Combined coarse and fine bubble separation system

A method for operating a batch bubble separation apparatus to treat a contaminated influent water stream containing volatile organic compounds and suspended, oily and surface active contaminants, either automatically or manually, using an electroflotation means, or a dissolved gas flotation means, or both, comprising the following steps in sequence:

• (1) introducing said influent water stream to an apparatus tank of said apparatus as a fill step until the apparatus is filled with said influent water stream, thereby producing a filled influent water;
• (2) stopping said fill step, and starting a Coarse Bubbling Step to treat the filled influent water with added chemicals, enzymes, microorganisms, or combinations thereof, with gas bubbles consisting essentially of coarse gas bubbles with diameters greater than 80 microns generated by a jet gas diffusion means, a diaphragm diffusion means, an induced gas diffusion means, a porous tube diffusion means, a porous plate diffusion means, a nozzle diffusion means, a mechanical diffusion means, or combinations thereof, for mixing, stripping volatile organic contaminants, supplying dissolved gas, and thereby producing an emitted gas stream, and a pretreated effluent water;
• (3) stopping said Coarse Bubbling Step and starting a Fine Bubbling Step with gas bubbles consisting essentially of fine gas bubbles with diameters less than 80 microns generated by an electroflotation means, a dissolved gas flotation means, or both, for floating said suspended, oily, and surface active contaminants from said pretreated effluent water inside said apparatus tank, thereby producing a clarified effluent water, additional emitted gas stream, small amount of floating scums and settled sludges;
• (4) stopping said Fine Bubbling Step and starting a Decant Step for discharging said clarified effluent water near but above the bottom of said apparatus tank, without disturbing the floating scums on the top of said clarified effluent water, and the settled sludge at the bottom of said apparatus tank;
• (5) stopping said Decant Step and starting a Sludge Removal Step for removal of the floating scums and the settled sludges from said apparatus tank, upon demand;
• (6) stopping said Sludge Removal Step and entering an optional idle step allowing the apparatus tank to remain idle until the apparatus tank is ready for another cycle time;
• and
• (7) repeating another cycle for treating more said influent water stream.

A method for operating an enclosed batch bubble separation apparatus to treat a contaminated influent water stream containing volatile organic compounds and suspended, oily and surface active contaminants, either automatically or manually, using an electro-flotation means, a dissolved gas flotation means, a vacuum flotation means, or combinations thereof, comprising the following steps in sequence:

• (1) introducing said influent water streams to an apparatus tank and feeding chemicals, enzymes, microorganisms, or combinations thereof, to said influent water stream with coarse gas bubbling or mechanical mixing, or both, until the apparatus tank is filled with said influent water stream, thereby producing a filled influent water as a fill step, said mechanical mixing is created using a mechanical mixer means;
• said coarse gas bubbling is created by using coarse gas bubbles having diameters greater than 80 microns and produces an emitted gas stream;
• during coarse gas bubbling, collecting, monitoring and purifying said emitted gas stream, thereby producing a purified gas stream, and further discharging said purified gas stream to an ambient air environment or to said apparatus for reuse;
• (2) stopping said fill step, and starting a coarse bubbling step to treat the filled influent water with said chemicals, said enzymes, said microorganisms, or combinations thereof, and with gas bubbles consisting essentially of coarse gas bubbles with diameters greater than 80 microns generated by a jet gas diffusion means, a diaphragm diffusion means, an induced gas diffused means, a porous tube diffusion means, a porous plate diffusion means, a nozzle diffusion means, a mechanical diffusion means, or combinations thereof, for mixing, stripping said volatile organic contaminants, supplying dissolved gas, and thereby producing an emitted gas stream, and a pretreated effluent water;
• collecting, monitoring and purifying said emitted gas stream, thereby producing a purified gas stream, and further discharging said purified gas stream to an ambient air environment or recycling said purified gas stream to said apparatus for reuse;
• (3) stopping said coarse bubbling step and starting a fine bubbling step using gas bubbles consisting essentially of fine gas bubbles with diameters less than 80 microns generated by an electro-flotation means, a dissolved gas flotation means, a vacuum flotation means, or combinations thereof, for floating said suspended, oily, and surface active contaminants from said pretreated effluent water inside said apparatus tank, thereby producing a clarified effluent water, additional emitted gas stream, small amount of floating scum and settles sludge;
• collecting, monitoring and purifying said emitted gas stream, thereby producing a purified gas stream, and further discharging said purified gas stream to an ambient air environment or recycling said purified gas to said apparatus for reuse;
• (4) stopping said fine bubbling step and starting a decant step for discharging said clarified effluent water near but above the bottom of said apparatus tank, without disturbing the floating scum on the top of said clarified effluent water, and the settled sludge at the bottom of said apparatus tank,
• (5) stopping said decant step and starting a sludge removal step for removal of the floating scum and the settled sludge from said apparatus tank, upon demand;
• (6) stopping said sludge removal step and entering an optional idle step for allowing the apparatus tank to remain idle until the apparatus tank is ready for another cycle time.
• (7) repeating another cycle for treating more of said influent water stream.

A method for operating a batch bubble separation apparatus to treat a contaminated influent water stream containing volatile organic contaminants and suspended, oily and surface active contaminants, either automatically or manually, using an electro-flotation means, or a dissolved gas flotation means, or both, comprising the following steps in sequence:

• (1) introducing said influent water stream to said apparatus tank and feeding chemicals, enzymes, microorganisms, or combinations thereof, to said influent water stream with said coarse gas bubbling or said mechanical mixing, or both, until the apparatus tank is filled with said influent water stream, thereby producing a filled influent water as a fill step, said mechanical mixing is created using a mechanical mixer means;
• said coarse gas bubbling is created by using coarse gas bubbles having diameters greater than 80 microns and produces an emitted gas stream;
• during coarse gas bubbling, collecting, monitoring and purifying said emitted gas stream, thereby producing a purified gas stream, and further discharging said purified gas stream to an ambient air environment or to said apparatus for reuse;
• (2) stopping said fill step, and starting a coarse bubbling step to treat the filled influent water with said chemicals, said enzymes, said microorganisms, or combinations thereof, and with gas bubbles consisting essentially of coarse gas bubbles with diameters greater than 80 microns generated by a jet gas diffusion means, a diaphragm diffusion means, an induced gas diffusion means, a porous tube diffusion means, a porous plate diffusion means, a nozzle diffusion means, a mechanical diffusion means, or combinations thereof, for mixing, stripping said volatile organic contaminants, supplying dissolved gas, and thereby producing an emitted gas stream, and a pretreated effluent water;
• (3) stopping said coarse bubbling step and starting a fine bubbling step using gas bubbles consisting essentially of fine gas bubbles with diameters less than 80 microns generated by an electro-flotation means, a dissolved gas flotation means, or both, for floating said suspended, oily, and surface active contaminants from said pretreated effluent water inside said apparatus tank, thereby producing a clarified effluent water, additional emitted gas stream, small amount of floating scum and settled sludge;
• (4) stopping said fine bubbling step and starting a decant step for discharging said clarified effluent water near but above the bottom of said apparatus tank, without disturbing the floating scum on the top of said clarified effluent water, and the settled sludge at the bottom of said apparatus tank;
• (5) stopping said decant step and starting a sludge removal step for removal of the floating scum and the settled sludge from said apparatus tank, upon demand;
• (6) stopping said sludge removal step and entering an optional idle step for allowing apparatus tank to remain idle until the apparatus tank is ready for another cycle time.
• (7) repeating another cycle for treating more said influent water stream.