Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/52—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities
  • C02F1/5236—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities using inorganic agents
  • C02F1/5245—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities using inorganic agents using basic salts, e.g. of aluminium and iron
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/28—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by sorption
  • C02F1/288—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by sorption using composite sorbents, e.g. coated, impregnated, multi-layered
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/52—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/52—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities
  • C02F1/54—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities using organic material
  • C02F1/56—Macromolecular compounds
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/68—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by addition of specified substances, e.g. trace elements, for ameliorating potable water
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2103/00—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated
  • C02F2103/20—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated from animal husbandry
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2103/00—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated
  • C02F2103/34—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated from industrial activities not provided for in groups C02F2103/12 - C02F2103/32

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to the field of water treatment systems.
• odour and potential pollution sources emanating from livestock facilities are the main issues that need to address in order to sustain their development.
• the most intense source of odour from livestock facilities occurs during manure handling and land application.
• most commercial livestock operations feature under-floor manure storage pits. These pits are situated beneath the barns and store the manure until the manure is emptied from the pit and transferred to mid-term storage lagoons.
• the odour problem that arises when the manure is stored in such a manner is a result of the anaerobic conditions that exist in the lagoon.
• aerobic conditions exist only in the layer of manure that is in contact with air and the malodorous gases produced anaerobically beneath this layer gradually diffuse to the surface, which in turn raises the prospect of public annoyance and creates health concerns.
• a process for clarifying water containing suspended solids comprising: providing a quantity of contaminated water containing suspended solids; pumping the contaminated water into a reactor; injecting flocculating chemicals into the contaminated water into the reactor, thereby separating the contaminated water into grey water and flocculated mass; separating the flocculated mass and the grey water; and deodorizing the grey water.
• FIGURE 1 shows a flow chart of the waste treatment process.
• FIGURE 2 shows a schematic diagram of an alternative embodiment of the waste treatment process.
• FIGURE 3 shows the separator.
• the combination of pressure, turbulence and flocculating chemicals promotes rapid floe formation, in fact, almost instantaneously, causing the solids to come out of solution.
• the solids are then separated from the water, which is then filtered and deodorized.
• this process represents a significant improvement over processes known in the prior art which require batch treatments, large storage tanks or lagoons and the like in that the waste can be treated immediately and in fact takes on the order of minutes to be processed.
• the waste is from a livestock barn, for example, a hog or swine barn, a feed or dairy cattle barn or a poultry barn.
• the waste will consist primarily of manure but will also include hair, feed and the like.
• the process is used for flocculation of drilling fluids in the oil industry.
• the process is used to treat any suitable type of raw sewage.
• the waste treatment process comprises a livestock barn 10, a manure collection pit 12 in fluid contact with the barn, for example, beneath the barn, a reactor 20, a separator 30, a dewaterer 40, a compost storage area 50, a high speed filter 60 and a deodorizer 70.
• Enzymes and/or microorganisms are added to the manure which promote breakdown or degradation of the waste.
• many suitable combinations of microorganisms and/or enzymes known in the art and are commercially available The selection of the specific microorganisms and enzymes and combinations thereof will of course depend on the quantity, nature and condition of the waste and such selection can be done without undue experimentation and is within the scope of the invention. These may be used for degradation/breakdown of the waste and to prepare it for further processing, as discussed below.
• the waste barn 10 and/or the manure pit 12 is treated with a catalyst which promotes diffusion of digestive enzymes by the microorganisms.
• the catalyst comprises saponins extracted from plants, for example, a commercial product named Home Farms Catalyst.
• the catalyst increases the permeability of the cell wall of the microorganisms, thereby promoting diffusion of water, nutrients and digestive enzymes into the waste. This in turn promotes liquefication of manure in the waste and reduces odor therefrom. That is, the more complete digestion of the waste made possible by the addition of the catalyst to the microorganisms keeps the malodorous gases dissolved in the liquid waste, thereby reducing odors emanating from both the liquid and solid portions of the treated waste, as described below.
• the degraded waste in the form of a slurry, is then transferred from the manure pit 12 to the reactor 20.
• the slurry is shredded on exiting the manure pit 12, for example, by a shredder pump although other suitable means of homogenizing the waste may also be used.
• the flow rate of the slurry is increased to greater than about 100 gallons per minute, in some embodiments, approximately 100-180 or 100-170 or 100-150 gallons per minute.
• the reactor 20 includes pump means for greatly increasing the flow rate or velocity of the slurry on entry into the reactor 20.
• the slurry is transferred from the manure pit to an initial separator or screening unit 90.
• the screening unit 90 separates undissolved or unsuspended solids from the slurry.
• the screening unit comprises a separatory screen 92 and an auger 94.
• the slurry flows over the screen 92 and undissolved solids larger than the mesh size of the screen 92 are retained by the screen 92.
• the solids on the screen 92 are then passed to the auger 94 which transports the solids to a dewatering fan 96 where the solids are dried for subsequent use, as described below. It is of note that residual liquid removed from the undissolved solids can be recovered and used for other applications, for example, in the manure pit.
• the screened slurry is passed to the reactor 20 as discussed herein.
• manure at a given livestock bam typically has largely consistent texture and chemical composition.
• the specific chemicals and concentrations thereof added to flocculate the slurry typically need only be determined once.
• the reactor 20 may include a plurality of injector heads, for example, three injector heads, although of course the number may be varied in accordance with requirements. As a result of this arrangement, three separate chemicals each from a respective supply can be provided and injected into the reactor 20.
• each of the injectors is associated with mixing means, for example, a paddle or beater bar which promotes mixing of the injected chemicals into the slurry.
• mixing means for example, a paddle or beater bar which promotes mixing of the injected chemicals into the slurry.
• injector/mixer arrangements are known in the art and suitable such arrangements may be used within the reactor 20.
• the flocculating chemicals are selected from the group consisting of alum or aluminum salt, at least one suitable acrylic polymer and combinations thereof. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, there are numerous polymers known in the art as flocculants.
• the flocculating chemicals are injected into the slurry by injectors within the reactor 20.
• pH modifying compounds for example, a carbonate derivative, for example, soda ash and/or hot lime are injected into the slurry prior to the injection of the flocculating chemicals.
• the viscosity of the slurry from the manure pit 12 may be such that water is added to the slurry so as to dilute the slurry prior to entry into the reactor.
• this water may be water recovered from dewatered flocculated mass or may be treated grey water.
• the combination of high flow rate and/or pressure, turbulence and flocculating chemicals promotes rapid floe formation, transforming the slurry into flocculated mass in grey water.
• flocculated mass refers to the material or solids that has fallen out of the slurry as a result of the exposure to the flocculation chemicals and increased pressure and/or flow rate and turbulence
• grey water refers to the water transporting the flocculated mass, that is, the water in which the flocculated mass is suspended.
• an advantage of the instant process is that the time of residence of the slurry within the reactor is very short and the combination of high flow rate and injected chemicals promotes rapid in-line floe formation. This means that the waste is effectively treated in "real time” and there is no incubating or batching once the waste is pumped from the reactor 20. That is, unlike the prior art systems, there is no mixing tank, batch tank or settling tank wherein flocculation must be allowed to occur over a period of time with periodic mixing and settled solids are subsequently removed. In the instant invention, flocculation occurs within the reactor virtually instantaneously with injection of the flocculating chemicals and the slurry is pumped immediately and directly to the separator 30.
• the flocculated mass is then passed to the separator 30 which is arranged to separate the flocculated mass from the grey water.
• separator 30 which is arranged to separate the flocculated mass from the grey water.
• suitable separators for example, but by no means limited to, the ResourceTM and the Pre- Screen (World Water Works), REDUXTM Dissolved Air Flotation (Milieu-Nomics Inc.), Wedge Wire ScreensTM (Tri-Wire Corporation), Sta-Sieve ScreenTM (SWECO), Spirosep SeparatorTM (Spirac Corporation), Screen Separator (Star Trace Manufacturing), Screw Separator (Kason) and Screen Separator (Flo Trend Systems).
• the separator 30 comprises a tapered section 32, an inner wall 34, a concave screen 36 and an auger 38.
• the flocculated mass and grey water is transported along the tapered section 32 which is a trough that as can be seen in Figure 3, is wider and deeper at the junction with the reactor 20 but becomes progressively more narrow and shallow along the width of the separator 30.
• the flocculated mass in grey water leaving the reactor is decelerated and the flocculated mass in grey water is forced upward along the inner wall 34.
• the flocculated mass and grey water spills over the inner wall 34 and onto the concave screen 36.
• the concave screen 36 is mounted within the separator 30 at an angle and has a curved bottom portion.
• the flocculated mass remains on the screen while grey water passes through the screen and is passed to a filter, as described below.
• the pressure exerted by incoming flocculated mass on flocculated mass already on the concave screen 34 moves the flocculated mass downward and also has a dewatering effect by pressing the flocculated mass against the screen 36.
• flocculated mass passes over and is pressed against the concave screen 36, thereby dewatering the flocculated mass.
• the flocculated mass tumbles down onto the auger 38.
• any suitable means of conveyance may be utilized to transport the flocculated mass.
• the concave screen 36 may be mounted within the separator 30 such that the concave screen 36 pivots, for changing the angle or slope of the concave screen 36 within the separator 30.
• the concave screen 36 may comprise a very fine mesh for separating other waste, for example, hair, from the slurry.
• the flocculated mass and grey water is transported from the reactor 20 to the separator 30 as described above.
• the flocculated mass and grey water is directed into a channel arranged to induce turbulence into the flocculated mass and grey water, thereby inducing further flocculation.
• the channel may be arranged in any suitable design that maximizes the surface area to which the flocculated mass and the grey water is exposed and/or the travel time for the flocculated mass and the grey water from the base of the separator 30 to the screen 36, described above.
• the channel has a substantially "S" like shape, that is, the channel extends from one side of the separator 30 to the other side of the separator 30; in some embodiments, this pattern may be repeated several times, thereby increasing turbulence and flocculation.
• the separated flocculated mass is passed along the auger 38 to a dewaterer 40.
• a dewaterer 40 any suitable dewatering device known in the art, for example, a screw press, may be utilized.
• dewaterers include but are by no means limited to the following commercially available dewaterers: Dewater Auger (World Water Works), Separators (GEA Westfalia Separator), Centrifuges (Alfa Laval), Press Separator (CAWI Canada), Press Screw Separator (FAN-Separator), PRS Screw Press (IPEC) and Dewatering Unit (Sleegers).
• Dewater Auger World Water Works
• Separators GAA Westfalia Separator
• Centrifuges Alfa Laval
• Press Separator CAWI Canada
• Press Screw Separator FAN-Separator
• PRS Screw Press IPEC
• Dewatering Unit Dewatering Unit
• the grey water is passed from the separator 30 to a high speed filter 60.
• the filter 60 is a backwash filter. Specifically, the filter 60 acts to remove fine particles, such as hairs and silt, from the grey water. Once there is sufficient build-up, the pump reverses and expels the removed material to the manure pit 12.
• the filtered grey water is then passed from the high speed filter 60 to a deodorizer 70.
• the deodorizer comprises a granular media bed comprising a clay substrate impregnated with oxides of iron.
• the grey water is passed through the bed and the oxides of iron act to remove ammonia, hydrogen sulphide and light mercaptan gases dissolved and/or dispersed in the grey water.
• the bed also removes finely dispersed solids.
• the deodorizer also includes a carbon foam filter.
• other suitable deodorizers known in the art may also be used.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
• Separation Of Suspended Particles By Flocculating Agents (AREA)
• Treatment Of Sludge (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

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• 2004
  • 2004-07-07 EP EP04737922A patent/EP1651572A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2004-07-07 CA CA002531645A patent/CA2531645A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2004-07-07 AU AU2004253609A patent/AU2004253609A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2004-07-07 WO PCT/CA2004/000983 patent/WO2005003039A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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