Abstract: A process for recovery of energy from waste and residues is disclosed. The residues, after sieving, are subjected to bacterial digestion in a methanization reactor and the solid phase of the digestate is then subjected to incineration in a furnace supplying a heat recuperator, the furnace being supplied with complementary combustible by the methane coming from the digester, while the circuit of the fumes downstream of the recuperator is used for heating by at least one secondary circuit, the magma in the course of treatment in the digester and/or the sludge separated from the digestate before recycling thereof towards the digester.

Abstract: A system to chlorinate swimming pool water including one or more buckets containing sodium hypochlorite solution. The valve having a stationary part with a downwardly open cavity and a rotatable part rotatably mounted in the cavity. The stationary part having multiple ports and the rotatable part having a mating through passage. The ports being interposed in a line from the bucket to a swimming pool water recirculating pump so that flow of the sodium hypochlorite solution from the bucket to the pump only occurs when the through passage registers with the diametrically opposed ports. A battery-powered clock motor and reduction gearing connected to the clock motor and to the rotatable part and the reduction gearing rotating the rotatable part 180.degree.

Abstract: A fluid purification system includes an elongated ultraviolet radiation emitting tube and independent fluid flow-controlling conduits. Each conduit is transparent to allow ultraviolet light emitted by the tube to enter the conduit, and defines a continuous, aand is helically wound closely about the tube to insure that fluid flow through the conduits is exposed to the ultraviolet light. The system includes a filter having inlet and outlet ports. An end of each conduit is connected to one of the inlet and outlet ports of the filter. The system thus exposes the fluid to ultraviolet radiation both before and after the fluid is filtered.

Abstract: A process for synthesizing material uses an exothermic reactor which comprises a coolant shell, two concentric pipes provided within the shell, a catalyst bed packed between inner and outer ones of the concentric pipes, an introduction tube connected to the inner pipe through which a starting fluid is introduced, and a communication path enabling the fluid after the passage of the inner pipe to be passed through the catalyst bed in a direction opposite to the direction of the passage through the inner pipe, the coolant shell having an inlet and an outlet for a coolant arranged in such a way that the flow of the coolant is parallel to the flow of the fluid within the catalyst bed. The coolant on the outside and the starting fluid on the inside of the catalyst bed cools the bed in such a way as to produce a temperature distribution along the bed that follows a maximum reaction rate line (M in FIG. 1) relating the concentration of the methanol to the temperature of the starting fluid.

Abstract: A sublimation apparatus comprising an inner vessel placed within an outer vessel leaving an interspace between them. Inlets and outlets for a gas to be treated are connected to the inner vessel. Plurality of parallel-connected heat exchange channels are provided around the inner vessel, which heat exchange channels are connected to a bottom header and to a top header. A heat exchanger is placed in the top header. The apparatus further has a first reservoir for a first heat exchange medium. A closable connecting duct connects the bottom header and the first reservoir, and another connecting duct connects a vapor space of the first reservoir and the top header. A second reservoir for a second heat exchange medium different from the first heat exchange medium is connected by a closable connecting duct to the interspace between the inner and outer vessels. A closable connecting duct connects a vapor space of the second reservoir with the top portion of the interspace.

Abstract: Continuous, noncentrifugal, unit gravity, sedimentation apparatus for separating blood into an erythrocyte-enriched plasma fraction and a leukocyte/platelet-enriched plasma fraction.

Abstract: The present invention is a process for in situ biodegradation of spilled hydrocarbons. The process involves drawing oxygen into a hydrocarbon contaminated zone. A borehole is drilled into the contaminated zone and gas is evacuated at high rates out of the borehole to thereby draw oxygen into the contaminated zone. Surprisingly, the carbon dioxide concentration in the evacuated gas remains high even at the high flow rates.

Abstract: There is provided an improved method of cleansing a filter bed utilizing a backwash pump (12) having an inlet line (14) and an outlet line (16). The improved method and system includes two cycle operations. Initially, the filter bed is backwashed to remove contaminants from the filter bed with the backwash pump (12) drawing liquid from an effluent channel (32) through a first diverter valve (18). The fluid flows through a second diverter valve (20) and a first throttling control valve (36) for insert into a backwash shoe (38). In the purging cycle, fluid may be recirculated from the backwash pump (12) through the backwash shoe (38) and then back to the backwash pump (12) with a portion of the fluid being diverted through a second diverter valve (20') into an egress line (42).

Abstract: A graduated container (1) is connected both to a filtering compartment (10) of a dialyzer (9) and to the dialysis liquid circuit (8); the connection between the graduated container and the dialyzing liquid circuit being made through a chamber (2) into which extends a tube (6) connected to the dialyzing liquid circuit (8).

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved process and apparatus to produce a filter cake formed by retained solids collected on a filter cloth during filtering. Accordingly, the filter cake is sub-divided into a plurality of filter cake elements which are kept separate from each other at predetermined distances. Further, impermeable zones on the filter cloth are formed around the filter cake elements. The filter cake elements and the impermeable zones are of a size that the filter cake elements can freely contract in any plane without cracking, while the filter cloth between the filter cake elements is covered by the impermeable zones.

Abstract: New and improved microsample cup is provided, and comprises an outer cup body member, and an inner sample liquid vessel disposed and supported therewithin. An integral sample liquid overflow reservoir is provided to surround the inner sample liquid vessel to facilitate the precise filling of the same to a predetermined level coincident with the maximum sample liquid capacity thereof by enabling the overflow from the sample liquid vessel of any sample liquid in excess of the maximum sample liquid vessel capacity into the sample liquid overflow reservoir.

Abstract: Process for recovering nitrate from surface and ground water, in particular drinking water, by means of biological denitrification, in which the nitrates contained in the water are reduced to gaseous nitrogen in a reactor by means of a biocatalyst having immobilized cells trapped in a gel or polymer. The "micrococcus denitrificans" that is preferably used requires for its metabolism added hydrogen and carbon that is present in the water in the form of dissolved carbon dioxide. Using a biocatalyst of immobilized cells and of the bacterial strain used, expensive after-purification is unnecessary because of increased bacterial count in the pure water outlet, and no undesirable by-products are formed.

Abstract: A process for the purification of ground water is disclosed which comprises injecting conditioned water into a recharge well, simultaneously withdrawing water from an adjacent recharge well in order to create a purification zone therebetween, and withdrawing purified water from a supply well in an aquifer.

Abstract: The invention relates to the treatment of chemical process wastewaters and chemical waste landfill leachates containing obnoxious and hazardous halogenated organic chemicals by the use of a combination of physical, chemical and biological processes to produce a liquid discharge acceptable to the environment in an efficient and economical manner.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the separation of biotechnologically produced valuable materials form a cell suspension by crossflow microfiltration to obtain an high specific permeate flux while retention stays near 0% for long periods. To enable crossflow microfiltration to be carried out on an industrial scale in biotechnology in the separation of biotechnologically produced extracellular valuable materials from a cell suspension, particularly in the separation of alkaline protease for recovering enzyme, under economically acceptacle conditions, alkaline protease of relatively high molecular weight, more especially enzyme >20,000 daltons, is separated from a fermenter solution using polysulfone tubes having micropore diameters of from 0.3 to 0.5 .mu.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for oxygenating water in an aquaculture system without adding nitrogen or other possibly harmful gases. A columnar housing floats in the aquaculture pond on a float ring with a submersible pump immersed in the pond. The pump draws in water and pumps it to the top of an oxygenation chamber which is packed with a surface expansion medium. The oxygenation chamber is filled with oxygen which is transferred to the water falling through the chamber. The oxygenated water is returned to the pond through outlet ports at the bottom of the oxygenation chamber. A cover on the column can be removed at times to allow infiltration of air for aeration of the water.

Abstract: A filter includes a portable housing having upper and lower parts. A pump is mounted on the upper part. The lower part contains a filter unit operatively connected to the delivery of the pump, has an inlet opening for the pump suction, and is immersible in a body of liquid requiring filtration. Advantageously the upper part contains a drive motor for the pump and has mounting means for mounting on the edge of a swimming pool. An accessory may operatively be associated with the housing to form an openable cover. The accessory may be in the form of a table top, a diving board or a slide. The filter unit may include a plurality of filter bags connected in parallel via a delivery manifold to the pump delivery. Instead the plurality of bags may be arranged cascade fashion in series one inside another.

Abstract: An activated sludge treatment process for waste water characterized in that, in the waste water treatment where waste water containing organic matter is introduced into an activated sludge reaction tank and the excess sludge formed in the reaction tank is introduced into a sludge digestion tank to effect the digestion of said excess sludge by intermittent aeration with air, a part of the digestion tank liquid is passed through a filtration apparatus having an ultrafiltration membrane, the filtrate passed therethrough is withdrawn outside the system, the remainder is circulated to the digestion tank to maintain the liquid volume of the digestion tank at a definite level, and when the amount of the reaction tank liquid introduced from the reaction tank into the digestion tank is taken as W.sub.1, the digestion tank liquid is returned in an amount of (0.2-0.8)W.sub.1 to the reaction tank, and thus the amount of excess sludge to be treated outside the system can be reduced or can be completely eliminated.

Abstract: A process for treating contaminated water containing BOD sources and nitrogen sources, which comprises supplying oxygen or oxygen-containing gas from one side of a gas-permeable membrane to grow microorganisms including aerobic bacteria and anaerobic bacteria on the other side of the gas-permeable membrane, and performing decomposition of the BOD sources and nitrification and denitrification simultaneously by the action of these microorganisms. Especially good results are obtained when a membrane composed of porous hollow fibers is used as the gas-permeable membrane.

Abstract: Hydroxyalkyl celluloses are useful as sedimenting agents in the non-destructive separation of red and white blood cells. Intact WBC recovery is higher than with conventional methods. The white blood cells may be used in interferon production.