Processes are provided which utilize fiber conduit reactors/contactors to effect extraction from a fluid stream, particularly a fermentation broth, a waste stream of a fermentation process, a fluid comprising a dye, or a fluid comprising a pharmaceutical compound. In particular, methods are provided which include introducing a first stream comprising an extractant and a second stream which is substantially immiscible with the first stream into a conduit reactor proximate a plurality of fibers. The streams are introduced into the conduit reactor such that they are in contact with each other and the extractant of the first stream interacts with the second stream to extract a fermentation product, a fermentation byproduct, a dye or a pharmaceutical compound from the second stream into the first stream. The method further includes receiving the first and second streams in collection vessel/s and withdrawing separately the first and second streams from collection vessel/s.

A single step pretreatment of wastewater or recreational water is provided comprising treatment with nanocomposites consisting of an anchoring particle such as a clay mineral and one or more polymers.

Embodiments described herein are directed to methods and systems for treating wastewater or storm water using vermifiltration. The wastewater can come from various sources, such as agricultural sources, municipal and industrial sources, wineries, the dairy industry, and many others. The systems can include vermicomposting beds that are capable of removing high amounts of contaminants, pollutants, and/or toxic substances from wastewater. The wastewater may be applied to vermicomposting beds, for example, by an irrigation system. The irrigation system may provide, for example, improved bed coverage and more even saturation. The vermicomposting beds can remove various harmful substances from the wastewater, such as petroleum products; industrial chemicals; heavy metals (e.g., lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic); pesticides (e.g., atrazine, chlorpyrifos); and organic compounds (e.g., phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)).

A system includes a first separator configured to receive waste water, retain a first portion of the waste water, and separate the first portion of the waste water into a first vapor and a first solid material; and a second separator in fluid communication with the first separator, the second separator being configured to receive a second portion of the waste water from the first separator and to separate the second portion of the waste water into a second vapor and a second solid material, the second separator including a first condenser, a heating element, and a first electrocoagulation unit. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

In a method for producing pyrolysis oil, pyrolysis gas and pyrolysis coke, a starting material substantially comprising biomass is supplied to the upper region of a pyrolysis reactor. The latter has a substantially vertically arranged reactor chamber, which is substantially tubular. The reaction chamber then contains a bed of bulk material that comprises the starting material to be pyrolyzed and, optionally, the pyrolysis coke. This bulk material is thermally treated in the pyrolysis reactor, where the pyrolysis coke, the pyrolysis gases and the pyrolysis vapors are formed from the starting material to be pyrolyzed, and where the bulk material, the pyrolysis gases and the pyrolysis vapors are guided through the reaction chamber from top to bottom. The movement of the bulk material is caused substantially by gravity and the movement of the pyrolysis gases and pyrolysis vapors by the gas pressure building up.

A method for treating an aqueous fluid comprising a biodegradable organic substance in an installation comprising an upflow bioreactor containing a sludge bed, said sludge bed comprising biomass, an external separator, and a conditioning tank, the method comprising: treating the fluid in the conditioning tank; feeding the treated fluid into a lower part of the bioreactor and forming biogas; withdrawing the fluid from an upper part of the bioreactor, which withdrawn fluid comprises biomass; feeding the aqueous fluid withdrawn from the upper part of the bioreactor into the external separator wherein the aqueous fluid comprising the biomass is separated into a liquid phase, and a fluid phase enriched in biomass; returning said fluid phase enriched in biomass from the external separator to the bioreactor; and returning a part of said liquid phase to the conditioning tank.

Embodiments described herein are directed to methods and systems for treating wastewater or storm water using vermifiltration. The wastewater can come from various sources, such as agricultural sources, municipal and industrial sources, wineries, the dairy industry, and many others. The systems can include vermicomposting beds that are capable of removing high amounts of contaminants, pollutants, and/or toxic substances from wastewater. The wastewater may be applied to vermicomposting beds, for example, by an irrigation system. The irrigation system may provide, for example, improved bed coverage and more even saturation. The vermicomposting beds can remove various harmful substances from the wastewater, such as petroleum products; industrial chemicals; heavy metals (e.g., lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic); pesticides (e.g., atrazine, chlorpyrifos); and organic compounds (e.g., phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)).