Abstract: The invention is an improved weir means for use in algae growing reactors in a controlled natural purification system for advanced waste water treatment and algae farming. The invention is a pneumatic device that eliminates the need for a mechanically operated lift-type rigid weir for controlling the level of liquids and increasing the algal concentration in an algae growing reactor and separation of suspended solids in the effluent therefrom. The pneumatic toroidal weir consists of a toroid or doughnut shaped means that can be inflated and deflated. The device rests in and is affixed to a circular ring-like base. The interior periphery of the toroid or doughnut configuration is convoluted to improve controlled inflation and deflation; to reduce interior overhang, and to increase toroidal height without increasing volume.

Abstract: The invention is an energy-saving means for providing turbulence as well as circulation to liquids in a controlled natural purification system for advanced waste water treatment and algae farming. The wind-powered impeller-mixers are used in the algae growing reactors of a controlled natural purification system. The invention consists of a vertical vane type windmill that turns an impeller blade to cause turbulence in waste water being treated. The impeller blade may be geared to operate from a horizontal position to a vertical position to provide circulation movement. A motor-generator hook-up is combined with windmill-impeller system so that generated energy may be stored for use in turning the impeller blade when there is no wind or not enough wind to operate the system. A clutch arrangement is used to disengage the impeller when the algae growing reactor is to be drained.

Abstract: The invention is an improved controlled natural purification system for an advanced wastewater treatment and protein conversion and recovery. The system provides for treating municipal wastewater and associated organic industrial discharges anaerobically and aerobically. The system consists of such treatments in a tank complex where the waste organics are reduced to inorganic forms available for microalgae culture in tanks uniquely designed for rapid growth. The system includes a recovery mechanism to recover the algae for food purposes. Utilizing organic wastewater as the renewable resource, the system has the potential to develop from a wastewater treatment process that removes excess nutrients, producing reusable water and a commercially valuable algal by-product, to large scale algae farming cost-effectively producing millions of tons per year of sterile, stable, high protein algal foodstuff.