Apparatus and process for removing ammonia nitrogen from waste water
AssigneeEcolotrol, Inc.
InventorJohn S. Jeris
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A biological process for removing ammonia nitrogen from waste water by forming a fluidized bed of microorganisms attached to a solid particulate carrier, continuously passing waste water to be treated through said fluidized bed, adding oxygen to said fluidized bed, retaining the waste water in the fluidized bed for a sufficient period of time while controlling other necessary parameters to biologically convert substantially all of the ammonia nitrogen to be removed from the waste water to oxidized forms of nitrogen, water and cellular material, and thence withdrawing the biologically converted products from the fluidized bed. In another form of the invention apparatus is provided for effecting the foregoing process.
Claims23
A biological process for removing ammonia nitrogen from waste water, which comprises
- forming a fluidized bed of a solid particulate carrier having a cultured layer of nitrifying microorganisms seeded thereon,
- continuously passing waste water to be treated through said fluidized bed,
- adding oxygen to said fluidized bed,
- retaining said waste water in said fluidized bed for a sufficient period of time while maintaining said fluidized bed at a sufficient temperature and while maintaining said fluidized bed under aerobic conditions to biologically convert substantially all of the ammonia nitrogen to be removed from the waste water to oxidized forms of nitrogen, water and cellular material, and
- continuously withdrawing said oxidized forms of nitrogen and water from said fluidized bed, and removing excess of said cellular material from said particulate carrier.
A biological process for removing ammonia nitrogen from waste water, which comprises
- forming a fluidized bed of a solid particulate carrier having a cultured layer of nitrifying microorganisms seeded thereon,
- continuously passing waste water to be treated through said fluidized bed,
- adding oxygen to said fluidized bed,
- retaining said waste water in said fluidized bed for a sufficient period of time while maintaining said fluidized bed at a sufficient temperature and while maintaining said fluidized bed under aerobic conditions to biologically convert substantially all of the ammonia nitrogen to be removed from the waste water to oxidized forms of nitrogen, water and cellular material,
- continuously withdrawing said oxidized forms of nitrogen and water from said fluidized bed, and
- withdrawing from said fluidized bed so said processed waste water together with at least some particulate carrier having excess cellular material thereon and passing same to a settling tank,
- retaining said so processed waste water together with said particulate carrier having excess cellular material thereon in said settling tank for a sufficient period of time to allow said particulate carrier having excess cellular material thereon to settle to the bottom of the tank,
- withdrawing said so processed waste water from the top of said settling tank,
- withdrawing said particulate carrier having excess cellular material thereon from the bottom of the settling tank and passing it through pumping means to effect separation of the excess cellular material from the particulate carrier, and
- passing the mixture of paticulate carrier and excess cellular material back into the fluidized bed to mix the so separated excess cellular material with the waste water to be treated.
Apparatus for biologically removing ammonia nitrogen from waste water, the combination comprising an elongated, substantially vertically disposed container, a manifold disposed towards the bottom of said container, inlet means for said manifold for receiving waste water to be processed, a fluidized bed of a solid particulate carrier having a cultured layer of nitrifying microorganisms seeded thereon, said bed being disposed in said container above said manifold, means for adding oxygen to said fluidized bed, said fluidized bed being arranged to receive said waste water from said manifold and biologically convert substantially all of the ammonia nitrogen to be removed from the waste water to oxidized forms of nitrogen, water and cellular material, outlet means for said container for continuously withdrawing the so processed waste water, oxidized forms of nitrogen, and means for removing excess cellular material from said particulate carrier.
Apparatus for biologically removing ammonia nitrogen from waste water, the combination comprising an elongated substantially vertically disposed container having a lower inlet for receiving waste water to be processed, a fluidized bed of a solid particulate carrier having a cultured layer of nitrifying microorganisms seeded thereon, said bed being disposed in said container, means for adding oxygen to said fluidized bed, said bed being arranged to receive said waste water from said inlet and biologically convert substantially all of the ammonia nitrogen to be removed from the waste water to oxidized forms of nitrogen, water and cellular material, outlet means for said fluidized bed for withdrawing the so processed waste water, oxidized forms of nitrogen, and at least some particulate carrier having excess cellular material thereon, a settling tank disposed in fluid flow relationship with said outlet means for receiving said so processed waste water and said particulate carrier having excess cellular material thereon, outlet means towards the top of said settling tank for said so processed waste water, outlet means toward the bottom of said settling tank for said particulate carrier having excess cellular material thereon, pumping means disposed in fluid flow communication with said outlet means toward the bottom of said settling tank to effect separation of excess cellular material from the particulate carrier and fluid flow communication means interposed between said pumping means and the lower portion of said container for passing the mixture of particulate carrier and excess cellular material back into the fluidized bed to mix the so separated excess cellular material with the waste water to be treated.
Apparatus for biologically removing ammonia nitrogen from waste water, the combination comprising an elongated substantially vertically disposed container, a manifold disposed toward the bottom of said container, inlet means for said manifold, a first inlet pipe interconnecting a source of waste water to said inlet means, valve means in said first inlet pipe for controlling the flow therein, a second inlet pipe interconnecting a source of oxygen to said inlet means, said inlet means including a mixing chamber, valve means in said second inlet pipe for controlling the flow therein, a fluidized bed of a solid particulate carrier having a cultured layer of nitrifying microorganisms seeded thereon, said bed being disposed in said container above said manifold to receive a mixture of said waste water and oxygen from said manifold and biologically convert substantially all of the ammonia nitrogen to be removed from said mixture to oxidized forms of nitrogen, water, and cellular material, and outlet means for said container towards the upper end thereof for continuously withdrawing the so processed waste water, oxidized forms of nitrogen, and means for removing excess cellular material from said particulate carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.