A REACTOR FOR USE IN WATER TREATMENT AND MICRO FILM CARRIERS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH SAID TREATMENT AS WELL AS A METHOD FOR OPERATING THE REACTOR

Abstract: In a reactor for water treatment of the type that contains particle-like carriers on which a biofilm grows that generates a desired decomposition of the contamination, a forced current is created such that the water in another current flows downwardly. In a special embodiment the upwardly flowing current is created in a tube. The reactor proves to be exceptionally effective and can be utilized together with other water purification and water treatment equipment. It is a distinctive feature that the downflowing current tears air down thus causing an exceptionally high oxygen concentration in the water. The reactor can furthermore be used for denitrification. Among other things the invention provides a minibiological purification plant servicing a single or very few households. As micro film carriers are preferably used, particles having an outwardly open cell structure for increasing the total effective surface area.

Description: A reactor for use in water treatment and micro film carriers for use in connection with said treatment as well aβ a method for operating the reactor The invention relates to a reactor for use in water treatment and micro film carriers for use in connection with said treatment as well as a method for operating the reactor. More specifically the invention relates to a reac¬ tor of the type in which the water is conveyed through the reactor which contains particle-like carriers on which a biofilm grows that generates the desired decom¬ position of the contamination. An example of such a reactor is described in the Norwegian patent specifica¬ tion NO-B 172 687 in which the untreated water is intro¬ duced at the bottom of the reactor and at the water pressure in the inlet. The water rises up through the reactor and leaves this through an outlet at the top. Due to the flow conditions the microfilm carriers will have a tendency to clot in the upper part of the reactor and accordingly the reactor will not be so effective at the lower part. In the reactor a bio ilm is rapidly created on the plastic particles. On the outer surfaces the biofilm is abraded as the plastic particles are rubbing against each other caused by the flow in the reactor. On the exposed surfaces a continuous removal of dead micro¬ organisms takes place such that the carriers always appear with a new active biofilm. Differently for the interior surfaces of the plastic particles; in the beginning the interior surfaces are active, but they rapidly become choked and can be completely sealed by dead biofilm such that the interior surfaces rapidly become inactive. The dead biofilm leaves a black coating on the plastic particles, said coating being difficult to remove. Among others this condition results in the fact that for the cylindrical plastic particles shown in Fig. l in the Norwegian patent specification one can only calculate with an effective surface of 57% of the total surfaces, thus approximately the same effectivity as for a solid plastic particle. The phenomenon with dead bio aterial is especially critical for recirculated water for aqua cultures for which very strict requirements to the quality of the water are stipulated. Further there is a requirement for a high degree of efficiency as it is necessary to place said plants indoors to avoid temperature fluctuation. Fish roe and fry require constant temperature conditions to develop at their optimum. Accordingly the plants should be as compact as possible such that the plants consume a minimum of space in the building. According to the invention a biorβactor of the type mentioned in the preamble for water treatment, especial¬ ly of recirculated water for aqua cultures is character¬ ized in that the reactor has means for creating a flow of water and microfilm carriers toward a central area of the reactor where a concentration of the microfilm car¬ riers takes place in a concentrated current. This design of the reactor proves to be surprisingly efficient. Under the same conditions this entails that the size of a water treatment plant can be reduced considerably in comparison with known plants, whereby the investment and working expenses can be reduced. Movement of the microfilm carriers can be made in different manners, e.g. by a special arrangement of air supply to the water, arrangement of the inlet and outlet to and from the reactor o by jet streams. A particular simple design of the reactor which is also easy to con¬ trol is characterized in that it comprises a vertical tube preferably adjustably raised a distance over the bottom of the reactor and such that an adjustable flow up through the tube is created together with a concen- tration of microfilm carriers in the tube. The high concentration of microfilm carriers in the tube results in itself in a very efficient abrasion of dead biofilm material as an intense and heavy rubbing of the carriers against each other takes place as the flow velocity further is considerably higher than in the other areas of the reactor. In vessels with stagnant water added air would rapidly diffluent up through the water and vanish and a simple mechanical stirring would promote said tendency. However, according to the invention it appears that air is drawn down by the downward current, i.e. that the water under the same conditions contains a considerable higher oxygen concentration than referred to above which assists the effectiveness of the reactor. By extreme demands upon the oxygen concentration there could of course be added pure oxygen to the reactor. A further quality of the reactor is that it pro¬ motes liberation of C0 2 and similar volatile gases, i.e. the reactor promotes expulsion of undesired volatile gases. By addition of air/oxygen a much better absorption in the water is achieved when the air/oxygen is added underneath or internally, especially at the lower end of the tube and up through this at the same time causing a heavy stirring of the microfilm carriers and thereby a more efficient cleaning of these takes place, likewise the air stream in itself tears dead biofilm material off the carriers. The flow through the tube can be controlled by adjusting the added amount of air/oxygen and the distri¬ bution thereof and by the distances of the tube in rela¬ tion to the bottom of the reactor being adjustable. The lower end of the tube can be funnel-shaped to ease the supply of the water, microfilm carriers and oxygen if added to the tube. This can be a separate funnel which can be displaced up and down along the tube for adjusting the distance to the bottom. It should be mentioned that the reactor can contain a number of tubes arranged in a suitable pattern. The water inlet can be arranged in alignment with the con¬ centrated flow e.g. just beneath this or shared out under a number of tubes and thereby promoting the flow. At the side walls the water is more or less stag¬ nant. To counteract this air/oxygen supply is arranged at the bottom at the side walls. Simultaneously this prevents sedimentation at the side walls which also can be counteracted by making the reactor bottom curved or funnel-shaped toward the inlet. The upward current must of course be conformed to the downward current around the tube. Accordingly the ai /oxygen is added in a counter current which to a very high degree promotes the absorp¬ tion of air/oxygen and at the same time the water in this area flows slowly which further results in a long time of contact between the air/oxygen and the water. If necessary, e.g. in connection with fish farming, the reactor can be combined with UV-treat ent and/or ozone treatment of the water to kill bacteria and para¬ sites, likewise the reactor at the inlet and/or outlet can be combined with a belt or cylindrical filter for filtration of coarse particles. Further the reactor can be combined with flotation or stripping. In a particular embodiment the invention is realized in a smaller biological water treatment plant for one or a few households. This is possible due to the extremely high efficiency of the reactor in combination with it being reliable and it requiring no daily sur¬ veillance by a skilled person and allowing its combina¬ tion with a prefilter and other equipment, cf. above. The invention could, of course, also be utilized in larger water treatment plants. Furthermore the reactor according to the invention also proves suitable for denitification purposes but for this purpose it is obvious that oxygen should not be added as denitri ication is a process running without the presence of oxygen. To minimize air absorption in the water, the water level in the reactor is raised such that the surface becomes calm, contrary to the hitherto described process where as rough a water surface as possible is intended to promote oxygen absorption. Microfilm carriers being solid or hollow particles having outwardly extending portions which form an out¬ wardly open cell structure prove suitable as the shape and mutual location are attuned such that the microfilm carriers by mutual influence in the water perform a cleaning of the microfilm on the particles but without risk of interlocking of the particles in large lumps. The effective surface of said particles during operation proves to be of the same size as the geometrical surface as the cleaning off of dead microorganisms from the biofilm is highly effective due to the outward extending portions, typically different in shape and length. Besides the microfilm carriers can be mineral-like par¬ ticles having an irregular surface structure or be par¬ ticles having caves e.g. like the pattern on a golf ball. The microfilm carriers can also have passages such that the smaller particles can pass through the larger particles while the smallest particles are either solid or hollow, hereby a larger effective surface is achieved as a cleaning of the microfilm on the interior surfaces takes place as well. The principle of the bio-reactor according to the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, likewise various shapes of microfilm carriers according to the invention are shown. Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of the bio- reactor. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of a pyramidal microfilm carrier or longitudinal carrier having a tri¬ angular cross section. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of a ball-shaped microfilm carrier having quills. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a circular cyl¬ indrical microfilm carrier having fins. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a microfilm car¬ rier. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a microfilm carrier. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a microfilm carrier. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified embodi¬ ment of the microfilm carrier according to Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a further embodi¬ ment of the microfilm carrier. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an even further embodiment of the microfilm carrier. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an even further embodiment of the microfilm carrier according to Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a preferred embodiment of the microfilm carrier, and Fig. 13 is a system of microfilm carriers where the smaller carriers can pass through passages in the larger carriers. The bioreactor comprises a cylindrical vessel 2 having an inlet 4 just above the bottom through which the water to be treated is introduced into the vessel. In the middle of the vessel raised at a level over the inlet is a vertical tube 6, being adjustable in the vertical direction for adjusting the distance between the lower end of the tube and the bottom of the vessel thereby adjusting the flow to the tube. For this purpose the tube can be furnished with a telescopic diβplaceable tube element. The level of the upper end of the tube in relation to the liquid surface is adjustable as well. In connection with the liquid inlet there can be arranged an air supply or oxygen supply to the tube, e.g. through a ring canal at the lower end of the tube, said canal having nozzles. Further the flow in the tube can be controlled by the supply of air. In the vessel there are microfilm carriers 10 for purification of the water. An outlet 12 for the treated water is arranged at the top of the vessel and to retain the microfilm carriers in the vessel a perforated plate or net is placed in front of the outlet. During operation there is created a flow up through the vertical tube 6 said flow being faster than the downward flow outside the tube. Accordingly the micro¬ film carriers are carried into the tube in which there constantly would be a high concentration of microfilm carriers, which contributes to an effective cleaning off of dead bio-material from the carriers. Besides the central tube creates an effective flow circulation in the vessel which in itself contributes to the cleaning of the water. To prevent areas of dead water at the side walls of the vessel, there is arranged air supply at the bottom through a circular pipe 16 having nozzles, said air supply creates an upward flow. A number of such pipes can be arranged in a concentric pattern. How close said pipes can be arranged to the tube 6 without disturbing the flow around this is a matter of experience. It is obvious that additional purification, aera¬ tion, and/or denitrification equipment can be arranged before or after the reactor if necessary, likewise a number of reactors can be mutually connected each having different micro cultures for removing different types of contaminations. In the drawing Figs. 2-4 show microfilm carriers having a closed core furnished with extending quills or fins arranged in a comparatively scattered pattern and the length and the distance between the quills or fins are adapted such that the microfilm carriers run above each other without any risk of interlocking into major lumps for a longer period. By said internal sword-stroke between the quills or fins an effective abrasion of dead bio organisms from the microfilm will take place. For all the embodiments it applies that they are preferably made of plastic and have a weight such that they are suspended in water or are a bit heavier. The specific weight can be a result of the specific weight of the plastic material or by the microfilm carrier being hollow in case the specific weight of the material used is too high. Most of the microfilm carriers shown in the drawing are distinguished in that they can be produced by extru¬ sion. The microfilm carrier shown in Fig. 5 comprises a number of fins extending from a central wall. The fins can be arranged in a staggered pattern or be situated opposite each other. The fins can be of equal height or not, in the latter case as shown in Fig. 6. The shape and the number of fins can be chosen without limits, however, an embodiment where the fins unobstructed can slip into each other and perform an abrasion of the microfilm is preferred. The length and width of the microfilm carriers can be adapted to individual pur¬ poses. As the microfilm carriers have a relatively large plane, they will not easily sink to the bottom, also the upward flow has a larger attacking area which further prevents the microfilm carriers to sink. In Fig. 7 is shown a first modification of the microfilm carrier design as a cross having fins at all its surfaces. This microfilm carrier can also readily be produced by extrusion. A further variant of the microfilm carrier is shown in Fig. 8. This carrier comprises a corrugated plate element which also can be extruded in plastic. The shape can be modified as mentioned above, likewise the height and length of the waves can be adapted to specific re¬ quirements. Also in this case an abrasion of the micro¬ film takes place when the carriers rub against each other, as it is understood that the waves fit into each other. The microfilm carriers shown in Figs. 9-11 can also be produced by extrusion and posses the same qualities as the carriers first mentioned. A preferred embodiment of a microfilm carrier is shown in Fig. 12. Besides a number of concentric fins and radial extending ribs on the outer concentric fins, said carriers have additional inwardly extending fins at the ends which prevent interlocking of the carriers. The embodiment is distinguished by a considerable high ac¬ tive surface and at the same time the production costs are low. Summarized the microfilm carriers can be distin¬ guished by having an outwardly open surface structure form at the walls, fins and quills of the carriers. In Fig. 14 are shown a set of microfilm carriers where the smaller ones can pass through openings in the larger ones for abrasion of dead bio tissue in the in¬ terior of the carriers. The microfilm carrier is distin¬ guished by a large active surface per volume due to the graduated sizes and due to the interior surfaces also being active. By the design of the reactor and the operation of same and the design of the microfilm carriers it is aimed at the microfilm or the carriers in principle being constituted of three layers, where oxygen is able to penetrate through the two first layers to the under- lying layer which appears to promote the activity of the microfilms. Accordingly the invention renders it possible to produce a low cost microfilm carrier having a large surface and which could be kept suspended in the reac¬ tor, likewise the shape can be adapted to individual plant specifications. Even though the present invention is especially aimed at purification of re-circulated water for aqua cultures, the invention is not limited to this purpose, the invention is also applicable in connection with cleaning of public waste water.

Claims: C L M S : 1. A reactor for water treatment, especially for recirculated water for aqua cultures and of the type that contains a concentration of particle-like biofilm carriers on which a biofilm grows that generates the desired decomposition of the contamination, character¬ ized in that the reactor has means for creating a flow of water and microfilm carriers toward a central area of the reactor where a concentration of the microfilm car¬ riers takes place in a concentrated current. 2. A reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a vertical tube preferably adjustably raised a distance over the bottom of the reactor and such that an adjustable flow up through the tube is created together with a concentration of microfilm car¬ riers in the tube. 3. A reactor according to claim 2, characterized in a preferably adjustable supply of air/oxygen up through the vertical tube. 4. A reactor according to claim 3, characterized in that the air/oxygen supply is arranged internally and at the lower end of the tube. 5. A reactor according to claim 3, characterized in that the vertical tube is placed in the centre of the reactor. 6. A reactor according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a number of vertical tubes distributed over the bottom area of the reactor. 7. A reactor according to one or more of the claims 1-6, characterized in that there is arranged air/oxygen supply at the bottom in the vicinity of the side walls of the reactor for creating a flow in the dead water area at the side walls. 8. Microfilm carriers to be used in the reactor according to claims 1-7, characterized in that said carriers are particles having an outwardly open cell structure for increasing the overall surface of the particles. 9. Microfilm carriers according to claim 8, charac¬ terized in that the particles have a mineral grain-like structure or have a cave-like surface structure like the pattern on a golf ball. 10. A method for water treatment, especially recir¬ culated water for aqua cultures where the untreated water is led through a reactor containing a huge amount of microfilm carriers in the nature of particles on which a microfilm is growing, said microfilm generates the intended decomposition of the contamination, charac¬ terized in that in operation a circulating flow is created in the reactor having an area with a concen¬ trated flow in which a concentration of the microfilm carriers takes place.

Inventors: BROCKDORFF KNUD PETER, BROCKDORFF, KNUD, PETER
Applicants: BROCKDORFF KNUD PETER, BROCKDORFF, KNUD, PETER
Application year: 1995
Main classification: C02F3
IPC codes: C02F3