System and method of treating wastewater using a portable, non-biological, cyclic sewage treatment plant

Abstract

A mobile sewage treatment and water reclamation system and method of use thereof for rapid deployment to augment existing wastewater systems and/or provide interim service in lieu of permanent facilities, includes: (a) a denaturing stage wherein raw sewage is first ground into suspendable grit, its pH alternatively or collectively lowered to kill acid-sensitive bio-organisms, and raised to kill base-sensitive bio-organisms, and then neutralized; (b) a clarifying stage employing an inverted-cone tank to circulate the solution after injection with chemicals to flocculate small particles for collection in a layer for siphoning off; and (c) a disposal stage wherein clarified water passes through media filters to remove remaining solids and odors, the effluent water being clean enough for irrigation, aquatic life and discharge into waterways; and wherein sterile sludge is pressed into semi-dry solids, then dried, crushed, powdered and bagged for use as high-nitrate biomass fertilizer or for fossil-fuel power co-generation applications.

1 . A portable sewage water treatment system comprising
 sewage water intake means adapted to receive untreated sewage water and to direct it into said treatment system in a sewage water stream;   a clarifier ( 28 ) coupled to said sewage water intake means said clarifier ( 28 ) having   a tank having a vertical axis extending between a top and a bottom;   tank walls ( 81 ,  83 ,  84 ) surrounding said vertical axis and defining a clarifier ( 28 ) interior, said tank walls ( 81 ,  83 ,  84 ) further defining
 a holding chamber disposed adjacent said top, said holding chamber having substantially vertical, cylindrical sides ( 84 ) extending a spaced distance below said top; and 
 a circulating chamber disposed below said holding chamber and extending to said bottom, said circulating chamber having substantially conical walls ( 83 ) converging at a select angle relative to said vertical axis from adjacent said holding chamber to adjacent said bottom; 
 a sewage water stream injection port ( 82 ) coupled to said circulating chamber adjacent said bottom and in fluid communication with said clarifier ( 28 ) interior; and 
 header means ( 85 ) disposed within said holding chamber and adapted to siphon a treated sewage water stream of treated sewage water from said clarifier ( 28 ); 
   a disinfector coupled between said sewage water intake means and said clarifier ( 28 ) and adapted to non-biologically disinfect said sewage water, said disinfector having:
 acid injection means ( 50  to  55 ,  15 ,  15 A,  15 B) coupled downstream of said sewage water intake means and adapted to inject into said sewage water stream a select acid compound selected from a group of acid compounds; 
 alkaline injection means ( 61 ,  63 ,  17 ) coupled downstream of said sewage water intake means and adapted to inject into said sewage water stream a select alkaline compound selected from a group of alkaline compounds; and 
 neutralizer injection means coupled downstream of said acid injection means ( 50  to  55 ,  15 ,  15 A,  15 B) and said alkaline injection means ( 61 ,  63 ,  17 ) and adapted to inject a pH neutralizer into said sewage water stream; 
   flocculation means ( 56 ,  58 ,  16 ) coupled downstream of said disinfector and between said disinfector and said clarifier ( 28 ) and adapted to cause solid materials suspended in said sewage water to precipitate out of solution and to clump together for removal;   polymer treatment means ( 66 ,  68 ,  18 ) adapted to treat said sewage water to discourage flocculated solid materials from sticking to said tank walls ( 81 ,  83 ,  84 ) within said clarifier ( 28 ) interior; and   filtering means ( 30 ,  35 ,  36 ) coupled to said header means ( 85 ) and adapted to filter said treated sewage water from said clarifier ( 28 ).   
     
     
         2 . The portable sewage water treatment system of  claim 1  wherein the sewage water intake means comprises:
 a reservoir ( 130 ,  131 ) adapted to accumulate influent sewage water from diverse sewage sources; 
 a circulating pump adapted to create a sewage water stream circulating within said reservoir ( 130 ,  131 ); 
 a dense materials filter coupled downstream of said circulating pump within said sewage water stream; 
 at least one grinder coupled downstream of said dense materials filter and adapted to grind solid materials of indeterminate size within said sewage water stream into solid material particles of substantially similar size; 
 at least one macerating pump ( 20 A) adapted to further reduce in size said solid material into particles of substantially similar size; 
 a forwarding pump coupled downstream of said macerating pump ( 20 A) and adapted to forward said sewage water stream within said portable sewage water treatment system; and 
 a surge tank ( 7 ) coupled downstream of said forwarding pump and adapted to equalize sewage water stream pressure within said portable sewage water treatment system. 
 
     
     
         3 . The portable sewage water treatment system of  claim 1  wherein
 said sewage water stream injection port ( 82 ) is adapted to inject said sewage water stream into said clarifier ( 28 ) in a direction tangential to said conical walls ( 83 ). 
 
     
     
         4 . The portable sewage water treatment system of  claim 1  wherein
 said select angle is no greater than 29° (29 degrees). 
 
     
     
         5 . The portable sewage water treatment system of  claim 2  wherein said acid injection means ( 50  to  55 ,  15 ,  15 A,  15 B) comprises
 a sulphur dioxide generator ( 50  to  53 ,  15 ,  15 A,  54 ) coupled within said sewage water stream upstream of said surge tank ( 7 ) and having 
 a sewage water holding chamber; 
 an oxygen source; and 
 a sulphur incinerator coupled to said chamber, 
 
       whereby said sulphur incinerator is adapted to cause sulphur to react with oxygen from said oxygen source to produce sulphur dioxide (SO2) gas within said sewage water holding chamber and in the presence of said sewage water; and 
       whereby said sewage water absorbs a select amount of said sulphur dioxide gas. 
     
     
         6 . The portable sewage water treatment system of  claim 1  and further comprising
 a sludge handling system coupled to said clarifier ( 28 ) and having
 a sludge exit port disposed within said conical walls ( 83 ); 
 a sludge exit valve ( 41 ) coupled to said sludge exit port; 
 a sludge tank ( 42 ) coupled to said sludge exit valve ( 41 ); 
 a sludge mixer ( 43 ) coupled within said sludge tank ( 42 ); and 
 a sludge filter press ( 48 ) coupled to said sludge storage tank. 
 
 
     
     
         7 . The portable sewage water treatment system of  claim 1  and further comprising
 at least one trailer ( 100 ) adapted to carry said portable sewage treatment system on public roadways, said trailer ( 100 ) having
 a substantially planar deck ( 101 ) having
 a longitudinal axis extending between a tongue end ( 103 ) and a truck end; 
 a top surface substantially coextensive with said longitudinal axis and an opposite bottom surface; 
 a plurality of rails ( 106 ) disposed on said bottom surface parallel to and a spaced distance apart on opposite sides of said longitudinal, said rails adapted to engage a bearing surface ( 93 ) to support said portable sewage treatment system when said portable sewage system is in operation; 
 tongue means ( 103 ) coupled to said tongue end ( 103 ) and adapted to couple to a towing tractor ( 91 ) for towing said at least one trailer ( 100 ) on said public roadways; and 
 
 a truck ( 111 ) disposed on said truck ( 111 ) end and having a plurality of truck wheels adapted to engage said roadway and to support said trailer ( 100 ) when said tongue means ( 103 ) is coupled to said towing tractor ( 91 ); and suspend above said bearing surface ( 93 ) when said portable sewage water treatment system is in operation. 
 
 
     
     
         8 . Method of non-biological treatment of untreated sewage water performed in the system of one of  claims 1  to  7 , the method comprising the following steps:
 directing said untreated sewage water into said sewage water intake means; then 
 disinfecting said untreated sewage water by carrying out at least one of the following steps:
 injecting a select quantity of acid into said sewage water using said acid injection means ( 50  to  55 ,  15 ,  15 A,  15 B) to lower the pH of said sewage water stream to a value less than 7.0; 
 injecting a select quantity of alkaline into said sewage water using said alkaline injection means ( 61 ,  63 ,  17 ) to raise the pH of said sewage water stream to a value greater than 7.0; then 
 
 injecting a select quantity of neutralizer into said sewage water to return the pH of said sewage water stream to a value substantially equal to 7.0; then 
 operating said flocculation means ( 56 ,  58 ,  16 ) to cause solid materials suspended in said sewage water to precipitate out of solution and to clump together; 
 introducing polymer from said polymer treatment means ( 66 ,  68 ,  18 ) into said sewage water to discourage flocculated solid materials from sticking to said tank ( 25 ) walls within said clarifier interior; and 
 clarifying said sewage water using said clarifier ( 28 ) to remove said solid materials from said sewage water by carrying out the following consecutive steps:
 injecting said sewage water in a continuous sewage water stream into said sewage water stream injection port ( 82 ); 
 siphoning said treated sewage water in a continuous treated sewage water stream from said holding chamber using said header means ( 85 ); and 
 directing said treated sewage water stream to said filtering means ( 30 ,  35 ,  36 ); then 
 
 filtering said treated sewage water with said filtering means ( 30 ,  35 ,  36 ); and 
 discharging said treated sewage water from said sewage treatment system. 
 
     
     
         9 . The portable sewage water treatment system of  claim 1  wherein
 said select acid compound is selected from said group of acid compounds comprising sulphur, bromine, chlorine, halogen, chloramines and ozone ( 03 ). 
 
     
     
         10 . The portable sewage water treatment system of  claim 1  wherein
 said select alkaline compound is selected from said group of alkaline compounds comprising
 calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and potassium hydroxide (KOH); 
 
 
     
     
         11 . The portable sewage water treatment system of  claim 9  wherein
 said select acid compound is sulphur, which ionizes within said sewage water stream to produce dissolved sulphur dioxide (SO2). 
 
     
     
         12 . The portable sewage water treatment system of  claim 11  wherein
 said select acid compound is adapted to ionize to produce a concentration of sulphur dioxide suspended within said sewage water stream of between 20 ppm (parts per million) and 100 ppm by volume. 
 
     
     
         13 . The portable sewage water treatment system of  claim 12  wherein
 said concentration of sulphur dioxide is 75 ppm. 
 
     
     
         14 . The portable sewage water treatment system of  claim 1  wherein
 said flocculant compound is selected from a group of iron compounds comprising ferric chloride (FeCL), ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) and aluminum sulfate (AlSO4).