Abstract: A method for aerobically treating water-containing organic wastes is provided. This process may be conducted in a closed reactor with suitable controls to prevent any adverse environmental impact, and involves mixing the wastes with an inert and non-friable bulking agent comprising a substantial component having a density less than water in the presence of an active biomass. An oxygen-containing gas is passed through the reaction mixture to assist in the removal of excess (free) water from the wastes to form a wetted high solids content reaction mixture containing the waste solids mixed in a bed of bulking agent. Effective aerobic reaction conditions are employed to convert the wastes to a treated waste.

Abstract: A method for aerobically treating a low solids water-containing oily sludge which comprises combining said sludge with a biologically inert, non-friable bulking agent characterized by having a substantial component with a density less than water to form a mixture, passing an oxygen-containing gas through said mixture to separate excess water and form a high solids content reaction mixture, reacting said high solids content reaction mixture in the presence of an aerobic biomass under effective aerobic conditions to form a treated sludge and an active biomass-coated bulking agent component having a density less than water in said high solids content reaction mixture, separating said biomass-coated bulking agent component from said treated sludge, and recovering said treated sludge from said reaction mixture has been provided.

Abstract: A high rate reactor for the treatment of biosludge has been designed which combines the processes of landfarming, sand bed dewatering, and forced aeration composting. The reactor is essentially a sand bed overlying a drainage system housed in an inflatable, pressurized building.The high rate reactor can effectively treat biosludge through dewatering and biodegradation. Volume reduction, stabilization, and solidification are achieved at improved rates over conventional practices. The reactor operates independent of climate and is a closed system minimizing environmental monitoring.

Abstract: Two vertical flow filters for carrying out various methods for rapidly fluidizing a plug are disclosed.An apparatus comprises a vertical elongated granular media filter having vertically spaced apart plug-breaking-up jets on one side from top to bottom for ejecting high pressure fluid horizontally at the plug for fluidizing it, one portion at a time, starting either at the top or the bottom of the filter. The second apparatus comprises a horizontal cylindrical elongated granular media filter having vertically spaced apart groups of jets on both sides, the jets of each group being in horizontal rows on two opposite sides whereby each successive horizontal row, including both rows on each horizontal plane through the filter, breaks up its respective portion of the plug, starting either at the bottom and working up or starting at the top and working down.

Abstract: Two basic methods for rapidly fluidizing a plug and two vertical flow filters for carrying out the methods are disclosed. One method comprises injecting a horizontal high pressure plug-breaking-up fluid jet at the bottom portion of the plug for breaking up that portion, injecting another horizontal plug-breaking-up jet at the plug at a predetermined distance above the previous fluid jet for breaking up the next lower portion of the plug, and continuing injecting successive horizontal plug-breaking-up jets, each jet being spaced above the last jet until all of the plug is broken up for rapidly fluidizing the filter media plug. The other method starts fluidizing at the top of the plug and works down.

Abstract: A method for removing sulfur from liquid compositions containing aliphatic or cylic organic sulfur-containing compounds, e.g., dibenzothiophene includes activating the sulfur-containing compound by oxidizing either the organic sulfur or adjacent carbon atoms in the presence of a suitable active biocatalyst (ie., microorganism, enzyme, etc.) followed by treating of the activated compound by techniques such as fluidized catalytic cracking so as to remove the sulfur therefrom.