Abstract:
An art of applying microbes to the treatment of a fluid is provided. The feature is that a large mass of microbe carriers are distributed to a plurality of containers each including a restriction structure and a fluid passage structure, wherein the restriction structure restricts the moving of the microbe carrier so that the microbe carrier is either stationary or movable in a restricted region, and the fluid passage structure provides the fluid with a flow passage between the interior and the exterior of the container so that the microbe carrier in the container contacts the fluid. Various applications based on the containers or the like are also disclosed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention generally relates to application of microbe carrier in treating fluid, and particularly to apparatus including microbe carriers for treating drain water or waste liquid.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     In conventional processes of using microbes to treat drain water, there is difficulty keeping microbes effectually reside in drain water. Although application of porous microbe carrier may extend the time period for microbes to reside in drain water, there is inconvenience and/or economical disadvantage associated with the procedures and implementations as well as maintenance thereof. It is extremely difficult to have a large mass of microbe carriers evenly dispersed in the drain water to be treated, and it is even unrealistic or impractical to control the location of each of the microbe carriers or the distribution of the large mass of microbe carriers in a realizable and economic way. For example, a large mass of microbe carriers poured into or sprinkled onto the drain water will always accumulate on the bottom of the storage facilities accommodating the drain water, or on the location through which the drain water flows out of the storage facilities in case there is need of in-and-out flowing of the drain water. The mass of microbe carriers, unevenly dispersed, always tend to excessively accumulate on one or few positions in the storage facilities, with biofilms of the microbes forming a hindrance to the flowing of water, and lowering the efficiency of treating the drain water. Even if the mass of biofilms of the microbes may be cleaned by applying inversely flowing water to the microbe carriers, the scheme is feasible only for a temporary purpose, and far away from providing a permanent or an ideal solution, not to mention the significant cost (temporary treatment process delay and need of extra labor as well as extra facilities) arising therefrom. It can thus be seen that the best solution to the problem is to have the mass of microbe carriers evenly dispersed or controlled to evenly spread in the drain water to be treated, thereby any undesired accumulation of the microbe carriers can be prevented or easily amended.  
         [0003]     In conventional processes of using microbe carriers (such as Plastic Pall Rings, Activated Carbon, Filter Media or Contact Filter in Bio-Filtration) to treat drain water, microbe carriers are usually fixed in stationary states or placed in floating states. The microbe carriers, fixed in stationary states, always constitute significant resistance to the flowing of water, resulting in warp or cracking of the microbe carriers, lowering treatment efficacy and capacity. The microbe carriers placed in flowing states often collide with each other and have the biofilms thereof dropped away, resulting in significant reduction of treatment capability.  
         [0004]     Similarly, in conventional processes of using particles to treat drain water, particles are also usually fixed in stationary states or placed in floating states, resulting in the same problem.  FIGS. 13 and 14  (FIGS. 1 and 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,292) show some conventional examples of using particles to treat drain water, where drain water  4  (or another type of drain liquid) to be treated flows toward surfaces  1  of ceramic articles which were placed for the purpose of cleaning the drain water, and passes pores  2  to contact crystalline particles  3 .  FIG. 15  (FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,292) shows another conventional example of using particles to treat drain water, where drain water  4  (or another type of drain liquid) to be treated flows through three columns  6  connected in series and containing mixture  7  of porous ceramics therein for the purpose of cleaning the drain water. These conventional modes of using particles to treat drain water suffer the same problem.  
         [0005]     It is thus seen that the application of either microbes or particles to the treatment of drain water (or another type of drain liquid) suffers problems to be solved and deserves improvement. Related industries have long been expecting better schemes for applying microbes to the treatment of drain water (or another type of drain liquid), by which need of alternation of facilities and need of inverse flowing process of cleaning can be eliminated, and simplification as well as convenience in treating drain fluid can be achieved. The present invention is therefore developed not only to provide solutions to the problems having long been faced by related industries, but also to further promote the efficiency and convenience in treating drain water or any fluid.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for related industries to apply microbes to the treatment of drain water (or another type of fluid).  
         [0007]     It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for related industries to reduce the cost of applying microbes to the treatment of drain water  
         [0008]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for related industries to control the locations and distributions of microbe carriers in the drain water to be treated, for achieving better efficacy in treating drain water.  
         [0009]     It is a object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for related industries to apply microbes to the treatment of drain water  
         [0010]     It is another further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for related industries to apply microbes to the treatment of drain water, by which microbe carriers can be conveniently replaced or supplemented or cleaned in an economic way.  
         [0011]     It is furthermore another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for related industries to apply microbes to the treatment of drain water, with which the storage facilities accommodating drain water can be conveniently and economically cleaned and subjected to maintenance.  
         [0012]     One of the features of the present invention is that each module which contains some microbe carriers is used as an application or installation or operation or maintenance unit in treating drain water (or another type of fluid), and a plurality of the modules can be so fixed or supported to evenly disperse in the drain water to be treated, either in steady states or in states of moving in a certain region (a restricted region for example), thereby each of modules can be individually cleaned or replaced or relocated or subjected to maintenance.  
         [0013]     One of the merits of the present invention is that a large mass of microbe carriers are distributed to a plurality of modules each can be used as an application or installation or operation or maintenance unit in treating drain water (or another type of fluid), not only for each of the modules to be individually used or installed or operated or subjected to maintenance, but also for any combination of the modules to be used or installed or operated or subjected to maintenance.  
         [0014]     Another one of the merits of the present invention is that it is easy to adapt the installation, operation, and maintenance of microbe carriers to application environment/conditions and/or demands, as a result of the availability of application or installation or operation or maintenance units each containing only part of a large mass of microbe carriers.  
         [0015]     A further one of the merits of the present invention is the significant promotion of efficacy and efficiency in treating drain water (or any fluid), resulting from easy control of the locations and/or distributions of a large mass of microbe carriers in application environment (inside of the drain water to be treated or on the surface surrounding the drain water to be treated, for example), because of the availability of installation or operation or maintenance units each containing only part of a large mass of microbe carriers.  
         [0016]     Another further one of the merits of the present invention is the lower application cost and/or better immunization capability of microbe carriers against environmental influence, as a result of the convenience and simplification in acquiring, transporting, storing, inspecting, and auditing a large mass of microbe carriers, because of the availability of installation or operation or maintenance units each containing only part of a large mass of microbe carriers.  
         [0017]     The other objects, features, and merits of the present invention may be comprehended from the following description with reference to drawings.  
       INTRODUCTION TO THE INVENTION  
       [0018]     One aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for treating a fluid, which comprises: at least a microbe carrier; and a container accommodating the microbe carrier, and including a restriction structure and a fluid passage structure, wherein the restriction structure is for restricting the moving of the microbe carrier so that the microbe carrier is either stationary or movable in a restricted region, the fluid passage structure provides a flow passage between the interior of the container and the exterior of the container, i.e., the fluid passage structure allows the fluid outside the container to flow into the container, and/or the fluid inside the container to flow out of the container, and/or the fluid passage structure allows the fluid to flow through the interior of the container (from one side of the container to another side of the container, for example). The fluid passage structure, for example, is such that the flow passage provided thereby includes at least one gap for the fluid to pass and contact at least part of the microbe carrier. The restriction structure, for example, is such that the microbe carrier is surrounded by at least part of it, and/or the gap is surrounded by part of it.  
         [0019]     To provide better environment for microbes to reside and/or to be more effective, the microbe carrier according to the present invention, preferably, includes a plurality of holes.  
         [0020]     The container according to the present invention, preferably further includes a force interface structure for receiving an external force applied thereto for controlling the location of the container and/or the moving of the container. Also preferably, the container further includes: a supporting interface structure for contacting an external object which is to support the container; and/or a connection interface structure for connecting the container and an external object to maintain a space between the container and the external object, or for connecting adjacent ones of the containers to maintain a space between the adjacent containers. The container may even further include: an entrance through which the microbe carrier is placed in the container, wherein an entrance-only structure is used for preventing the microbe carrier from moving to the outside of the container; and a lock structure controllable to be in one of two states, one allowing the microbe carrier to move outward from the container, the other preventing the microbe carrier from moving outward from the container.  
         [0021]     The apparatus according to the present invention, preferably further comprises a supporter for supporting the container in such a way (in an adequate position, for example) that at least part of the microbe carrier therein contacts the fluid, or at least part of the container is submerged in the fluid. The supporter preferably includes a fixing portion and a connecting portion, the fixing portion being fixed by earth (ground, for example), the connecting portion for connecting the fixing portion and the container. The connecting portion may be a hardware by which the supporter supports the container in such a way that the container is fixed at a location or in a steady state. The connecting portion may otherwise be a software by which the supporter supports the container in such a way that the container moves in a restricted region. For example, the connecting portion may be a soft cord coupled, via the fixing portion (a fixing device, for example), onto a building or the facilities accommodating the fluid to be treated, or onto any external object.  
         [0022]     Alternatively, the apparatus according to the present invention further comprises a swing driver for driving the container to swing, or a motion driver for driving the container to move, preferably, to move in a certain or restricted region.  
         [0023]     The apparatus according to the present invention may further comprise a fluid-accommodation structure for accommodating the fluid to be treated, wherein the supporter is fixed onto the fluid-accommodation structure. For example, the supporter has a connecting portion thereof coupled or fixed, through a fixing portion thereof, onto the fluid-accommodation structure.  
         [0024]     Another aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for treating a fluid which resides or is accommodated in a region surrounded by a fluid-accommodation structure. The apparatus comprises: at least a microbe carrier; a restriction structure for restricting the moving of the microbe carrier; and a supporter for supporting the restriction structure in such a way that at least part of the microbe carrier contacts the fluid. The restriction structure here, for example, is in the shape of a net enclosing the microbe carrier, thereby provides (or includes) a flow passage allowing fluid to flow therethrough while prevents the microbe carrier from moving therethrough. The flow passage includes a plurality of gaps through which at least part of the microbe carrier is contacted by the fluid. Furthermore, the restriction structure here is so configured as to separate a large mass of microbe carriers into a plurality of portions respectively residing in different regions, each of the portions movable only in one of the regions. The supporter here may include a fixing portion and a connecting portion, the fixing portion being coupled with (or fixed onto) the fluid-accommodation structure or earth or an external object (a building, for example) other than earth and the fluid-accommodation structure, the connecting portion for connecting the fixing portion and the restriction structure. For example, the fixing portion is a hardware bar or connected with the fluid-accommodation structure, the connecting portion is a software or hardware material connecting the fixing portion and the restriction structure. Alternatively the fixing portion may be a component for fixing one end of the connecting portion (a bar or a cord) onto the fluid-accommodation structure or a building.  
         [0025]     To maintain a better efficacy in treating the fluid surrounded by the fluid-accommodation structure fluid, the apparatus here preferably includes a space-maintaining structure for maintaining a space between the microbe carrier and the fluid-accommodation structure, or maintaining a space between two portions (particularly adjacent ones) of the mass of microbe carriers used in treating the fluid. For example, the space-maintaining structure is a bar between the restriction structure and the fluid-accommodation structure, or a bar between different parts of the restriction structure wherein different parts of the restriction structure restrict the moving of different portions of the mass of microbe carriers used to treat the fluid.  
         [0026]     A further aspect of the present invention is a method for treating a fluid. The method comprises: accommodating at least a microbe carrier by a container, the container restricting the moving of the microbe carrier and allowing the fluid to flow between the interior thereof and the exterior thereof; and supporting the container in such a way that at least part of the microbe carrier contacts the fluid.  
         [0027]     The present invention may best be understood through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0028]      FIGS. 1-4  show embodiments of apparatus provided according to the present invention.  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  shows a top view of an embodiment of the apparatus shown in  FIGS. 1-2 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  shows an embodiment of connecting a plurality of the apparatus shown in  FIGS. 1-5 .  
         [0031]      FIGS. 7-8  show another embodiments of apparatus provided according to the present invention.  
         [0032]      FIGS. 9-10  show another further embodiments of apparatus provided according to the present invention and based on the embodiments represented by  FIGS. 1-5  or  FIG. 6  or  FIGS. 7-8 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 11  is a side view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 10 .  
         [0034]      FIGS. 12   a - 12   b  show a still further embodiment of apparatus provided according to the present invention and based on the embodiments represented by  FIGS. 1-5  or  FIG. 6  or  FIGS. 7-8 .  
         [0035]      FIGS. 13-14  show prior arts (FIGS. 1 and 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,292).  
         [0036]      FIG. 15  shows a prior art (FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,292). 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0037]     Embodiments of the apparatus provided according to the present invention for treating a fluid are now illustrated by referring to the side views shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  3 , and  4 , and the top view shown in  FIG. 5 . In  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  3 ,  4 , and  5 , at least a microbe carrier  15  is accommodated in a container  11 , container  11  includes a restriction structure composed of (or represented by) plural bars  12  and  13 , container  11  also includes a fluid passage structure composed of (or represented by) a plurality of gaps  14  which are defined (or surrounded) by bars  12  and  13 , the restriction structure composed of plural bars  12  and  13  is for restricting the moving of the microbe carrier  15  so that the microbe carrier  15  is either stationary or movable in a restricted region such as the interior of container  11 , the fluid passage structure represented by the plurality of gaps  14  provides a flow passage between the interior of the container  11  and the exterior of the container  11 , i.e., the fluid passage structure represented by the plurality of gaps  14  allows the fluid (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) outside the container  11  to flow into the container  11 , and/or the fluid inside the container  11  to flow out of the container  11 , and/or the fluid passage structure represented by the plurality of gaps  14  allows the fluid to flow through the interior of the container  11  (from one side of the container  11  to another side of the container  11 , for example). The fluid passage structure represented by the plurality of gaps  14 , obviously, allows fluid to pass and contact part or the whole of microbe carrier  15 . The restriction structure composed of plural bars  12  and  13 , for example, is in the shape of a net enclosing the interior of container  11 , and defining the plurality of gaps  14 , wherein each of the gaps  14  is such that microbe carrier  15  cannot pass therethrough to move out of container  11 . Gap  14 , for example, may have size smaller than microbe carrier  15  or be so shaped as to prevent microbe carrier  15  from passing therethrough.  
         [0038]     To provide better environment for microbes to reside and/or to be more effective, the microbe carrier  15  according to the present invention, preferably, includes a plurality of holes  16 .  
         [0039]     The container  11  according to the present invention, preferably further includes a force interface structure  17  (in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) for receiving an external force applied thereto for controlling the location of the container  11  and/or the moving of the container  11 . Also preferably, the container  11  further includes: a supporting interface structure  19  (in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) for contacting an external object (such as a bar  82  fixed via bar  81  onto a fluid-accommodation structure  8  in  FIG. 10 ) which is to support the container  11 ; and/or a lock structure  20  (in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) which is controllable to be in one of two states, one allowing the restriction structure (composed of plural bars  12  and  13 ) to be separated into two parts for microbe carrier  15  to move outward from (and/or inward to) the container  11 , the other keeping the restriction structure (composed of plural bars  12  and  13 ) to enclose the interior of container  11  thereby preventing the microbe carrier  15  from moving outward from the container  11 . Lock structure  20  may be replaced by an entrance (not shown in figures) through which the microbe carrier  15  is placed in the container  11 , wherein an entrance-only structure (not shown in figures) is used for preventing the microbe carrier  15  from moving to the outside of the container  11  through the entrance. The entrance-only structure, for example, may include at least a bendable (or flexible) and thin object having one end fixed on the edge of the entrance, and having another end movable and pointing to the interior of container  11  to allow microbe carrier  15  to move from the exterior of container  11  to the interior of container  11 , but prevent microbe carrier  15  from moving out of the interior of container  11 . Either the force interface structure  17  or supporting interface structure  19  can also be used as a connection interface structure for connecting the container  11  and an external object (such as the fluid-accommodation structure  8  shown in  FIG. 9  or objects  81  and  82  fixed onto the fluid-accommodation structure  8  shown in  FIG. 10 ) to maintain a space between the container  11  and the external object, or for connecting a space-maintaining structure  32  (in  FIG. 6 ) between adjacent ones of a plurality of containers  11  to maintain a space between the adjacent containers  11 . Space-maintaining structure  32  in  FIG. 6  may also be used to connect container  11  and an external object (not shown in figures).  
         [0040]     The apparatus according to the present invention, preferably further comprises a supporter  33  (in  FIG. 6 ) for supporting the container  11  in such a way (in an adequate position, for example) that at least part of the microbe carrier  15  in container  11  contacts the fluid (not shown in figures), or at least part of the container  11  is submerged in the fluid (not shown in figures). The supporter  33  preferably includes a fixing portion  34  and a connecting portion  35 , the fixing portion  34  being fixed onto earth (not shown in figures) or an external object such as a building (not shown in figures) or a fluid-accommodation structure accommodating the fluid to be treated, the connecting portion  35  for connecting the fixing portion  34  and the container  11 . The connecting portion  35  may be a hardware by which the supporter  33  supports the container  11  in such a way that the container  11  is fixed at a location (not shown in figures) or in a steady state. The connecting portion  35  may otherwise be a software by which the supporter  33  supports the container  11  in such a way that the container  11  is movable in a restricted region (not shown in figures). For example, the connecting portion  35  may be a soft cord coupled, via fixing portion  34 , onto a building (not shown in figures) or the facilities (not shown in figures) accommodating the fluid to be treated, or onto any external object. Fixing portion  34  is not always necessary for coupling connecting portion  35  onto an external object. Connecting portion  35  may be directly coupled onto an external object such as a building or the facilities (not shown in figures) accommodating the fluid to be treated. Alternatively the fixing portion may be just a component for fixing one end of the connecting portion (a bar or a cord) onto the fluid-accommodation structure or a building, thereby another end of the connecting portion moves or swings with containers  11  connected thereto. Another embodiments of the apparatus provided according to the present invention are represented by  FIGS. 7 and 8 . In  FIG. 7 , the apparatus  70  provided according to the present invention includes: a restriction structure defining a plurality of gaps  74  and being composed of plural bars  72  and  73 ; a plurality of microbe carriers  15  enclosed by the restriction structure; and a supporter  71  for supporting the apparatus  70 . The apparatus provided according to the present invention and represented by  FIG. 7  preferably further includes a structure  79  (in  FIG. 8 ) which can be used as a force interface structure or a supporting interface structure or a connection interface structure. The structure  79 , for example, may be used to connect apparatus  70  and an external object (not shown in figures), for maintaining a space between apparatus  70  and the external object. As a plurality of apparatus  70  are often used to treat a fluid accommodated in the same facilities, structure  79  may also be used to directly connect two adjacent apparatus  70  or connect two adjacent apparatus  70  via a space-maintaining structure (corresponding to the space-maintaining structure  32  shown in  FIG. 6 ), for maintaining a space between two adjacent apparatus  70 .  
         [0041]     An application of the apparatus  70  (shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 ) to the treatment of a fluid is that a plurality of the apparatus  70  are placed in a fluid-accommodation structure (such as the one indicated by  8  in  FIGS. 9 , and  10 ), with structure  79  connected to the fluid-accommodation structure directly or via a space-maintaining structure or via a supporter (corresponding to the supporter composed of objects  81  and  82  shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 ). Supporter  71  (shown in  FIG. 7 ) may be between apparatus  70  and the bottom of the fluid-accommodation structure to support apparatus  70 . Alternatively another object such as the supporter (shown in  FIG. 10 ) composed of objects  81  and  82  and fixed onto the fluid-accommodation structure may be used to support apparatus  70  in such a way that apparatus  70  is in a steady position or moves in a restricted region, with microbe carriers  15  enclosed therein contacting the fluid to be treated.  
         [0042]      FIGS. 9 , and  10  show an apparatus provided according to the present invention for treating a fluid, which comprises: a fluid-accommodation structure  8  for accommodating the fluid (not shown in figures) to be treated; a plurality of containers  11  accommodating microbe carriers  15  (not shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , but shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  6 , and  7 ) and being installed in the fluid-accommodation structure  8 ; and a supporter composed of objects  81  and  82 , for supporting containers  11 , with object  81  fixed onto the fluid-accommodation structure  8 , with object  82  connecting object  81  and a series of containers  11 .  FIG. 11  is a side view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 10 . In  FIG. 10 , for example, object  81  of the supporter is used as a fixing portion coupled or fixed onto the fluid-accommodation structure  8 , and object  82  of the supporter is used as a connecting portion coupled to the fixing portion (object  81 ) to support a series of containers  11 . All the microbe carriers accommodated in containers  11 , preferably, have at least part thereof contacting the fluid (not shown in figures) which is to be treated and which is in the region surrounded or defined by the fluid-accommodation structure  8 .  
         [0043]     The object  82  in  FIG. 10  may be a hardware by which the supporter composed of objects  81  and  82  supports the container  11  in such a way that the container  11  is fixed at a location (not shown in figures) or in a steady state. The object  82  may otherwise be a software by which the supporter composed of objects  81  and  82  supports the container  11  in such a way that the container  11  is movable in a restricted region (not shown in figures).  
         [0044]     Another further embodiment of an apparatus provided according to the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 12   a  (side view) and  12   b  (top view). In  FIG. 12   a,  a fluid-accommodation structure  8  is used to accommodate a fluid (not shown in figures) to be treated, a plurality of containers  11  are supported by a supporter composed of connecting portions  82  and a fixing portion  81 , the plurality of containers  11  are separated into many groups each with containers  11  therein connected and spaced by a space-maintaining structure  83 , each container  11  has at least a microbe carrier  15  therein, fixing portion  81  is coupled to a motion or swing driver  84  composed of a motor  85  (or any motion power producer), a motion transmitter  86 , and a motion transmission interface  90 . Containers  11  move or swing in response to the operation of driver  84 . An example of driving containers  11  to swing up and down is indicated by arrows  88  (upward) and  89  (downward) in  FIG. 12   a,  another example of driving containers  11  to move is indicated by an arrow  87  (rotate around the center of fluid-accommodation structure  8  seen from the top of fluid-accommodation structure  8 ) in  FIG. 12   b.  Obviously containers  11  may also be driven to rotate in an inverse direction, or to swing in clockwise and counter clockwise directions seen from the top of fluid-accommodation structure  8 . The apparatus is preferably such that each of the containers  11  installed in fluid-accommodation structure  8  has the microbe carrier therein contacted by the fluid (not shown in figures) accommodated in fluid-accommodation structure  8 .  
         [0045]     Still another further embodiment of the present invention is a method for treating a fluid, which comprises: accommodating at least a microbe carrier  15  by a container ( 11  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , or apparatus  70  in  FIGS. 7 and 8 ), the container restricting the moving of the microbe carrier  15  and allowing the fluid (not shown in figures) to flow between the interior thereof and the exterior thereof; and supporting the container ( 11  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , or  70  in  FIGS. 7 and 8 ) in such a way that at least part of the microbe carrier  15  accommodated by container  11  contacts the fluid.  
         [0046]     While the invention has been described in terms of what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it shall be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, any modifications or similar arrangements shall be deemed covered by the spirit of the present invention.