US-20260125302-A1 - TANK CONFIGURATION WITH ENHANCED DENITRIFICATION

Abstract

A wastewater treatment apparatus includes a plurality of water troughs for treating the wastewater including a first trough configured for flowing wastewater to a second trough. The first water trough includes a biogrowth media, and a wall having a plurality of passages positioned along a width of the wall and positioned along a height of the wall, the plurality of passages permitting water to exit the first water trough via the plurality of passages in the wall. The apparatus also includes a discharge channel of the plurality of water troughs, the discharge channel having a wastewater inlet for receiving wastewater that has flowed from the first water trough and the second water trough, the wastewater inlet being configured to be stationary.

Inventors

• John R. Smith
• Andrew C. Middleton
• Robin L. Weightman
• Robert Horger
• Richard Donahue
• Jaw Fu

Assignees

• KLEANTU LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20260102

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A wastewater treatment apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of water troughs for treating the wastewater including a first trough configured for flowing wastewater to a second trough; and a discharge channel of the plurality of water troughs, the discharge channel having a wastewater inlet for receiving wastewater that has flowed from the first water trough and the second water trough, the wastewater inlet being configured to be stationary, wherein: the first water trough includes a biogrowth media, the first water trough includes a first wall having a plurality of passages positioned along a width of the first wall and positioned along a height of the first wall, the plurality of passages permitting water to enter the first water trough via the plurality of passages in the first wall, and the first water trough further includes a second wall having a plurality of passages positioned along a width of the second wall and positioned along a height of the second wall, the plurality of passages permitting water present in the first water trough to exit the first water trough via the plurality of passages in the second wall.
2. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: an aeration pump, the aeration pump configured and positioned to aerate wastewater in one or more of the water troughs.
3. 3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the biogrowth media is woodchips and wherein the first water trough further comprises limestone media.
4. 4 . A wastewater treatment apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of water troughs for treating the wastewater including a first trough configured for flowing wastewater to a second trough; a discharge channel of the plurality of water troughs, the discharge channel having a wastewater inlet for receiving wastewater that has flowed from the first water trough and the second water trough, the wastewater inlet being configured to be stationary; and a gravity flow configuration to flow wastewater from the first water trough to the second water trough and to the wastewater inlet, wherein: the first water trough includes a biogrowth media, and the first water trough includes a wall having a plurality of passages positioned along a width of the wall and positioned along a height of the wall, the plurality of passages permitting water present in the first water trough to exit the first water trough via the plurality of passages in the wall.
5. 5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gravity flow configuration comprises wastewater overflowing from the first water trough to the second water trough.
6. 6 . A wastewater treatment apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of water troughs for treating the wastewater including a first trough configured for flowing wastewater to a second trough; and a discharge channel of the plurality of water troughs, the discharge channel having a wastewater inlet for receiving wastewater that has flowed from the first water trough and the second water trough, the wastewater inlet being configured to be stationary, wherein: the first water trough includes a biogrowth media, the first water trough includes a wall having a plurality of passages positioned along a width of the wall and positioned along a height of the wall, the plurality of passages permitting water present in the first water trough to exit the first water trough via the plurality of passages in the wall, and each of the first and second troughs comprise a first media, the first media selected from the group consisting of: elemental sulfur, sulfur-coated wood chips, sulfur-coated bio rings and combinations thereof.
7. 7 . A wastewater treatment apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of water troughs for treating the wastewater including a first trough configured for flowing wastewater to a second trough; a discharge channel of the plurality of water troughs, the discharge channel having a wastewater inlet for receiving wastewater that has flowed from the first water trough and the second water trough, the wastewater inlet being configured to be stationary; and a wastewater recycling system configured and positioned to recycle wastewater treated by one or more water troughs to above a wastewater surface of another water trough, wherein: the first water trough includes a biogrowth media, and the first water trough includes a wall having a plurality of passages positioned along a width of the wall and positioned along a height of the wall, the plurality of passages permitting water present in the first water trough to exit the first water trough via the plurality of passages in the wall.
8. 8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the wastewater recycling system incorporates an air pump also used for aeration configured such that the air pump is operated at less than 20% of total air flow when used by the wastewater recycling system.
9. 9 . A wastewater treatment apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of water troughs for treating the wastewater including a first trough configured for flowing wastewater to a second trough; and a discharge channel of the plurality of water troughs, the discharge channel having a wastewater inlet for receiving wastewater that has flowed from the first water trough and the second water trough, the wastewater inlet being configured to be stationary, wherein: the first water trough includes a biogrowth media, the first water trough includes a wall having a plurality of passages positioned along a width of the wall and positioned along a height of the wall, the plurality of passages permitting water present in the first water trough to exit the first water trough via the plurality of passages in the wall, the second trough further includes submerged aeration piping, the piping having aeration orifices and oriented across a bottom portion of the second trough, and the second trough also includes a first media that includes sulfur-coated bio rings.
10. 10 . A wastewater treatment apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of water troughs for treating the wastewater including a first trough configured for flowing wastewater to a second trough; and a discharge channel of the plurality of water troughs, the discharge channel having a wastewater inlet for receiving wastewater that has flowed from the first water trough and the second water trough, the wastewater inlet being configured to be stationary, wherein: the first water trough includes a biogrowth media, the first water trough includes a wall having a plurality of passages positioned along a width of the wall and positioned along a height of the wall, the plurality of passages permitting water present in the first water trough to exit the first water trough via the plurality of passages in the wall, and the biogrowth media of the first trough is completely submerged and selected from the group consisting of: elemental sulfur, sulfur-coated wood chips, sulfur-coated bio rings and combinations thereof.
11. 11 . A wastewater treatment apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of water troughs for treating the wastewater including a first trough configured for flowing wastewater to a second trough; and a discharge channel of the plurality of water troughs, the discharge channel having a wastewater inlet for receiving wastewater that has flowed from the first water trough and the second water trough, the wastewater inlet being configured to be stationary, wherein: the first water trough includes a biogrowth media, the first water trough includes a wall having a plurality of passages positioned along a width of the wall and positioned along a height of the wall, the plurality of passages permitting water present in the first water trough to exit the first water trough via the plurality of passages in the wall, and each of the plurality of water troughs is present in a same shared tank structure and each water trough shares an ongoing operational wastewater surface level corresponding to a location of a portion of the discharge channel that penetrates through the shared tank structure, the discharge channel comprising piping.
12. 12 . A wastewater treatment apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of water troughs for treating the wastewater including a first trough configured for flowing wastewater to a second trough and a third water trough; the third trough configured for receiving overflowing wastewater from the second trough via gravity flow, the third trough comprising elemental sulfur, the elemental sulfur being submerged in wastewater present in the third trough; and a discharge channel of the plurality of water troughs, the discharge channel having a wastewater inlet for receiving wastewater that has flowed from the first water trough and the second water trough, the wastewater inlet being configured to be stationary, wherein: the first water trough includes a biogrowth media, and the first water trough includes a wall having a plurality of passages positioned along a width of the wall and positioned along a height of the wall, the plurality of passages permitting water present in the first water trough to exit the first water trough via the plurality of passages in the wall.
13. 13 . A wastewater treatment system comprising: a plurality of sequentially arranged water troughs, wherein: a first water trough of the plurality of sequentially arranged water troughs includes a submerged aeration chamber (SAC) in which organic wastewater is degraded; an intermediate water trough of the plurality of sequentially arranged water troughs includes wood chips, the wood chips configured to provide denitrification of organic wastewater present in the intermediate water trough; and a third water trough, wherein the intermediate water trough includes an inlet wall with a height and a width and an outlet wall with a height and a width, each of the inlet wall and the outlet wall comprising a plurality of passages located up and down the height of each wall and located along the width of each wall, the passages of the plurality sized and positioned to allow water to flow into the intermediate trough and out of the intermediate trough, and wherein at least an operating wastewater surface level of the third water trough corresponds to a position of a discharge channel, the discharge channel configured to receive wastewater from the third water trough, the discharge channel having a stationary inlet.
14. 14 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising a component operating to recycle treated wastewater back to a front end of the plurality of sequentially arranged water troughs, wherein wastewater organic carbon and Nitrate-N, under anoxic conditions, will go on to form nitrogen gas and CO2 when passing through the plurality of sequentially arranged troughs.
15. 15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the third water trough comprises submerged elemental sulfur, the submerged elemental sulfur configured to provide further denitrification of wastewater received from the intermediate water trough, and wherein the elemental sulfur is present on a ring.
16. 16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein a gravity flow arrangement is configured to send overflow wastewater from the first water trough to the intermediate water trough.
17. 17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein each of the water troughs comprise wood chips.
18. 18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the submerged aeration chamber is configured and positioned to perform an anammox process in the first trough.
19. 19 . The system of claim 13 , wherein one or more of the water troughs of the plurality comprises an emulsifier that includes one or more vegetable oils.
20. 20 . A wastewater treatment apparatus comprising a series of sequential troughs, the series of troughs including: a first trough having means to treat wastewater by converting ammonia in the wastewater to both nitrite-N and nitrate-N under aerobic conditions; and a second trough having means to treat wastewater by converting nitrite-N and nitrate-N to nitrogen gas under anoxic conditions, wherein: at least a wall of the second trough has a plurality of passages through the wall allowing water to pass into or out of the second trough, the wall having a bottom, a top, and a width, wherein passages from the plurality of passages are located at various heights between the top and bottom of the wall, and wherein passages from the plurality of passages are located at various positions along the width of the wall, and in a last water trough of the sequential troughs, an operating wastewater surface level of the last water trough corresponds to a position of a stationary discharge channel, the discharge channel configured to receive wastewater from the last water trough, the operating wastewater surface level corresponding to the position of the stationary discharge channel during operation, the stationary discharge channel comprising a stationary inlet.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation of U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 17/880,946 filed on Aug. 4, 2022, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/230,007, filed on Aug. 5, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. BACKGROUND Field This invention relates to the field of enhanced domestic wastewater treatment following in-ground or above-ground septic or settling tanks. More particularly, it relates to a series of improvements in septic tank systems for a single household, developments with multiple households combined, small commercial businesses, or small municipalities. This invention focuses on a supplemental tank (underground or on surface) with a primary focus on enhancing the biological removal of organic carbon compounds and ammonia nitrogen ultimately to nitrogen gas is accomplished by first converting ammonia to both nitrite-N and nitrate-N under aerobic conditions, then converting the nitrite-N and nitrate-N to nitrogen gas beyond that achieved by using wood chips alone under anoxic conditions. Because of this tank's sequential configurations and operation, it also facilitates the anammox process (i.e., the conversion of ammonia plus nitrite-N to nitrogen gas). Additionally, the use of organic carbon compounds present in the wastewater can also be used to supplement the conversion to nitrogen gas via the anoxic conversion of nitrate with organic carbon compounds via a recycling loop using the same air pressure used for aeration in an innovative manner. The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for understanding of the background of the inventive concepts, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not constitute prior art. SUMMARY The focus of this application is to provide an enhanced septic or settling tank system, especially one having a multiple compartmented (segmented or chambered) supplemental tank with a plurality of strategically situated access holes (both small and large ports) in a purposefully staggered arrangement. The invention can be practiced on one tank or on a plurality of tanks to achieve the same results but for high wastewater flowrates. Particularly, this invention: (i) adds different media to enhance the wood chip denitrification process. Furthermore, it: (ii) adds a recycle component for recycling treated wastewater back to the front end of the process using the same aeration pump and tubing that is being used for the aeration of the wastewater previously used to reduce organic compounds and the conversion of ammonia-N to nitrite-N and nitrate-N and ultimately nitrogen gas. This invention further includes a winter mix variation that entails adding an oil-based emulsion to enhance denitrification, seasonally, as a “booster” when colder temperatures warrant the addition, i.e., because the wood chips alone do not release a sufficient amount of organic compounds during winter operation. Preferably, the booster would be inserted into the NitROE® tank influent chamber, ahead of the wood chips as explained in more detail below. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Air Lift Recycle Line Concept Sulfur to Enhance Biological Denitrification The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the inventive concepts. FIGS. 1-6 are views showing the NitROE® tank or tanks with different troughs and chambers, said NitROE tank or tanks following an upfront septic tank or tanks. More specifically: FIG. 1 is a top front perspective view showing the various NitROE® Tank Components, from Trough A to Trough C; FIG. 2 is a reverse view from FIG. 1, showing the various NitROE® Tank Components, from Trough C to Trough A; FIG. 3 is a right side view showing some of the various NitROE® Tank Components; FIG. 4 is a right side, closeup view of the various NitROE® Tank Components, especially between Troughs A and B, particularly the submerged aeration chamber (or SAC); FIG. 5 is a right side, closeup view of the various NitROE® Tank Components, especially from the SAC Chamber to the Denitrification Chamber (or DC) A; and FIG. 6 is a right side, closeup view of the various NitROE® Tank Components, from Denitrification Chamber A to Denitrification Chamber B, then to the end of the tank at Trough C. FIGS. 7-16 are figures showing the air pump recycle line among the septic tank and different NitROE troughs and chambers. More specifically: FIG. 7 is a side view schematic of the Air Lift pump Recycle Concept per one embodiment