Wastewater treatment system
View Patent ↗The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for treating wastewater. The wastewater treatment system includes a bioreactor including activated carbon and a first biological population. The wastewater treatment system may also include a membrane bioreactor and/or a wet oxidation unit.
1. A wastewater treatment system comprising:
a source of wastewater comprising a concentration of an endocrine disrupting compound;
a bioreactor fluidly connected downstream of the source of wastewater, the bioreactor comprising an adsorbent; and
an adsorbent regeneration unit fluidly connected downstream of the bioreactor.
2. The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent regeneration unit comprises an outlet fluidly connected to the bioreactor.
3. The wastewater treatment system of claim 2 , wherein the adsorbent regeneration unit includes means for intermittently allowing sludge formed in the bioreactor to be introduced into the adsorbent regeneration unit.
4. The wastewater treatment system of claim 2 , wherein the adsorbent regeneration unit comprises a wet air oxidation unit.
5. The wastewater treatment system of claim 2 , wherein the adsorbent regeneration unit comprises a second bioreactor.
6. The wastewater treatment system of claim 5 , wherein the bioreactor comprises a first biological population and the second bioreactor comprises a second biological population.
7. The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent is powdered activated carbon.
8. The wastewater treatment system of claim 1 , further comprising a separator fluidly connected downstream of the bioreactor and fluidly connected upstream of the adsorbent regeneration unit.
9. The wastewater treatment system of claim 8 , wherein the separator is a hydrocyclone.
10. The wastewater treatment system of claim 8 , wherein the separator is a membrane bioreactor.
11. The wastewater treatment system of claim 10 , further comprising a wet air oxidation unit fluidly connected downstream of membrane bioreactor.
12. A wastewater treatment system comprising:
a source of wastewater;
a first membrane bioreactor fluidly connected to the source of wastewater, the bioreactor comprising an adsorbent; and
a wet air oxidation unit fluidly connected to the bioreactor.
13. The wastewater treatment system of claim 12 , wherein the adsorbent is activated carbon.
14. The wastewater treatment system of claim 12 , further comprising a second bioreactor fluidly connected downstream of the first membrane bioreactor and upstream of the wet air oxidation unit.
15. The wastewater treatment system of claim 12 , further comprising a separator fluidly connected downstream of the first membrane bioreactor and upstream of the wet air oxidation unit.
16. The wastewater treatment system of claim 15 , wherein the separator is a hydrocyclone.
17. The wastewater treatment system of claim 14 , wherein the second bioreactor comprises a second membrane bioreactor.
18. The wastewater treatment system of claim 17 , further comprising a hydrocyclone fluidly connected downstream of the first membrane bioreactor and upstream of the second membrane bioreactor.
19. The wastewater treatment system of claim 18 , further comprising a second wet air oxidation unit fluidly connected downstream of the hydrocyclone and upstream of the second membrane bioreactor.
20. The wastewater treatment system of claim 18 , further comprising a recirculation line fluidly connected to the wet air oxidation unit and the first membrane bioreactor.
21. The wastewater treatment system of claim 12 , further comprising a second bioreactor fluidly connected to the inlet of the first membrane bioreactor.
22. The wastewater treatment system of claim 21 , wherein the second bioreactor further comprises activated carbon.
23. The wastewater treatment system of claim 22 , further comprising a hydrocyclone fluidly connected to an outlet of the second bioreactor and an inlet to the membrane bioreactor.
24. The wastewater treatment system of claim 23 , further comprising a recirculation line fluidly connected to the hydrocyclone and the second bioreactor, the recirculation line comprising a wet air oxidation unit.
25. The wastewater treatment system of claim 12 , further comprising a controller configured to fluidly direct a product stream comprising the adsorbent from the first membrane bioreactor to the wet air oxidation unit.
26. A wastewater treatment system comprising:
a source of wastewater;
a first bioreactor fluidly connected to the source of wastewater, the first bioreactor comprising an adsorbent;
a second bioreactor fluidly connected downstream of the first bioreactor; and
a separator fluidly connected downstream of the first bioreactor and upstream of the second bioreactor.
27. The wastewater treatment system of claim 26 , further comprising:
a first biological population disposed in the first bioreactor; and
a second biological population disposed in the second bioreactor.
28. The wastewater treatment system of claim 26 , wherein the means for removing inert solids comprises a separator.
29. The wastewater treatment system of claim 28 , wherein the separator is a clarifier.
30. The wastewater treatment system of claim 28 , wherein the separator is a hydrocyclone.
31. A wastewater treatment system comprising:
a source of wastewater;
a wet air oxidation unit comprising an inlet fluidly connected to the source of wastewater and an outlet; and
a membrane bioreactor comprising a biological population and fluidly connected to the outlet.
32. The waste water treatment system of claim 31 , wherein the membrane bioreactor further comprises activated carbon.
33. A wastewater treatment system comprising:
a source of wastewater;
a bioreactor fluidly connected downstream of the source of wastewater, the bioreactor comprising an adsorbent; and
an adsorbent regeneration unit fluidly connected downstream of the bioreactor, wherein the adsorbent regeneration unit comprises a second bioreactor.
34. The wastewater treatment system of claim 33 , wherein the bioreactor comprises a first biological population and the second bioreactor comprises a second biological population.
35. A wastewater treatment system comprising:
a source of wastewater;
a bioreactor fluidly connected downstream of the source of wastewater, the bioreactor comprising an adsorbent;
an adsorbent regeneration unit fluidly connected downstream of the bioreactor and
a separator selected from the group consisting of a hydrocyclone and a membrane bioreactor fluidly connected downstream of the bioreactor and fluidly connected upstream of the adsorbent regeneration unit.
36. The wastewater treatment system of claim 34 , wherein the adsorbent regeneration unit comprises a wet air oxidation unit.
37. The wastewater treatment system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a controller configured to fluidly direct a product stream comprising the adsorbent from the bioreactor to the wet air oxidation unit.