# US 7,407,579 B2 · Method and apparatus for treating ammonium-containing liquid > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,407,579 B2 - Document ID: US7407579B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/258,847 - Filed: 2005-10-27 - Published: 2006-05-04 - Granted: 2008-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2004-11-01 - Assignees: Hitachi Plant Technologies, Ltd. - Inventors: Tasuo Sumino; Kazuichi Isaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7407579B2 ## CPC - C02F 3/2806: {Anaerobic processes using solid supports for microorganisms} - C02F 3/28: Anaerobic digestion processes - C02F 2101/16: Nitrogen compounds, e.g. ammonia - Y10S 210/903: Nitrogenous - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract The method for treating an ammonium-containing liquid which biologically denitrifies ammonium contained in the ammonium-containing liquid in an anaerobic atmosphere, the method comprises the steps of: bringing the ammonium-containing liquid into contact with anaerobic bacteria in a biological treatment tank, the anaerobic bacteria having an ability to biologically denitrify the ammonium in the anaerobic atmosphere; and adding nitrite to the biological treatment tank from a nitrite storage tank concurrently with the bringing step, the nitrite storage tank storing the nitrite with a certain concentration. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for treating an ammonium-containing liquid which biologically denitrifies ammonium contained in the ammonium-containing liquid in an anaerobic atmosphere, the method comprising the steps of: bringing the ammonium-containing liquid into contact with anaerobic bacteria in a biological treatment tank, the anaerobic bacteria having an ability to biologically denitrify the ammonium in the anaerobic atmosphere; and adding nitrite to the biological treatment tank from a nitrite storage tank concurrently with the bringing step, the nitrite storage tank storing the nitrite with a certain concentration; wherein the nitrite is added from the nitrite storage tank to a plurality of places which are variously located in the biological treatment tank so that a highest concentration of nitrite nitrogen is lower than 80 mg/L in the biological treatment tank. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method for treating the ammonium-containing liquid defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: measuring a concentration of ammonium nitrogen in the ammonium-containing liquid; calculating a necessary amount of the nitrite with respect to the concentration measured in the measuring step; and controlling an amount of the nitrite added in the adding step according to the necessary amount calculated in the calculating step. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method for treating the ammonium-containing liquid as defined in claim 2, wherein the necessary amount of the nitrite is set so that an amount of nitrite nitrogen in the nitrite is 1 to 1.5 times of an amount of the ammonium nitrogen in the ammonium. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method for treating the ammonium-containing liquid as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: measuring an inflow volume of the ammonium-containing liquid flowing into the biological treatment tank; and changing an amount of the nitrite added in the adding step corresponding to variations in the inflow volume measured in the measuring step. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method for treating the ammonium-containing liquid as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: changing an amount of the nitrite added in the adding step to the biological treatment tank from the nitrite storage tank; measuring a production rate (L/min) of nitrogen gas produced in the biological treatment tank when changing the amount of the nitrite in the changing step; and controlling the amount of the nitrite added in the adding step to a necessary amount of the nitrite, the necessary amount of the nitrite being the amount of the nitrite which is added when the measured production rate are not changed corresponding to the amount of the nitrite changed in the changing step. ### Claim 6 An apparatus for treating an ammonium-containing liquid which denitrifies ammonium contained in the ammonium-containing liquid biologically in an anaerobic atmosphere, the apparatus comprising: a biological treatment tank which includes anaerobic bacteria having an ability to denitrify the ammonium biologically in the anaerobic atmosphere; an inflow section which allows the ammonium-containing liquid to flow into the biological treatment tank; a discharge section which discharges the liquid treated in the biological treatment tank; a nitrite storage tank which stores nitrite with a certain concentration; an addition device which adds the nitrite to the biological treatment tank from the nitrite storage tank; and an addition amount control device which controlling an amount of the nitrite added by the addition device; wherein: the biological treatment tank has a removable cartridge structure; a plurality of connection sections are provided respectively in the inflow section, the discharge section, and the addition device; and the biological treatment tank is connected via the connection sections to the inflow section, the discharge section, and the addition device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus for treating the ammonium-containing liquid as defined in claim 6, wherein the addition device comprises a concentration distribution prevention mechanism which prevents a concentration of the added nitrite from varying in the biological treatment tank. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The apparatus for treating the ammonium-containing liquid as defined in claim 6, further comprising a concentration measurement device which measures a concentration of ammonium nitrogen in the ammonium-containing liquid, wherein the addition amount control device controls the added amount of the nitrite according to the concentration measured by the concentration measurement device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The apparatus for treating the ammonium-containing liquid as defined in claim 6, further comprising an inflow volume measurement device which measures an inflow volume of the ammonium-containing liquid flowing into the biological treatment tank, wherein the addition amount control device controls the added amount of the nitrite according to the inflow volume measured by the inflow volume measurement device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The apparatus for treating the ammonium-containing liquid as defined in claim 6, further comprising a gas production rate measurement device which measures a production rate (L/min) of nitrogen gas produced in the biological treatment tank when changing the amount of the nitrite added by the addition device, wherein the addition amount control device controls the added amount of the nitrite according to variations in the production rate measured by the gas production rate measurement device. ### Claim 11 An apparatus for treating an ammonium-containing liquid which denitrifies ammonium contained in the ammonium-containing liquid biologically in an anaerobic atmosphere, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of biological treatment tanks which include anaerobic bacteria having an ability to denitrify the ammonium biologically in the anaerobic atmosphere; a plurality of inflow sections which allow the ammonium-containing liquid to flow into the biological treatment tanks; a plurality of discharge sections which discharge the liquid treated in the biological treatment tanks; a nitrite storage tank which stores nitrite with a certain concentration; a plurality of addition devices which add the nitrite to the biological treatment tanks from the nitrite storage tank; and an addition amount control device which controlling an amount of the nitrite added by the addition devices, wherein: each of the biological treatment tanks has a removable cartridge structure; a plurality of connection sections are provided respectively in the inflow sections, the discharge sections, and the addition devices; and the biological treatment tanks are connected via the connection sections to the inflow sections, the discharge sections, and the addition devices. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus for treating the ammonium-containing liquid as defined in claim 11, wherein each of the addition devices comprises a concentration distribution prevention mechanism which prevents a concentration of the added nitrite from varying in each of the biological treatment tanks. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus for treating the ammonium-containing liquid as defined in claim 11, further comprising a concentration measurement device which measures a concentration of ammonium nitrogen in the ammonium-containing liquid, wherein the addition amount control device controls the added amount of the nitrite according to the concentration measured by the concentration measurement device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus for treating the ammonium-containing liquid as defined in claim 11, further comprising an inflow volume measurement device which measures an inflow volume of the ammonium-containing liquid flowing into each of the biological treatment tanks, wherein the addition amount control device controls the added amount of the nitrite according to the inflow volume measured by the inflow volume measurement device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus for treating the ammonium-containing liquid as defined in claim 11, further comprising a gas production rate measurement device which measures a production rate (L/min) of nitrogen gas produced in each of the biological treatment tanks when the amount of the nitrite added by each of the addition devices is changed, wherein the addition amount control device controls the added amount of the nitrite according to variations in the production rate measured by the gas production rate measurement device. ### Claim 16 An apparatus for treating an ammonium-containing liquid which denitrifies ammonium contained in the ammonium-containing liquid biologically in an anaerobic atmosphere, the apparatus comprising: a biological treatment tank which includes anaerobic bacteria having an ability to denitrify the ammonium biologically in the anaerobic atmosphere; an inflow section which allows the ammonium-containing liquid to flow into the biological treatment tank; a discharge section which discharges the liquid treated in the biological treatment tank; a nitrite storage tank which stores nitrite with a certain concentration; an addition device which adds the nitrite to the biological treatment tank from the nitrite storage tank; an addition amount control device which controlling an amount of the nitrite added by the addition device; and a gas production rate measurement device which measures a production rate (L/min) of nitrogen gas produced in the biological treatment tank when changing the amount of the nitrite added by the addition device, wherein the addition amount control device controls the added amount of the nitrite according to variations in the production rate measured by the gas production rate measurement device.