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US 6,582,596 B2Granted
Bioreactor systems for biological nutrient removal
AssigneeAquasol Envirotech Ltd.
InventorHuazhong Mao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated biological treatment process and bioreactor system provides means for simultaneous removal of biodegradable solids (TSS), nitrogen (N) and phosphate (P) from water and wastewater. The system comprises microbial consortia immobilized in separate bioreactors for anaerobic processes, P removal, denitrification and, optionally, BOD removal and polishing.
Claims15
A nitrogen removal bioreactor apparatus comprising:
- (a) an anoxic denitrification bioreactor having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a gas outlet and comprising a microbial consortia which reduces nitrogen oxides to nitrogen gas;
- (b) an aerobic nitrification bioreactor having an inlet and an outlet and comprising a microbial consortia which oxidizes ammonia to nitrogen oxides;
- (c) means for connecting the outlet of the denitrification bioreactor to the inlet of the nitrification bioreactor for transferring liquid from the denitrification bioreactor to the nitrification bioreactor;
- and
- (d) means for recycling at least a portion of effluent from the outlet of the nitrification bioreactor to the inlet of the denitrification bioreactor.
2 more elements
An integrated unitary bioreactor for removing organic solids, BOD and/or nitrogen compounds from a wastewater stream, comprising:
- (a) an anaerobic fermentation chamber comprising immobilized facultative anaerobic microbes and having an inlet and an outlet;
- (b) a combined BOD/nitrogen removal chamber comprising a first microbial population of heterotrophic aerobic microbes, a second population of aerobic nitrifying microbes and a third population of anoxic dentrifying microbes and having an inlet connected to the anaerobic chamber outlet and an outlet;
- wherein the mixture of the first, second and third populations of microbes adjusts in response to the relative level of BOD, nitrates and ammonia introduced into the BOD/nitrogen removal chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.