Patents by Inventor Thomas Welander

Thomas Welander has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230135433
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system or process for anaerobically treating wastewater. The system employs a pre-treatment unit that includes an MBBR having biomass supported on biofilm carriers. The biomass hydrolyzes or leads to a level of hydrolysis of particulate matter and acidifies the wastewater. In the process, the biomass yields relatively high acid production rates while employing a relatively short hydraulic retention time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Santiago Pacheco-Ruiz, Fernando Morgan-Sagastume, Jeronimus Gerardus Maria van der Lubbe, Thomas Welander, Ana Lucia Ferreira
  • Patent number: 10662098
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a method (200, 300, 400) of at least partly removing at least one micropollutant from wastewater (104) comprising carbogenous compounds and at least one micropollutant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Support
    Inventors: Magnus Christensson, Thomas Welander
  • Patent number: 10626034
    Abstract: A carrier element (1; 10; 20) for growth of biofilm thereon is designed for free-flowing in liquid to be purified and has surfaces (3; 13) for biofilm growth which are protected from the abrasion from other carrier elements or surfaces in a container containing the liquid to be purified by ridges (4; 12) having a height corresponding to a desired thickness of a biofilm intended to grow on the protected surfaces (3; 13). The ratio between the surfaces (3; 13) for biofilm growth and the area of the ridges ranges from 1:1 to 1:20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Support
    Inventors: Thomas Welander, Maria Piculell
  • Patent number: 10252927
    Abstract: A process for converting ammonium (NH4+) of a mainstream of a wastewater plant to dinitrogen gas (N2), including the consecutive steps of i.) removing biodegradable carbon compounds in the mainstream, ii.) converting ammonium (NH4+) in the mainstream to nitrite (NO2?) in an aerated biological process containing ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in a nitration vessel (133a-133d); and iii.) denitrifying the resulting stream from step ii.) to dinitrogen gas in an anammox vessel (200). Growth of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in step ii.) is prevented by periodically subjecting the bacteria in said nitration vessel (133a-133d) to water suppressing growth of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Support
    Inventors: Magnus Christensson, Thomas Welander, Maria Piculell
  • Publication number: 20190100452
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a method (200, 300, 400) of at least partly removing at least one micropollutant from wastewater (104) comprising carbogenous compounds and at least one micropollutant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Applicant: VEOLIA WATER SOLUTIONS & TECHNOLOGIES SUPPORT
    Inventors: Magnus CHRISTENSSON, Thomas WELANDER
  • Publication number: 20170291839
    Abstract: A process for converting ammonium (NH4+) of a mainstream of a wastewater plant to dinitrogen gas (N2), including the consecutive steps of i.) removing biodegradable carbon compounds in the mainstream, ii.) converting ammonium (NH4+) in the mainstream to nitrite (NO2?) in an aerated biological process containing ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in a nitration vessel (133a-133d); and iii.) denitrifying the resulting stream from step ii.) to dinitrogen gas in an anammox vessel (200). Growth of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in step ii.) is prevented by periodically subjecting the bacteria in said nitration vessel (133a-133d) to water suppressing growth of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Applicant: Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Support
    Inventors: Magnus Christensson, Thomas Welander, Maria Piculell
  • Publication number: 20160376175
    Abstract: A carrier element (1; 10; 20) for growth of biofilm thereon is designed for free-flowing in liquid to be purified and has surfaces (3; 13) for biofilm growth which are protected from the abrasion from other carrier elements or surfaces in a container containing the liquid to be purified by ridges (4; 12) having a height corresponding to a desired thickness of a biofilm intended to grow on the protected surfaces (3; 13). The ratio between the surfaces (3; 13) for biofilm growth and the area of the ridges ranges from 1:1 to 1:20.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2014
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Support
    Inventors: Thomas Welander, Maria Piculell
  • Patent number: 8864993
    Abstract: A process that utilizes ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (ANAMMOX) bacteria to remove ammonium from a wastewater stream. Sludge separated from the wastewater in a mainstream is processed in a sidestream that includes an anaerobic digester, a dewatering system, and a biofilm reactor. The anaerobic digester produces digested sludge that is dewatered, producing reject water that includes a relatively high ammonium concentration and a relatively low organic carbon concentration and a relatively high temperature. The reject water is treated in a sidestream deammonification biofilm reactor that includes biofilm carriers seeded with AOB and ANAMMOX bacteria that are effective to remove ammonium from the reject water. AOB and ANAMMOX bacteria on the media carriers is utilized to contact the wastewater in the mainstream and to remove ammonium therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Support
    Inventors: Hong W. Zhao, Thomas Welander, Magnus Christensson, Romain Lemaire
  • Publication number: 20130264280
    Abstract: A process that utilizes ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (ANAMMOX) bacteria to remove ammonium from a wastewater stream. Sludge separated from the wastewater in a mainstream is processed in a sidestream that includes an anaerobic digester, a dewatering system, and a biofilm reactor. The anaerobic digester produces digested sludge that is dewatered, producing reject water that includes a relatively high ammonium concentration and a relatively low organic carbon concentration and a relatively high temperature. The reject water is treated in a sidestream deammonification biofilm reactor that includes biofilm carriers seeded with AOB and ANAMMOX bacteria that are effective to remove ammonium from the reject water. In order to remove ammonium from the wastewater in the mainstream, the AOB and ANAMMOX bacteria on the media carriers is utilized to contact the wastewater in the mainstream and to remove ammonium therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: VEOLIA WATER SOLUTIONS & TECHNOLOGIES SUPPORT
    Inventors: Hong W. Zhao, Thomas Welander, Magnus Christensson, Romain Lemaire
  • Patent number: 7189323
    Abstract: A method for biological purification of water such as wastewater using a carrier material is disclosed, wherein the water is treated in a reactor containing carriers for biofilm growth. These carriers are kept in movement in the water and are designed so that they have well-defined passages or compartments providing a surface for biofilm growth, which is protected against collision with the surfaces of other carriers. The carriers have a width or diameter greater than 20 mm, the protected area is larger than 1000 m2/m3 carrier element volume, the length of the passages or the depth of the compartments in the carrier elements as a mean value is smaller than 6 mm or smaller than 3 mm, respectively, and the ratio between the passage lengths or compartment depths and the longest dimension of the inlet openings to the passages or compartments, respectively, is smaller than 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: AnoxKaldnes AS
    Inventors: Anders Löfqvist, Thomas Welander
  • Patent number: 6946074
    Abstract: A method for biological purification of wastewater is disclosed, wherein the wastewater is purified in a biofilm process followed by an activated sludge process. The biological degradation in the biofilm process is performed under limitation of one of the nutrient salts nitrogen or phosphorous, and the surplus sludge from the biofilm process is allowed to pass to the activated sludge process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Kaldnes Miljøteknologi
    Inventors: Asa Malmqvist, Thomas Welander
  • Publication number: 20050072732
    Abstract: A method for biological purification of water such as wastewater using a carrier material is disclosed, wherein the water is treated in a reactor containing carriers for biofilm growth. These carriers are kept in movement in the water and are designed so that they have well-defined passages or compartments providing a surface for biofilm growth, which is protected against collision with the surfaces of other carriers. The carriers have a width or diameter greater than 20 mm, the protected area is larger than 1000 m2/m3 carrier element volume, the length of the passages or the depth of the compartments in the carrier elements as a mean value is smaller than 6 mm or smaller than 3 mm, respectively, and the ratio between the passage lengths or compartment depths and the longest dimension of the inlet openings to the passages or compartments, respectively, is smaller than 3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventors: Anders Lofqvist, Thomas Welander
  • Publication number: 20020179524
    Abstract: A method for biological purification of wastewater is disclosed, wherein the wastewater is purified in a biofilm process followed by an activated sludge process. The biological degradation in the biofilm process is performed under limitation of one of the nutrient salts nitrogen or phosphorous, and the surplus sludge from the biofilm process is allowed to pass to the activated sludge process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventors: Asa Malmqvist, Thomas Welander