Trickling filter system with packing container and rotary sprinkler container

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a trickling filter system.

[0002] The principle of such trickling filter systems or trickling filters for wastewater treatment is well known. The wastewater is sprayed onto the surface of a mass consisting of a large number of packing elements using a rotary sprinkler, where wastewater treatment occurs through the activity of microorganisms. The treated wastewater is collected in the lower section of the trickling filter and discharged. A variety of packing elements are used, such as lava rock, plastic elements, etc.

[0003] Such trickling filter systems are well known and are used in a variety of designs for wastewater treatment.

[0004] Furthermore, the use of standardized large-capacity tanks or containers in the field of wastewater treatment is known. For example, DE 37 21 981 A1 discloses a treatment system for removing soil contaminants that can be easily accommodated in standardized large-capacity tanks, which can be easily installed on-site without significant structural effort. DE 101 05 221 A1 discloses a method and device for eliminating undesirable water contaminants, in which the device can be housed in two 20' containers. This makes the entire system easily portable and can be deployed in specially designated hotspots. DE 283 14 34 A discloses a trickling filter system with a rotary sprinkler.

[0005] The present invention is based on the object of providing a trickling filter system that enables rapid installation with simple and cost-effective operation. This object is achieved according to the invention by a trickling filter system with at least three transportable packing containers arranged side by side, which are filled with packing elements, are open at the top, and have a wastewater-permeable support structure for the packing elements at the bottom, and a transportable rotary sprinkler container accommodating a rotary sprinkler, which is arranged on the middle packing container, is at least partially open on both sides to allow rotation of the rotary sprinkler to at least partially sweep over the packing containers, and has a wastewater-permeable support structure at the bottom.

[0006] According to the invention, a trickling filter system with a modular design is proposed. The invention is based on the fundamental idea of ​​accommodating the packing elements of the trickling filter and the rotary sprinkler of the trickling filter in separate containers that can be arranged side by side and stacked on top of each other at the site of use (in situ) and made ready for operation. Such container solutions can be useful in many application areas, for example, for temporary military bases or refugee camps. Distinguished by mobility, rapid installation, simple and cost-effective operation, and easy interchangeability of individual containers (container modules), such a "containerized trickling filter system" can contribute to the treatment of wastewater in remote areas using robust technology.

[0007] The trickling filter system designed according to the invention comprises at least four containers, comprising three packing containers and one rotary sprinkler container. The three packing containers are arranged next to each other at the installation site and secured together if necessary. The rotary sprinkler container is placed on top of the middle packing container.

[0008] The packing containers are open at the top and feature a wastewater-permeable support structure for the packing at the bottom. Any packing material that provides sufficient growth surface can be used. Because the packing containers are open at the top, the wastewater distributed by the rotary sprinkler can reach the surface of the packing elements inside the container. The support structure located at the bottom of the container holds the packing elements in the container but allows the treated wastewater to drain away.

[0009] The trickling filter system also features a transportable rotary sprinkler container that houses a rotary sprinkler. This container is located on top of the central packing container at the trickling filter system's site of use and, if necessary, secured to it. This rotary sprinkler container is at least partially open on both sides, allowing the rotary sprinkler located within the container to rotate and move laterally out of the container to at least partially cover the packing containers located below. The rotary sprinkler container also has a wastewater-permeable support structure at the bottom, allowing wastewater to be drained through the underside of the container.

[0010] The rotary sprinkler container can also contain the entire drive unit.

[0011] Preferably, the fill container and the rotary sprinkler container have the same dimensions, allowing all container modules to be easily assembled in a modular fashion. The containers can be placed side by side and on top of each other without any fastening, or they can be locked together using additional fastening devices. Since all containers have the same dimensions, they can be easily interchanged.

[0012] The packed containers and the rotary sprinkler container are designed to be rectangular in horizontal section. They are box-shaped modules with two long and two short side walls. To construct the trickling filter system, the packed containers are arranged side by side with their long side walls, and the rotary sprinkler container is placed on the middle packed container with its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axes of the packed containers. The rotating rotary sprinkler can then cover essentially all of the packed containers.

[0013] Preferably, the fill container and the rotary sprinkler container have the dimensions of commercially available, standardized large containers. These can, for example, be the dimensions of well-known 40' containers. Such containers have a length of 12.2 m, a width of 2.4 m, and a height of 2.7 m and 2.4 m, respectively.

[0014] Such commercially available containers can therefore be easily converted into filler containers and rotary sprinkler containers according to the invention.

[0015] A trickling filter system designed according to the invention can also have several layers of packing containers arranged on top of one another, for example two layers of packing containers arranged on top of one another, wherein the rotary sprinkler container is located on the middle packing container of the upper layer.

[0016] A preferred solution of the invention is characterized in that five packing containers are arranged next to one another, wherein in a two-layer embodiment, five packing containers are provided in both the lower layer and the upper layer.

[0017] To ensure smooth transport, the fill containers and the rotary sprinkler container preferably have an openable floor. The floor can be closed for transport and opened at the site of use, allowing wastewater to flow downwards through the fill elements arranged on the support structure. The containers can also have an openable ceiling, which can then also be opened at the site of use. Likewise, the side walls of the rotary sprinkler container can be closed for transport and then opened at the site of use to allow rotation of the rotary sprinkler.

[0018] After the wastewater passes through the individual packing containers, it reaches the floor of the system for drainage. The lowest container layer is preferably positioned at a distance from the system floor so that the wastewater can escape from the containers and collect on the floor. The system preferably has a sloped floor with a drainage channel for the wastewater. The drainage channel can be located, for example, on the side or in the middle of the floor, and the floor can be sloped towards the drainage channel. A suitable concrete slab can serve as the floor.

[0019] To ensure trouble-free transport of the rotary sprinkler container, it is designed to accommodate all components (rotary sprinkler arms, drive, wastewater inlet, etc.). The rotary sprinkler preferably has two opposing sprinkler arms, which can be stored in the rectangular container for transport purposes. Additional arms can then be mounted on the rotary sprinkler on site, resulting in a total of four or more arms.

[0020] The wastewater inlet for the rotary sprinkler also preferably extends within the rotary sprinkler container from one side wall to the rotary sprinkler axis. For example, the inlet can be located on one of the two short side walls of the container.

[0021] The invention is explained in detail below using an exemplary embodiment in conjunction with the drawing. In the drawings: Figure 1a schematic side view of a trickling filter system; Figure 2a schematic side view of the trickling filter system of the Figure 1 in a view rotated by 90°; Figure 3 a schematic plan view of the trickling filter system of the Figures 1 and 2 ; Figure 4 shows a schematic vertical section through a packing container; and Figure 5 shows a schematic vertical section through a rotary sprinkler container.

[0022] The exemplary embodiment of a trickling filter system 1 shown in the figures has a modular design and consists of a total of 11 containers that are arranged one above the other at the installation site. The figures show the trickling filter system 1 in its operational state.

[0023] The plant 1 has ten packing containers 2, arranged in two layers of five containers each. The lower layer of packing containers 2 rests on a plurality of blocks 5, which are arranged on a base tray 6. Figure 2 shows that the bottom tray 6 is inclined so that the wastewater passing through the packing containers 2 flows to a lateral drainage channel and is discharged there via an outlet 7.

[0024] Furthermore, the trickling filter system 1 has a rotary sprinkler container 3, which is the same size as the packing container 2 and is arranged on the middle packing container 2 of the upper layer. This rotary sprinkler container 3 has a conventional rotary sprinkler of a trickling filter, which has a central drive and two opposing sprinkler arms 4. All parts of the rotary sprinkler are housed in the rotary sprinkler container 3, with the arms 4 of the rotary sprinkler extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rotary sprinkler container 3 during transport. The containers are those that have the dimensions of a standard 40' container and have a rectangular floor plan. The top view of the Figure 3shows that the trickling filter system 1 has a square layout when assembled. Reference 8 denotes the wastewater inlet, which leads to the center of the rotary sprinkler, from where the wastewater is directed into the rotary sprinkler arms 15 and from there discharged onto the top of the packing container 2.

[0025] Figure 4 shows a schematic section through a packing container 2. The container 2 has a removable floor 12, above which a suitable support structure 11 for packing elements 9 is arranged, which can be, for example, a suitable grid or parallel bars or beams. Suitable packing elements 9 are arranged in layers on the support structure 11, as shown in Figure 4 The functionality of such packing elements 9 in a trickling filter is known and need not be explained in detail here. Furthermore, the container 2 has a removable cover 10.

[0026] The packing container 2 can be filled with packing 9 at a suitable location and there equipped with the removable bottom 12 and the removable cover 10. It is then transported to the operating site and arranged accordingly, as shown in the Figures 1 to 3 shown with floor 12 and ceiling 10 removed.

[0027] Figure 5 shows a schematic section through a rotary sprinkler container 3. The container 3 has removable side walls 17, at least in the lower area, as well as a removable floor 13. Here, too, a suitable supporting structure is provided.

[0028] A rotary sprinkler 4 is housed in container 3 and has two opposing sprinkler arms 15. A wastewater inlet pipe 14 extends from the short side of container 3 to the center of rotary sprinkler 4. From there, the supplied wastewater is distributed onto the rotary sprinkler arms 15 and, as the rotary sprinkler rotates, sprayed onto the tops of the packing containers 2 arranged below. The drive of rotary sprinkler 4 is designated 16.

[0029] The rotary sprinkler 4 can be provided with additional blasting arms at the operating site and can, for example, have 4 blasting arms 15, as in Figure 3 The need for additional arms depends on site-specific factors, such as flow rate, required spray force, etc.

[0030] The trickling filter system 1 can be constructed in multiple layers by simply stacking containers 2 and 3. For example, three layers can achieve a total packing height of approximately 7.2 m. This would require, for example, 15 packing containers 2. By using ISO containers, which are already designed for a load of approximately 27 t, no further measures are necessary to improve the statics during stacking.

Claims

1. A trickling filter system (1) comprising at least three transportable filler material containers (2), which are arranged one next to the other and which are filled with filler material (9), are open at the top, and have a wastewater-permeable support structure (11) at the bottom for the filler material (9), and comprising a rotary sprinkler (4), characterized in that the rotary sprinkler (4) is received in a transportable rotary sprinkler container (3), which is arranged on the middle filler material container (2), is at least partially open on both sides in order to allow for a rotation of the rotary sprinkler (4) in order to sweep over at least part of the filler material containers (2), and has a wastewater-permeable support structure at the bottom.

2. The trickling filter system according to claim 1, characterized in that the filler material containers (2) and the rotary sprinkler container (3) have the same dimensions.

3. The trickling filter system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the filler material containers (2) and the rotary sprinkler container (3) are rectangular in horizontal cross-section.

4. The trickling filter system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filler material containers (2) and the rotary sprinkler container (3) have the dimensions of conventional standardized ISO large-capacity tanks.

5. The trickling filter system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has multiple layers of filler material containers (2) arranged one on top of the other.

6. The trickling filter system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that five filler material containers (2) are arranged one next to the other.

7. The trickling filter system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filler material containers (2) and the rotary sprinkler container (3) have a base (12, 13) that can be opened.

8. The trickling filter system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises an inclined base (6) having a drainage channel for the treated wastewater.

9. The trickling filter system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a wastewater inlet (14) in the rotary sprinkler (4) extends inside the rotary sprinkler container (3) from one side wall thereof to the rotary sprinkler axis.