Zenon Environmental Inc.

Zenon Technology Partnership

Ian Alexander Pottinger

Hidayat Husain

Pierre Lucien Cote

Henry Behmann

Ian Glenn Towe

Minggang Liu

Pierre C&ocirc;t&eacute;

Ella Murphy

Ian G Towe

A membrane supported biofilm reactor uses modules having fine, hollow fibres, for example, made from melt spun thermoplastic polymers treated after spinning to increase their permeability to oxygen, used, for example, in tows or formed into a fabric. In one module, one or more sheets of the fabric are potted into a module to enable oxygen containing gas to be supplied to the lumens of the hollow fibres. Various reactors and processes, for example to treat wastewater, using such modules are described. Mechanical, chemical and biological methods, for example endogenous respiration, are used to control the thickness of the biofilm.

Supported biofilm apparatus and process

A membrane supported biofilm reactor uses modules having fine, hollow fibers, for example, made from melt spun thermoplastic polymers treated after spinning to increase their permeability to oxygen, used, for example, in tows or formed into a fabric. In one module, one or more sheets of the fabric are potted into a module to enable oxygen containing gas to be supplied to the lumens of the hollow fibers. Various reactors and processes, for example to treat wastewater, using such modules are described. In one process, oxygen travels through fibers, optionally through an attached biofilm, to oxygenate surrounding water. Mechanical, chemical and biological methods, for example endogenous respiration, are used to control the thickness of the biofilm.

Supported biofilm apparatus

A membrane supported biofilm reactor uses modules having fine, hollow fibres, for example, made from dense wall Poly methylpentene (PMP) used in tows or formed into a fabric. In one module, one or more sheets of the fabric are potted into a module to enable oxygen containing gas to be supplied to the lumens of the hollow fibres. Various reactors and processes, for example to treat wastewater, using such modules are described. Mechanical, chemical and biological methods are used to control the thickness of the biofilm.

A reactor has an aerobic tank, an anoxic tank and a sealed membrane tank with conduits for circulating mixed liquor between them. Permeation starts when the mixed liquor reaches a high level and stops when the mixed liquor reaches a low level. A sensor, for detecting the mixed liquor level, may stop and start permeation. Pressure builds in the membrane tank when membrane air is on. Transmembrane pressure is also provided by gravity flow or siphon. Membrane air generates an air lift which drives the mixed liquor circulation. The total amount of air provided by an air source is divided and varied in time between the membrane aerator and the process aerator. The process aerator acts as a screening inlet to the conduit to the membrane tank. Chemical maintenance cleaning is provided by gravity flow.

Membrane bioreactor, process and aerator

A filtration module has at least one nanofiltration or reverse osmosis membrane. The module is used to filter water and, when optionally fitted with at least one membrane adapted to selectively reject hardness causing salts, is used to remove hardness. Methods of cleaning using acidic solutions or gaseous carbon dioxide are discussed. Cleaning methods include the steps of periodically stopping permeation, injecting an acidic solution or gaseous carbon dioxide into the feed/retentate side of the module, holding the acidic solution or gaseous carbon dioxide in the module for a selected time, and flushing the acidic solution or gaseous carbon dioxide from the feed/retentate side of the module after expiration of the selected time.

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Ancaster, Canada

Ian Alexander Pottinger