Ship for offshore waste water treatment, wastewater treatment plant and wastewater treatment method

Abstract

SHIP FOR TREATMENT OF RESIDUAL WATER IN HIGHWAY, INSTALLATION OF TREATMENT OF RESIDUAL WATER AND METHOD OF TREATMENT OF RESIDUAL WATER. Facilities on the high seas, systems and methods for the treatment of waste water have been developed. A offshore wastewater treatment plant includes wastewater treatment components (for preliminary treatment, primary treatment, secondary treatment and / or advanced treatment); a device for moving the wastewater from a land-based location to the facility; a device for the removal of treated waste water from the installation; and a device for the removal of sludge from the facility. A wastewater treatment method includes: transporting wastewater from a site on land to a sewage treatment plant located on the high seas, in a body of water, and subjection of residual water treatment preliminary, primary treatment, secondary treatment and / or advanced treatment.

Description

Vessel for offshore wastewater treatment, wastewater treatment plant and wastewater treatment method. CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED DEPOSIT REQUEST This patent application claims priority over provisional patent application serial number 60 / 564,921, filed on April 23, 2004. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to installations, systems and methods for the treatment of wastewater. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of water in homes, businesses, agriculture, and industry generates a tremendous volume of wastewater which, if left untreated, can pose health risks and environmental concerns. Consequently, most municipalities employ wastewater treatment plants downstream of their sewage collection systems to process raw wastewater into a safer form. Wastewater entering a treatment plant (influent) consists of approximately 99% water and 1% a mixture of large objects, solids, dissolved solids, oils, waxes, and organic matter. The latter can be separated from the former using a series of treatment steps, often referred to as preliminary treatment, primary treatment, secondary treatment, and advanced treatment. Preliminary and primary treatment remove solids. Secondary treatment removes dissolved organic matter using microorganisms. Advanced (tertiary) treatment removes nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Other treatments include disinfection, filtration, and reverse osmosis. The end products of conventional systems of Wastewater treatment consists of treated wastewater and sludge. Treated wastewater is typically discharged into a body of water (e.g., a stream, river, or ocean) adjacent to the wastewater treatment plant. Sludge is typically discharged to a distant location, but is sometimes processed for use as fertilizer. The creation and disposal of these end products, as well as the overall operation of a wastewater treatment plant, can have undesirable effects. For example, the cumulative discharge of treated wastewater into an adjacent body of water can be detrimental to the environment. Furthermore, sludge production can create a strong odor, making the land adjacent to the treatment plant undesirable for habitation or occupation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to installations, systems, and methods for treating wastewater. In these systems and methods, at least part of the wastewater treatment is carried out offshore. As an example, the influent from a municipal sewer system may be subjected to primary treatment on land. The wastewater subjected to this treatment may then be transported (e.g., by pipeline) to an offshore installation (e.g., on a ship moored in a body of water) for one or more of the following: secondary treatment, disinfection, and advanced treatment. The resulting treated wastewater may be discharged offshore or returned to land for further treatment (e.g., digestion and / or water removal) on the ship before being returned to land. Since the facilities, systems, and methods of the invention can be operated offshore, several disadvantages associated with conventional land-based wastewater treatment operations can be avoided. avoided. For example, the local environmental impact of treated wastewater discharge can be mitigated because the discharge can be dispersed over a much larger area in many offshore locations, especially where the treated wastewater is first mixed with the surrounding ambient water before discharge. Furthermore, a ship-based treatment system can increase the efficiency of the treatment process through increased hydraulic retention time due to the ship's rolling motion in a body of water. Importantly, the use of offshore wastewater treatment systems reduces the amount of shoreline land required to treat the wastewater and eliminates area nuisances such as unpleasant odors. The operating duration of the offshore systems of the invention can be extended through modular increment – ​​a process that can be difficult to implement in conventional land-based installations.Furthermore, the mobility associated with some ship-based systems facilitates their use in emergency situations and military applications. Consequently, the invention depicts a ship (or other offshore installation) for the treatment of offshore wastewater, wherein the ship includes a wastewater treatment system capable of treating at least 20 million liters of wastewater per day; a wastewater inlet in fluidic communication with the wastewater treatment system; and an outlet for the removal of the processed wastewater from the ship. The wastewater treatment system may include a primary treatment system for reducing the amount of suspended solids or fats in the wastewater; a secondary treatment system that includes bacteria capable of reducing the amount of organic matter contained in the wastewater; a disinfection treatment system that includes a means for A wastewater treatment system may include a sludge processing system including, for example, a device for removing water from sludge, a bacteria-mediated medium for the decomposition of organic matter and / or a disinfection system that includes a medium for killing a microorganism. A nutrient removal system, which includes a device for removing a nutrient including nitrogen or phosphorus from wastewater. The ship could also include other components such as a power generation device, a propulsion system to move the ship, and / or a chamber to mix treated wastewater or sludge with water from a body of water surrounding the ship. In another aspect, the invention depicts a wastewater treatment plant situated in an offshore body of water from a land-based wastewater collection system. The wastewater treatment plant may include: (a) a wastewater treatment component capable of treating at least 20 million liters of wastewater per day; (b) a device for moving wastewater from the land-based wastewater collection system to the wastewater treatment plant (e.g., a pipeline or a transport vessel); (c) a device for removing the treated wastewater from the wastewater treatment plant (e.g., an outlet in fluid communication with the body of water, a pipeline, or a transport vessel); and (d) a device for removing sludge from the wastewater treatment plant (e.g., a pipeline or a transport vessel).The wastewater treatment plant of the invention could also include at least two separate wastewater treatment components that differ in their method of treating wastewater. The two... Separate components can be separated by the body of water (for example, two or more ships floating on the body of water and connected in such a way that wastewater can flow from at least one to at least one other). In another aspect, the invention describes a method for treating wastewater that includes the steps of: transporting wastewater from an onshore location to an offshore wastewater treatment facility in a body of water, and then subjecting the wastewater to: a primary treatment system for reducing the amount of suspended solids or fats in the wastewater; a secondary treatment system that includes bacteria that can break down the organic matter contained in the wastewater; a disinfection treatment system that includes a means for killing a microorganism; and / or a nutrient removal system that includes a device for removing a nutrient, including nitrogen or phosphorus, from the wastewater. The resulting treated wastewater and sludge can be removed from the wastewater treatment facility to an onshore location, to the offshore wastewater treatment facility, or discharged into the body of water.In the latter case, the final product can be diluted before discharge to reduce its environmental impact. Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as that commonly understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described in this document may be employed in the practice or testing of this invention, suitable methods and materials are described below. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated herein. reference title in its entirety. In case of conflict, The present descriptive report, including definitions, shall prevail. Furthermore, the particular embodiments discussed below are illustrative only and should not be considered limiting. • BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a side view of a water treatment system of the invention. FIGURE 2 is a side view of a water treatment system of the invention. FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a system water treatment of the invention. FIGURE 4A is a side view of a ship of the invention. FIGURE 4B is a side view of another ship of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention discloses offshore installations, systems and methods for wastewater treatment. In a brief overview, the systems and methods of the invention include or utilize an offshore wastewater treatment plant, a device for moving wastewater from a land-based location to the offshore wastewater treatment plant, a device for removing treated wastewater from the offshore wastewater treatment plant; and a device for removing sludge from the offshore wastewater treatment plant. The invention encompasses an offshore wastewater treatment plant for treating wastewater originating from an onshore location. The wastewater transported from onshore to the offshore wastewater treatment plant may come from various sources, including... Consumer, industrial, governmental, or agricultural sources. An offshore wastewater treatment plant of the invention can be equipped to treat wastewater from any of these sources, and can be designed or modified to treat a particular type of wastewater. In the embodiments shown in FIGURES 1 to 4, the offshore wastewater treatment plant is shown as a vessel 10 that includes wastewater treatment components 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d, arranged, at least partially, within the hull 11 of the vessel 10. In both FIGURES 1 and 2, wastewater from a land-based sewage collection system 60 is delivered to and processed by a land-based pre-treatment wastewater component 200. The resulting treated wastewater is then transferred to the vessel 10 via a pipeline 120. The wastewater is then further directed to wastewater treatment components 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d, on board the vessel 10, for further processing. In the embodiments shown in FIGURES 1 to 3, the wastewater treatment process produces sludge 275 and treated wastewater as end products.These end products can be returned to land for further processing or disposal, or they can be discharged into the body of water 30 surrounding the vessel 10. With reference to FIGURE 1, the treated wastewater is discharged into the body of water 30 and the sludge 275 is returned to land using a barge 70 towed by a tugboat. In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, both the sludge 275 and the treated wastewater are returned to land 130. The offshore wastewater treatment plant of the invention may be any apparatus that (a) can (a) be located on the surface of a body of water and (b) be able to house at least one wastewater treatment component. Several such facilities are known in the art, for example, a vessel such as a boat (as shown in FIGURES 1 to 4), a barge, a series of interconnected boats and / or barges, or a floating platform secured to the floor of the body of water. These vessels may be self-propelled, non-self-propelled, manned or unmanned. In general, the water treatment system of the invention is configured to treat more than three million (for example, more than 2.5 million, 3 million, 5 million, 10 million, 15 million, 20 million, 25 million, 50 million, 100 million, 200 million, 300 million, 400 million, 500 million, or 600 million or more) liters of wastewater per day. As an example, the offshore wastewater treatment facility is a single-hulled or double-hulled vessel that has, for example, a deadweight tonnage (dwt) between approximately 10,000 and 500,000; 30,000 and 50,000; 65,000 and 80,000; approximately 120,000; or approximately 250,000 and 300,000. The preferred dwt will depend on the particular design of a given system (e.g., the volume of wastewater to be treated per time period), but should be sufficient to maintain the minimum draft to keep the vessel afloat and / or match the vessel's desired production capacity. The vessels of the invention could also include those configurations described in US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 564.921, for example, one or more noise and / or vibration reduction devices, water storage tanks (in this case, to contain treated wastewater before removal from the ship), power sources to operate one or more ship functions, propulsion devices to move the ship in a body of water and / or . Control systems to manage the operation of the various systems (e.g., a wastewater intake system, a treated wastewater discharge system, a treated wastewater transfer system, and a power source) on board the ship. As shown in FIGURES 1 to 4, at least part of one or more wastewater treatment components may be placed above the main deck of the offshore wastewater treatment facility. For example, one or more of the wastewater treatment components may be arranged in compartments, in containers, and interconnected and coupled to the main deck. Additionally, at least part of one or more of the wastewater treatment components may be placed below the main deck of the offshore wastewater treatment facility. One or more of the wastewater treatment components may also be placed both above and below the main deck of the offshore wastewater treatment facility. The offshore wastewater treatment plant may also include at least one (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, or more) wastewater inlet port and at least one (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, or more) treated wastewater discharge port or dispersion by multiple swing ports through which the treated wastewater is discharged from the offshore wastewater treatment plant. An offshore wastewater treatment plant may include at least one wastewater treatment component, such as wastewater treatment components 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d, shown in FIGURES 1 to 3. Wastewater treatment components suitable for use in the invention are any components that can perform at least one step in a wastewater treatment protocol, for example, removal of one or more substances other than water, such as solids, oils, waxes, organic matter, and dissolved solids from wastewater. The components used in land-based treatment are well known in the art. See, for example, Wastewater Treatment Plants: Planning, Design, and Operation, Second Edition, Syed R. Qasim, Ed., CRC Press, 1998; and Design of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (ASCE Manual and Reports on Engineering Practice), 4 a . edition, American Society of Civil Engineers, 1998. These components can be used in ship-based systems and methods of the invention with little or no modification. In some embodiments of the invention, the individual components that form the complete wastewater treatment system are all contained on one or more ships. Typically, however, some of the individual components that form the complete wastewater treatment system are located on board one or more offshore wastewater treatment facilities, while others are located on one or more land-based facilities. See, for example, the embodiments shown in FIGURES 1 to 3, where a preliminary treatment component 200 is on land 130. Examples of wastewater treatment components that may be included in the invention encompass: a preliminary component, a primary treatment component, a secondary treatment component, a final treatment component, an advanced treatment component, and a reverse osmosis treatment component. In a typical arrangement, wastewater is sequentially treated. in the order of the preceding list. In an achievement of the invention, the steps of Wastewater treatment processes performed on a body of water are all carried out in a single offshore facility, which has all the necessary wastewater treatment components to perform the aforementioned steps. In other embodiments, the wastewater treatment steps performed on a body of water are carried out in at least two offshore facilities, each with at least one different wastewater treatment component. For example, a first vessel might include the components to perform primary and secondary treatment, and a second vessel might contain the components to perform final and / or advanced treatment. In the latter example, the wastewater treated on the first vessel would be transported to the second vessel for further treatment. The preliminary treatment component of a wastewater treatment system of the invention may take the form of any device suitable for removing large objects or impurities, such as twigs, rags, large food particles, sand, and gravel from wastewater. An example of a suitable system for pretreatment is a series of grates or screens through which a stream of wastewater flows. As the wastewater passes through the grates / screens, the large objects / impurities are caught, while the remainder of the wastewater passes through for further processing. In a preferred arrangement, a plurality of grates or screens are used to remove objects larger than approximately 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.5, or 0.2 cm. Wastewater processed through a pretreatment component may also be subjected to primary treatment. The primary treatment component of a wastewater treatment system can take the form of Any suitable device for removing undissolved solids or liquids from wastewater. An example of a suitable device is a sedimentation tank system. In this system, flowing wastewater is directed to a containment tank for a period of time sufficient to allow particles to settle to the bottom and fats and other materials with a density lower than that of water to float to the top. Solids are then removed from the bottom of the tank, and fats and other floating materials are removed from the top. Flocculating agents may also be used in this process to improve the sedimentation process. The treated wastewater remaining in the tank is then removed. Wastewater processed through a primary component may also be subjected to secondary treatment. The secondary treatment component of a wastewater treatment system of the invention may take the form of any device suitable for the microorganism-mediated removal of organic matter from wastewater. These devices provide bacteria and other microorganisms that promote the metabolism of organic matter and a suitable environment to facilitate this process, for example, one or more vessels with a mixer and an aerator (e.g., Batch Sequencing Reactors, Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc., Rockford, IL). The addition of microorganisms to the wastewater may include fixed-film systems, suspended-film systems, and / or lagoon systems. An example of a secondary treatment component is the AquaMB system marketed by Aqua-Aerobic Systems Inc. (Rockford, IL). This system includes a microfiltration unit manufactured by PALL Corp. (Cortland, NY). In secondary treatment systems, microorganisms grow in size and number as they They absorb organic matter and nutrients from wastewater. After several hours (e.g., 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 hours) of suspension, the microorganisms settle as sludge. Some of this sludge is removed for disposal or processing, and some is retained in the system as "seed" microorganisms for further wastewater processing. Once the wastewater has undergone treatment in the secondary treatment tank, it can be directed to several different locations. In some embodiments of the invention, the wastewater subjected to secondary treatment is removed from the system (e.g., returned to the environment) or retained in the system for further treatment, such as final treatment or enhanced treatment. The final treatment component of a wastewater treatment system of the invention may take the form of any device suitable for disinfecting wastewater. For example, wastewater subjected to secondary treatment may be disinfected using chlorine or ultraviolet irradiation. When chlorine is used to disinfect the water, the final treatment may also include the addition of a chemical that neutralizes the chlorine in the treated wastewater, since high levels of chlorine in the treated wastewater can precipitate negative environmental effects in the water bodies into which the treated wastewater is discharged. The advanced (or tertiary) treatment component of a wastewater treatment system can take the form of any device suitable for removing nutrients from the treated wastewater. Advanced treatment could involve adding chemicals to the treated wastewater to help settle or remove phosphorus or nitrogen. For example, phosphorus can be removed from the water. residual water could be treated with a coagulant, and ammonia could be removed by air separation. The wastewater treatment system of the invention could include filtration components and a... Reverse osmosis component. For example, wastewater subjected to secondary and / or advanced treatment could be treated with one or more filtration steps to remove undissolved solids and microorganisms. In an exemplary embodiment, wastewater subjected to at least secondary treatment is sequentially filtered through a filter with a pore size of 10 microns and then through a filter with a pore size of 0.1 microns. Wastewater treated in this manner could be suitable for use in agriculture or industry. In the invention, wastewater can be further purified using reverse osmosis to remove dissolved solids. A useful reverse osmosis system in the invention includes a high-pressure pump and a reverse osmosis membrane. An operable high-pressure pump for pushing wastewater through the reverse osmosis membrane includes any pump suitable for generating the hydraulic pressure necessary to push the wastewater through the reverse osmosis membrane. Wastewater treated in this manner could become potable. The wastewater treatment systems of the invention also include a device for moving wastewater from a land-based location to an offshore installation that has at least one wastewater treatment component above it. The wastewater to be treated generally comes from a land-based sewage collection system. A sewage collection system includes one or more structures (e.g., buildings) equipped for the collection of wastewater and sewage. Various devices for moving a Fluid from an onshore location (e.g., sewage collection system) to an offshore installation is known. Any devices suitable for use in the invention could be employed. For example, wastewater could be transported from an onshore location to an offshore installation using a transport vessel (e.g., a transfer vessel) or barge equipped with one or more storage tanks and equipment for accepting and ejecting wastewater from one or more tanks. To increase efficiency, as shown in FIGURES 1 to 3, a preferred device for moving a fluid from an onshore location 14 to the vessel 10 in a body of water is a pipeline 120. For example, in FIGURE 1, a pipeline 120 is used as a conduit through which wastewater moves from a sewage collection system 60 and / or wastewater pre-treatment component 200 to a wastewater intake system on the vessel 10.The wastewater intake system can receive wastewater from floating, submerged (e.g., on the seabed), or stabilized seabed pipelines. A first end of the seafloor stabilized pipeline can be placed above the water surface. The first end of the seafloor stabilized pipeline is in communication with the offshore installation of the invention. A second end of the seafloor stabilized pipeline can be placed near the land-based location (e.g., water treatment plant, sewage collection system). In one embodiment, a portion of the seafloor stabilized pipeline near the first end passes through the permanent buoy. In another embodiment, a portion of the seafloor stabilized pipeline near the first end is integral with the permanent buoy. The systems and methods of the invention typically include a wastewater inlet pump to direct the incoming wastewater to the appropriate treatment system (e.g., primary treatment system, secondary treatment system, tertiary treatment system). If the incoming wastewater is to undergo secondary treatment, for example, the wastewater inlet pump sends the wastewater to the secondary treatment component (e.g., one or more Batch Sequencing Reactors, from Aqua-Aerobic System, Inc., Rockford, IL). As another example, if the incoming wastewater is to undergo reverse osmosis, the wastewater inlet pump sends the wastewater to the high-pressure pump of the reverse osmosis system.The high-pressure pump pushes the wastewater through the reverse osmosis membrane to treat or purify the wastewater, while microorganisms and other impurities remain on the opposite side of the membrane. A land-based site is typically a wastewater treatment facility that includes a partial wastewater treatment plant, where only preliminary and primary treatment occur. Alternatively, the wastewater treatment facility may include a complete wastewater treatment plant that has become inactive with respect to secondary and final wastewater treatment stages. Incoming wastewater includes wastewater that has not previously undergone any treatment. Wastewater Received wastewater also includes wastewater that has previously undergone preliminary and primary treatment at a land-based location (e.g., a wastewater treatment plant). In this embodiment, the wastewater entering the wastewater inlet may contain microorganisms that These correspond to the secondary treatment of wastewater. Once the wastewater received by the offshore facility has undergone appropriate treatment(s), it is typically removed from the offshore facility. This treated wastewater may be discharged into the water surrounding the offshore facility, transferred to a waterborne vessel, subjected to further treatment(s), or distributed for use in industrial or irrigation applications. If subjected to appropriate treatments (e.g., reverse osmosis), the treated wastewater may be transferred to a land-based site and used for human or animal consumption. Land-based sites and distribution systems are described in detail in U.S. provisional patent application serial number 60 / 564,921. Referring again to FIGURE 1, a system of the invention includes a device for removing treated wastewater from a ship 10 by means of an outlet in fluidic communication with the water 30 surrounding the ship 10 (FIGURE 1). The outlet may include one or more discharge ports 40 located in the hull 11 of the ship 10, through which the treated wastewater is discharged into the water 30 surrounding the ship 10. The discharge port(s) 40 may be located in the hull 11 of the ship 10 such that the discharge port(s) 40 is / are physically located below the waterline of the ship 10. The device may also include a pump to increase the water pressure of the treated wastewater before it is discharged through the discharge port(s) 40. In the invention, the offshore wastewater treatment plant could include a mixing system in communication with the water treatment component(s). residual and the device for removing treated wastewater from the ship. The mixing system mixes the water The treated wastewater is treated with water drawn directly from the surrounding water body before discharging the treated wastewater. This system is operable to dilute and / or cool the treated wastewater before returning it to the surrounding water body. A mixing system may include a mixing tank that has an inlet, an outlet, a mixing system, a mixed water inlet which includes a water inlet and a pump, a series of baffles, and a mixing barrier with a plurality of openings, wherein the water drawn through the mixing water inlet system (i.e., water from the water body surrounding the offshore installation) and the treated wastewater are forced through the mixing barrier and mixed before flowing to the device for wastewater removal from the offshore installation.The size, shape, location, and number of openings are selected to optimize the mixing of treated wastewater with the water from the body of water surrounding the offshore facility. The openings induce turbulence in fluids flowing through the mixing barrier. A. The mixing barrier extends from one side of the mixing tank to the opposite side of the mixing tank. Adjacent baffles are attached to opposite sides of the tank. mixture. The deflectors are arranged in a relationship staggered, in such a way that a part of each deflector Overlap an adjacent deflector. The fluid passing through the mixing barrier should follow a spiral path before reaching the treated wastewater discharge system. In another embodiment, the mixing system includes a mixing tank equipped with a treated wastewater inlet, a treated wastewater outlet, and a A water intake system for mixing, which includes a water inlet and a pump, and any device that can form a substantially homogeneous mixture of treated wastewater and water drawn from the water surrounding the offshore installation. Examples of such devices include high-speed paddle mixers and a static mixer. In some embodiments, the treated wastewater is transferred to a waterborne vessel or to a land-based facility, rather than being discharged into the water surrounding the offshore wastewater treatment facility. The invention, therefore, provides a device for removing treated wastewater from the offshore facility to another vessel (e.g., a transfer vessel such as a towed barge, tanker) or to a land-based facility. The system 20 shown in FIGURE 2 generically includes a vessel 10 fitted with one or more wastewater treatment components 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d and a device for removing treated wastewater from the vessel 10 to a land-based facility 140 (e.g., wastewater treatment or distribution facility 80).If the offshore installation is located offshore, as shown in FIGURE 2, the system 20 of the invention preferably includes a single pipeline 120 (e.g., floating pipeline on the seabed), but may also include a plurality of pipelines for removing the treated wastewater from the vessel 10 and transporting it to another vessel or to a land-based installation. In some embodiments, the device may include a transfer vessel (e.g., a barge unit towed by a tugboat or a converted single or double hull tank). In the system shown in FIGURE 3, the treated wastewater is removed by a conveyor belt 50. which is in communication with the vessel 10 and the land-based facility 140. The conveyor belt 50 may be configured to deliver the treated wastewater to a vehicle 220 (e.g., truck), which then delivers the treated wastewater to the land-based site 140, or the conveyor belt 50 may deliver the treated wastewater directly from the vessel 10 to the land-based site 140. Any suitable device, however, may be employed to transfer the treated wastewater to a land-based site 140. The terms "land-based", "on land", "beach-based" and "on the beach" refer to systems and structures that are primarily or entirely placed on land 130 or on the beach 130. In embodiments where treated wastewater is transferred from an offshore wastewater treatment facility to a waterborne vessel (e.g., a transfer vessel or transport vessel), a transfer line, which establishes communication of the treated wastewater between the offshore wastewater treatment facility and the transfer vessel, is typically used. The transfer line establishes communication from a treated wastewater storage compartment in the offshore wastewater treatment facility to a treated wastewater storage compartment inside the transfer vessel. Support vessels may be used as needed to facilitate the transfer of treated wastewater between the offshore wastewater treatment facility and the transfer vessel.In general, the transfer of treated wastewater between the offshore wastewater treatment plant and the transfer vessel can be carried out while both are moving relative to the beach, or while both are docked or anchored. Offshore wastewater treatment plants can continue to produce treated wastewater during the transfer process. The sludge resulting from wastewater treatment can be processed and stored at the offshore wastewater treatment facility. In the system shown in FIGURE 4A, the sludge treatment components 280 remove and process the sludge collected during the wastewater treatment process. In one embodiment, the sludge is transferred to a digestion tank (which may be located at the offshore wastewater treatment facility, at another offshore facility, or onshore), where aerobic and anaerobic digestion techniques are employed to decompose the organic components in the sludge. Digestion stabilizes the sludge and reduces odors. To kill disease-causing organisms, the sludge may also be treated with caustic chemicals or ultraviolet light.After treatment, the sludge can be reintroduced into the environment, for example, by discharge into the body of water surrounding the offshore wastewater treatment plant, or by disposal in a land-based tailings area. The sludge can also be used as fertilizer. To facilitate handling, the sludge mass can be reduced by removing water, for example, using a belt filter press to remove water from the sludge and produce a non-liquid cake. To discharge or transfer treated sludge, the invention provides a device for removing treated sludge from an offshore wastewater treatment plant. In the embodiments shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, for example, a barge 70 towed by a tugboat is employed to transfer treated sludge 275 from a ship 10 to a sludge discharge / distribution plant 300. As another example, in FIGURE 3, a conveyor belt 50 is used to transfer treated sludge 275 from a ship 10 to a sludge disposal / distribution facility 300. In some embodiments, treated sludge can be discharged from the offshore wastewater treatment plant into the surrounding water body. In these embodiments, the device for removing sludge from the offshore wastewater treatment plant includes a treated sludge discharge port. The treated sludge discharge port is any suitable structure that is in communication with the sludge treatment components and the water surrounding the offshore wastewater treatment plant. If the treated sludge is being discharged into the water surrounding the offshore wastewater treatment plant, it is preferably diluted with water from the water surrounding the offshore wastewater treatment plant before being discharged.The sludge can be mixed with water from the water surrounding the offshore wastewater treatment plant by means similar to those described above for mixing treated wastewater with water from the water surrounding the offshore wastewater treatment plant. Again referring to FIGURE 1, in a system 20, wastewater (e.g., sewage) is collected in a sewage collection system 60 (located on land 130) and transferred to a preliminary treatment component 200, where large objects such as twigs, sand, gravel, etc., are removed. The treated wastewater is then transported to a vessel 10 via a pipeline 120. The wastewater enters the inlet chamber 320 on the vessel 10, where it is directed to wastewater treatment components 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, where the wastewater undergoes one or more wastewater treatments, resulting in treated wastewater and sludge 275. Before being discharged from the vessel 10, theTreated wastewater is diluted with water 30 from the water surrounding the vessel 10. This is accomplished by a mixing system that is in communication with the wastewater treatment device and a device for removing the treated wastewater from the vessel 10. The mixing system includes a water inlet 39, to suspend the water from the water 30 surrounding the vessel. The water inlet 39 has a plurality of openings through which the water is suspended from the water 30 surrounding the vessel 10. Once mixed, the treated wastewater is discharged through an outlet in fluid communication with the water surrounding the vessel. The outlet has a discharge port 40 located in the hull 11 of the vessel 10 through which the treated wastewater is discharged from the vessel into the water 30 surrounding the vessel 10. The sludge 27 5 resulting from the wastewater treatment process is removed from the vessel 10 by a barge 70 pulled by a tugboat, which transports the sludge to a land-based location 140.A vehicle 220 is used to transfer the sludge 275 from the barge 70 towed by a towboat to a land-based location. The embodiment in FIGURE 2 is similar to that in FIGURE 1, except that in the former, the treated wastewater is moved to a land-based location 140 (water treatment and / or distribution facility 80) via a pipe 121, instead of being discharged into the water 30 surrounding the vessel 10. The embodiment in FIGURE 3 is similar to that in FIGURES 1 and 2, except that the vessel 10 is located offshore adjacent to a dock, instead of being further offshore. Wastewater enters the vessel 10 and is discharged from the vessel 10 by the same devices as the systems in FIGURE 2. The treated wastewater is moved to a water treatment and / or distribution facility 80. The resulting sludge in this embodiment is moved from the vessel 10 to a facility 300. Sludge disposal / distribution, using a conveyor belt 50. At the sludge disposal / distribution facility 300, the sludge can be disposed of or receive further treatment. From this facility 300, the sludge 275 can be transported to another destination, for agricultural or industrial use, for example, by means of a vehicle 220. Referring now to FIGURE 4A, a cutaway side view of a vessel 10, equipped with primary, secondary and advanced treatment components, is shown. Wastewater is received at vessel 10 by an inlet chamber 320, which is in fluidic communication with a first pipe 120. The wastewater then proceeds to the settling or sedimentation tank 230 of the primary treatment, where undissolved solids are removed. The wastewater then proceeds to the secondary treatment bioreactor 240, where microorganisms absorb organic matter and nutrients from the wastewater. After several hours of suspension, the microorganisms settle as sludge 275. Part of this sludge 275 is removed and directed to the sludge treatment components 280 for processing and discharge from vessel 10, while part of the sludge 275 is retained in the secondary treatment bioreactor 240 for further wastewater treatment.The wastewater then proceeds to secondary treatment tank 260 for further secondary treatment. From there, the wastewater proceeds to final treatment tank 270, where it is disinfected. The treated wastewater can be discharged from the vessel at this point by passing through discharge chamber 340 and a pipeline that moves the treated wastewater from the vessel 10 to a land-based facility 140, where it can be disposed of or distributed. The treated wastewater can also be discharged from the vessel 10 into the water 30 surrounding the vessel 10, through discharge port 40, shown in FIGURE 1. Alternatively, the treated wastewater may proceed from the final treatment tank to tertiary treatment, where it is subjected to chemicals contained in the chemical feed 250. Once the wastewater has undergone advanced treatment, it is then either discharged from vessel 10 into the water 30 surrounding vessel 10, or it is discharged through the discharge chamber 340 and into a pipeline 120 that moves it to a land-based facility 140 where it can be disposed of or distributed. With reference to FIGURE 4B, a cutaway side view of a vessel 10, equipped with components for secondary treatment, is shown. The wastewater has already undergone preliminary and primary treatments to remove large solids, suspended solids, and fats, either on land or on another waterborne vessel. The wastewater is received at vessel 10 by an inlet chamber 320, which is in fluidic communication with a first pipe 120. The wastewater then proceeds to the bioreactor 240, where separate mixing and aeration devices allow the reactor contents (i.e., microorganisms and wastewater) to undergo biomass conditioning and nutrient reduction (i.e., organic matter and nutrients are removed from the wastewater) through alternating aerobic and anoxic periods. After quiescent settling, the wastewater from the reactor is transferred to a first microfiltration unit 350, equipped with a 10-micron cloth filter.Wastewater is filtered as it passes through the 10-micron cloth medium. The filtered wastewater is collected in a central pipe, where it is directed to a supply channel that feeds a second 350 microfiltration unit. The water enters the second 350 microfiltration unit, where low positive pressure allows the water to pass through a... A plurality of 0.1 micron membranes, excluding substances in fine particles with a size of up to 0.1 micron. The water filtered through the membranes is taken directly from the top of the second microfiltration unit 350 and is discharged from the vessel 10 through the discharge chamber 340. This treated wastewater can be discharged into the water 30 surrounding the vessel 10, or it can be moved to a land-based location 140 for further treatment (e.g., reverse osmosis), distribution, or disposal. Although the descriptive report above contains many specifics, these should not be considered as limitations to the scope of the invention, but rather as examples of preferred embodiments thereof. Consequently, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the illustrated embodiments, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Vessel for offshore wastewater treatment, the vessel being characterized by comprising: a hull; a wastewater treatment system located at least partially inside the hull, with the wastewater treatment system capable of treating at least 20 million liters of wastewater per day; a wastewater inlet in fluidic communication with the wastewater treatment system; and an outlet for removing processed wastewater from the ship.

2. A SHIP, according to claim 1, characterized in that the wastewater treatment system comprises a primary treatment system for reducing the amount of suspended solids or fats in the wastewater.

3. A SHIP, according to claim 1, characterized in that the wastewater treatment system comprises a secondary treatment system, which comprises bacteria that can reduce the amount of organic matter contained in the wastewater.

4. SHIP, according to claim 1, characterized in that the wastewater treatment system comprises a disinfection treatment system, which comprises a means for killing a microorganism.

5. SHIP, according to claim 1, characterized in that the treatment system... Wastewater comprises a nutrient removal system, which comprises a device for removing a nutrient, comprising nitrogen or phosphorus, from wastewater.

6. A SHIP, according to claim 1, characterized in that the wastewater treatment system comprises at least two of the following systems: a primary treatment system for reducing the amount of suspended solids or fats in the wastewater; a secondary treatment system comprising bacteria that can reduce the amount of organic matter contained in the wastewater; a disinfection treatment system, comprising a means for killing a microorganism; and a nutrient removal system, comprising a device for... removal of a nutrient, comprising nitrogen or phosphorus, from wastewater.

7. SHIP, according to claim 1, characterized in that the treatment system of Wastewater treatment comprises at least three of the following systems: a primary treatment system, for reducing the amount of suspended solids or fats in the wastewater; a secondary treatment system, comprising bacteria that can reduce the amount of organic matter contained in the wastewater; a disinfection treatment system, comprising a means for killing a microorganism; and a nutrient removal system, comprising a device for removing a nutrient, comprising nitrogen or phosphorus, from the wastewater.

8. A SHIP, according to claim 1, characterized in that the wastewater treatment system comprises: a primary treatment system for reducing the amount of suspended solids or fats in the wastewater; a secondary treatment system comprising bacteria that can reduce the amount of organic matter contained in the wastewater; a disinfection treatment system comprising a means for killing a microorganism and a system for removing a nutrient, comprising a device for removing a nutrient, comprising nitrogen or phosphorus, from wastewater.

9. A SHIP, according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a sludge processing system.

10. A SHIP, according to claim 9, characterized in that the sludge processing system comprises a device for removing water from the sludge.

11. A SHIP, according to claim 9, characterized in that the sludge processing system comprises a bacteria-mediated medium for the decomposition of organic matter.

12. SHIP, according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that the sludge processing system comprises a disinfection system, which includes a means of killing a microorganism.

13. SHIP, according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a device for generating energy.

14. SHIP, according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a propulsion system for moving the ship.

15. SHIP, according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a chamber for mixing treated wastewater or sludge with Water from a body of water surrounding the ship.

16. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, located in an offshore body of water within a land-based wastewater collection system, wherein the wastewater treatment plant is characterized by comprising: (a) a wastewater treatment component which can treat at least 20 million liters of wastewater per day; the component being selected from the group consisting of: a primary treatment system for reducing the amount of suspended solids or fats in the wastewater; a secondary treatment system comprising bacteria that can reduce the amount of organic matter contained in the wastewater; a disinfection treatment system comprising a means of killing a microorganism; and a nutrient removal system comprising a device for removing a nutrient, comprising nitrogen or phosphorus, from the wastewater; (b) a device for moving wastewater from the land-based wastewater collection system to the wastewater treatment plant; (c) a device for removing treated wastewater from the wastewater treatment plant; and (d) a device for removing sludge from the wastewater treatment plant.

17. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, according to claim 16, characterized in that the device for moving wastewater from the land-based wastewater collection system to the wastewater treatment plant comprises a pipeline.

18. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, according to claim 16, characterized in that the device for moving wastewater from the land-based wastewater collection system to the wastewater treatment plant comprises a vessel.

19. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, according to claim 16, characterized in that the device for removing treated wastewater from the wastewater treatment plant comprises a pipe.

20. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, according to claim 16, characterized in that the device for removing treated wastewater from the wastewater treatment plant comprises a vessel.

21. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, according to claim 16, characterized in that the device for removing treated wastewater from the wastewater treatment plant comprises an outlet in fluidic communication with the water body.

22. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, according to claim 21, characterized in that the outlet comprises an element extending from the wastewater treatment plant to the water body; the element comprising a plurality of discharge openings.

23. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, according to claim 16, characterized in that the wastewater treatment plant also comprises a chamber for mixing the treated wastewater or sludge with water from the water body.

24. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, located in an offshore body of water within a land-based wastewater collection system, wherein the wastewater treatment plant is characterized by comprising: (a) at least one first wastewater treatment component and one second wastewater treatment component, each of which can treat at least 20 million liters of wastewater per day; and which is selected from the group consisting of: a primary treatment system for reducing the amount of suspended solids or fats in the wastewater; a system of Secondary treatment, which includes bacteria that can reduce the amount of organic matter contained in the wastewater; a disinfection treatment system, which includes a means of killing a microorganism; and a nutrient removal system, which includes a device for removing a nutrient, comprising nitrogen or phosphorus, from the wastewater; (b) a device for moving wastewater from the land-based wastewater collection system to the wastewater treatment plant; (c) a device for removing treated wastewater from the wastewater treatment plant; and (d) a device for removing sludge from the wastewater treatment plant.

25. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, according to claim 24, characterized in that the first and second components differ in their manner of treating wastewater.

26. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, according to claim 24, characterized in that the first and second components are separated by the water body.

27. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, according to claim 26, characterized in that it further comprises a conduit for transferring wastewater from the first component to the second component.

28. WASTEWATER TREATMENT METHOD, which is characterized by comprising the following steps: Transport of wastewater from a land-based location to an offshore wastewater treatment facility in a body of water; wherein The wastewater treatment plant can treat at least 20 million liters of wastewater per day; and In a wastewater treatment plant, the wastewater is subjected to at least one system selected from the group consisting of: a primary treatment system for reducing the amount of suspended solids or fats in the wastewater; a secondary treatment system comprising bacteria that can break down the organic matter contained in the wastewater; a disinfection treatment system comprising a means for killing a microorganism; and a nutrient removal system comprising a device for removing a nutrient, comprising nitrogen or phosphorus, from the wastewater.

29. METHOD, according to claim 28, characterized in that the step of subjecting the wastewater to at least one system results in the production of a final product, selected from the group consisting of treated wastewater and sludge.

30. METHOD, according to claim 29, characterized in that it further comprises the removal of the final product from the wastewater treatment plant.

31. METHOD, according to claim 30, characterized in that it further comprises the step of diluting the final product before the step of removing the final product from the wastewater treatment plant.

32. METHOD, according to claim 28, characterized in that wastewater is transported from the land-based location to the wastewater treatment plant by a pipeline connecting the land-based location to the wastewater treatment plant.

33. METHOD, according to claim 28, characterized in that the wastewater is transported From the land-based location to the wastewater treatment plant, via a transport vessel.

34. METHOD, according to claim 30, characterized in that the final product is discharged 5 in the body of water.

35. METHOD, according to claim 30, characterized in that the final product is transported to land.

36. METHOD, according to claim 35, characterized in that a pipe is used to transport the final product to land.

37. METHOD, according to claim 35, characterized in that a transport vessel is used to transport the final product to land.