Bl Technologies, Inc.

Zenon Technology Partnership

General Electric Company

Reid Bayly

Youngseck Hong

Jeffrey Ronald Cumin

Henry Behmann

Hidayat Husain

Minggang Liu

Rocco Mazzaferro

Richard Wong

Heather Lossing

Fengshen Fan

Yongseck Hong

Zamir Alam

Gavin James Boyle

Michael David Theodoulou

Zhaoyang Wan

Joseph Breitner

David Eaton Sproule

Hongde Zhou

Jeff Cumin

Domenico Salasso

Sheng Chang

A gas sparger produces an intermittent flow of bubbles even if provided with a continuous gas flow. The sparger has a housing to collect a pocket of gas and a conduit to release some of the gas from the pocket when the pocket reaches a sufficient size. Optionally, a cover over an outlet from the conduit may break up or distribute the released gas. A large sparger for use with a commercial membrane module can comprise a plurality of smaller units.

Gas sparger for an immersed membrane

A method of air scouring an immersed membrane is described in this specification. The method comprising a step of adjusting one or more aeration parameters: between successive permeation, back pulse or relaxation cycles; during a permeation cycle; or, between a permeation cycle and a backpulse or relaxation cycle.

Open bottom multiple channel gas delivery device for immersed membranes

A gas delivery device includes a manifold and a plurality of channels. The manifold is adapted to be connected to a source of a pressurized gas. Each of the plurality of channels is in fluid communication with the manifold through a distinct associated port. Each of the plurality of channels has a generally open bottom.

A gas sparger produces an intermittent flow of bubbles even if provided with a continuous gas flow. The sparger has a housing to collect a pocket of gas and a conduit to release some of the gas from the pocket when the pocket reaches a sufficient size. The housing is integrated with the potting head of a module. The conduit passes through the potting head.

Integrated gas sparger for an immersed membrane

A membrane supported biofilm apparatus has a plurality of hollow fiber gas permeable membranes in a tank containing water to be treated. A biofilm supported on the membranes occupies between about 40% and 80% of the volume of water to be treated in a reactor. Wastewater treatment processes are described. A process to denitrify water or treat oxidized contaminants comprises introducing hydrogen into an inner volume of the membranes to grow autotrophic organisms in the biofilm near the membrane and heterotrophic organism near the water. Another process is operated as a biomass concentration of at least 10 g/L and up to about 40 g/L to maintain a biofilm having a surface area of over 1000 square meters per cubic meter of tank volume. A hybrid process has suspended biomass and a membrane supported biofilm.

Membrane supported biofilm apparatus

A gas sparger for a filtering membrane system produces an intermittent flow of bubbles even if provided with a relatively continuous gas flow. The sparger has a housing to collect a pocket of gas and a conduit to release some of the gas from the pocket when the pocket reaches a sufficient size. Optionally, a cover over an outlet from the conduit may break up or distribute the released gas. A large sparger for can comprise a plurality of smaller units or areas. The supply of gas to the sparger may vary in flow rate over larger periods of time in response to changes in conditions in the membrane system to change the time between consecutive bursts of bubbles. A gas supply pipe may have two or more outlets at different elevations in communication with each of two or more units or areas.

Gas sparger for a filtering membrane

Bioreactor with suspended biomass and membrane supported biofilm

Process of treating water using a gas permeable membrane-supported biofilm apparatus

In an anaerobic membrane bioreactor ('MBR'), a closed anaerobic process tank contains a membrane filter or is connected to an external tank containing a membrane filter. A pocket of biogas accumulates at the top of the process tank. Biogas is taken from the pocket, pumped to the bottom of the membrane filter to provide bubbles to inhibit membrane fouling, and returned to the pocket. Excess biogas produced as the wastewater is degraded is removed from the system and may be used as a product. However, biogas and liquid are maintained in the system at a pressure above atmospheric, for example 10 kPa or more above atmospheric pressure, sufficient to provide at least a material contribution to the transmembrane pressure driving permeation through the membranes. The overall energy requirements of the system may be reduced. Further, with sufficient pressure, suction pumps attached to the membranes may not be required.

Method for utilizing internally generated biogas for closed membrane system operation

A membrane supported biofilm apparatus has a plurality of hollow fiber gas permeable membranes in a tank containing water to be treated. The membranes have an outside diameter of about 200 microns or less and occupy between 0.5% and 4% of the tank volume. A biofilm supported on the membranes occupies between about 40% and 80% of the volume of water to be treated in a reactor. The membranes may be oriented generally vertically and a spreader may be located near the bottom of the apparatus to disperse the membranes. Wastewater treatment processes are described. A process to dentrify water or treat oxidized contaminants comprises introducing hydrogen into an inner volume of the membranes to grow autotrophic organisms in the biofilm near the membrane and heterotrophic organism near the water. Another process is operated at a biomass concentration of at least 10 g/L and up to about 40 g/L to maintain a biofilm having a surface area of over 1000 square metres per cubic metre of tank volume. A hybrid process has suspended biomass and a membrane supported biofilm.

Growing community of inventors

Toronto, Canada

Reid Bayly