Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the separation of biomass in the anaerobic purification of wastewater and to a system for the separation of biomass in the anaerobic purification of wastewater.

Abstract: A separation device for a fluid purification device is provided, the separation device comprising: at least three concentric enclosures including an outermost enclosure and an innermost enclosure and defining at least two concentric cavities; a plurality of spiral-shaped channels formed in each of the at least two concentric cavities, so that fluid can flow through said plurality of spiral-shaped channels; a fluid inlet, for receiving fluid, located in an upper section of an outermost cavity among the at least two concentric cavities, the fluid inlet corresponding to a gas outlet; a solids outlet, for discharging solids comprised in the fluid, located in a lower section of the separation device; and a liquid outlet, for discharging liquid comprised in the fluid, located in an upper section of at least one inner cavity among the at least two concentric cavities.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the separation of biomass in the anaerobic purification of wastewater and to a system for the separation of biomass in the anaerobic purification of wastewater.

Abstract: Wastewater containing a significant level of dissolved readily biodegradable organic compounds matter, such as short-chain fatty acids, and ammonia can be efficiently treated to remove most or all of the organic compounds and the ammonia, with the production of microbial storage compounds such as polyhydroxylkanoates, by (i) subjecting the wastewater storage compound-accumulating microorganisms (SCAM) in the presence of oxygen, (ii) subjecting at least part of the resulting partly treated wastewater to ammonia-oxidising microorganisms (AOM) in the presence of oxygen and (iii) feeding a gas containing molecular carbon dioxide produced during step (ii) to step (i) so as to lower the pH in step (i).

Abstract: A gas-liquid separation device (30) for an anaerobic purification device for purification of wastewater, the gas-liquid separation device comprising: a gas-liquid riser pipe (32); a separation pipe (34) attached to the gas-liquid riser pipe (32), the separation pipe defining an angle with the direction perpendicular to the gas-liquid riser pipe between ?45 degrees and +45 degrees, the separation pipe (34) configured to receive fluid from the gas-liquid riser pipe (32); at least one pipe gas outlet (35) located, when assembled with an anaerobic purification device, in a surface along the separation pipe (34) facing away from the ground, the at least one pipe gas outlet (35) configured to lead at least a portion of the gas in the separation pipe (34) outside the gas-liquid separation device; a hydraulic cyclone (36) attached to the separation pipe (34), the hydraulic cyclone configured to receive fluid from the separation pipe; at least one cyclone gas outlet (37) located in the upper side of the hydraulic c

Abstract: A process for aerobic treatment of wastewater is provided, which process comprises: (a) supplying a liquid influent comprising wastewater to a reactor containing granular biomass; (b) subjecting the reaction mixture to aerobic conditions comprising a concentration of dissolved oxygen from 0.1 mg/L to 4.0 mg/L, and a hydraulic retention time from 0.5 to 72 hours; (c) separating the reaction mixture into granular biomass and treated wastewater; and (d) recycling separated granular biomass to the reaction mixture. A bioreactor for the process is also disclosed, comprising a reaction vessel provided with an aeration means, a solids separation device with an inlet in the lower part of the reaction vessel having an outlet line for solids arranged to transport separated solids to a riser driven by airlift action and arranged to transport the solids to the upper part of the reaction chamber.

Abstract: An anaerobic purification device for purification of wastewater, the anaerobic purification device comprising: a reactor tank (10) configured to, when in operation, have a sludge blanket formed at the bottom part; a fluid inlet (12) for, in operation, introducing influent into the reactor tank, the fluid inlet located in the lower section of the reactor tank (10); at least one gas-collecting system (13); at least one gas-liquid separation device (30); at least one riser pipe (22) connected to the at least one gas-collecting system (13) and discharging into the gas-liquid separation device (30); a downer pipe (24) connected to the gas-liquid separation device (30) and discharging into the bottom of the reactor tank (10); and a fluid outlet (16) comprising means for, in operation, varying the height of the fluid level (19) in the reactor tank within a predetermined range, the fluid outlet arranged at the upper section of the reactor tank (10); wherein the fluid level control means comprises: a fluid valve

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for purification of a fluid, the apparatus comprising: a vessel (1) for receiving, in operation, a filter bed (2) with granular filter material; a transport system (8) configured to, during operation, transport filter material from a cavity (5) underneath the filter bed (2) to a location (17) above the filter bed; a fluid inlet (14) for introducing fluid to be purified into the apparatus; a mixing section (3) adapted to, in operation, provide a mixture of fluid from the fluid inlet and granular filter material from the filter bed in a part of the vessel beneath the mixing section; and a plurality of gas lift injectors (4), wherein each gas lift injector (4) is configured to, in operation, transport the mixture of fluid from the fluid inlet (14) and granular filter material from the filter bed (2) to the cavity (5).

Abstract: An anaerobic purification device for purification of wastewater, the anaerobic purification device comprising: a reactor tank (10) configured to, when in operation, have a sludge blanket formed at the bottom part; a fluid inlet (12) for, in operation, introducing influent into the reactor tank, the fluid inlet located in the lower section of the reactor tank (10); at least one gas-collecting system (13); at least one gas-liquid separation device (30); at least one riser pipe (22) connected to the at least one gas-collecting system (13) and discharging into the gas-liquid separation device (30); a downer pipe (24) connected to the gas-liquid separation device (30) and discharging into the bottom of the reactor tank (10); and a fluid outlet (16) comprising means for, in operation, varying the height of the fluid level (19) in the reactor tank within a predetermined range, the fluid outlet arranged at the upper section of the reactor tank (10); wherein the fluid level control means comprises: a fluid valve

Abstract: Wastewater containing a significant level of dissolved readily biodegradable organic compounds matter, such as short-chain fatty acids, and ammonia can be efficiently treated to remove most or all of the organic compounds and the ammonia, with the production of microbial storage compounds such as polyhydroxylkanoates, by (i) subjecting the wastewater storage compound-accumulating microorganisms (SCAM) in the presence of oxygen, (ii) subjecting at least part of the resulting partly treated wastewater to ammonia-oxidising microorganisms (AOM) in the presence of oxygen and (iii) feeding a gas containing molecular carbon dioxide produced during step (ii) to step (i) so as to lower the pH in step (i).

Abstract: A gas-liquid separation device (30) for an anaerobic purification device for purification of wastewater, the gas-liquid separation device comprising: a gas-liquid riser pipe (32); a separation pipe (34) attached to the gas-liquid riser pipe (32), the separation pipe defining an angle with the direction perpendicular to the gas-liquid riser pipe between ?45 degrees and +45 degrees, the separation pipe (34) configured to receive fluid from the gas-liquid riser pipe (32); at least one pipe gas outlet (35) located, when assembled with an anaerobic purification device, in a surface along the separation pipe (34) facing away from the ground, the at least one pipe gas outlet (35) configured to lead at least a portion of the gas in the separation pipe (34) outside the gas-liquid separation device; a hydraulic cyclone (36) attached to the separation pipe (34), the hydraulic cyclone configured to receive fluid from the separation pipe; at least one cyclone gas outlet (37) located in the upper side of the hydraulic c

Abstract: A process is provided, comprising: (a) supplying ammonium-containing wastewater to a reactor containing granular sludge comprising granules having a core of anammox bacteria and an outer rim of ammonia oxidizing bacteria; (b) subjecting the wastewater to ammonium oxidation at a temperature between 5 to 25° C., a dissolved oxygen concentration between 0.4 mg/L to 4.0 mg/L, and a hydraulic retention time between 0.5 hours to 1.5 days, obtaining a nitrogen gaseous stream and a dispersion of granular and non-sludge in treated wastewater; and (c) separating the dispersion into a granular sludge stream and a stream of treated wastewater and non-granular sludge, and (d) recycling the granular sludge to the reactor while discharging the non-granular sludge, wherein the granular sludge has a reactor retention time at least ten times the hydraulic retention time, and wherein the retention time of non-granular sludge is no more than three times the hydraulic retention time.

Abstract: High levels of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) can be produced from wastewater comprising Readily Biodegradable COD (RBCOD) using activated sludge comprising microorganisms capable of accumulating PHA by contacting the wastewater with the activated sludge in the presence of dissolved oxygen during a first period of time, to obtain PHA-loaded activated sludge, and then supplying elements essential for growth such as nitrogen and phosphorus and allowing up-take of these elements and limited growth during a second period of time, the supplied amount of at least of one of said essential elements compared to the amount of RBCOD supplied in step a) limiting the growth to an extent that not all PHA is used for growth, to obtain grown activated sludge; and removing or harvesting part of the PHA-loaded activated sludge and/or part of the grown activated sludge, so that the total average retention time of the sludge is less than 72 h.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing a microbial storage compound, in particular polyhydroxyalkanoate, using micro-organisms capable of accumulating such microbial storage compound, wherein such micro-organisms are selected and the microbial storage compound is accumulated by carrying out the so-called feast phase of the selection step and the accumulation of the microbial storage compound in selected micro-organisms in the same reactor and carrying out the so-called famine phase of the selection step in a separate, smaller, reactor.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for purification of a fluid, the apparatus comprising: a vessel (1) for receiving, in operation, a filter bed (2) with granular filter material; a transport system (8) configured to, during operation, transport filter material from a cavity (5) underneath the filter bed (2) to a location (17) above the filter bed; a fluid inlet (14) for introducing fluid to be purified into the apparatus; a mixing section (3) adapted to, in operation, provide a mixture of fluid from the fluid inlet and granular filter material from the filter bed in a part of the vessel beneath the mixing section; and a plurality of gas lift injectors (4), wherein each gas lift injector (4) is configured to, in operation, transport the mixture of fluid from the fluid inlet (14) and granular filter material from the filter bed (2) to the cavity (5).

Abstract: A process for removing sulphide from an aqueous solution comprising sulphide is disclosed, in which the aqueous solution is subjected to sulphide-oxidizing bacteria in the presence of oxygen in a reactor to oxidize sulphide to elemental sulphur. According to the process, a molecular-oxygen containing gas is supplied to a reactor containing the sulphide-oxidizing bacteria in an aqueous medium, such that one or more aerated zones and one or more non-aerated zones are created in the aqueous medium with upward liquid flow in the aerated zones and downward liquid flow in the non-aerated zones; and a feed stream of the aqueous solution comprising sulphide is injected into the reactor in the one or more non-aerated zones, wherein the one or more aerated zone(s) are not separated from the one or more non-aerated zone(s) by means of vertically extending reactor internal.

Abstract: Hydrogen sulfide can be removed from a liquid effluent of an anaerobic reactor, by subsequently: —contacting the effluent liquid in counter current with a treated product gas of the anaerobic reactor to absorb hydrogen sulfide in the gas, —collecting the desulfurized effluent liquid after said contacting, —discharging at least part of the collected desulfurized effluent recirculation liquid as a treated effluent. To a remaining part of the desulfurized effluent waste water can be added and mixed, and the mixed water can be fed to the anaerobic reactor. Spent gas of the contacting step can be combined with sulfide-containing product gas of the anaerobic reactor and treated by desulfurization.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing a microbial storage compound, in particular polyhydroxyalkanoate, using micro-organisms capable of accumulating such microbial storage compound,wherein such micro-organisms are selected and the microbial storage compound is accumulated by carrying out the so-called feast phase of the selection step and the accumulation of the microbial storage compound in selected micro-organisms in the same reactor and carrying out the so-called famine phase of the selection step in a separate, smaller, reactor.

Abstract: A process for removing sulphide from an aqueous solution comprising sulphide is disclosed, in which the aqueous solution is subjected to sulphide-oxidising bacteria in the presence of oxygen in a reactor to oxidise sulphide to elemental sulphur. According to the process, a molecular-oxygen containing gas is supplied to a reactor containing the sulphide-oxidising bacteria in an aqueous medium, such that one or more aerated zones and one or more non-aerated zones are created in the aqueous medium with upward liquid flow in the aerated zones and downward liquid flow in the non-aerated zones; and a feed stream of the aqueous solution comprising sulphide is injected into the reactor in the one or more non-aerated zones, wherein the one or more aerated zone(s) are not separated from the one or more non-aerated zone(s) by means of vertically extending reactor internal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for biological removal of nitrogen from wastewater comprising: (a) providing a stream of wastewater comprising ammonium; (b) continuously supplying the stream of wastewater to a reactor containing granular sludge comprising granules having a core of anammox bacteria and an outer rim of ammonia oxidizing bacteria; (c) subjecting the wastewater in the reactor to ammonium oxidation under ammonium oxidizing conditions comprising a temperature in the range of from 5 to 25° C., a concentration of dissolved oxygen in the wastewater in the range of from 0.4 mg/L to 4.0 mg/L, and a hydraulic retention time of the wastewater in the reactor in the range of from 0.5 hours to 1.