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US 7,022,237 B2Granted
Aerobic wastewater management system, apparatus, and method
AssigneeProline Wastewater Equipment, LLC
InventorWeldon Couch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A septic tank (11) having two separate compartments, a trash tank (13) and a mix liquor compartment, using aerobic bacteria to process waste, and methods of its use. A settling compartment allows heavy particles to settle while keeping lighter debris out of a pump (47).
Claims38
A septic tank having side walls, a bottom, a top, an inlet port for receiving effluent, and an outlet port for discharging treated effluent, the septic tank comprising:
- a trash tank adapted to receive the effluent from the inlet port and process and break down the effluent into suspended solids and liquids such that they are partially digested by aerobic bacteria to form a separated sewage;
- a mix liquor compartment;
- a reservoir having a pump, an aeration device in communication with the pump, and a conduit extending from the aeration device to the mix liquor compartment, the reservoir being adapted to receive solids suspended in the liquids from the mix liquor compartment to resist accumulation of sludge in the mix liquor compartment, such that the pump circulates the liquids and suspended solids through the aeration device to thoroughly blend air into the liquids and suspended solids to produce oxygenated effluent;
- an apparatus adapted to deliver oxygenated effluent from the aeration device to the mix liquor compartment to facilitate the growth of aerobic bacteria therein, and significantly reduce the presence of sludge in the mix liquor compartment, such that a biological oxygen demand and total suspended solids in the treated effluent have been reduced to a level that is safe for discharge from the system;
- and
- a stilling compartment adapted to receive the treated effluent from the mix liquor compartment and settle out any heavy particles that remain in the liquids, and to allow the treated effluent to exit the system through the outlet port of the tank.
3 more elements
An aerobic wastewater management system, comprising:
- a tank having an inlet port for receiving effluent, a plurality of compartments located inside the tank and separated by partitions for processing and treating effluent and removing bio-nutrients therefrom, and an outlet port for discharging treated effluent;
- the compartments further comprising:
- a trash tank for receiving the effluent from the inlet port and processing and breaking down the effluent into suspended solids and liquids such that they are partially digested by aerobic bacteria to form a separated sewage;
- a first settling compartment for receiving the separated sewage from the trash tank such that, in the first settling compartment, any heavier solids settle out of the liquids and remain in the first settling compartment and continue to undergo digestion by the aerobic bacteria located in the first settling compartment;
- a mix liquor compartment having a reservoir, a pump located in the reservoir, an aeration device in communication with the pump, and a conduit extending between the first settling compartment and the reservoir for receiving any lighter solids suspended in the liquids from the first settling compartment and delivering the lighter solids suspended in the liquids to the pump via the reservoir, the reservoir having a plurality of apertures through which the pump also draws liquids and suspended solids from the mix liquor compartment to resist accumulation of sludge in the mix liquor compartment, such that the pump circulates the liquids and suspended solids through the aeration device to thoroughly blend air into the liquids and suspended solids to produce oxygenated effluent;
- a pipe extending from the aeration device for delivering oxygenated effluent into both the trash tank and into the mix liquor compartment to facilitate the growth of aerobic bacteria therein, and significantly reduce the presence of sludge in the mix liquor compartment, such that a biological oxygen demand and total suspended solids in the treated effluent have been reduced to a level that is safe for discharge from the system;
- and
- a stilling compartment for receiving the treated effluent from the mix liquor compartment and settling out any heavy particles that remain in the liquids, and allowing the treated effluent to exit the system through the outlet port of the tank.
5 more elements
A method of managing wastewater with aerobic bacteria, comprising:
- receiving effluent and processing and breaking down the effluent into suspended solids and liquids such that they are partially digested by aerobic bacteria to form a separated sewage;
- receiving the separated sewage such that any heavier solids settle out of the liquids and continue to undergo digestion by the aerobic bacteria;
- receiving any lighter solids suspended in the liquids and delivering the lighter solids suspended in the liquids along with liquids and suspended solids from a mix liquor compartment to resist accumulation of sludge in the mix liquor compartment;
- pumping and aerating the liquids, lighter solids, and suspended solids to produce oxygenated effluent;
- delivering oxygenated effluent into the mix liquor compartment to facilitate the growth of aerobic bacteria therein, and significantly reduce the presence of sludge in the mix liquor compartment, such that a biological oxygen demand and total suspended solids in the treated effluent have been reduced to a level that is safe for discharge from the system;
- and
- receiving the treated effluent from the mix liquor compartment and settling out any heavy particles that remain in the liquids;
- and then
- discharging treated effluent.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.