Patent · US Expired

Biomass growth control apparatus for fluid bed biological reactor

US5372712A · kind A · utility

22Cited by
29References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 25, 1993
Grant dateDec 13, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 25, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02W10/10
  • WIPO fieldEnvironmental technology
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A reactor apparatus including a fluid bed reactor wherein liquid to be processed is conducted upwardly therein through a bed to fluidize the bed, the bed including particulate solids having biological material supported thereon, and the liquid forming an effluent head above the bed. The reactor apparatus also includes a control apparatus for removing excess biological material from the reactor. The control apparatus includes a tubular separator column which is emersed in the liquid effluent head, and a telescoping sludge valve that has a draw-off port communicating openly with the effluent head surface and that is adjustable to raise and lower the draw-off port relative to the effluent head surface to control the sludge withdrawal rate. The control apparatus also includes an agitator arrangement that withdraws bed particles from the separator column, shears excess biological material from those particles, and then returns the partially sheared particles and sheared biological material to the separator column. The returned material is pumped tangentially into the separator column to induce hydrocyclonic action in the separator column.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.