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US 9,068,156 B2Granted
Horizontal plate microbial support media
AssigneeAdvanced Bio Energy Development LLC
InventorsJohn S. Reitzel, William C. Stewart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A horizontal plate microbial support media. The horizontal plate microbial support media having a plurality of frustum shaped protuberances extending there-from, the frustum shapes having a hole in their upper base for allowing fluid to flow there-through. These media plates able to be stacked for use in a bioreactor.
Claims19
A microbial support media system for an upward flow microbial digestion system, comprising:
- a first horizontal plate microbial support media having a first upper surface and a first lower surface, the first horizontal plate microbial support media having a plurality of first protuberances, each of the first protuberances having a first base and a first upward end, each of the first protuberances extending upward from the first upper and lower surfaces at the first base to the first upward end in such a way that the first base of each of the first protuberances is wider than the first upward end, each first upward end having a first opening for allowing the upward flow of a liquid to pass through;
- a second horizontal plate microbial support media having a second upper surface and a second lower surface, the second horizontal plate microbial support media having a plurality of second protuberances, each of the second protuberances having a second base and a second upward end, each of the second protuberances extending upward from the second upper and lower surfaces at the second base to the second upward end in such a way that the second base of each of the second protuberances is wider than the second upward end, each second upward end having a second opening for allowing the upward flow of the liquid to pass through, the first horizontal plate microbial support media is disposed above the second horizontal plate microbial support media in such a way that the plurality of first protuberances and the plurality of second protuberances are offset a predetermined distance from one another;
- an upward flow splitting feature formed on the first lower surface of the first horizontal plate microbial support media by adjacent portions of two first protuberances, the first adjacent portions disposed above the second opening of a second protuberance of the second horizontal plate microbial support media, the upward flow splitting feature configured to split the flow of the liquid passing through the second opening;
- and
- an upward flow remixing feature formed in part by the second upper surface of the second horizontal plate microbial support media by adjacent portions of two second protuberances, the second adjacent portions disposed below the first opening of a first protuberance of the first horizontal plate microbial support media, the upward flow remixing feature configured to remix at least a portion of the flow of the liquid split by the upward flow splitting feature.
2 more elements
A microbial support media system for an upward flow microbial digestion system, comprising:
- a first horizontal plate microbial support media having a first upper surface and a first lower surface, the first horizontal plate microbial support media having a plurality of first protuberances, each of the first protuberances having a first base and a first upward end, each of the first protuberances extending upward from the first upper and lower surfaces at the first base to the first upward end in such a way that the first base of each of the first protuberances is wider than the first upward end, each first upward end having a first opening for allowing the upward flow of a liquid to pass through;
- a second horizontal plate microbial support media having a second upper surface and a second lower surface, the second horizontal plate microbial support media having a plurality of second protuberances, each of the second protuberances having a second base and a second upward end, each of the second protuberances extending upward from the second upper and lower surfaces at the second base to the second upward end in such a way that the second base of each of the second protuberances is wider than the second upward end, each second upward end having a second opening for allowing the upward flow of the liquid to pass through, the first horizontal plate microbial support media disposed above the second horizontal plate microbial support media in such a way that the plurality of first protuberances and the plurality of second protuberances are offset a predetermined distance from one another;
- an upward flow splitting feature formed on the first lower surface of the first horizontal plate microbial support media by first adjacent portions of two first protuberances, the first adjacent portions disposed above the second opening of a second protuberance of the second horizontal plate microbial support media, the upward flow splitting feature configured to split the flow of the liquid passing through the second opening, the upward flow splitting feature configured to act as an impingement surface for the liquid flowing upward through the second opening;
- an upward flow remixing feature formed at least in part on the second upper surface of the second horizontal plate microbial support media by adjacent portions of two second protuberances, the adjacent portions disposed below the first opening of a first protuberance of the first horizontal plate microbial support media, the upward flow remixing feature configured to remix at least a portion of the flow of the liquid split by the upward flow splitting feature;
- and
- biofilm attachment projections extending downward from the impingement surface of the upward flow splitting feature, the biofilm attachment projections configured to act as a first attachment site for a first biofilm.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.