Palo Alto Research Center Inc.

Cory D Lancaster

Francisco Eduardo Torres

Armin R Volkel

Huangpin Ben Hsieh

Kai Melde

Ashutosh Kole

Mark J Stephenson

A method and system removes biological contaminants from an algal crop. A flow of an algal crop containing biological contaminants is provided to a hydrodynamic separator (HDS) system. The flow is controlled by a control mechanism, wherein the biological contaminants are concentrated into a first portion of the flow of the algal crop within the HDS system, based on the size of the biological contaminants, and the first portion contains a majority of the biological contaminants in the flow of the algal crop. A second portion of the flow contains a majority of algal in the flow of the algal crop. The flow of the algal crop is split by use of a bi-furcated output of the HDS system. The splitting is between the first portion containing the majority of the biological contaminants in the flow of the algal crop, and the second portion which contains the majority of the algal of the algal crop. The first portion of the flow of the algal crop containing the majority of the biological contaminants is output from a first output of the bi-furcated output, and the second portion of the flow of the algal crop containing the majority of the algal of the algal crop is output from a second output of the bi-furcated output.

Hydrodynamic separation (HDS) for removing protist predators from algal crops

A wastewater treatment plant that employs an activated sludge process and a method of operating the same is described. Wastewater influent is provided to a bioreactor configured to perform activated sludge processing to develop mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS). The MLSS is passed from the bioreactor to a hydrodynamic separator (HDS) system, where separation operations are performed on the MLSS. The separation operations generate a low concentration MLSS stream and a high concentration MLSS stream. The low concentration MLSS stream is passed from the hydrodynamic separator system via a first output to a clarifier, and the high concentration wastewater stream is passed via a second output back to the bioreactor. The clarifier performs clarification operations on the cleaned wastewater stream and then outputs an effluent flow.

Recycling activated sludge by hydrodynamic seperator (HDS) to enable high MLSS bioreactor to process high influent flow and/or high strength wastewater

A dual compartment bioreactor system includes a heterotrophic bioreactor, an autotrophic bioreactor, and a membrane between the autotrophic bioreactor and the heterotrophic bioreactor. The autotrophic bioreactor includes a transparent outer wall. Each population benefits from the products of the metabolism of the other. Methods for wastewater treatment and algal production utilize the system.

Growing community of inventors

Berkeley, CA, United States of America

Cory D Lancaster