WO2023063931A1 - Ensemble décanteur autonome extractible compact - Google Patents

Ensemble décanteur autonome extractible compact Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2023063931A1
WO2023063931A1 PCT/US2021/054605 US2021054605W WO2023063931A1 WO 2023063931 A1 WO2023063931 A1 WO 2023063931A1 US 2021054605 W US2021054605 W US 2021054605W WO 2023063931 A1 WO2023063931 A1 WO 2023063931A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
decanter
housing
tank
interior
pump
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2021/054605
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Glen D. Lindbo
Original Assignee
Lindbo Glen D
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lindbo Glen D filed Critical Lindbo Glen D
Priority to CA3234998A priority Critical patent/CA3234998A1/fr
Priority to PCT/US2021/054605 priority patent/WO2023063931A1/fr
Publication of WO2023063931A1 publication Critical patent/WO2023063931A1/fr

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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F3/00—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F3/02—Aerobic processes
    • C02F3/12—Activated sludge processes
    • C02F3/1236—Particular type of activated sludge installations
    • C02F3/1242—Small compact installations for use in homes, apartment blocks, hotels or the like
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
    • B01D21/0006—Settling tanks provided with means for cleaning and maintenance
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
    • B01D21/0012—Settling tanks making use of filters, e.g. by floating layers of particulate material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
    • B01D21/0024—Inlets or outlets provided with regulating devices, e.g. valves, flaps
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
    • B01D21/24—Feed or discharge mechanisms for settling tanks
    • B01D21/2427—The feed or discharge opening located at a distant position from the side walls
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
    • B01D21/30—Control equipment
    • B01D21/34—Controlling the feed distribution; Controlling the liquid level ; Control of process parameters
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F3/00—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F3/02—Aerobic processes
    • C02F3/12—Activated sludge processes
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F3/00—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F3/02—Aerobic processes
    • C02F3/12—Activated sludge processes
    • C02F3/1236—Particular type of activated sludge installations
    • C02F3/1263—Sequencing batch reactors [SBR]
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2203/00—Apparatus and plants for the biological treatment of water, waste water or sewage
    • C02F2203/006—Apparatus and plants for the biological treatment of water, waste water or sewage details of construction, e.g. specially adapted seals, modules, connections
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F3/00—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F3/30—Aerobic and anaerobic processes
    • C02F3/301—Aerobic and anaerobic treatment in the same reactor
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F3/00—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F3/30—Aerobic and anaerobic processes
    • C02F3/308—Biological phosphorus removal
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
    • Y02W10/00—Technologies for wastewater treatment
    • Y02W10/10—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a compact self- contained decanter assembly for use in decanting fluids (such as supernatant from wastewater treatment) from tanks, which is extractable through access openings of the tank.
  • decanting fluids such as supernatant from wastewater treatment
  • the activated sludge process for treating wastewater conventionally uses multiple separate basins to accomplish the following steps: inflow of wastewater (influent) ; aeration of the influent; settling of solids in the influent; withdrawal of the liquid (commonly called supernatant or effluent) located above the settled solids and below any floating surface scum or foam (decanting) ; and filtration of the supernatant or effluent, leaving behind only solid waste (sludge) that can be disposed of separately.
  • This process is a very reliable and proven method of wastewater treatment, but unfortunately uses a substantial amount of tankage, equipment, and energy.
  • Tanks for containing or treating fluids including wastewater tanks, are of varying sizes, and usually have one or more access openings above the highest fluid level when filled (usually at the top) that vary in size and shape, with most openings being circular, but other openings being square or of other shapes.
  • Wastewater and other tanks are often buried underground, or are otherwise difficult or impossible to access from outside, except through the access openings . Wastewater and other tanks may or may not be large enough for a person to go through the access opening to perform maintenance or other tasks on the tank .
  • treatment of wastewater includes several steps, usually at least one or more of settling, aerobic processing (aeration of the wastewater while in the tank, so oxygen breathing microorganisms can digest the materials in the wastewater) , and anaerobic or anoxic processing (with no or low oxygen or air in the water, so microorganisms that do not breathe oxygen can digest the materials in the wastewater) , although not necessarily sequentially or in this order.
  • a fluid called the supernatant or effluent
  • a fluid is decanted (drawn off) from the wastewater, without disturbing settled layers underneath (which settled layers may be liquid, solid or both) .
  • the surface of the wastewater being treated also usual ly contains floating impurities , such as foam generated by aeration , or oils or greases , so it is neces sary to decant the supernatant from below the surface of the wastewater as well , but above the settled layers .
  • floating impurities such as foam generated by aeration , or oils or greases
  • the device that draws in the supernatant is called the decanter , and includes a decanter intake through which the supernatant i s drawn in, the pump, the motor for the pump, and any housing for the pump and motor . Because the decanter must draw in the supernatant from below the surface of the wastewater, at least the decanter intake must be submerged under the surface of the fluid, which usual ly means at least part of the decanter is also below the surface , which makes the decanter diff icult to remove and service from the access opening at the top of the tank, which may be the only acces s .
  • tank shall also include “chamber” or “basin” or any of their synonyms .
  • pumps and their motors are inside a tank, but connected to plumbing that is external to the tank, making the pump very difficult to access and service, because of the need to disconnect and reconnect the pump from the external plumbing.
  • the motors for pumps in wastewater treatment systems also need to be cooled in order to maximize their service lives .
  • This cooling is usually accomplished by flowing water (usually the supernatant) around the motor for the pump.
  • water flowing around the motor is stagnant or does not flow quickly enough, the motor is not sufficiently cooled and its service life is shortened, and therefore the motor needs to be replaced more frequently.
  • pumps are often inside the tank and connected by plumbing that is outside the tank, so replacing motors in the pumps is often difficult and involved.
  • the water that flows around and cools the motor is drawn into the decanter intake only using ambient water pressure, which is the difference in water pressure between the surface of the water and the decanter intake.
  • This difference in water pressure is commonly called the "head”
  • the pump will pump air (cavitation) instead of water. Cavitation will determine whether the wastewater system can operate - if the pump would pump air instead of water, then the system cannot operate to process wastewater.
  • the decanter is in a housing inside the tank and the interior of the housing is not in direct fluid communication with the exterior of the housing, to avoid mixing supernatant in the interior of the housing with the untreated wastewater outside the housing.
  • switches with floats (called float switches) are activated and deactivated based on the supernatant level inside the housing to avoid cavitation, and to determine whether the wastewater level is appropriate for a particular step in the process.
  • Float switches usually have a float on a pivoted member, so that, as the water level changes, the pivoted member pivots, which pivoting then triggers a switch.
  • the float switches are in the interior of the housing, floating on supernatant that has been taken in through the decanter intake, and not in direct fluid communication with the exterior of the housing, the wastewater levels inside the housing could be very different from the wastewater levels inside the tank (but outside the housing) , so that the system may not perform the correct steps for the wastewater levels inside the tank at the right times, or may not perform those steps efficiently or effectively. Also, because the float switches are mounted inside the housing, the size of the housing is increased .
  • a filter is considered to be different from a mesh screen, because a mesh screen is a single layer of crossing wires or threads defining openings through the mesh screen having a certain substantially uniform size and shape, whereas a filter has multiple layers. Multiple layers of a mesh screen are also considered to be a filter.
  • U.S. Patent 4439323 to Ball discloses a submersible pump encircled by an encircling filter element, which is itself encircled by a housing, and located within a septic tank immersed in waste water.
  • the housing is impervious to water except through apertures located in the vertical sidewalls, to allow only water from the cleanest layer to enter into the housing and contact the filter.
  • the encircling filter has a much larger surface area than the discharge pipe so that sufficient filtered waste water is available for discharge even when the filter becomes substantially blocked .
  • U.S. Patent 5492635 to Ball discloses a specially designed filter that includes multiple discreet filters having a total increased filter surface area in an attempt to extend the longevity of the filter.
  • This filter includes multiple discreet filters in an attempt to expand the time needed between cleaning maintenance operations on the pump system.
  • This filter design attempts to decrease the number of times the water treatment system is stopped and the pump housing is opened and cleaned in order to remove the build up of solids from the filter and the bottom of the housing.
  • U.S. Patent 5985139 to Zoeller discloses a filtering system within a filter housing, a vertical tubular element secured to the outside of the housing in communication with unfiltered effluent in the tank and with an opening in the bottom or side, and a pump for pumping filtered effluent through the filtering system.
  • U.S. Patent 6303026 Bl to Lindbo discloses a wastewater treatment tank with influent gates and a pre-react zone director with an outwardly flared lower portion to enhance laminar flow and minimize disturbance of a settled sludge blanket, allowing the sludge to act as a natural biological filter.
  • U.S. Patent 6372137 Bl to Bounds discloses a wastewater treatment system which flows substantially all of its liquid effluent through an aerobic filter, with the majority of the filtrate returned to the septic tank for denitrification followed by further recirculation through the aerobic filter.
  • the present invention is a compact decanter assembly extractable through an access opening in a tank for a fluid, for decanting a supernatant from below a surface of the fluid and above a settled layer in the fluid.
  • the access opening has a maximum dimension.
  • the assembly has a housing having a bottom, a hollovj interior, a top opening leading into a top portion of the interior, and a riser port leading into the interior .
  • the housing is removably mountable in an operating position to an interior portion of the tank .
  • a removable cover is configured to close the top opening to form an airtight seal .
  • a decanter riser i s in fluid communication with the hollow interior of the housing through the riser port .
  • a decanter intake is in fluid communication with the decanter riser , and the decanter intake is pos itioned between the high fucid leve l and the bottom fluid level when the housing is mounted to the interior surface of the tank .
  • the hous ing, the decanter riser and the decanter intake When in an extraction orientation, the decanter riser and the decanter intake have a maximum combined dimens ion that is les s than the maximum dimens ion of the access opening and are configured to be extractable though the acces s opening .
  • a pump having a pump motor is removably placed ins ide the hollow interior of the hous ing .
  • the pump is in disconnectable fluid communication at an outlet with a discharge line extending watertightly through the cover outside the housing, and the pump i s in fluid communication with the interior of the housing at an inlet that is above the pump motor when the pump motor is placed in the hous ing and the housing is mounted in the operating position .
  • the pump When the hous ing is mounted in the operating position to the interior portion of the tank and the cover sealingly closes the top opening and the pump is activated, the pump creates a vacuum in the sealed hollow interior that sucks the supernatant through the decanter intake , the decanter riser , the decanter port , the interior of the housing, and in through the inlet , without going through a filter , result ing in a decanter unf iltered fluid, and then pumps the decanter unfiltered fluid out the outlet and into the discharge line and outside the housing, at a rate that is independent of the hydrostatic pressure between the decanter intake and the level of the fluid.
  • the invention comprises a device to treat influent in a tank having a bottom and an access opening.
  • the access opening has a maximum dimension.
  • An influent gate housing having a bottom portion is mounted in the tank to receive the influent.
  • a lateral outward lip attached to the bottom portion extends substantially completely around the influent gate housing.
  • a pre-react zone director has a lower portion at least partially surrounding the influent gate housing.
  • the pre-react zone director defines a main react zone inside the tank, but outside the prereact zone director.
  • the lower portion of the prereact zone director is spaced apart from the bottom of the tank and defines a contact zone between the lower portion and the bottom.
  • the pre-react zone director directs flow? of the influent in a laminar fashion through the contact zone and into the main react zone .
  • the lower portion of the pre-react zone director comprises a flap, wherein the flap is an angled lip extending around the lower portion of the pre-react zone director.
  • the influent avoids disturbing any settling sludge in the main react zone and forms a supernatant by filtering through the settling sludge.
  • settling, aerobic processing, anaerobic processing, and filtering are all performed in the tank.
  • a compact decanter assembly extractable through the access opening is used, which comprises a housing having a bottom, a hollow interior , a top opening leading into a top portion of the interior , and a riser port leading into the interior .
  • the housing is removably mountable in an operating position to an interior portion of the tank .
  • a removable cover i s configured to close the top opening to form an airtight seal .
  • a decanter intake in fluid communication with the decanter riser i s positioned below the bottom fluid level when the housing is mounted to the interior surface of the tank .
  • the hous ing, the decanter riser and the decanter intake When in an extraction orientation , have a maximum combined dimension that is less than the maximum dimens ion of the access opening and are configured to be extractable though the access opening .
  • a pump having a pump motor is removably placed inside the hollow interior of the hous ing .
  • the pump is in di sconnectable fluid communication at an outlet with a dis charge line extending watertightly through the cover outside the hous ing .
  • the pump is in fucid communication with the interior of the housing at an inlet that is above the pump motor when the pump motor is placed in the housing and the housing is mounted in the operating position .
  • the pump creates a vacuum in the sealed hollow interior that sucks the fluid through the decanter intake , the decanter riser , the decanter port , the interior of the hous ing, and in through the inlet , without going through a f ilter, resulting in a decanter unf iltered fluid and then pumps the decanter unfiltered fucid out the outlet and into the discharge line and outside the housing, at a rate that is independent of the hydrostatic pressure between the decanter intake and the level of the fluid.
  • the decanter intake has a single layer vertical screen.
  • the removable cover is attached over the top opening of the housing by a nonscrew quick release watertight coupling.
  • float switches to detect water levels in the tank are mounted on the housing .
  • Fig. 1 is a side elevational exploded view of the interior components of a presently preferred embodiment of the interior components of a compact, extractable, self-contained decanter according to the present invention.
  • Fig. 2 is a side elevational exploded view of the exterior components of a presently preferred embodiment of a compact, extractable, self-contained decanter according to the present invention.
  • Fig. 3 is a side elevational assembled cutaway view of a presently preferred embodiment of a compact, extractable, self-contained decanter according to the present invention.
  • Fig. 4 is a side elevational exploded view of the decanter intake mesh screen of a presently preferred embodiment of a compact, extractable self-contained decanter according to the present invention.
  • Fig. 5 is a side elevational cutaway view of a presently preferred embodiment of a device to treat influent according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 is a side elevational exploded view of the interior components 100 of a presently preferred embodiment of a compact, extractable, self- contained decanter according to the present invention.
  • a pump motor 110 powers a pump 120 that is mounted on top of the pump motor 110.
  • the pump 120 has a pump inlet 124 and a pump outlet 128.
  • a lower quick disconnect device 140 connects the pump outlet 128 to the inlet 150 of a check valve 154, to prevent supernatant from flowing backwards when the motor 110 is turned off.
  • a reducing bushing 130 can be interposed to connect the pump outlet 128 to the inlet of the lower quick disconnect device 140.
  • a short connecting pipe 160 can be interposed between the outlet of the lower quick disconnect device 140 and the inlet 150 of the check valve 154.
  • the outlet 156 of the check valve 154 is connected to a discharge pipe 170 at a lower end 174, and an upper quick disconnect device 180 is connected to the upper end 178 of the discharge pipe 170.
  • a discharge extension tube 190 is connected to the inlet of the upper quick disconnect device 180.
  • An interior adapter 194 is configured to fit over the top end 198 of the discharge extension tube 190 (if present) or the outlet of the upper quick disconnect device (if there is no discharge extension tube 190) , and is configured to mate with an exterior adapter 196.
  • the exterior adapter 196 is configured to connect to an elbow E that leads to an external effluent discharge system.
  • the elbow E is also connected to a shut off valve V, preferably a ball valve.
  • a rope 200 is attached to a convenient connection point in some lower portion of the interior components 100, such as the lower quick connect device 140, the motor 110 or the pump 120. If the rope 200 is attached to the lower quick disconnect device 140, the rope 200 must be connected in a manner that does not cause unintentional disconnection when the rope is pulled. For example, if the lower disconnect device 140 has opening levers that are moved upwardly to disconnect, it is presently preferred that the lower disconnect device 140 has a locking pin or locking flap to retain the opening levers in a lowered position, so that the disconnect device 140 does not disconnect if the rope 200 is secured to the lower disconnect device 140 and then is pulled upwardly.
  • FIG. 2 shown is a side elevational exploded view of the exterior components of a presently preferred embodiment of a compact, extractable, self-contained decanter according to the present invention.
  • a housing 300 preferably formed from cylindrical polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe approximately 6 inches (approximately 15.24 centimeters) in diameter, has a bottom endcap 320 attached at the bottom.
  • the bottom endcap 320 has a hole 325 that can be plugged and unplugged for cleaning the bottom of the housing 300 , or draining the housing 300 .
  • a decanter ri ser elbow 400 is connected to the bottom endcap 320 so as to be in fluid communication with the interior of the housing 300 and form a decanter port .
  • a decanter riser 420 is inserted into the elbow 400 and rises vertically .
  • a decanter riser clamp 430 can be attached to the housing 300 to secure the decanter riser 420 to the housing 300 .
  • a tee j oint 440 is preferably mounted on top of the decanter riser 420 .
  • a decanter intake 460 can be received in the horizontal portion of the tee j oint 440 , and a ball check valve assembly 470 is attached to the decanter intake 460 .
  • a single layer vertical mesh screen 480 is attached to the ball check valve as sembly 470 .
  • a decanter ri ser extension 490 is preferably attached to the upper vertical portion of the tee j oint 440 , and has a decanter top 492 .
  • a decanter riser extension clamp 494 can be attached to the housing 300 to secure the decanter riser extension 4 90 to the housing 300 .
  • a decanter riser clamp 430 can be attached to the housing 300 to secure the decanter riser 420 to the housing 300 .
  • the length of the decanter riser 420 and the tee j oint 440 are set so that the decanter intake 460 sucks in supernatant from a level of wastewater in the tank that is beneath the surface of the wastewater ( so as to avoid sucking in fats , oils , foam, and other floating materials ) and above the settled layers after the settling step has completed and the decanting step begins ( see below) .
  • decanter riser extens ion 490 decanter top 492 and decanter riser extension clamp 494 could be replaced by an elbow if the decanter ri ser 420 is long enough for the decanter intake to suck in supernatant at the right wastewater level and the decanter riser clamp 430 is suf ficiently strong to retain the decanter riser 420 , decanter intake 460 , ball check valve assembly 470 and vertical mesh s creen 480 in place when the decanter is being removed for servicing or repair .
  • the top of the housing 300 has handling apertures 330 .
  • a top segment 340 is airtightly attached to a top end cap 350 .
  • the top end cap 350 has a priming port (not shown) that can be airtightly sealed by a plug 352 .
  • a cord grip 354 is attached to the top end cap 350 .
  • the exterior adapter 196 airtightly extends through the top end cap 350 .
  • the motor has an electrical cord (not shown ) that airtightly pas ses through the top end cap 350 as wel l , and extends all the way down the housing 300 to the motor 110 .
  • the top segment 340 is removably attached to the housing 300 by a rubber sleeve coupling 360 secured in place by circumferential steel bands 362 , or by some other means for coupling them with an airtight seal , without twisting the cover by more than approximately 180 degrees .
  • Coupling the top segment 340 with an airtight seal to the hous ing 300 without twisting more than 180 degrees is a non-twist airtight coupl ing .
  • a rope can be threaded through the handling apertures 330 to lift the ent ire housing 300 and all interior components 10 C 1 and the decanter riser 420 , decanter intake 460 and other exterior components .
  • a mounting pipe M is preferably installed in an interior portion of the tank, and has a top T .
  • the interior portion of the tank includes all surfaces on the interior of the tank, including (without l imitation ) the top interior surface of the tank, any pipe or other structure that is inside the tank, and the interior surface of the cover for any access opening for the tank .
  • a clamp C is preferably attached to the top segment 340 that can attach to the mounting pipe M, to secure the decanter assembly in an operating position , preferably a vertical pos ition .
  • FIG. 3 shown i s a s ide elevational partially assembled cutaway view of a presently preferred embodiment of a compact , extractable , self - contained decanter according to the present invention, showing how the interior components 100 shown in exploded view in Fig 1 are assembled and placed in the interior of the housing 300 , with the motor 110 placed in the bottom of the interior of the housing 300 , and showing in more detail how the top segment 340 , preferably forming the top portion of the interior of the housing, can be placed abutting the top end of the housing 300 (which is the top opening of the housing) , and then the rubber sleeve coupling 360 can be placed over the j oint and made watert ight by seal ing with the circumferential steel bands 362 .
  • the top end cap 350 can be mounted directly on the housing 300, so that the top portion of the interior of the housing 300 becomes the top of housing 300.
  • the coupling to form an airtight seal, without twisting more than 180 degrees, of the top end cap 350 to the housing (or the top segment 340) is preferred because at least the power cord for the motor (not shown) preferably passes through the top end cap 350 and would be twisted if the airtight sealing required twisting of the top end cap 350 by more than 180 degrees.
  • the discharge extension tube 190 joins with the interior adapter 194 on the interior of the top end cap 350, and how the interior adapter 194 joins with the exterior adapter 196.
  • the plug 352 for the priming port is also shown extending through the top end cap 350.
  • the cord grip 354 is shown attached to the top end cap 350 so as to provide a place for a cord to engage with the entire decanter assembly.
  • FIG. 4 shown is a side elevational exploded view of the decanter intake 460, a ball check valve assembly 470, and the optional vertical mesh screen 480 of a presently preferred embodiment of a compact, extractable self-contained decanter according to the present invention.
  • the vertical mesh screen 480 is preferably only of a single layer, is external to the decanter intake 460, and consists only of vertical portions.
  • Preferably the vertical mesh screen 480 is approximately cylindrical and is retained in place by being screwed into the ball check valve assembly 470 by two short screws that do not penetrate through the walls of the ball check valve assembly 470. In this manner, the mesh screen 480 blocks larger solids from reaching the ball check valve assembly 470 and the decanter intake 460.
  • holes in the mesh screen are between 1/16 inch (approximately 0.15875 centimeters) and b inch (approximately 1.27 centimeters) , and preferably 1/8 inch (approximately .3175 centimeters) , and preferably no filters are used inside the decanter.
  • a solid bottom 484 is attached to the vertical mesh screen 480, so that all portions of the mesh screen 480 are vertical.
  • Fig. 4 also shows how the decanter intake 460 is attached to the tee 440 by a projecting member 462. Fig.
  • FIG. 4 also shows the ball 472 of the ball check valve 470, which operates very similarly to the ball check valve of US patent 6423214 Bl to Lindbo, which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • the ball 472 in the ball check valve 470 is denser than supernatant, but can be lifted when the motor 110 is turned on, so the ball check valve 470 allows sucking in of supernatant when the motor 110 turns on during decanting (which would be after settling creates a supernatant layer) , but the ball sinks and keeps solids from entering the decanter intake 460 during an anoxic cycle, when the microbiological processes create bubbles that could "lift” solids into the decanter intake 460, as well as during an aeration cycle, when the aerators 46 (see Fig. 5) also could "lift” solids into the decanter intake 460.
  • the mesh screen 480 is only vertical, solids in the wastewater are not retained on the mesh screen 480 by gravity, and will fall away if the pump motor 110 stops. Also, during the aeration portion of the wastewater treatment cycle (see below) , the turbulence generated by the diffusers 46 will dislodge any solids that are adhering to the vertical mesh screen 480. Thus, the mesh screen 480 is selfcleaning. For any debris that is not removed by selfcleaning, the housing 300 only needs to be lifted sufficiently to expose the mesh screen 480 above the wastewater level, and then the mesh screen 480 can be sprayed with a hose or other device to clean it further.
  • This ability to clean the mesh screen 480, and the lack of filters inside the housing 300, is much more advantageous than other decanter systems which have filters and float switches inside a housing, because the filters in other systems must be large enough to accommodate some clogging to minimize the frequency of filter cleaning, the filters must be submerged (usually on the bottom near the motor) with the float switches positioned above the filters, and the housing must be large enough to accommodate the larger filters and the float switches, so that the float switches must be removed before the filters (usually on the bottom near the motor) can be accessed or removed for cleaning, whether while in the housing or by removal from the housing first, and the housing is too large to fit through the access opening.
  • FIG. 5 shown is a side elevational cutaway view of a presently preferred embodiment of a device to treat influent according to the present invention, installed in a tank T.
  • the interior portions 100 of the assembly are inside the housing 300.
  • Float switches (whose functions are described below) that are normally open are placed in the tank T but outside the decanter's housing 300, and therefore are switched on or off based on the level of wastewater in the tank, not on the level of supernatant in the housing 300 of the decanter.
  • the float switches could be mounted on the outside of the housing if desired, for ease of servicing.
  • the float switches could be removably mounted on the outside of the housing 300, so they could be removed prior to or during extraction, to allow the entire decanter assembly to be extracted through the access opening. If the float switches were mounted on the inside of the housing 300, the size of the housing 300 would need to be increased in order to provide sufficient room to accommodate the movement of the float (swing room) and other structures associated with the float switches, such as cords. This may make the housing 300 too large to extract through the access opening.
  • influent flows into an influent gate housing 20 having an influent gate bottom 30 and is enclosed in a prereact zone director 34 having a pre-react zone director flap or flare 38.
  • a single tank wastewater system that only performed settling can also perform aerobic, anaerobic (or anoxic) processing, and decant a supernatant of high quality.
  • the decanter assembly contains all moving parts for the wastewater system except the float valves, and if the float valves are mounted on the housing 300 (including both directly, or indirectly such as by being mounted on the decanter riser 420, the decanter extension 490, the tee joint 440, or the decanter intake 460) , then all moving parts for the entire wastewater system can be easily serviced or replaced or adjusted by removing the housing 300, together with the float valves mounted on the housing. As noted above, the aerators could be easily extracted for service or replacement as well.
  • top end cap 350 (with the discharge extension tube 190 extending through, and plug 352 in the priming port) is attached to the top segment 340, and they are joined to the housing 300 by the rubber sleeve coupling 360 and circumferential steel bands 362 (or other means for coupling them with an airtight seal without twisting more than 180 degrees)
  • the interior of the housing 300 is closed, so that when the pump motor 110 is turned on, the pump 120 creates a vacuum inside the interior of the housing 300, to create powered suction of supernatant through the decanter intake 460, the decanter riser 420, the elbow 400 forming the decanter port, and into the pump inlet 128, so that the volume of fluid that can be pumped is not determined by ambient hydrostatic pressure (head) .
  • the pump 120 would be limited to pumping the fluid at the maximum rate that can flow through the decanter port at the elbow 400, and the decanter intake 460 - if the fluid were pumped at a higher rate, the pump 120 would eventually pump out all the fluid in the interior of the housing 300, until the pump intake 124 is left dry and air comes in, called cavitation. If the interior of the housing 300 does not have sufficient fluid for pumping at any time, then the plug 352 can be removed from the priming port, and sufficient fluid can be introduced into the interior of the housing 300 to allow the pump 120 to pump (at least enough fluid to submerge the intake 124) .
  • the mesh screen 480 is located at a height below the surface and above the settled solids in the wastewater when the motor 110 is activated, the supernatant should be clear when the supernatant is sucked into the decanter intake. If there are solids in the supernatant at that time, the vertical mesh screen 480 should block them from entering the decanter intake 460.
  • the decanter intake 460 is in fluid communication with the interior of the housing 300, the decanter assembly is self- contained .
  • all the parts of the decanter assembly have a maximum dimension when assembled that is less than the maximum dimension of the access opening for the tank T, so that the entire decanter assembly can be removed through the access opening when the assembly is oriented in an extraction orientation, which is likely to be canted from the vertical because of the need to be able to extract the housing 300 and decanter intake 460 and mesh screen 480 (and possibly any float switches that may be mounted on outside of the assembly) without disassembly.
  • the decanter intake 460, pump 120, motor 110, or other parts of the decanter assembly require servicing, the entire decanter assembly can be easily removed through the access opening, without needing to disconnect exterior pipes from the pump 110.
  • any or all of the motor 110, the pump 120, the decanter intake 460, and other parts inside or outside the housing 300 can be easily removed through the access opening and accessed and serviced.
  • the circumferential steel bands 362 around the rubber sleeve coupling 360 can be loosened, the rubber sleeve coupling 360 can be removed, and the top segment 340 can be lifted away from the housing 300. If the entire housing 300 (including all the interior components 100) or the decanter riser 420, decanter intake 460 or screen 480 need to be removed for servicing, then a rope can be engaged with the handling apertures 330 to pull out the housing 300 (including all interior components 100) and everything attached to the housing 300 of the decanter assembly.
  • the upper quick disconnect device 180 can be disconnected, and then the rope 200 can be used to pull all the interior components 100 out of the housing 300 . I f the pump 120 or motor 110 must be replaced, the lower quick dis connect device 140 can be disconnected .
  • the invention is an apparatus that includes the decanter described above and also contains an influent flow velocity reduction device .
  • an influent flow velocity reduction device In order for a wastewater treatment process to perform the functions of flow equalization , aeration , settling , and e ff luent withdrawal within a s ingle basin, it must be able to accept inf luent flows at all times . Two factors are critical to accommodating constant flows of influent without disrupt ions to the settling and decanting phases . First , turbulence due to splash energy must be mitigated .
  • the influent gate housing disclosed in US patent 6303026 Bl performs this task .
  • the influent must be delivered to the main reactor basin without upsetting the sludge blanket during sett ling and decanting .
  • the pre-react zone director in US patent 6303026 Bl does this by creating a large f low- through area to the biomas s , thus reducing velocity .
  • the pre-react zone director has angled f langes at the bottom to direct inf luent downward and outward into the biomass in a laminar fashion .
  • the process preferably operates six four hour cycles per day .
  • Each four hour cycle preferably consists of two hours of aeration, one hour of settl ing, and one hour of e ff luent withdrawal (decanting) .
  • These phases are preferably controlled through the use of electronic timers, in conjunction with controls actuated by water level, such as float switches .
  • the aeration phase is normally the first two hours of the cycle.
  • Oxygen is required by microorganisms that consume organic pollutants (BOD5) in typical residential wastewater.
  • BOD5 indicates the amount of oxygen which bacteria and other microorganisms consume in a water sample during the period of 5 days at a temperature of 20 °C to degrade the water contents aerobically.
  • BOD5 is thus an indirect measure of the sum of all biodegradable organic substances in the water) is calculated using traditional activated sludge process standards.
  • Oxygen demand and mixing requirements are both met by supplying diffused air to the entire basin, including the pre-react zone.
  • the settling phase is normally the third hour of the cycle. During settling, solids-liquid separation occurs. The solids settle to the bottom of the basin, a thin scum layer forms on the surface, and a clear supernatant forms between the two.
  • the decant phase is normally the fourth hour of the cycle. During the decant phase, the decanter removes the supernatant from below the surface for discharge. If sludge removal is required, it will typically be done at the end of the decant phase .
  • the process of the present invention preferably deals with peak flows using water levels and water level switch overrides . From the top down, there are four water levels used as part of the presently preferred process :
  • TWL Top Water Level
  • the volume of tankage and air required for treatment is determined by the amount of organic pollutants that need to be removed from the wastewater stream. In the presently preferred process, this is referred to as the Bottom Water Level (BWL) .
  • BWL Bottom Water Level
  • the water level in the reactor basin is never permitted to go below this level. Because the process accepts influent and decants effluent throughout the cycle, the water level will vary, but will always be above the BWL. Should abnormally low flows be encountered, the water level may get lower than the BWL before the end of the Decant Phase , caus ing the bottom water level switch BWL to deactivate the decanter .
  • the reactor basin capacity between the BWL and high water level HWL is si zed to accept the design peak f lows .
  • the operating water level of the basin will normally l ie between the BWL and HWL .
  • the water level may rise to the HWL before the aeration phase has completed . This causes the high water level switch HWL to cease aeration and to allow early settling, in case early ef fluent decanting become neces sary .
  • the reactor basin capacity between the HWL and top water leve l TWL is si zed to al low enough time for solids to settle in preparation for an early decant .
  • the water level may rise to the TWL before the decant phase has begun . This causes the top level switch TWL to activate the decanter early .
  • An alarm level switch AWL will activate audio and visual alarms indicating immediate attention to the system is required .
  • the process of thi s invention also meets most tertiary treatment standards without additional mechanical f iltration or chemical addition .
  • Phosphorus Removal by the process of the present invention is by means of incorporation into cell tissue. It is estimated that the phosphorus content of the cell tissue is approximately one-fifth of the nitrogen content.
  • the process of this invention provides an environment that enables microorganisms in the sludge or mixed liquor (wastewater having suspended solids) to remove an excess amount of phosphorus required for growth.
  • the influent gate housing and pre-react zone director provide an efficient method for the microorganisms to remove the phosphorus, because the influent wastewater is directed through the sludge layer during the air- off phase of the cyclic process.
  • the unique components of the system of this invention mitigate influent flow velocities, to allow the activated- sludge layer to perform as a natural biological filter, thereby effectively extracting the organics and nutrients in the wastewater as they pass through the layer of sludge.
  • This feature of the process of the present invention is non-mechanical and does not require the addition of chemicals .
  • the present invention is applicable whenever it is desired to treat wastewater in tanks .

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
  • Microbiology (AREA)
  • Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Centrifugal Separators (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un décanteur autonome extractible compact qui est scellé pour une aspiration alimentée de surnageant à partir d'un réservoir d'eaux usées sans obstruer les filtres.
PCT/US2021/054605 2021-10-12 2021-10-12 Ensemble décanteur autonome extractible compact WO2023063931A1 (fr)

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CA3234998A CA3234998A1 (fr) 2021-10-12 2021-10-12 Ensemble decanteur autonome extractible compact
PCT/US2021/054605 WO2023063931A1 (fr) 2021-10-12 2021-10-12 Ensemble décanteur autonome extractible compact

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Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6423214B1 (en) * 1998-09-28 2002-07-23 Glen D. Lindbo Device for decanting supernatant
US7476322B2 (en) * 2004-10-14 2009-01-13 Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. Process and energy-efficient biological treatment system with filtration membrane
US20150151989A1 (en) * 2011-06-10 2015-06-04 Bioener Bierzo, S.L. System for Purifying Polluted Water and Purification Method
US20160243464A1 (en) * 2015-01-13 2016-08-25 FHNC Ltd. Co. Wastewater separation system
US20180170769A1 (en) * 2015-03-31 2018-06-21 ClearCove Systems, Inc. Method for processing waste water

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6423214B1 (en) * 1998-09-28 2002-07-23 Glen D. Lindbo Device for decanting supernatant
US7476322B2 (en) * 2004-10-14 2009-01-13 Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. Process and energy-efficient biological treatment system with filtration membrane
US20150151989A1 (en) * 2011-06-10 2015-06-04 Bioener Bierzo, S.L. System for Purifying Polluted Water and Purification Method
US20160243464A1 (en) * 2015-01-13 2016-08-25 FHNC Ltd. Co. Wastewater separation system
US20180170769A1 (en) * 2015-03-31 2018-06-21 ClearCove Systems, Inc. Method for processing waste water

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