Outdoor apparatus and methods to treat wastes, wastewater and contaminated water bodies

Abstract

The technology relates to an apparatus, methods and applications to grow microorganisms on-site to treat contaminated environments. The apparatus is designed to function under a wide range of environmental conditions including extreme cold, extreme heat and direct exposure to sunlight. Such environments normally reduce the shelf-life of the organisms in the storage chamber that feeds the fermenter where they are being grown. These environments can also lower the growth rate of the organisms in the fermenter causing diminished cell output. Quite often the optimum point of application for the organisms is outdoor and too far from structures with appropriate protection from ultraviolet radiation from the sun or from excessive cold or hot weather. The technology in the application addresses these issues.

Claims

1. An outdoor apparatus for growing and delivering biosafety-level-one bacterial, fungal or actinomyces cultures to wastewater comprising: a coated double-wall storage chamber for containing microorganisms, said coating for protection against heat and ultraviolent radiation; a coated fermentation chamber, said coating for protection against heat and ultraviolent radiation; a delivery system to provide nutrients and microorganisms from said storage chamber to said fermentation chamber including a low shear pump or an auger for delivery of microorganisms and nutrients or nutrients; an optional canopy for covering the apparatus from weather conditions; an air pump to provide oxygen and aeration to said fermentation chamber; a heater for maintaining the temperature of said fermentation chamber; a bacterial air fabric filter and flexible microporous hose air diffuser disposed within said fermentation chamber to provide aeration and agitation; an optional air conditioner for cooling said apparatus; a programmable controller for controlling the delivery nutrients and microorganisms selected based on the wastes being treated; a low shear pump in operative connection with a solenoid vale or actuator valve for delivering and dosing fermentation broth from said fermentation chamber to said wastewater; and a water supply system to provide water to said fermentation chamber and for rinsing and cleaning said fermentation chamber.

2. The outdoor apparatus for growing a delivering biosafety-level-one bacterial, fungal or actinomyces cultures to wastewater as in claim 1, wherein said nutrients are bioremediation inorganic or organic compounds.

3. The outdoor apparatus for growing a delivering biosafety-level-one bacterial, fungal or actinomyces cultures to wastewater as in claim 2, wherein said bioremediation inorganic nutrients are selected from the group consisting of potassium phosphates, sodium phosphates, ammonium phosphates, ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, ferrous sulfate and ferric chloride.

4. The outdoor apparatus for growing a delivering biosafety-level-one bacterial, fungal or actinomyces cultures to wastewater as in claim 2, wherein said bioremediation organic nutrients are selected from the group consisting of proteins, carbohydrates, gelatin, casein, yeast extract, beef extract, molasses, sucrose, dextrose and mixtures thereof.

5. The outdoor apparatus for growing a delivering biosafety-level-one bacterial, fungal or actinomyces cultures to wastewater as in claim 1, wherein said microorganism delivered to said fermentation chamber is selected from the group consisting of bacteria, fungi, actinomyces and biosafety-level one microbes.

6. The outdoor apparatus for growing and delivering biosafety-level-one bacterial, fungal or actinomyces cultures to wastewater as in claim 1, wherein said programmable controller controls delivery of nutrients, microorganisms, temperature, oxygen to said fermentation chamber with the organisms selected based on the wastewater conditions.

7. The outdoor apparatus for growing a delivering biosafety-level-one bacterial, fungal or actinomyces cultures to wastewater as in claim 1, wherein said microorganisms delivered to said fermentation chamber in a concentration range from 10.sup.6 to 10.sup.10 cfu/ml.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 Bioreactor with All Its Elements

(2) FIG. 2 Bioreactor with Vertical Auger System Configuration

(3) FIG. 3 Bioreactor with Hanging Storage Chamber and Hanging Auger System.

(4) FIG. 4 Table with Data Showing the Effect of the Heat-reflective Coating.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) The apparatus and methods of the patent application allow the treatment of wastes, wastewater and contaminated bodies of water using an on-site bioreactor to grow bioaugmentation microorganisms. The microorganisms digest contaminants through digestion. The microorganisms used are non-pathogenic bacteria, fungi or actinomycetes known in the art of bioremediation of contaminated environments. Microorganisms used in bioremediation have the ability to digest many different contaminants including, but not limited to, sludge, fats, oil, grease, odor producing compounds, hydrogen sulfide, mercaptans, volatile organic acids, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphorous, heavy metals, toxic organic substances and EPA Contaminant Candidates. Many microorganisms used also have the ability to interfere with the reproduction of pathogens, mosquitos and flies.

(6) The environments where the bioreactor would apply the microorganism for bioremediation comprise of wastewater treatment plants such as aerated lagoons, facultative lagoons, anaerobic lagoons, contaminated ocean, oil spills, sludge lagoons or sludge ponds, activated sludge, oxidative ditches, sequential batch reactors, biological contactors, trickling filters, fixed bed reactors, fluidized bed reactors, sewer systems, aerobic digesters and anaerobic digesters. In addition, the environment containing wastes can also be contaminated water bodies such as lakes, lagoons, ponds, rivers, aquaculture systems and ground water. They can also be contaminated water bodies used for recreation, fishing or water reservoirs. Other potential environments are septic tanks, grease traps, contaminated soil, landfills, leachate or composting facilities where the microorganisms applied help speed up the composting process

(7) The on-site bioreactor described in the patent application is an outdoor apparatus that can be exposed directly to harsh environmental conditions that normally would be harmful for the microorganisms in the storage chamber (9, FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3), of the bioreactor and in the fermentation chamber (1, FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3). Excessive heat, cold and ultraviolet radiation makes it necessary for an on-site bioreactor to be in a building or in an enclosure for protection from harsh environments. Space is often limited at the optimum location where the microorganisms need to be applied. Often, space can not be taken in work areas without causing a safety hazard for workers. The bioreactor in the patent application does not need an enclosure for protection and has an option to use an auger system to utilize concentrated microorganisms and nutrients reducing further the space required.

(8) The bioreactor consists of a storage chamber (9, FIG. 1) for the microorganisms and nutrients and feeds them into a fermentation chamber (1, FIG. 1). In the fermentation chamber, the microorganisms multiply as much as 150 times the original number coming into the chamber. During fermentation, the microorganisms attain concentrations that range from 10.sup.6 cfu/ml to 10.sup10 cfu/ml. The bioreactor can be used in a batch, semi-automatic and automatic embodiment. The batch and semi-automatic embodiment do not require the storage chamber. In the batch embodiment, an operator would turn on the bioreactor, fill the fermentation chamber with water and add a water soluble bag that contains the microorganisms and nutrients to the fermentation chamber. The operator would return after the fermentation cycle and drain the fermentation broth to apply the microorganisms into the contaminated waste, wastewater or contaminated body of water.

(9) In the semi-automatic embodiment, a program in the control box of the bioreactor (14, FIG. 1) can automatically turn on and fill the fermentation chamber with water and turn on the heating element and the air pump. An operator would add a water soluble bag with the microorganisms and nutrients. The program in the control box would allow dosing the microorganism automatically at different times toward the end of the fermentation cycle. In this manner, the microorganism can be applied at different times during the day or night as needed even if the operator is not present.

(10) The automatic embodiment would need a storage chamber for the microorganisms and the nutrients. The program in the control box would turn on the bioreactor heating and air pump elements; it would fill the fermentation chamber with water. Then it would apply the microorganisms and nutrients to begin fermentation. After a few hours of fermentation, the bioreactor would begin to dose the fermentation broth into the wastes, wastewater or contaminated body of water. The broth depleted during dosing would be replenished with the addition of more water to the fermentation chamber along with more microorganisms and nutrients. These additions would ensure a constant broth level in the fermentation chamber along with a high concentration of microorganisms.

(11) The bioreactor can be powered by solar panels, gas-electrical generator, air turbines or an extension cord with the end enclosed in a water resistant enclosure such as NEMA 3 or 4 containing a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) protector. The control box uses a programmable system to control the different elements of the bioreactor. The programmable system can be purchased from various manufacturers in the USA including Phenix controls in Santa Ana, Calif.

(12) The microorganism can be bacteria, fungi or actinomycetes known in the art of bioremediation. Species of Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhodobacter, Rhodospirillum, Thiobacillus, Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter, Streptococcus, Aspergillus are just some that are commonly used. The nutrients can be inorganic and organic. Some examples of inorganic nutrients are potassium phosphates, sodium phosphates, ammonium phosphates, ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, ferrous sulfate and ferric chloride. Some examples of organic nutrients are various protein or carbohydrate sources such as gelatin, casein, yeast extract, beef extract, molasses, sucrose, dextrose and others known in the art of bioremediation.

(13) The organic nutrients can also be of a composition similar to the composition of the contaminants that the microorganisms are intended to degrade. For example, if the purpose of the use of the bioreactor is to degrade fats, oil and grease in the contaminated environment, then the nutrients in the storage chamber can contain similar composition to condition the microorganisms during fermentation so that when they are applied to the environment they are already producing the necessary enzymes to degrade the contaminants. The microorganisms can also be selected based on their ability to flourish under the specific conditions of the environment where they will be applied. Often, the environment that needs to be bioremediated has conditions that are not ideal for most microorganisms such as low pH, high pH, high salinity, low or no dissolved oxygen, too high or low temperature, low nutrient levels, or the presence of contaminants that are toxic to microorganisms. Selection of the right microorganisms to be used in an environment with adverse conditions may require pre-selection of the microorganism in the lab under similar adverse conditions as the environment where they will be applied.

(14) FIG. 1 shows the embodiment of the automatic bioreactor with all its elements. The storage chamber 9 holds the microorganisms and nutrients. The bioreactor has an optional portable air conditioning system 13 (FIG. 1) preset at a temperature between 50° F. to 90° F. and more preferably 65° F. to 80° F. The purpose of the air conditioner is to avoid excessive heat during hot weather. High temperature can cause electronic controls to malfunction. It can also kill microorganisms in the storage chamber and hinder the growth of microorganisms in the fermentation chamber. The preferred configuration of the air conditioning system is for the cool air to enter the electronic control box 14 (FIG. 1) and exit through an insulated pipe 16 (FIG. 1) into the double wall of the feed chamber or a cooling jacket wrapped around it 15 (FIG. 1) to cool its contents. This extends the shelf-life of the microorganisms in the storage chamber 9 (FIG. 1) because many species used in the art of bioremediation lose viable cell counts significantly when exposed to environmental heat. The cool air exits the double wall or cooling jacket of the storage chamber at the point where the inlet 17 (FIG. 1) of the air pump 6 (FIG. 1) takes air to the diffuser 5 (FIG. 1) inside the fermentation chamber (1, FIG. 1). This cool air aids in preventing the fermentation chamber from overheating in hot weather which would cause low cell counts. The air conditioning system can be purchased from Kooltronic in Pennington, N.J.

(15) The air conditioning unit has a dust or a HEPA filter (18 FIG. 1) to prevent dust from entering the control box (14, FIG. 1). A similar dust or HEPA filter (18, FIG. 1) is used for the air pump (6, FIG. 1) which feeds air into the fermentation chamber. This prevents dust particles from clogging the biological filter (7, FIG. 1). The biological filter is made of surgical cloth with pore size of 0.2 microns or less to prevent fungi, bacteria and spores from entering and contaminating the fermentation culture through the air supply.

(16) The storage chamber 9 feeds the microorganisms and the nutrients into the fermentation chamber 1. The microorganisms and the nutrients can be stored and fed in the form of liquid, gel, pellets, granules, flakes, tablets or powder. To reduce the space requirement of the bioreactor, the preferred storage of microorganisms and nutrients is in concentrated pellets, flakes, granules, tablets or powder. In order to feed these concentrated blend of microorganisms and nutrients, a motor (11, FIG. 1) pushes the blend through an auger system (10, FIG. 1) to feed the fermentation chamber 1. The outlet of the auger system has an actuator valve (12, FIG. 1) that is normally closed. The actuator valve opens seconds before microorganisms and nutrients are fed to the fermentation chamber. Seconds after the auger system stops, the actuator valve closes. This avoids humidity from the fermentation chamber to enter into the storage chamber containing the microorganism and the nutrients. If humidity enters the storage chamber, the microorganisms may begin to reproduce themselves prematurely in the storage chamber.

(17) Water can be fed into the fermentation chamber 1 directly from a water pipe (2, FIG. 1) with a solenoid or actuator valve (3, FIG. 1) controlled by the control box 14. The valve is opened when prompted by a program in the control box 14. The valve shuts off when a switch level (19, FIG. 1) attains a pre-determined level in the fermentation chamber or, alternatively, a water metering device can be used to apply a predetermined amount of water.

(18) The fermentation chamber could also be filled from a reservoir tank or body of water. In both cases, an activated charcoal filter (4, FIG. 1) precedes the fermentation chamber to neutralize chlorine or other oxidizers that may be present in the water. In order to prevent pathogens from entering the fermentation chamber with the water, a disinfecting ultraviolet unit (20, FIG. 1) can be placed on line just before the fermentation chamber. Water enters the fermentation chamber through a spray nozzle or spray bar (21, FIG. 1) to rinse the inner walls of the fermentation chamber when the chamber fills with water. Rinsing is often necessary to wash away deposits of nutrients and of microorganisms that build up at the operating water level of the fermentation chamber. Rinsing can be done as the fermentation chamber fills with water or as an additional step when the fermentation chamber is empty to fully clean it and drain the deposits. These deposits contain beneficial microorganisms and are also beneficial to the contaminated environment where they are applied

(19) The fermentation chamber can be made of plastic such as HDPE or other material that has low heat conductivity in case the environmental temperature is too high or low. In this manner, the impact of temperature from the environment is reduced so that the microorganisms can grow at their optimum temperature in the fermenter and produce high cell counts. The fermentation chamber is kept at a fixed temperature by the heating element (8, FIG. 1). Air is provided to the fermentation chamber by air pump 6 via a fine-bubble air diffuser made up of a flexible micropore hose (5, FIG. 1). The diffuser hose is made of a thermoset polymer with fine pores ranging in size from 50 to 500 microns. The small size of the pores produce air bubbles approximately 3 mm in diameter. The small bubbles provide high surface area to enhance oxygen exchange between the air bubbles and the fermentation broth. The flexibility of the porous hose allows it to be bent in any configuration and be placed at the bottom of the fermentation chamber or a point near halfway. In both cases, the bubbles provide oxygen while their buoyancy provides full mixing of the fermentation broth. This facilitates contact with the microorganisms and their nutrients for optimal growth. This method of mixing the contents of the fermentation broth is gentle and free of shear stress. This is important because shear stress causes rupture of cell membranes reducing cell counts. The flexible porous diffuser hose and diffusers made of such porous hose are available from various suppliers in the USA. Most of these models resemble what has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,811,164, issued Sep. 22, 1998 to Mitchell entitled “AERATION PIPE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

(20) The pump is able to provide air from 10% to 400% of the volume of the fermentation broth per minute. That is, a 100-liter fermentation chamber can have 10 to 400 liters of air pumped through the diffuser per minute to ensure that enough oxygen enters the chamber. As alternative to air, pure oxygen can be applied if desired. Biofiltration is provided to prevent pathogens from entering the fermentation chamber via the air supplied by the air pump or oxygen source.

(21) A biological filter (7, FIG. 1) is placed between the air pump and the diffuser. The air filtration element is made up of surgical fabric held in place by any means that allow it to maintain a seal while the air goes through it. One way to keep the surgical fabric in place is to use a clamped connector or a screwable PVC connector union. One or two layers of the surgical fabric can be used if needed. The fabric is strong and resists the air pressure from the air pump. The surgical fabric has a pore size of 0.2 microns or less which prevents fungi, bacteria and spores from entering and contaminating the fermentation culture through the air supply. The fabric can be cut to the needed size and shape. Several pieces can be autoclaved at the same time. They can be brought to the on-site bioreactor in sterilized autoclaved bags. Each fabric bio-filter can be used through several cycles of the bioreactor before it needs to be replaced. The surgical fabric is disposable, very economical and easy to replace unlike standard biological air filtration systems. The cost of the surgical fiber filter is several orders of magnitude lower than standard biological filters which need to be autoclaved and eventually disposed after a few uses. The surgical fabric is available from Kimberly-Clark.

(22) The fermentation chamber is heated with a controlled submersible heating element (8, FIG. 1) with sufficient wattage to allow it to maintain temperature even when the outside environment is very cold and even under the freezing point of water. Microorganisms reproduce themselves very slowly in cold temperature (ex. under 59 F) causing low cell counts. The heating element can be set to a specific temperature mechanically or digitally. The temperature range in the fermentation chamber can be kept between 60 F and 120 F. The specific temperature set depends on the microorganisms being grown. The wattage of the heating element can range from 2 watts per gallon of the fermenting broth to 50 watts per gallon. The higher wattage and overcapacity of the heating element is preferred to ensure that the chamber temperature is maintained because the air pump would bring in cold air in very cold or freezing weather.

(23) The fermentation broth is delivered to the wastes, wastewater or contaminated body of water via a low-shear pump, a solenoid or an actuator valve (22, FIG. 1). The system can be emptied all at once or in different portions throughout the day depending on the program in the control box. In very cold environments, the heating element (8, FIG. 1) can be turned off via the electronic control system a few minutes before the fermentation broth is applied to the environment. In this manner, the microorganisms adjust to the temperature of the environment before they are applied without suffering a temperature shock. After applying the broth to the contaminated environment, heating can continue in the fermentation chamber if broth remains in it. In a different embodiment of the apparatus, the broth can exit into the contaminated environment via spray head system (23, FIG. 1). This is useful when the product is applied to the sewer at a lift station, manhole or wet well. The spray head system allows covering a large area of application to keep equipment, sensors and the walls from building up fat, oil, grease, and other biodegradable debris. Additionally, this application prevents mats of fat, oil, grease, paper and other debris from building up in the wet well, lift stations and manholes.

(24) Auger systems are normally in an angle (10, FIG. 1). In a different embodiment, the auger system can be used in a vertical manner (10, FIG. 2). By moving the microorganisms and nutrients vertically from the storage chamber (9, FIG. 2), the space required by the auger system is minimized. In this particular embodiment, the auger motor (11, FIG. 2) is on top. The actuator valve (12, FIG. 2) opens just a few seconds before the auger system feeds microorganisms and nutrients to the fermentation chamber (1, FIG. 2) and it closes seconds after the auger system stops. The purpose of the actuator valve is to remain close when the fermentation chamber is not being fed to prevent humidity from entering into the storage chamber via the auger system. An actuator valve (22, FIG. 2) feeds the microorganisms from the fermentation chamber into the contaminated waste, wastewater or body of water.

(25) On a different embodiment, the storage chamber (9, FIG. 3) and the auger system (10, FIG. 3) can be on top of the Fermentation Chamber (1, FIG. 3). This configuration also reduces the space requirement of the bioreactor. The auger motor (11, FIG. 3), is inside or on top of the fermentation chamber. An actuator valve (12, FIG. 3) is used to prevent humidity into the storage chamber and another actuator valve (22, FIG. 3) delivers the microorganisms from the fermentation chamber into the environment.

(26) The storage chamber and the fermentation chamber are painted with a black coat to protect them from ultraviolet radiation from sunlight. A second outer, coating provides heat-reflective protection from sunlight. The coating is made of a heat reflecting polymer paint used on roofs to keep houses cool and a special microsphere material. The heat reflective polymer paint can be purchased from Sta-kool from Gardner. The microscopic sphere material that is mixed with the heat reflective paint provides additional heat reflective properties. The microscopic spheres are made up of material with high heat capacity such as borosilicate microspheres manufactured by 3M. The heat reflective coating is not common knowledge nor obvious in the manufacture of bioreactors nor in the art of bioremediation.

(27) FIG. 4 shows test results with the heat reflective coating. Two identical tanks made of HDPE were evaluated. One tank had coating and the other did not. Both tanks were exposed to direct sunlight, at the same time, for two hours during noon time in the summer. Three calibrated thermometers were used. Each sat on an eight-inch tall piece of wood to provide insulation from the heat of the floor. One thermometer was exposed to direct sunlight, another was inside the tank with no coating and the third thermometer was inside the tank with heat reflective coating. The tank with coating was 24 F cooler than the tank with no coating.

(28) The bioreactor system has an optional canopy attached to the platform where the bioreactor system is placed. Such platform can be a pallet or small platform because the system is compact and portable. The pallet is made of wood, plastic or any material with low heat conductivity. The canopy provides additional protection from heat of the sun and ultraviolet radiation. The canopy system is of a design and shape that provides flow of wind for cooling and prevents excessive air pressure on the canopy in environments with strong winds. The color of the canopy can be a light color that reflects heat or it can be coated with the same type of heat-reflective coating used to coat the storage chamber and the fermentation chamber.

(29) Although the apparatus and methods described in the patent application have been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.