Disclosed herein are systems and methods method of treating wastewater. The method comprises measuring total organic carbons (TOC) in a stream of wastewater (202) from a processing plant (204), wherein the TOCs are measured in the stream of wastewater (202) at an inlet to a flotation thickener (208), providing the measured TOC's to a processing device (210), determining, based on the measured TOCs in the stream of wastewater (202), a treatment protocol for the stream of wastewater (202), and treating the wastewater stream (202) by controlling a feed control unit (212) in accordance with the determined treatment protocol.

Methods of treating contaminated groundwater having recalcitrant organic contaminants are disclosed. The methods include pretreating the contaminated groundwater to remove iron, introducing a persulfate to the contaminated groundwater, and exposing the contaminated groundwater to irradiation. The methods may also include extracting the contaminated groundwater from a feed stream. The methods may also include preparing the persulfate with high purity water. Systems for treating contaminated groundwater having recalcitrant organic contaminants are also disclosed. The systems include a pretreatment subsystem, a source of persulfate, and an irradiation source.

Processes and systems for maintaining a live culture of activated sludge in the activated sludge unit of a petroleum refinery during an extended refinery shut-down. In the absence of a source of refinery wastewater, a living culture of activated sludge comprising aerobic prokaryotes and/or eukaryotes that nitrify ammonia is maintained by redirecting at least a portion of clarified wastewater leaving the clarifier portion of an activated sludge unit. The redirected clarified wastewater is mixed with an organic food source that may be ammonia and/or ethyl acetate, a source of phosphate ion, and the pH is adjusted to produce a growth media that is returned to the aeration chamber of the activated sludge unit. After a time exceeding one week, the input of refinery wastewater to the aeration chamber is resumed while discontinuing the redirecting of the clarified wastewater.

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for treating wastewater. In one example a system for treating wastewater treatment is provided. The system comprises a biological reactor having an inlet in fluid communication with a source of wastewater and an outlet, the biological reactor configured to treat wastewater from the source of wastewater and output a biologically treated wastewater from the outlet, a solids-liquid separation system having an inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the biological reactor and configured to separate the biologically treated wastewater into a solids-lean effluent and a solids-rich waste activated sludge (WAS), a treatment subsystem comprising a digester, an inlet in fluid communication with a WAS outlet of the solids-liquid separation system, and an outlet for providing ballasted and digested WAS, and a ballast feed system configured to deliver ballast to one of the biological reactor and the treatment subsystem.

A diaphragm valve includes a valve body, a valve assembly disposed to seal the valve cavity and including a diaphragm and a valve seat retained with a seat carrier, a threaded member assembled with the valve body, and a valve actuator assembled with the valve body and operable to move a surface of the diaphragm into and out of contact with the valve seat. The valve body includes a valve cavity, a first port and a second port, with the first port and the second port being open to the valve cavity. The threaded member includes an annular bead that directly contacts the diaphragm to apply a compressive load to the diaphragm against a first side of the seat carrier. The valve actuator is separate from the threaded member, and is removable from the valve body without removing the threaded member from the valve body.

A desalination system (100) having an intake unit (110) providing seawater to a pre-treatment unit (120) connected to a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination unit (130) and a post treatment unit (150). The desalination system (100) is configured to operate without any external addition of chemicals to simplify logistics and regulation concerns. The units of the system are configured to prevent biofouling, scaling and corrosion by mechanical and biological means including high flow speeds, biological flocculation of colloids, and making the water entering the RO units inhospitable to bacteria and other organisms that cause biofouling, hence preventing their settlement and removing them with the brine. Recovery rate is lowered and energy is recovered to increase the energetic efficiency and minerals that are added to the product water are taken from the brine.

Method for controlling a water treatment installation having a supply, an ozonization stage, a transfer stage, a biological filter and a discharge having the following steps: measuring a first parameter set in the supply, wherein, a measurement for a first concentration of micro-contaminations and/or a nitrite concentration is determined; controlling the ozonization stage in such a manner that an ozone supply is carried out in a preselected ratio to the measured first parameter set; measuring a second parameter set in the transfer stage, wherein, a measurement for a second concentration of micro-contaminations is determined; controlling the ozonization; measuring a third parameter set in the discharge, wherein, with reference to the third parameter set, a measurement of a third concentration of micro-contaminations is determined; if the measurement for the concentration of micro-contaminations exceeds a predetermined maximum value in the discharge, increasing the ozone supply.

A diaphragm valve includes a valve body, a valve assembly disposed to seal the valve cavity and including a diaphragm and a valve seat retained with a seat carrier, a threaded member assembled with the valve body, and a valve actuator assembled with the valve body and operable to move a surface of the diaphragm into and out of contact with the valve seat. The valve body includes a valve cavity, a first port and a second port, with the first port and the second port being open to the valve cavity. The threaded member includes an annular bead that directly contacts the diaphragm to apply a compressive load to the diaphragm against a first side of the seat carrier. The valve actuator is separate from the threaded member, and is removable from the valve body without removing the threaded member from the valve body.

A system includes memory banks that store data and a data path coupled to the memory banks that transfers the data. The system also includes a latch that gates the data path based on a clock signal in the system. The system further includes interface circuitry coupled to the data path that sends an instruction to the memory banks to transmit the data on the data path in response to receiving a first rising edge of the clock signal. The interface circuitry also outputs gated data in response to receiving a second rising edge of the clock signal. The latch gates the data path to store the gated data in response to receiving a falling edge of the clock signal.

The present disclosure relates generally to processes and systems for maintaining a live culture of microorganisms in the activated sludge unit of a refinery during an extended refinery shut-down.