University of South Florida

The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

Daniel H Yeh

Robert A Bair

Onur Y Ozcan

Melanie Pickett

David Fulcher

Jorge Luis Calabria

Ivy Lea Cormier Drexler

George H Dick

Ahmet Erkan Uman

Luke Roberson

Matthew Jeffrey Woodham

Talon Bullard

Provided herein are systems and methods for treating a wastewater stream. In one embodiment, a wastewater stream is treated using a settling tank, a membrane feed tank, and at least one filtration unit.

Systems and methods for treating a wastewater stream

In one embodiment, an algae cultivation system includes a basin that contains a liquid and a photobioreactor at least partially immersed in the liquid of the basin, the photobioreactor comprising a closed container including multiple panels that together define an interior space in which algae can be cultivated, at least one of the panels being transparent, the photobioreactor further comprising an inflatable float associated with the container that can be filled with a gas to change one or both of the position and orientation of the container within the liquid.

Systems and methods for cultivating algae

A modular system for waste treatment, water recycling, and resource recovery includes a buffer tank to receive and pre-treat raw organic waste, at least one reactor tank configured as an anaerobic bioreactor that receives and digests pre-treated waste from the buffer tank, a membrane module having a membrane configured to filter waste from the digested waste from the at least one reactor tank to produce a permeate, a permeate collection tank configured to collect and store the permeate generated by the membrane module, a pump system having a plurality of pumps, and a control system configured to monitor the flow of waste and to control the pump system to control the flow of waste between the buffer tank, the at least one reactor tank, the membrane module, and the permeate collection tank.

Modular system for waste treatment, water recycling, and resource recovery in a space environment

In one embodiment, a concentrically baffled reactor includes an outer housing that defines an interior space, an inlet through which material can be delivered into the interior space, an outlet through which material can be removed from the interior space, and multiple concentric baffles within the interior space that define multiple concentric reactor zones through which the material can sequentially flow to the outlet.

Concentrically baffled reactors and systems that incorporate them

A system includes at least one reusable nutrient cartridge including an outer housing having an inlet and an outlet, and nutrient-adsorbing material contained within the housing, the material being configured to adsorb nutrients, wherein the cartridge is configured to be charged with nutrients by flowing a nutrient stream through the inlet, through the nutrient-adsorbing material, and through the outlet to enable the nutrient-adsorbing material to adsorb the nutrients, wherein the cartridge is also configured to be later discharged of the nutrients by flowing water through the inlet, through the nutrient-adsorbing material, and through the outlet so as to transfer the nutrients to the water to generate a dilute nutrient solution suitable for use as a fertilizer.

Systems and methods for nutrient recovery and use

In one embodiment, a portable wastewater treatment system includes an anaerobic reactor in which organic material within the wastewater can be broken down, a membrane filter that receives wastewater from the anaerobic reactor and filters the water to produce permeate, and a small shipping container in which the reactor and the membrane filter are contained.

Portable wastewater treatment systems

In one embodiment, an algae cultivation system includes a photobioreactor adapted for immersion in growth media contained within the growth media reactor, the photobioreactor including a closed container including multiple panels that together define an interior space in which algae can be cultivated, at least one of the panels being transparent, a porous membrane filter incorporated into one of the panels that enables water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients contained within the growth media to pass into the interior space but prevents contaminants contained within the growth media from passing into the interior space, and a gas control valve incorporated into one of the panels that when open enables photosynthetic gas produced by algae growth within the container to escape but when closed prevents the photosynthetic gas from escaping so as to build pressure within the container that forces water out from the container and dewaters the algae.

Systems for cultivating and dewatering algae

In one embodiment, a dilute wastewater treatment system includes a separation subsystem configured to receive dilute wastewater and separate it into a product stream containing a low concentration of organic material and a reject stream containing a high concentration of organic material, and a conversion subsystem configured to receive the reject stream from the separation subsystem and anaerobically treat the reject stream to break down the organic material and separate it from water within the reject stream.

Growing community of inventors

Tampa, FL, United States of America

Daniel H Yeh