Treating waste

Claim 1

A waste treatment system comprising a receiver tank having an inlet for receipt of waste into said system, and an outlet means for connecting said receiver tank inlet to a source of said waste, at least one treatment tank having an inlet connected to said receiver tank outlet for mechanical filtration of solid contaminants and adsorption of liquid contaminants contained in said waste, said treatment tank having a packed bed of adsorbent particles, means to aerate and fluidize said bed of said treatment tank, said means including an aeration inlet below said bed, said tank having a liquid outlet, a recirculation line connected from said treatment tank liquid outlet to upstream of said treatment tank, means for control of flow in said system during a treatment cycle in which waste flows from said receiver tank through said treatment tank, an aeration and fluidization cycle in which air flows through said inlet of said treatment tank to fluidize and biologically regenerate said adsorbent particles therein, and a recirculation cycle in which waste flows through said recirculation line and down through said treatment tank in the opposite direction as the air flow during said aeration and fluidization cycle to reestablish said bed therein and discharge loosened solids therefrom, means including a first liquid probe in said receiver tank operative to automatically initiate said aeration and fluidization cycle when the receiver tank contents are at a first level, means including a second liquid level probe in said receiver tank operative to automatically initiate said treatment cycle when said receiver tank contents are at a second level above said first level, and means including a third liquid level probe in said receiver tank operative to automatically initiate said recirculation cycle immediately following said aeration and fluidization cycle when said receiver tank contents are at a level intermediate said first and second levels, said system being constructed and arranged so that waste flows into said receiver tank during said aeration and fluidization cycle, whereby during said recirculation cycle loosened solids are discharged from said treatment tank and the bed therein is reestablished.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF TREATING WASTE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF ACCUMULATING WASTE IN A RECEIVER TANK HAVING AN OUTLET, PROVIDING DOWNSTREAM OF SAID RECEIVER TANK AT LEAST ONE TREATMENT TANK HAVING AN INLET CONNECTED TO SAID RECEIVER TANK OUTLET AND A PACKED BED OF ABSORBENT PARTICLES FOR MECHANICAL FILTRATION OF SOLID CONTAMINANTS AND ABSORPTION OF LIQUID CONTAMINANTS CONTAINED IN SAID WASTE, AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF WASTE AND AIR IN SAID SYSTEM TO PROVIDE A TREATMENT CYCLE IN WHICH WASTE FLOWS FROM SAID RECEIVER TANK THROUGH SAID TREATMENT TANK, AN AERATION AND FLUIDIZATION CYCLE IN WHICH AIR FLOWS UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID TREATMENT TANK TO FLUIDIZE AND BIOLOGICALLY REGENERATE SAID ABSORBENT PARTICLES THEREIN, AND A RECIRCULATION CYCLE IN WHICH WASTE FLOWS FROM THE OUTLET OF SAID TREATMENT TANK TO UPSTREAM OF SAID RECEIVER TANK AND DOWN THROUGH SAID TREATMENT TANK IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AS THE AIR FLOWS DURING SAID AERATION AND FLUIDIZATION CYCLE TO REESTABLISH SAID BED AND DISCHARGE LOOSENED SOLIDS THEREFROM, AUTOMATICALLY INITIATING SAID AERATION AND FLUIDIZAATION CYCLE WHEN THE RECEIVER TANK CONTENTS ARE AT A FIRST LEVEL, AUTOMATICALLY INITIATING SAID TREATMENT CYCLE WHEN SAID RECEIVER TANK CONTENTS ARE AT A SECOND LEVEL ABOVE SAID FIRST LEVEL, AND AUTOMATICALLY INITIATING SAID RECIRCULATION CYCLE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SAID AERATION AND FLUIDIZATION CYCLE WHEN SAID RECEIVER TANK CONTENTS ARE AT A LEVEL INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST AND SECOND LEVELS, WHEREBY WASTE FLOWS INTO SAID RECEIVER TANK DURING SAID AERATION AND FLUIDIZATION CYCLE, WHEREBY DURING SAID RECIRCULATION CYCLE LOOSENED SOLIDS ARE DISCHARGED FROM SAID TREATMENT TANK AND THE BED THEREIN IS REESTABLISHED.

Claim 5

A METHOD OF TREATING WASTE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF ACCUMULATING WASTE IN A RECEIVER TANK HAVING AN OUTLET, PROVIDING DOWNSTREAM OF SAID RECEIVER TANK AT LEAST ONE TREATMENT TANK HAVING AN INLET CONNECTED TO SAID RECEIVER TANK OUTLET AND A PACKED BED OF ABSORBENT PARTICLES FOR MECHANICAL FILTRATION OF SOLID CONTAMINANTS AND ABSORPTION OF LIQUID CONTAMINANTS CONTAINED IN SAID WASTE, AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF WASTE AND AIR IN SAID SYSTEM TO PROVIDE A TREATMENT CYCLE IN WHICH WASTE FLOWS FROM SAID RECEIVER TANK THROUGH SAID TREATMENT TANK, AN AERATION AND FLUIDIZATION CYCLE IN WHICH AIR FLOWS UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID TREATMENT TANK TO FLUIDIZE AND BIOLOGICALLY REGENERATE SAID ABSORBENT PARTICLES THEREIN, AND A RECIRCULATION CYCLE IN WHICH WASTE FLOWS FROM THE OUTLET OF SAID TREATMENT TANK TO UPSTREAM OF SAID RECEIVER TANK AND DOWN THROUGH SAID TREATMENT TANK IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AS THE AIR FLOWS DURING SAID AERATION AND FLUIDIZATION CYCLE TO REESTABLISH SAID BED AND DISCHARGE LOOSENED SOLIDS THEREFROM, AUTOMATICALLY INITIATING SAID AERATION AND FLUIDIZAATION CYCLE WHEN THE RECEIVER TANK CONTENTS ARE AT A FIRST LEVEL, AUTOMATICALLY INITIATING SAID TREATMENT CYCLE WHEN SAID RECEIVER TANK CONTENTS ARE AT A SECOND LEVEL ABOVE SAID FIRST LEVEL, AND AUTOMATICALLY INITIATING SAID RECIRCULATION CYCLE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SAID AERATION AND FLUIDIZATION CYCLE WHEN SAID RECEIVER TANK CONTENTS ARE AT A LEVEL INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST AND SECOND LEVELS, WHEREBY WASTE FLOWS INTO SAID RECEIVER TANK DURING SAID AERATION AND FLUIDIZATION CYCLE, WHEREBY DURING SAID RECIRCULATION CYCLE LOOSENED SOLIDS ARE DISCHARGED FROM SAID TREATMENT TANK AND THE BED THEREIN IS REESTABLISHED.