Granular sludge maturation device and granular sludge maturation process

Abstract

This invention relates to a granular sludge maturation device and a granular sludge maturation process. It adds a granular sludge maturation module, including: a sludge discharge unit, a substrate preparation unit, and a maturation sludge processing unit. The sludge discharge unit is embedded at the bottom of a vertical flow reactor. The substrate preparation unit is used to introduce ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen into the vertical flow reactor to regulate the water distribution. After reaction in the vertical flow reactor, granular sludge is obtained and discharged through the sludge discharge unit to produce sludge of the target particle size. The maturation sludge processing unit is used to post-treat the sludge of the target particle size to obtain maturation granular sludge product. Using ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen-regulated water as input, after reaction in the vertical flow reactor, the sludge is discharged through the sludge discharge unit at the bottom and processed by the maturation sludge processing unit to form maturation granular sludge product, solving the problems of shortage and high price of existing ammonia oxidation maturation sludge.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of environmental remediation technology, and in particular relates to a granular sludge maturation device and a granular sludge maturation process. Background Technology

[0002] Microbial granular sludge is a type of spherical or near-spherical biological particle that aggregates naturally or through induction. It possesses a high-density, well-settling, stable structure, and concentrated functional microbial community, making it a core active carrier in the current wastewater treatment field. Compared to traditional flocculent activated sludge, granular sludge exhibits significant advantages in volumetric load capacity, space utilization efficiency, resistance to shock loads, and ease of post-treatment operation. Therefore, it shows broad prospects in promoting wastewater treatment technology upgrades, system integration, and resource utilization.

[0003] Based on the applicable process system and target metabolic pathway, granular sludge can be divided into three main categories: aerobic granular sludge, anaerobic granular sludge, and anammox granular sludge. Aerobic granular sludge is mainly used for the removal of organic pollutants. Its formation depends on a stable dissolved oxygen supply and selective settling pressure, making it suitable for systems such as sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) and short-process aerobic systems. Anaerobic granular sludge is widely used in anaerobic digestion systems for high-concentration organic wastewater, such as UASB and EGSB, and has extremely high biological concentrations and stable metabolic pathways. Anammox granular sludge, on the other hand, is a newly emerging, highly efficient autotrophic nitrogen removal core component that can directly convert nitrite and ammonia nitrogen into nitrogen gas under organic carbon-free conditions. It has significant advantages such as low reaction energy consumption, low sludge production, and low greenhouse gas emissions.

[0004] The formation of granular sludge is influenced by a variety of factors, including extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secretion, cell surface hydrophobicity, shear strength, hydraulic selectivity, nutrient concentration gradient, and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the microenvironment. Especially during the start-up phase or under low-load operating conditions, granulation is often slow and unstable, exhibiting problems such as uneven particle size distribution, loose and brittle structure, and insufficient directional enrichment of functional bacteria. Therefore, to promote the rapid maturation of granular sludge, a systematic technical approach combining physical induction and biological regulation strategies is essential.

[0005] Current engineering practices commonly employ granular sludge enhancement measures, including setting up shear-inducing structures (such as baffles, flow guiding devices, and swirling channels), adding multivalent ions or natural polymers to promote granular cementation, and removing immature sludge through selective sedimentation and intermittent sludge discharge. While these methods can improve the granulation rate to some extent, they often suffer from problems such as limited structural functionality, reliance on experience for operational adjustments, and poor adaptability to different types of sludge. Especially under the operational requirements of systems that require multi-stage sludge maturation, graded screening, and feedback reuse, existing device designs remain inadequate.

[0006] Furthermore, the rapid identification, screening, enrichment, recirculation, and rational utilization of granular sludge after its formation have become crucial factors affecting process efficiency. Traditional gravity settling and static screening devices struggle to achieve efficient, high-throughput, and clearly defined particle separation, especially for sludge systems with small particle size differences and similar densities, where sorting accuracy is difficult to guarantee. Simultaneously, most current devices fail to integrate the particle sorting process with intelligent control, automatic dosing, and recirculation adjustment modules, thus failing to meet the increasingly complex and diverse engineering application requirements.

[0007] Chinese invention patent application CN117069266A discloses a wastewater treatment device, including a device body with an internal reaction chamber, an inner cylinder, an aeration assembly, and a flow guiding device, with a sludge discharge port located at the bottom of the device body. However, it fails to further separate the microbial-rich granular sludge of suitable particle size, only performing simple sedimentation and discharge. It does not collect and utilize the granular sludge within the preset particle size range as a resource product.

[0008] From the perspective of resource utilization of granular sludge, mature biological particles can not only serve as highly active inoculation materials for new systems, but also be used to develop immobilized functional microbial products with strong stability and high abundance for the development of subsequent coupled processes and the construction of combined systems, such as denitrification-anaerobic ammonia oxidation series and short-cut nitrification-aerobic granular coupled processes.

[0009] Therefore, how to construct a reactor that can cultivate and screen mature granular sludge with suitable particle size range and enriched functional microbial communities, and how to recycle mature sludge as a resource, is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0010] To solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a granular sludge maturation device, comprising: a vertical flow reactor and a granular sludge maturation module; the granular sludge maturation module comprises: a sludge discharge unit, a substrate preparation unit, and a maturation sludge processing unit;

[0011] The substrate preparation unit includes an ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and a nitrite nitrogen inlet branch. The ammonia nitrogen inlet branch includes an ammonia nitrogen inlet tank and an ammonia nitrogen channel, and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch includes a nitrite nitrogen inlet tank and a nitrite nitrogen channel. These are used to introduce ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen into the vertical flow reactor respectively to regulate water distribution. After reaction in the vertical flow reactor, granular sludge is obtained.

[0012] The sludge discharge unit, embedded at the bottom of the vertical flow reactor, is used to discharge granular sludge of the target particle size.

[0013] The sludge maturation processing unit is used to post-process granular sludge of the target particle size to obtain maturated granular sludge products.

[0014] Furthermore, the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch is used to provide an ammonia nitrogen solution with a concentration of 100-120 mg / L;

[0015] The nitrite inlet branch is used to provide a nitrite solution with a concentration of 110-140 mg / L.

[0016] Furthermore, the matrix preparation unit also includes a first control component disposed on the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch, a second control component disposed on the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch, and an ammonia nitrogen concentration sensor and a nitrite nitrogen concentration sensor disposed in the external reaction chamber.

[0017] The first and second control components control the ratio of ammonia nitrogen solution to nitrite nitrogen solution to be between 1:1.1 and 1:1.4, based on the detection data from the ammonia nitrogen concentration sensor and the nitrite nitrogen concentration sensor.

[0018] Furthermore, the matrix preparation unit also includes: a recovery assembly, including a filter cartridge, a recovery channel, and a third control unit disposed on the recovery channel;

[0019] The filter bucket has an internal screen and its upper end is connected to the sludge discharge unit for discharging sludge.

[0020] The recovery channel is connected to the lower end of the filter barrel at one end and to the front end of the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch at the other end, and is used to return the clear liquid under the screen.

[0021] The third control unit is used to control the reflux rate of the supernatant based on the detection data from the ammonia nitrogen concentration sensor and the nitrite nitrogen concentration sensor.

[0022] Furthermore, the matrix preparation unit also includes a pH monitoring device, an alkalinity inlet, and a fourth control device installed at the alkalinity inlet;

[0023] The pH monitoring device is installed in the external reaction chamber and is used to detect pH value data.

[0024] The alkalinity dosing port is connected to the front end of the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch;

[0025] The fourth control unit is located between the alkalinity inlet and the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch, and is connected to the pH monitoring unit. It is used to adjust the alkalinity dosage based on the pH data detected by the pH monitoring unit.

[0026] Furthermore, the sludge discharge unit includes: a frame, rotating components, a screen component, and a discharge guide component;

[0027] The sides of the frame are closed, forming a through hole in the center;

[0028] A rotating component, which is rotatably mounted inside the through hole;

[0029] Screen components are installed at the through holes;

[0030] The guide component is located on one side of the shell frame. The first end of the guide component is connected to the through hole, and the second end is connected to the recycling component.

[0031] Furthermore, the screen component includes: a first screen disposed above the through hole and a second screen disposed below the through hole; the mesh diameter of the first screen is smaller than the mesh diameter of the second screen.

[0032] Furthermore, the vertical flow reactor includes: an inner cylinder, an outer cylinder, and a flow guiding device; but does not include an aeration device;

[0033] The inner and outer cylinders are coaxially nested to form an inner reaction chamber located inside the inner cylinder and an outer reaction chamber located between the inner and outer cylinders;

[0034] The flow guiding device is located at the bottom of the inner cylinder along the axial direction, with sieve holes on the side wall and a through hole in the center;

[0035] The volume of the outer region of the flow guiding device is larger than the volume of the inner region.

[0036] Furthermore, the sludge maturation processing unit includes: a granular sludge drying device and a microbial agent production device;

[0037] Granular sludge drying equipment is used to dewater and dry sludge of a target particle size.

[0038] The microbial agent production device is used to prepare granular sludge microbial agent products from dried granular sludge.

[0039] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a granular sludge maturation process, using any of the above-mentioned granular sludge maturators, the steps of which include:

[0040] First, the prepared ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen controlled artificial water is introduced into the through hole of the diversion device;

[0041] Then, as the granular sludge flows along the through holes, the inner reactor chamber, and the outer reaction chamber, ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen solutions are added through the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch to promote the gradual growth and maturation of the granular sludge.

[0042] Finally, the sludge within the preset particle size range is discharged and recycled through the sludge discharge unit.

[0043] The granular sludge maturation device and granular sludge maturation process of the present invention integrate a sludge discharge unit, a substrate preparation unit, and a maturation sludge processing unit in a vertical flow reactor, forming an integrated granular sludge maturation module. With ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen-controlled water distribution as input, after reaction in the vertical flow reactor, the sludge is discharged through the sludge discharge unit at the bottom and processed by the maturation sludge processing unit to form a mature granular sludge product, solving the problems of shortage and high price of existing ammonia oxidation maturation sludge. Attached Figure Description

[0044] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort. In the drawings, the same parts use the same reference numerals. The drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the granular sludge maturation device of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the substrate preparation unit of the granular sludge maturation device of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the sludge discharge unit of an embodiment of the granular sludge maturation device of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a dosing device for the granular sludge maturation device of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the granular sludge maturation device of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0051] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intervening component present. When a component is referred to as "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component present.

[0052] It should also be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications, such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc., these directional indications are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly. Furthermore, if the embodiments of the present invention involve descriptions such as "first," "second," "S1," "S2," "step one," "step two," etc., these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated or the order of method execution. Those skilled in the art will understand that anything that does not violate the inventive concept and does not contradict the inventive points should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] refer to Figures 1 to 2 The present invention provides a granular sludge maturation device, comprising: a vertical flow reactor and a granular sludge maturation module;

[0054] I. Vertical Flow Reactor. Since the purpose of this invention is to produce matured sludge, rather than to perform conventional wastewater treatment, the reactor is preferably configured as follows: 1. It includes: an outer cylinder 1, an inner cylinder 2, and a flow guiding device 3; the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are coaxially nested to form an inner reaction chamber 21 located inside the inner cylinder, and an outer reaction chamber 22 located between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder; the flow guiding device is located at the bottom of the inner cylinder along its axial direction, with sieve holes 31 on the side wall and a through hole 32 in the center; to form two internal circulations with different trajectories, forming granular sludge of the target particle size at the bottom; 2. It cannot be equipped with an aeration device for aeration, which is its core difference from a general reactor: on the one hand, the artificially distributed water for controlling ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen already contains a certain amount of dissolved oxygen when it enters the system, and the wastewater circulates at high speed in the first circulation trajectory, increasing the contact area with air, which can make full use of natural diffusion to supplement oxygen and maintain the aerobic environment of the inner reaction chamber; on the other hand, the aeration process is prone to causing the granular sludge to break and float, which is not conducive to the growth of particles and the stable attachment of functional bacteria. This device achieves sludge maturation under mild plug flow conditions through a natural circulation flow field and graded flow mode. It is crucial to avoid granular structure damage and microbial instability that aeration might cause. 3. The outer region of the flow guiding device has a larger volume than the inner region. Because its purpose is to produce matured sludge, the outer volume must be large to ensure a slower flow velocity, facilitating the full settling, retention, and anaerobic ammonia oxidation or denitrification of large-diameter sludge particles in this area. The inner volume is smaller, with a faster circulation speed, suitable for the rapid circulation and mutual adsorption growth of small-diameter sludge particles, achieving efficient enrichment of functional microorganisms, and further growth into matured granular sludge.

[0055] II. Granular sludge maturation module

[0056] The granular sludge maturation module includes: a sludge discharge unit 4, a substrate preparation unit 5, and a maturation sludge processing unit 6;

[0057] The substrate preparation unit includes an ammonia nitrogen inlet branch 51 and a nitrite nitrogen inlet branch 52. The ammonia nitrogen inlet branch includes an ammonia nitrogen inlet tank 511 and an ammonia nitrogen channel 512, and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch includes a nitrite nitrogen inlet tank 521 and a nitrite nitrogen channel 522. These are used to introduce ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen into the vertical flow reactor respectively to regulate the water distribution. After reaction in the vertical flow reactor, granular sludge is obtained.

[0058] The sludge discharge unit, embedded at the bottom of the vertical flow reactor, is used to discharge granular sludge of the target particle size.

[0059] The sludge maturation processing unit is used to post-process granular sludge of the target particle size to obtain maturated granular sludge products.

[0060] In this embodiment, the granular sludge maturation device of the present invention is provided. It integrates a sludge discharge unit, a substrate preparation unit, and a maturation sludge processing unit in a vertical flow reactor to form an integrated granular sludge maturation module. The water is controlled by ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen as input. After the reaction in the vertical flow reactor, the sludge is discharged through the sludge discharge unit at the bottom and processed by the maturation sludge processing unit to form a mature granular sludge product, which solves the problems of shortage and high price of existing ammonia oxidation maturation sludge.

[0061] The key to this invention lies in: 1. Utilizing ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen to regulate artificial water distribution, thereby meeting the growth needs of the target microbial community and the enrichment of functional bacteria. This provides a stable and controllable nitrogen source environment for key functional bacteria during granular sludge maturation, such as ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, and denitrifying bacteria. This promotes the formation of a stable stratified structure and mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship among these functional bacteria within the sludge particles, thus accelerating the formation and maturation of granular sludge and achieving efficient production of mature granular sludge with a stable target particle size range and structure. The matured granular sludge, having already acquired a stable structure and abundant functional bacteria (including ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, and polyphosphate-accumulating bacteria), can be post-treated and used as a standalone microbial agent product. It can be directly added to actual wastewater treatment processes to quickly start and restore the granular sludge system, shorten the acclimatization and maturation cycle of granular sludge, and improve the removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen, and organic matter. 2. A stationary reactor consisting of an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder, and a flow guiding device can be selected. During use, artificially prepared wastewater (i.e., wastewater precisely prepared using ammonia and nitrite solutions) with controlled ammonia and nitrite nitrogen levels is first introduced into the through-holes. Selective granular sludge that passes through the sieve holes forms a first internal circulation trajectory along the inner reaction chamber, the outer reaction chamber between the inner and outer cylinders, and the sieve holes. This trajectory is relatively short and has a long circulation time, enabling high-frequency and rapid circulation of the granular sludge. This promotes aerobic reactions and the enrichment of functional bacteria in the upper oxygen-sufficient area, while simultaneously adsorbing, agglomerating, and gradually increasing in size. Granular sludge that cannot pass through the sieve holes then circulates along the inner reaction chamber, the outer reaction chamber between the inner and outer cylinders, and the sieve holes. The sludge reaches the sludge discharge unit. At this point, the granular sludge undergoes a three-layer diversion: 1. Granular sludge smaller than the first particle size range, due to its low density, directly forms a second internal circulation trajectory with the upward flow. This trajectory has a longer path and shorter circulation time, allowing larger granular sludge to remain in the low-oxygen zone below the external reaction chamber and undergo anaerobic ammonia oxidation and partial denitrification reactions. This effectively reduces nitrogen content while further enriching functional bacteria and forming a stable granular structure. Graded cultivation is carried out in different redox environments to achieve efficient enrichment of functional bacteria such as ammonia oxidizing bacteria, nitrite oxidizing bacteria, and denitrifying bacteria, promoting the stable maturation and functionalization of the granular sludge. 2. Granular sludge larger than the second particle size range, due to its higher inorganic content and density, settles to the sludge discharge port under gravity, thus achieving the discharge of excess sludge; 3. Sludge of the target particle size with a suitable particle size can be stably discharged under the action of the sludge discharge unit, resulting in structurally stable granular sludge rich in functional microorganisms. This enables the commercialization of matured sludge, facilitating its storage, transportation, and commercial application as a microbial agent, and possesses high economic value and promising prospects for promotion. In summary, this application provides a granular sludge maturation device capable of cultivating and screening matured granular sludge with a suitable particle size range and enriched functional microbial communities, and performing post-treatment and resource recovery of the matured sludge.

[0062] Preferably, the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch is used to provide an ammonia nitrogen solution with a concentration of 100-120 mg / L;

[0063] The nitrite inlet branch is used to provide a nitrite solution with a concentration of 110-140 mg / L.

[0064] More preferably, the matrix preparation unit further includes a first control element 513 disposed on the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch, a second control element 523 disposed on the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch, and an ammonia nitrogen concentration sensor and a nitrite nitrogen concentration sensor disposed in the vertical flow reactor; preferably disposed in the external reaction chamber.

[0065] The first and second control components control the ratio of ammonia nitrogen solution to nitrite nitrogen solution to be between 1:1.1 and 1:1.4, based on the detection data from the ammonia nitrogen concentration sensor and the nitrite nitrogen concentration sensor.

[0066] This embodiment provides a preferred embodiment of how to introduce ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen to regulate water distribution. The concentration and ratio of ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen are not conventional technical choices for producing sludge of the target particle size. Only at this concentration and ratio can the production of more sludge of the target particle size be guaranteed and the granular sludge maturation rate be guaranteed.

[0067] More preferably, such as Figure 2 As shown, the matrix preparation unit also includes: a recovery assembly 53, including a filter bucket 531, a recovery channel 532, and a third control component 533 disposed on the recovery channel;

[0068] The filter bucket is equipped with a screen 5311 inside, and its upper end is connected to the sludge discharge unit for discharging sludge.

[0069] The recovery channel is connected to the lower end of the filter barrel at one end and to the front end of the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch at the other end, and is used to return the clear liquid under the screen.

[0070] The third control unit is used to control the reflux rate of the supernatant based on the detection data from the ammonia nitrogen concentration sensor and the nitrite nitrogen concentration sensor.

[0071] More preferably, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the matrix preparation unit also includes an alkali control component, including: a pH monitoring device 541, an alkali addition port 542, and a fourth control device 543 disposed at the alkali addition port;

[0072] A pH monitoring device is installed in the outer reaction chamber of the vertical flow reactor to detect pH value data.

[0073] The alkalinity dosing port is connected to the front end of the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch;

[0074] The fourth control unit is located between the alkalinity inlet and the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch, and is connected to the pH monitoring unit. It is used to adjust the alkalinity dosage based on the pH data detected by the pH monitoring unit.

[0075] In this embodiment, several preferred embodiments of the substrate preparation unit are given. First, the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen branch are given, each including an inlet tank, a channel, and control components installed on the channel, which facilitates the continuous and quantitative delivery of ammonia nitrogen solution and nitrite nitrogen solution into the reactor, so that the concentrations of ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen in the reactor are maintained within a suitable range. This helps to stabilize and enrich and proliferate functional bacteria such as ammonia oxidizing bacteria, nitrite oxidizing bacteria, and denitrifying bacteria, and further promotes the stabilization and functionalization of granular sludge structure, so as to continuously produce matured sludge. The concentration and ratio of ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen are very important, as they determine the water distribution provided by the substrate preparation unit to improve the maturity rate of granular sludge. Building upon this, a recovery component is preferably installed to recover the supernatant from the discharged sludge. This effectively retains the required matured granular sludge while ensuring the cleanliness of the recovered filtrate, facilitating the recovery and utilization of ammonia and nitrite nitrogen nutrients. Simultaneously, a monitoring component monitors real-time changes in ammonia and nitrite nitrogen concentrations, and, in conjunction with the control unit, intelligently adjusts the flow rate and volume of ammonia, nitrite, and supernatant. This dynamically matches the recovery process with the system's nitrogen load, preventing nitrogen concentration fluctuations caused by filtrate recovery from affecting the granular sludge maturation efficiency and microbial stability. It also ensures stable nutrient recovery from the filtrate, effectively reducing operating costs. For example, the control unit includes on / off valves, hydraulic pumps, and other components with switching and fluid drive functions to control the flow rate and velocity of the liquid in the corresponding channels. More preferably, the substrate preparation unit also includes a pH monitoring device installed within the reaction chamber, capable of real-time monitoring of pH changes in the reaction system. When the monitored pH data deviates from the preset range, a fourth control device connected to the pH monitoring device controls the alkalinity dosage or flow rate at the alkalinity inlet, automatically and precisely adjusting the system alkalinity to prevent pH reduction caused by acidic intermediate products generated during ammonia nitrogen oxidation or denitrification, thereby avoiding impact on the activity of functional bacteria and the stability of granular sludge structure. Furthermore, the alkalinity inlet is connected to both the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch, enabling coordinated control of alkalinity supplementation and nitrogen source supplementation, achieving dynamic matching of alkalinity and nitrogen source concentrations, further improving system operational stability and reaction efficiency. For example, the alkalinity is an alkaline substance, which can be sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, a mixture of the two, or other alkaline substances.

[0076] It is worth noting that the key to this invention lies in the technical concept of introducing ammonia nitrogen-containing water into a vertical flow reactor to cultivate and mature granular sludge. The specific structure of the sludge discharge unit can be arbitrary, as long as it can discharge sludge from the vertical flow reactor. The following preferred embodiment provides a sludge discharge unit with cyclone + screen guidance, but it is not limited to this. Preferably, as... Figure 3 As shown, the sludge discharge unit 4 includes: a frame 41, a rotating component 42, a screen component 43, and a guide component 44;

[0077] The shell frame is closed on the side, forming a central through hole 45; specifically, since the sludge discharge unit is embedded at the bottom of the vertical flow reactor, it is connected to its internal reaction chamber, preferably connected to the through hole of the flow guiding device.

[0078] A rotating component, which is rotatably mounted inside the through hole;

[0079] Screen components are installed at the through holes;

[0080] The guide component is located on one side of the shell frame. The first end of the guide component is connected to the through hole, and the second end is connected to the recycling component.

[0081] In this embodiment, the structure and operation of the sludge discharge unit are as follows: the sludge mixture enters the sludge discharge unit from the bottom. Different types of granular sludge are subjected to gravity, the combined action of fluid shear force generated by the rotating component, and swirling induction force. Due to differences in particle composition, sludge particles containing more inorganic components (such as hydroxyapatite) have a relatively high density and are prone to gravity settling at the bottom of the device, while granular sludge containing more functional microorganisms have a lower density and rise with the main liquid flow into the screening area. The screens installed in the through holes perform preliminary screening of the granular sludge, intercepting granular sludge outside the preset range, preparing for subsequent screening. During this process, the rotating component starts and operates at high speed, forming a stable swirling flow inside the through holes. The particles in the swirling flow field are subjected to centrifugal forces of varying intensities due to differences in particle size and density. Granular sludge of the target particle size is thrown towards the side wall of the unit under the action of centrifugal force and smoothly guided into the guide component connected to it, thereby achieving efficient separation and directional collection of particles. This unit integrates gravity sedimentation, screen classification, and cyclone centrifugation, which can accurately screen out granular sludge with suitable particle size and rich in functional microorganisms. It takes into account both sludge structural stability and microbial activity, effectively improves system operating efficiency and sludge resource utilization level, and significantly reduces subsequent treatment load and overall operating costs.

[0082] Preferably, the screen component includes: a first screen 43a disposed above the through hole and a second screen 43b disposed below the through hole; the mesh diameter of the first screen is smaller than that of the second screen. The mesh diameter of the first screen corresponds to a first set threshold, used to screen granular sludge with a particle size smaller than the first set threshold through the screening upstream; the mesh diameter of the second screen corresponds to a second set threshold, used to screen granular sludge with a particle size larger than the second set threshold through the sludge discharge port. Granular sludge with a target particle size between the first and second set thresholds is retained and introduced into a recirculation component for recycling, achieving efficient sorting and targeted utilization of granular sludge of different particle sizes, thereby screening out matured granular sludge with a suitable particle size range for better screening results.

[0083] Preferably, the drainage component includes at least one drainage pipe 441, which is arranged at an upward angle relative to the horizontal plane; the diameter of the drainage pipe gradually decreases from the inlet to the outlet along the sewage flow direction, forming a tapered structure.

[0084] In this embodiment, the guide pipe is at least one inclined upward relative to the horizontal plane, allowing the granular sludge and water to overcome gravity and flow upward during discharge, which is beneficial for stratified screening and selective discharge. As the granular sludge rises along the pipe wall, the denser particles are more significantly affected by gravity and are less likely to continue flowing upwards, thus naturally falling back into the through-hole. This achieves effective separation of high-density inorganic granular sludge, avoids the misdischarge of denser inorganic particles, and improves the recovery efficiency of functional microorganisms. Simultaneously, because the inlet of the guide pipe gradually narrows towards the outlet, the flow velocity inside the pipe gradually increases, creating a negative pressure effect at the outlet, which draws out the less dense granular sludge containing more functional microorganisms. By cleverly utilizing the combined effects of gravity, gradually increasing flow velocity, and negative pressure, it is possible to both prevent the backflow of high-density inorganic particles and efficiently extract low-density sludge particles rich in functional microorganisms.

[0085] Optionally, the rotating component includes a rotating main shaft disposed inside the through hole, rotating blades mounted on the main shaft, and a rotating drive connected to the rotating blades. During operation, the rotating drive outputs power to drive the rotating main shaft to rotate at high speed, thereby causing the rotating blades to form a stable swirling flow field inside the through hole. As the liquid flow rises, it carries granular sludge into the swirling zone, forming a shear-enhanced vortex flow under the disturbance and shearing action of the rotating blades.

[0086] More preferably, such as Figure 1 , Figure 4 As shown, the granular sludge maturation device also includes a dosing device 7 located below the sludge discharge unit 4.

[0087] A dosing device for adding sludge maturation agents includes: a lower frame 71, a slurry cutter 72, and a dosing pipe 73;

[0088] The lower platform has a centrally open and side-closed structure.

[0089] The cutting blade is rotatably positioned at the central through-hole.

[0090] The dosing pipe is connected to the sludge maturation agent at one end and to the central passage of the lower platform at the other end.

[0091] In this embodiment, a dosing device is added below the sludge discharge unit to further cultivate functional microorganisms in the granular sludge. The lower frame adopts a centrally through-hole and side-closed structure, which can effectively prevent sludge or chemical leakage, maintain the sealing of the dosing area, and ensure that the chemical can be concentratedly transported and distributed into the sludge, thereby increasing the number of functional microorganisms in the granular sludge and improving the maturation effect of the granular sludge. The slurry cutter is set at the central through-hole and can rotate. On the one hand, it allows the sludge maturation agent to contact the granular sludge more evenly, maximizing the utilization of the agent. On the other hand, the slurry cutter continuously cuts the large-diameter granular sludge, shearing it into granular sludge of suitable size. The less dense part of the granular sludge can pass through the screen and move upward, while the denser part (mainly inorganic particles or inorganic aggregates in the particles) will settle and separate, thereby realizing the self-renewal of the granular sludge and further increasing the number of functional microorganisms in the granular sludge.

[0092] Specifically, sludge maturation agents include calcium and magnesium compounds, phosphate compounds, and alkaline substances. These agents cause the self-renewing sludge to aggregate in a suitable alkaline environment, forming granular sludge of appropriate particle size and completing its self-renewal process by precipitating calcium and magnesium compounds or insoluble phosphates. More specifically, the sludge maturation agents are added continuously, with the dosage adjusted according to the amount of granular sludge and the reaction progress. Generally, 5-10 kg of calcium and magnesium compounds, 3-8 kg of phosphate compounds, and 2-6 kg of alkaline substances are added per cubic meter of granular sludge.

[0093] More preferably, such as Figure 1 As shown, the granular sludge maturation device also includes: a temperature control component 8, used to regulate and stabilize the temperature inside the reactor;

[0094] Temperature regulation component 8 includes: temperature monitoring element 81 and heating element 82;

[0095] Temperature monitoring devices are installed in the inner reaction chamber and / or outer reaction chamber to detect temperature data inside the reactor;

[0096] The heating element is installed in the inner reaction chamber and / or the outer reaction chamber and is connected to the temperature detection element. The heating power is adjusted according to the temperature data detected by the temperature detection element to maintain the reaction environment within the preset temperature range.

[0097] In this embodiment, a temperature monitoring device is installed in the inner reaction chamber and / or outer reaction chamber to detect temperature changes within the reaction system in real time. When a temperature deviation from a preset range is detected, the heating power is adjusted by a heating element connected to the temperature monitoring device to quickly restore and maintain the system temperature within the preset range. This avoids temperature fluctuations caused by ambient temperature fluctuations or exothermic / endothermic reactions, which could affect microbial activity and the stability of the sludge particle structure. The temperature regulation component, in particular, ensures the continuous and stable operation of the device at lower ambient temperatures, ensuring the granular sludge maturation reaction rate and the metabolic efficiency of functional microorganisms, shortening the maturation cycle, improving maturation efficiency, and guaranteeing the efficient formation of functional granular sludge.

[0098] More preferably, such as Figure 5 As shown, the sludge maturation processing unit includes: a granular sludge drying device 61 and a microbial agent production device 62;

[0099] Granular sludge drying equipment is used to dewater and dry sludge of a target particle size.

[0100] The microbial agent production device is used to prepare granular sludge microbial agent products from dried granular sludge.

[0101] This embodiment presents a preferred embodiment of the sludge maturation processing unit, which performs post-processing such as dewatering, drying, and preparation on sludge of the target particle size, realizing a complete closed-loop process from maturation and enrichment, sorting and recovery to dewatering, drying, and formulation production of granular sludge. Specifically, the granular sludge drying device can mechanically dewater and dry the recovered maturated granular sludge at low temperature, significantly reducing the moisture content and preventing the sludge from spoiling, fermenting, and losing activity during storage or transportation, while maintaining the integrity of the granular structure and the activity of functional microorganisms, laying the foundation for subsequent formulation. The microbial agent production device crushes, sieves, premixes, and quantitatively packages the dried granular sludge, transforming it into granular or powdered microbial agent products, which are convenient for direct addition and use in wastewater treatment plants, enabling rapid startup of the granular sludge reaction system or supplementation of functional microbial communities, improving the removal efficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter, and promoting stable system operation.

[0102] In summary, this invention provides a granular sludge maturation device that produces matured sludge by introducing ammonia nitrogen-containing water, achieving economic benefits. Furthermore, this invention also provides a granular sludge maturation process using the aforementioned granular sludge maturation device, comprising the following steps:

[0103] First, the prepared ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen controlled artificial water is introduced into the through hole of the diversion device;

[0104] Then, as the granular sludge flows along the through holes, the inner reactor chamber, and the outer reaction chamber, ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen are added through the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch, and the granular sludge gradually grows and matures.

[0105] Finally, the sludge within the preset particle size range is discharged and recycled through the sludge discharge unit.

[0106] In this embodiment, a wastewater treatment process is provided in which artificially regulated water for ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen is first introduced into a flow guiding device. Then, granular sludge of suitable particle size flows along the through holes, the inner reaction chamber, and the outer reaction chamber, flowing to the low-oxygen zone between the flow guiding section and the outer cylinder, where it participates in different circulation trajectories with the aforementioned clear liquid, flocculent sludge, and small-particle granular sludge. Then, appropriate amounts of ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen solutions are added through the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch to promote the gradual growth and maturation of the granular sludge. Large-particle granular sludge participates in the anaerobic ammonia oxidation reaction. Under the anoxic environment in the aforementioned low-oxygen zone, the system can effectively remove nitrogen pollution while promoting the growth of functional microorganisms in the granular sludge, thereby forming mature granular sludge. After the reaction is completed, the mature granular sludge can be discharged through the sludge discharge unit, according to the properties and particle size of the granular sludge, to produce granular sludge of suitable particle size rich in functional microorganisms. This granular sludge maturation process, through rational structural design and optimized reaction flow, achieves effective separation, maturation, and export of granular sludge. It utilizes a low-oxygen zone to promote anaerobic ammonia oxidation, accelerating the growth and maturation of granular sludge and fostering the formation and growth of functional microbial colonies. Finally, the mature sludge is efficiently exported through the sludge export unit, yielding the finished mature sludge product. This process not only optimizes the microbial community and reduces energy consumption and operating costs, but also achieves efficient and stable sludge treatment and resource utilization.

[0107] More preferably, the sludge maturation process further includes the following steps: after recovering the obtained maturated granular sludge, dewatering and drying it, and preparing granular sludge microbial agent products containing functional microorganisms.

[0108] In this embodiment, after the mature sludge is exported, it undergoes dewatering and drying to obtain a stable granular sludge microbial agent. This agent can be used for the rapid startup of other wastewater treatment systems or sold as a commercial microbial agent. Dewatering and drying significantly reduce the moisture content, facilitating storage and transportation, while maintaining the active microbial community in the granular sludge. This improves the startup speed and stability during subsequent use, enabling resource utilization, reducing operating costs, and further enhancing the economic viability and promotional value of the wastewater treatment process.

[0109] The above-described granular sludge maturation process is based on the above-described granular sludge maturator, and its technical effects and features are combined in detail here. The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A granular sludge maturation device, characterized in that, include: Vertical flow reactor and granular sludge maturation module; The vertical flow reactor includes an inner cylinder, an outer cylinder, and a flow guiding device; but does not include an aeration device; the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are coaxially nested to form an inner reaction chamber located inside the inner cylinder and an outer reaction chamber located between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder; the flow guiding device is located at the bottom of the inner cylinder along its axial direction, with sieve holes on its side walls and a through hole in the center; the volume of the outer region of the flow guiding device is larger than the volume of the inner region; the granular sludge maturation module includes a sludge discharge unit, a substrate preparation unit, and a maturation sludge processing unit; The substrate preparation unit includes an ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and a nitrite nitrogen inlet branch. The ammonia nitrogen inlet branch includes an ammonia nitrogen inlet tank and an ammonia nitrogen channel, and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch includes a nitrite nitrogen inlet tank and a nitrite nitrogen channel. These are used to introduce ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen into the vertical flow reactor respectively to regulate water distribution. After reaction in the vertical flow reactor, granular sludge is obtained. A sludge discharge unit, embedded at the bottom of the vertical flow reactor and connected to the bottom of the flow guiding device, is used to discharge granular sludge of the target particle size. It includes: a frame, a rotating component, a screen component, and a discharge guide component. The frame is side-closed, forming a central through-hole. The rotating component is rotatably disposed within the through-hole. The screen component, disposed at the through-hole, includes: a first screen disposed above the through-hole and a second screen disposed below the through-hole; the mesh size of the first screen is smaller than that of the second screen. The discharge guide component is disposed on one side of the frame, with its first end connected to the through-hole and its second end used to discharge sludge. The sludge maturation processing unit is used to post-process granular sludge of the target particle size to obtain maturated granular sludge products.

2. The granular sludge maturator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ammonia nitrogen inlet branch is used to provide an ammonia nitrogen solution with a concentration of 100-120 mg / L; The nitrite inlet branch is used to provide a nitrite solution with a concentration of 110-140 mg / L.

3. The granular sludge maturator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The matrix preparation unit also includes a first control component installed on the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch, a second control component installed on the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch, and an ammonia nitrogen concentration sensor and a nitrite nitrogen concentration sensor installed in the external reaction chamber. The first and second control components control the ratio of ammonia nitrogen solution to nitrite nitrogen solution to be between 1:1.1 and 1:1.4, based on the detection data from the ammonia nitrogen concentration sensor and the nitrite nitrogen concentration sensor.

4. The granular sludge maturator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The matrix preparation unit also includes: a recovery assembly, including a filter cartridge, a recovery channel, and a third control unit disposed on the recovery channel; The filter barrel has a screen inside, with one end connected to the second end of the flow guide and the other end connected to the sludge maturation processing unit. The recovery channel is connected to the lower end of the filter barrel at one end and to the front end of the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch at the other end, and is used to return the clear liquid under the screen. The third control unit is used to control the reflux rate of the supernatant based on the detection data from the ammonia nitrogen concentration sensor and the nitrite nitrogen concentration sensor.

5. The granular sludge maturator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The matrix preparation unit also includes a pH monitoring device, an alkalinity inlet, and a fourth control device installed at the alkalinity inlet; The pH monitoring device is installed in the external reaction chamber and is used to detect pH value data. The alkalinity dosing port is connected to the front end of the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch; The fourth control unit is located between the alkalinity inlet and the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch, and is connected to the pH monitoring unit. It is used to adjust the alkalinity dosage based on the pH data detected by the pH monitoring unit.

6. The granular sludge maturator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drainage component includes at least one drainage pipe, which is arranged at an upward angle relative to the horizontal plane; the diameter of the drainage pipe gradually decreases from the inlet to the outlet along the direction of sewage flow, forming a tapering structure.

7. The granular sludge maturator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rotating component includes a rotating spindle disposed inside the through hole, a rotating blade mounted on the rotating spindle, and a rotating drive connected to the rotating blade.

8. The granular sludge maturator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A dosing device is installed below the sludge discharge unit; A dosing device for adding sludge maturation agents includes: a lower platform, a slurry cutter, and a dosing pipe; The lower platform has a centrally open and side-closed structure. The cutting blade is rotatably positioned at the central through-hole. The dosing pipe is connected to the sludge maturation agent at one end and to the central passage of the lower platform at the other end.

9. The granular sludge maturator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The sludge maturation processing unit includes: a granular sludge drying device and a microbial agent production device; Granular sludge drying equipment is used to dewater and dry sludge of a target particle size. The microbial agent production device is used to prepare granular sludge microbial agent products from dried granular sludge.

10. A granular sludge maturation process, characterized in that, The granular sludge maturation device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 comprises the following steps: First, the prepared ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen controlled artificial water is introduced into the through hole of the diversion device; Then, as the granular sludge flows along the through holes, the inner reactor chamber, and the outer reaction chamber, ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen solutions are added through the ammonia nitrogen inlet branch and the nitrite nitrogen inlet branch to promote the gradual growth and maturation of the granular sludge. Finally, the sludge within the preset particle size range is discharged and recycled through the sludge discharge unit.

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