System and method for treating effluent
AssigneeBayer Aktiengesellschaft
InventorDale Andrew WATCHMAN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for treating liquid effluent, the effluent including contaminants capable of biodegradation, using biodegradation beds. While the effluent holding tank is housed within a containment facility in the event of holding tank rupture or leakage, the biodegradation beds and an excess effluent sump are housed adjacent but outside the containment facility. In some aspects, the biodegradation beds are covered with generally transparent covers to allow sunlight to heat the bed contents and effluent for degradation and evaporation purposes while avoiding introduction of unwanted ambient precipitation.
Claims44
A system for treating liquid effluent, the effluent comprising contaminants capable of biodegradation, the system comprising:
- a tank intake line for feeding the effluent to a holding tank;
- a containment facility for housing the holding tank;
- a tank outlet line for removing the effluent from the holding tank;
- a pump on the tank outlet line for pumping the effluent out of the holding tank;
- a line exit at a terminal end of the tank outlet line, the line exit positioned outside the containment facility;
- at least one biodegradation bed situated beneath the line exit and outside the containment facility, the at least one biodegradation bed configured for receipt of the effluent from the line exit, the at least one biodegradation bed comprising organic material and microorganisms, the organic material and microorganisms suitable for degrading the contaminants in the effluent as the effluent passes downwardly through the at least one biodegradation bed by gravity, thereby producing a treated stream;
- a bed outlet line for removing the treated stream from the at least one biodegradation bed;
- an overflow line for removing excess amounts of the effluent from the at least one biodegradation bed and directing the excess amounts to a sump tank positioned outside the containment facility;
- and
- an excess amounts reintroduction line for directing at least a portion of the excess amounts from the sump tank to the holding tank.
A method for treating liquid effluent, the effluent comprising contaminants capable of biodegradation, the method comprising:
- a. retaining the effluent within a containment facility;
- b. directing the effluent from the containment facility to at least one biodegradation bed outside the containment facility, the at least one biodegradation bed comprising organic material and microorganisms, the organic material and microorganisms suitable for degrading the contaminants in the effluent;
- c. allowing the effluent to pass downwardly through the at least one biodegradation bed by gravity;
- d. allowing the organic material and microorganisms to degrade the contaminants in the effluent, thereby producing a treated stream;
- e. directing the treated stream to a sump tank outside the containment facility;
- and
- f. directing at least a portion of the treated stream from the sump tank back into the containment facility.
A system for treating liquid effluent, the effluent comprising contaminants capable of biodegradation, the system comprising:
- a tank intake line for feeding the effluent to a holding tank;
- a tank outlet line for removing the effluent from the holding tank;
- a pump on the tank outlet line for pumping the effluent out of the holding tank;
- a line exit at a terminal end of the tank outlet line;
- at least one biodegradation bed situated beneath the line exit, the at least one biodegradation bed configured for receipt of the effluent from the line exit, the at least one biodegradation bed comprising organic material and microorganisms, the organic material and microorganisms suitable for degrading the contaminants in the effluent as the effluent passes downwardly through the at least one biodegradation bed by gravity, thereby producing a treated stream;
- a bed outlet line for removing the treated stream from the at least one biodegradation bed;
- and
- a substantially transparent cover for the at least one biodegradation bed, the substantially transparent cover configured to avoid ambient precipitation entry into the at least one biodegradation bed and suitable for allowing sunlight to pass therethrough and assist in evaporation of the effluent in the at least one biodegradation bed.
A method for treating liquid effluent, the effluent comprising contaminants capable of biodegradation, the method comprising:
- a. retaining the effluent;
- b. directing the effluent to at least one biodegradation bed, the at least one biodegradation bed comprising organic material and microorganisms, the organic material and microorganisms suitable for degrading the contaminants in the effluent, the at least one biodegradation bed comprising a substantially transparent cover;
- c. allowing the effluent to pass downwardly through the at least one biodegradation bed by gravity;
- d. allowing sunlight to pass through the substantially transparent cover and heat the organic material and microorganisms and the effluent;
- and
- e. allowing the organic material and microorganisms to degrade the contaminants in the effluent, thereby producing a treated stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.