Patent ID: 7695623
Filing Date: 2010-04-13
Classification: C02F,Y02W

Abstract:
1. A system for enhancing an activated sludge process comprising: at least one aeration tank for receiving a flow a wastewater and for introducing dissolved oxygen to a population of microorganisms to promote growth of biological flocs in a mixed liquor defined by a concentration of mixed liquor suspended solids; a weighting agent impregnation subsystem including an impregnation tank for mixing the mixed liquor, virgin weighting agent, and recycled weighting agent to impregnate the weighting agent into biological flocs suspended in the mixed liquor to form weighted biological flocs; a flocculant injection port located downstream from the aeration tank for introducing a flocculant to the mixed liquor for enhancing settling and thickening of the weighted biological flocs and for providing agglomeration of non-impregnated biological flocs and/or partially impregnated biological flocs with weighted biological flocs; at least one clarifier for separating and collecting the weighted biological flocs from the mixed liquor to provide a secondary effluent and a settled sludge; a return activated sludge subsystem for recycling the majority of the settled sludge to the aeration tank; a weighting agent recovery subsystem for removing and shearing the remaining settled sludge and recovering the weighting agent therefrom and reintroducing the weighting agent to the weighting agent impregnation subsystem; and a wasting subsystem for wasting the remaining settled sludge of the weighting agent recovery subsystem to control the population of the microorganisms in the mixed liquor.