US 9,809,480 B2 · Wastewater treatment process and system

Abstract

A process and system for treating wastewater is described. The invention degrades sludge produced by treatment of the wastewater to reduce or eliminate the need for sludge dewatering and disposal. The invention also reduces the amount of nutrient additives required to sustain the aerobic wastewater treatment process. In one embodiment the invention includes the steps of (a) providing an aerobic treatment system receiving a supply of the wastewater; (b) treating a supply of the sludge to rupture microbial cells present therein to produce treated sludge having an increased liquid:solid ratio and an increased degradation potential in comparison to untreated sludge; (c) conveying a supply of the treated sludge to the aerobic treatment system; and (d) substantially degrading the supply of treated sludge in the aerobic treatment system. The treated sludge may optionally be subjected to anaerobic digestion prior to delivery to the aerobic treatment system.

Claims63

Dependent claims

A process for degrading sludge produced by treatment of wastewater comprising:

(a) providing an aerobic treatment system receiving a supply of said wastewater;
(b) treating a supply of said sludge by rupturing microbial cells present therein to produce treated sludge having an increased liquid:solid ratio and an increased degradation potential in comparison to untreated sludge;
(c) conveying a supply of said treated sludge to said aerobic treatment system;
and
(d) substantially degrading said supply of said treated sludge in said aerobic treatment system,
wherein said aerobic treatment system receives said supply of said wastewater and said supply of said treated sludge, wherein said degrading of said treated sludge limits the rate of accumulation of sludge-derived solids in said aerobic treatment system during operation of said process,
and wherein said sludge comprises aerobic sludge produced by said aerobic treatment system and wherein the net mass of solids present in said treated sludge degraded in said aerobic treatment system approximates the net mass of solids present in said aerobic sludge produced by said aerobic treatment system, thereby substantially avoiding net accumulation of solids in said aerobic treatment system during operation of said process.

4 more elements

A wastewater treatment system for treating wastewater derived from an effluent supply comprising:

(a) an aerobic treatment system for receiving wastewater from said effluent supply, wherein said aerobic treatment system produces treated effluent and aerobic sludge;
(b) a sludge treatment unit in fluid communication with said aerobic treatment system, wherein said sludge treatment unit ruptures microbial cells present in said supply of said sludge thereby producing treated sludge having an increased liquid:solid ratio and an increased degradation potential in comparison to untreated sludge;
and
(c) a sludge flowpath for conveying said treated sludge from said sludge treatment unit to said aerobic treatment system,
wherein said aerobic treatment system comprises an aerobic treatment apparatus and a liquid/solid separation apparatus and wherein said aerobic treatment apparatus is selected from the group consisting of an activated sludge reactor, a UNOX sludge treatment system, a trickling filter, an aeration basin, an oxidation ditch, a rotating biological contactor, a sequencing batch reactor, a membrane bioreactor and a suspended media system and wherein said liquid/solid separation apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a clarifier, a membrane and a filter.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Wastewater treatment process and system

Life of this patent

Wastewater treatment process and system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims63