluoroethylene - C02F 1/444: {by ultrafiltration or microfiltration} - B01D 61/025: {Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration} - B01D 61/027: {Nanofiltration} - B01D 61/04: Feed pretreatment - B01D 61/145: {Ultrafiltration} - B01D 61/147: {Microfiltration} - B01D 61/18: Apparatus therefor - B01D 71/025: {Aluminium oxide} - B01D 2311/04: Specific process operations in the feed stream; Feed pretreatment - B01D 2311/2626: Absorption or adsorption - B01D 2311/2688: Biological processes - B01D 2315/06: Submerged-type; Immersion type - C02F 1/441: {by reverse osmosis} - C02F 3/1273: {Submerged membrane bioreactors} - C02F 2103/16: from metallurgical processes, i.e. from the production, refining or treatment of metals, e.g. galvanic wastes - C02F 2103/365: {from petrochemical industry (e.g. refineries)} - C02F 2303/16: Regeneration of sorbents, filters - Y02W 10/10: Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract The present invention enables a high suspended solids (SS) liquor (16) (at least about 10 g/L) comprising activated carbon (30) to be contacted with one or more membranes (14) of a membrane unit (12) to efficiently treat a waste stream (24) for contaminant removal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A treatment process comprising: contacting a high suspended solids liquor comprising at least a waste stream and powdered activated carbon therein with one or more membranes of a membrane unit to generate a filtrate, wherein the high suspended solids liquor comprises a suspended solids concentration of at least 10 g/L, wherein the high suspended solids liquor further comprises an amount of biological material, and wherein a weight ratio of the powdered activated carbon to the biological material is from 1:1 to 5:1. ### Claim 2 (canceled) ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The treatment process of claim 1, wherein the suspended solids concentration is from 12 g/L to 40 g/L. ### Claim 4 (canceled) ### Claim 5 (canceled) ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The treatment system of claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of the activated carbon to the biological material is 3:1 to 4:1. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The treatment process of claim 1, further comprising delivering the filtrate from the one or more membranes to a polishing unit (72) to further reduce an amount of inorganic material from the filtrate (18). ### Claim 8 (canceled) ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The treatment process of claim 1, wherein the waste stream is from a refinery process. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The treatment process of claim 1, wherein the one or more membranes comprise a ceramic material. ### Claim 11 (canceled) ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The treatment process of claim 1, wherein the one or more membranes comprise polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). ### Claim 13 (canceled) ### Claim 14 (canceled) ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The treatment process of claim 13, wherein the removing organic contaminants is done in a vessel comprising the powdered activated carbon upstream from the membrane unit, wherein the process further comprises delivering an effluent from the vessel to the membrane unit, and the wherein the effluent from the vessel comprises the high suspended solids liquor. ### Claim 16 (canceled) ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The treatment process of claim 1, further comprising regenerating an amount of spent activated carbon from the membrane unit in a wet air oxidation unit. ### Claim 18 A treatment process comprising: directing an amount of waste stream comprising an amount of organic contaminants therein to a vessel comprising powdered activated carbon therein to remove the organic contaminants from the waste stream; and directing a high suspended solids liquor (16) from the vessel to a membrane unit in fluid communication with the vessel to remove solids from the high suspended solids liquor; wherein a suspended solids (SS) concentration comprising the powdered activated carbon in the high suspended solids liquor is at least 10 g/L, wherein the high suspended solids liquor further comprises an amount of biological material, and wherein a weight ratio of the powdered activated carbon to the biological material is from 1:1 to 5:1. ### Claim 19 A treatment system comprising: a membrane unit comprising one or more membranes in contact with a high suspended solids liquor comprising powdered activated carbon and a waste stream comprising organic contaminants and suspended solids, wherein the high suspended solids liquor comprises a suspended solids concentration of at least 10 g/L, wherein the high suspended solids liquor further comprises an amount of biological material, and wherein a weight ratio of the powdered activated carbon to the biological material is from 1:1 to 5:1. ### Claim 20 (canceled) ### Claim 21 (canceled) ### Claim 22 (canceled) ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The treatment system of claim 19, wherein a weight ratio of the powdered activated carbon to the biological material is 3:1 to 4:1. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The treatment system of claim 19, further comprising a polishing unit downstream of the membrane unit and in fluid communication therewith, wherein the polishing unit is configured to further reduce an amount of inorganic material in a filtrate from the membrane unit. ### Claim 25 (canceled) ### Claim 26 (canceled) ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) The treatment system of claim 19, wherein the one or more membranes comprise a ceramic material. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The treatment system of claim 27, wherein the ceramic material comprises a metal oxide material. ### Claim 29 (canceled) ### Claim 30 (depends on 19) The treatment system of claim 19, wherein the one or more membranes comprise polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). ### Claim 31 (canceled) ### Claim 32 (depends on 19) The treatment system of claim 19, wherein the system comprises a vessel comprising an amount of powdered activated carbon therein upstream from the membrane unit. ### Claim 33 (depends on 19) The treatment system of claim 19, wherein the system comprises a bioreactor comprising an amount of powdered activated carbon and a biological material therein upstream from the membrane unit, the bioreactor configured to remove an amount of organic contaminants from the waste stream and deliver an effluent comprising the high suspended solids liquor to the membrane unit. ### Claim 34 A treatment system comprising: a waste stream source; a bioreactor comprising powdered activated carbon and a biomass in fluid communication with the waste stream source, wherein the bioreactor is configured to generate a high suspended solids liquor having a suspended solids concentration of at least 10 g/L, and wherein a weight ratio of the powdered activated carbon to the biomass in the bioreactor is from 1:1 to 5:1; and a membrane unit comprising one or more membranes in fluid communication with the bioreactor and configured to receive the high suspended solids liquor from the bioreactor. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The treatment system of claim 34, further comprising a polishing unit downstream of and in fluid communication with the membrane unit (12), the polishing unit selected from the group consisting of a nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, ion exchange, electrodionization, continuous electrodionization, and an electrodialysis reversal unit. ### Claim 36 (canceled) ### Claim 37 (canceled) ### Claim 38 (canceled) ### Claim 39 (canceled) ### Claim 40 (canceled)