Bio-denitrification apparatus and method for making and using same

A method for treating waste water comprising:

• supplying a waste water to a safe path associated with a denitrification system,
• withdrawing a waste water from the safe path through a momentum block disposed in the safe path;
• introducing a regenerated particulate adsorbent/absorbent slurry into an upper section of a bio-denitrification unit of the denitrification system through a slurry introduction apparatus,
• introducing the waste water, an amount of a microbe carbon food source and an amount microbe micro-nutrients into the bio-denitrification unit through a distributor disposed in a lower middle section of the bio-denitrification unit, where the water, food source and micro-nutrients are added at a rate sufficient to establish a counter-flow, anoxic expanded bed zone of the particulate adsorbent/absorbent between a location below the distributor and an outlet of the slurry introduction apparatus, where the waste water flows up through the zone and the particulate adsorbent/absorbent flows down through the zone, the particulate adsorbent/absorbent adsorbs and/or absorbs nitrogen-containing compounds in the waste water, the microbes degrade the nitrogen-containing compounds into nitrogen gas or amino acids via bio-synthesis, the microbes control a dissolved oxygen (DO) level in the medium and the microbes utilize any residual or formed ammonia in bio-synthesis,
• regenerating the particulate adsorbent/absorbent via bio-denitrification of the adsorbed and/or absorbed nitrogen-containing compounds in the counter-flow, anoxic expanded bed zone and in a co-flow, respiratory inhibited zone disposed below the anoxic zone to form a regenerated particulate adsorbent/absorbent slurry;
• collecting the regenerated particulate adsorbent/absorbent slurry through a plurality of collection apertures in a slurry collection assembly;
• withdrawing a recirculation water from a recirculation water outlet disposed in an upper portion of the slurry input apparatus;
• supplying a portion of the recirculation water to inducer apertures of the slurry collection assembly, where an inducer aperture is associated with each collection aperture and where the water is sufficient to induce and transport the slurry through the slurry collection assembly,
• uplifting the induced, regenerated particulate adsorbent/absorbent slurry in a slurry uplift assembly, where the slurry includes a sufficient amount of viable bacteria to re-populate the bacteria to a denitrification level;
• overflowing a purified waste water from an outlet trough disposed in a purified water zone of the bio-denitrification unit, where the purified waste water has a nitrogen content of no more than 10 ppm,
• returning the purified waste water to the safe path, and
• discharging the purified waste water from a system outlet.

A system for treating waste water comprising:

• at least one denitrification unit including:
• an aqueous solution inlet apparatus comprising nitrogen-containing compounds, nutrients including a carbon food source and micro-nutrients, microbes, and a waste water,
• a purified water outlet comprising water having a nitrogen level of no more the 10 ppm,
• an ultra low pressure drop hydrocyclone for introducing a recirculating slurry including a particulate adsorbent/absorbent, where the hydro cyclone includes a slurry inlet disposed near a top of the hydrocyclone, a recirculation water outlet disposed centrally near the top of the hydrocyclone, a conical section and a slurry outlet disposed at a bottom of the hydrocyclone, with the recirculating water outlet extending up through a middle of the slurry outlet,
• an anoxic zone extending from a location just below the inlet apparatus to the slurry outlet of the hydrocyclone,
• a gas overhead zone disposed in a top of the unit,
• a clean water zone extending from a location near the slurry outlet of the hydrocyclone to the gas overhead zone,
• a respiratory inhibited zone having a suboxic zone extending below the anoxic zone,
• a water recirculation loop including a recirculation conduit connected to the recirculation water outlet and extending through a center of the slurry outlet of the hydrocyclone, and
• a particulate adsorbent/absorbent slurry recirculation loop including at least one slurry collection assembly and an uplift assembly, where the slurry collection assembly includes a plurality of slurry collection apertures and recirculation water inducer apertures, where the slurry is collected in the collection apertures and are mixed with inducer recirculation water through the inducers and forwarded through the collection assembly to the uplift assembly, where the slurry in uplifted to the slurry inlet of the hydrocyclone.