Water Pollution Control Corporation

Advanced Aeration Control, LLC

Other

Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

Midwest Water Management, LLP

Sanitaire Corporation

David T Redmon

Lloyd Ewing

Frank L Schmit

William H Roche

Thomas E Jenkins

Timothy D Hilgart

Juan De Dios Trillo Monsoriu

Ian Trillo Fox

Thomas E Frankel

Paul M Thayer

Robert B Wheeler

Gregory P Smiltneek

Martin M Smiltneek

Arthur W Phenicie

Mark T Raether

Frank L Schmidt

Wastewater is treated by providing a distribution conduit and providing a diffuser assembly. An aperture is created in the distribution conduit having an initial minimum diameter. The diffuser assembly, in turn, comprises a diffuser membrane in fluidic communication with a mating tube. The mating tube has an initial outside diameter at a location along its length greater than the initial minimum inside diameter of the aperture. The mating tube is inserted into the aperture until the location on the mating tube that, before insertion, had the initial outside diameter is encircled by the aperture where the aperture, before insertion, had the initial minimum inside diameter. This forms an airtight interference fit between the distribution conduit and diffuser assembly.

Methods and apparatus for wastewater treatment

Methods and apparatus for continuing, automated control of wastewater treatment processes. In certain preferred embodiments, method and apparatus for control of aeration in suspended growth biological treatment processes, especially in activated sludge processes.

Method and apparatus for controlling wastewater treatment processes

Controlling wastewater treatment processes

A floating fine-bubble aeration system for dissolving a gas in a liquid in which the system is floated. A grid of uniformly spaced fine-bubble diffusers is used to establish large area of bubble-laden liquid, having a substantially uniform density. The uniform density prevents the formation of any upwardly directed currents within the interior portion of the area. Bubble residence time is maximized, due to the absence of the currents, thus increasing the efficiency of dissolving the gas in the liquid.

Floating fine-bubble aeration system

The disclosure relates to obtaining dynamic wet pressure in a wastewater treatment plant. A difusser submerged in wastewater is connected to an air supply. This diffuser has an air flow regulator, a diffusion element to discharge the air into the wastewater, and a plenum situated between the element and the flow regulator. Pressure taps sense pressure in the pipe and the plenum. Manometers are used to determine hydrostatic head, pressure drop across the element, and pressure drop across the air flow regulator. Air flow regulator pressure drop and pressure/flow characteristics may be used, with other required information, to calculate dynamic wet pressure across the diffusion element.

Liquid treatment process with in-plant pressure monitoring of submerged diffusers

A liquid treatment apparatus comprising a gas distribution network in a water impound; a device for introducing treating gas into the network; a source of cleaning agent; a device for intermittently introducing the cleaning agent into the network alone or in admixture with the treating gas; a plurality of synthetic thermoplastic or thermoset resin plenums; a plurality of a least ten diffusion elements sealingly engaged and in communication with the plenums for receiving the treating gas and cleaning agent, the elements having air diffusion pores extending therethrough, but being free of through-holes other than air diffusion pores, the pores defining paths for discharge of the treating gas and cleaning agent and which exhibit an increase in dynamic wet pressure and/or bubble release pressure as a result of deposition of foulants; retaining ring engaging the diffusion elements about their peripheries for securing the elements to the plenums; sealing device adjacent the peripheries of the diffusion elements for preventing leakage of air from the plenums past the peripheries of the elements; and measuring device for monitoring the operation of the liquid treatment apparatus by measuring changes in operating parameters of the apparatus that indicate dynamic wet pressure changes across the diffusion elements with sufficient precision for initiating the flow of cleaning agent with sufficient frequency for maintaining the dynamic wet pressure across the diffusion elements in a range not to exceed about 25 inches of water gauge above a base condition of the elements.

Aeration system apparatus with source of in situ cleaning agent and pressure monitoring connection for submerged diffuser

Cleaning of multi-pore diffusion elements in place with cleaning gases while submerged in liquid media by applying said elements in improved gas cleaning apparatus. Such apparatus may for example include diffusion element retaining rings or other retaining devices, positioned at the peripheries of the respective elements, for securing them in gas-tight relationship with their respective plenums for preventing escape of treating and cleaning gas. Another aspect of the apparatus includes diffusers having diffusion elements with upper and lower surfaces bounded by porous peripheral sides, said diffusers also including apparatus for preventing escape of air through the element sides. In another embodiment of diffusers with diffusion elements having upper and lower surfaces bounded by peripheral sides, there are plenums comprising gas tight enclosures that enclose these lower surfaces and that include upstanding walls facing and adjacent to said sides. In yet another embodiment, upward force exerted on diffusion elements by treating gas under pressure is employed to force the elements upwardly against peripheral sealing members and overlying members of peripheral retainers to increase the sealing integrity of the sealing members.

Apparatus for in place gas cleaning of diffusion elements

Cleaning of multi-pore diffusion elements in place with cleaning gases while submerged in liquid media by applying said cleaning gases intermittently or continuously to said diffusion elements between predetermined limits of operating pressure and flow through flow regulation means and plenums for the respective diffusion elements.

In place gas cleaning of diffusion elements

Gas diffusion elements, formed of a body of solid particles which have been shaped, pressed and rendered coherent by bonding or sintering in a compacted form having pores, are disclosed. Said elements include a peripheral, annular zone of relatively small proportions having lesser permeability, greater density or lesser height than at least a portion of the remainder of the element. In accordance with the invention, a boundary zone is provided adjacent to and inwardly of the peripheral zone, in which boundary zone there is a progressive increase, continuous or step-wise, in the apparent volumetric compression ratio of the element, in the direction of the pheripheral zone, or towards a vertical surface which is near the periphery of the element. Such element may provide improved gas, e.g. oxygen transfer efficiency and therefore holds promise of improving the efficiency and economics of gas transfer processes, such as for instance treatment of sewage or other waste water with air, oxygen and/or ozone.

Diffusion element with boundary zone treatment

A sewage aeration system comprising a header pipe, plenums of synthetic thermoplastic or thermoset resin with side walls inclined upwardly and outwardly to diffusion element support means, generally horizontal diffusion elements free of through-holes other than air diffusion pores, retaining means securing the elements about their peripheries to the plenums, sealing means adjacent the peripheries of the diffusion elements and airflow regulator members which terminate in the plenums beneath the horizontal diffusion elements.

Sewage aeration system

Gas diffusion elements, formed of a body of solid particles which has been shaped, pressed and rendered coherent by bonding or sintering in a compacted form having pores, and having an enhanced apparent volumetric compression ratio in a central zone thereof, are disclosed. Such elements have a generally horizontal portion including an upper gas discharge surface having a bubble release pressure in water, by a test disclosed herein, in the range of about 2 to about 20 inches of water. Among the preferred embodiments is an element whose gas discharge surface has the property that its coefficient of variation is not greater than about 0.25, based on the values of bubble release pressure at a plurality of points over said surface. Such elements may provide improved gas, e.g. oxygen, transfer efficiency, and therefore hold promise of improving the efficiency and economics of gas transfer processes, such as for instance treatment of sewage or other waste water with air, oxygen and/or ozone.

Diffusion element

Gas diffusion elements, formed of a body of solid particles which have been shaped, pressed and rendered coherent by bonding or sintering in a compacted form having pores, and having an enhanced apparent volumetric compression ratio in a central zone and in a boundary zone thereof, are disclosed. Such elements have a generally horizontal portion including an upper gas discharge surface having a bubble release pressure in water, by a test disclosed herein, in the range of about 2 to about 20 inches of water. Among the preferred embodiments is an element whose gas discharge surface has the property that its coefficient of variation is not greater than about 0.25, based on the values of bubble release pressure at a plurality of points over said surface. Such elements may provide improved gas, e.g. oxygen, transfer efficiency, and therefore hold promise of improving the efficiency and economics of gas transfer processes, such as for instance treatment of sewage or other wastewater with air, oxygen and/or ozone.

Growing community of inventors

Racine, WI, United States of America

David T Redmon