Water purification device

Abstract

To further enhance the efficiency of activated sludge treatment by activating a wide range of aerobic microorganisms in water purification using activated sludge treatment by bioenergy.SOLUTION: A water purification apparatus 100 of the present invention includes a radiation unit 11 containing a natural ore that contains an alkali metal and / or an alkaline earth metal and emits natural radiation, a contact unit 12 that brings water to be treated containing aerobic microorganisms and organic matter into contact with the radiation unit 11 to activate the aerobic microorganisms in the water to be treated by a radiation hormesis effect of the natural radiation, a treatment tank 13 that performs an activated sludge treatment on the water to be treated using activated sludge containing the aerobic microorganisms activated by bioenergy that is the radiation hormesis effect, and a gas supply unit 14 that supplies a gas containing oxygen to the water to be treated stored in the treatment tank 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water purification device. [Background technology]

[0002] Activated sludge treatment is known as one method for treating water to be treated, such as wastewater and / or sewage. In activated sludge treatment, activated sludge containing aerobic microorganisms that thrive in environments with high oxygen concentrations is first added to the water to be treated. Air is then added to the water to which the activated sludge has been added to increase the oxygen concentration in the water to a level suitable for the activity of the aerobic microorganisms. This makes it possible to treat the water to be treated by activating the aerobic microorganisms contained in the activated sludge. To further improve the treatment efficiency of this type of treatment, there is a demand for further increasing the activity of aerobic microorganisms.

[0003] As a means for enhancing the activity of aerobic microorganisms in activated sludge treatment of untreated water, Patent Document 1 discloses a wastewater treatment method in which raw water containing organic matter is introduced into a biological treatment tank and treated with microorganisms in the biological treatment tank, characterized in that an activator containing at least zeolite is added to the raw water to be treated in the biological treatment tank. The technology in Patent Document 1 can activate Bacillus in the biological treatment tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-014974 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, Patent Document 1 merely describes the activation of Bacillus using an activator containing zeolite. Furthermore, some Bacillus are facultative anaerobic microorganisms. Therefore, Patent Document 1 leaves room for further improvement in terms of selectively activating a wide range of aerobic microorganisms that contribute to activated sludge treatment and further increasing the efficiency of activated sludge treatment.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to selectively activate a wide range of aerobic microorganisms in purified water using activated sludge treatment, thereby further improving the efficiency of activated sludge treatment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of extensive research into solving the above problems, the present inventors have found that the above problems can be solved by selectively activating aerobic microorganisms in activated sludge, for example, by utilizing the radiation hormesis effect (also known as "bioenergy") using natural radiation emitted from natural minerals, or by other means, and have thus completed the present invention. Specifically, the present invention provides the following.

[0008] The present invention provides a water purification device comprising an activation section that selectively activates aerobic microorganisms, a contact section that brings the water to be treated into contact with the radiation section, a treatment tank that treats the water to be treated using activated sludge, and a supply section that supplies oxygen-containing gas into the inside of the treatment tank.

[0009] According to the present invention, natural ores containing alkali metals and / or alkaline earth metals can be eluted into the water to be treated in the radiation unit. The natural ores containing alkali metals and / or alkaline earth metals are isotopes of potassium. 40 Isotopes of K and / or rubidium 87 It may contain Rb. 40 K is a stable isotope of calcium 40 It can also be converted to Ca. 87 Rb is a stable isotope of strontium 87These elements can be converted into Sr. The minute amount of high-energy particles (electrons) released when these elements are converted can exert a radiation hormesis effect on aerobic microorganisms in activated sludge through low-dose radiation. This allows the present invention to activate aerobic microorganisms in activated sludge.

[0010] It is known that mice exposed to high doses of radiation exhibit an increased proportion of anaerobic microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli, anaerobic gram-positive cocci, Proteus spp., Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacteroides spp. Furthermore, anaerobic microorganisms are known to be less susceptible to radiation than aerobic microorganisms. Therefore, it is believed that anaerobic microorganisms would not be significantly affected by low doses of natural radiation leached from natural ores in the treated water. On the other hand, aerobic microorganisms, which are more susceptible to radiation than anaerobic microorganisms, are expected to be activated by the radiation hormesis effect. Therefore, the radiation unit of the present invention activates a wide range of aerobic microorganisms, not limited to Bacillus, without activating anaerobic microorganisms, thereby further improving the efficiency of activated sludge treatment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, in purified water using activated sludge treatment, a wide range of aerobic microorganisms can be selectively activated, thereby further increasing the efficiency of the activated sludge treatment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the cleaning process by the water purification device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the cleaning method. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the cleaning process performed by the water purification device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a modification of the water purification device and showing the cleaning process. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of a radiation part and a contact part of a modified example of the water purification device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An example of a preferred embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described below. However, this is merely an example, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to this example.

[0014] (Water Purification Device 100: Overview) As shown in FIG. 1, the water purification device 100 is configured to perform activated sludge treatment of the water to be treated while activating aerobic microorganisms using bioenergy, which is the radiation hormesis effect of natural radiation emitted from natural ores containing alkali metals and / or alkaline earth metals.

[0015] According to the water purification device 100 having the above configuration, the natural ore containing alkali metals and / or alkaline earth metals is an isotope of potassium. 40 Isotopes of K and / or rubidium 87 It may contain Rb. 40 K is a stable isotope of calcium 40 It can also be converted to Ca. 87 Rb is a stable isotope of strontium 87 These elements can be converted into Sr. The minute amount of high-energy particles (electrons) released when these elements are converted can activate aerobic microorganisms in the water to be treated and activated sludge through the radiation hormesis effect of low-dose radiation. This enables the water purification device 100 to perform highly efficient treatment by using activated aerobic microorganisms to decompose and condense organic matter contained in the water to be treated, and then settling the activated sludge to separate it into solids and liquids.

[0016] Here, "alkali metals" refers to a group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium, which are elements belonging to Group 1A of the periodic table. "Alkaline earth metals" refers to a group consisting of beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, and barium, which are elements belonging to Group 2A of the periodic table. "Natural ores containing alkali metals and / or alkaline earth metals" emit natural radiation because alkali metals and alkaline earth metals are produced by the decay of the radioactive elements uranium and thorium. Examples of ores containing alkali metals include limestone, lepidolite, and pegmatite. Examples of ores containing alkaline earth metals include limestone and marble.

[0017] The "radiation hormesis effect" is the effect of irradiating low doses of radiation to promote cell activation and proliferation. The radiation hormesis effect is also known as bioenergy. "Activation" refers to promoting the proliferation and metabolism of aerobic microorganisms, and in activated sludge treatment, activating aerobic microorganisms has the effect of improving the ability to decompose organic matter and suppressing foul odors.

[0018] "Aerobic microorganisms" are microorganisms that obtain energy by decomposing organic matter using oxygen as a respiratory substrate. Aerobic microorganisms decompose organic matter in treated liquids, such as sewage, during activated sludge treatment, producing sludge and gas (mainly methane gas). Aerobic microorganisms include bacteria, algae, and fungi. Examples of bacteria include the genera Acidobacter, Aerobacter, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Citrobacter, Chlamydomonas, Salmonella, Vibrio, and Gelatindurans / Actinobacter. Examples of algae include the genera Micrococcus, Chlorella, and Spirulina. Examples of fungi include the genera Aspergillus, Candida, and Trichospora.

[0019] "Activated sludge treatment" is a process that uses microorganisms, such as aerobic microorganisms, to decompose organic matter in liquids such as sewage. Generally, it consists of a primary treatment in which solids in the liquid are precipitated using a settling tank, a biological treatment in which organic matter is decomposed by the action of microorganisms using a biological reactor, and a solid-liquid separation treatment in which the supernatant liquid and sludge are separated.

[0020] (Water purification device 100: specific example) As a specific example of the water purification apparatus 100, the water purification apparatus 100 has a biological treatment section 1 that decomposes organic matter in the water to be treated by the action of aerobic microorganisms, i.e., that subjects the water to be treated to activated sludge treatment using aerobic microorganisms, and a solid-liquid separation section 2 that is provided downstream (post-process) of the biological treatment section 1 and separates the water that has been treated with activated sludge in the biological treatment section 1 into sludge and a supernatant liquid. Note that the water purification apparatus 100 may also have a primary treatment section upstream (pre-process) of the biological treatment section 1 that uses a settling tank to settle solids in the sewage or wastewater, and then sends the supernatant water to be treated to the biological treatment section 1. The primary treatment section can be realized with the same configuration as the solid-liquid separation section 2.

[0021] (Biological treatment unit 1: treatment tank 13) The biological treatment unit 1 in the water purification device 100 includes a treatment tank 13 that uses activated sludge to treat water to be treated. Here, "activated sludge" refers to sludge containing a large amount of aerobic microorganisms. The treatment tank 13 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom and an open top, and a detachable lid (not shown) is attached to the top opening. The opening of the treatment tank 13 allows undissolved gas to escape to the outside, preventing the undissolved gas from filling the interior. Water to be treated, from which solids in sewage and wastewater have been removed in a previous settling tank, is supplied to the treatment tank 13 from above via a water supply line 19. The water supply line 19 includes a settling tank water pump 192 and a water supply pipe 191. The amount of water to be treated is controlled by adjusting the liquid level of the water to a predetermined first reference height. This allows the treatment tank 13 to perform activated sludge treatment while containing a constant amount of water to be treated.

[0022] The liquid level of the water to be treated is detected by a level gauge 18 provided in the treatment tank 13. Examples of the liquid level gauge 18 include a float level gauge in which a floating ball or float floats on the surface of the water to be treated and detects the liquid level in conjunction with a pointer that indicates its position, a conductive level gauge in which the liquid level is detected by utilizing the conductivity of the water to be treated, an ultrasonic level gauge in which the liquid level is detected by measuring the distance to the surface of the water to be treated using ultrasonic waves, and a radar level gauge in which the liquid level is detected by using microwaves or radar signals.

[0023] In this embodiment, a treatment tank 13 with a lid on the opening is exemplified, but is not limited thereto. The treatment tank 13 may be a tank or container without a lid or structure on the opening, a tank or container with a lid on the opening, or a tank or container with a structure such as a beam or floor on the opening. In the case of a treatment tank 13 that is a tank or container without a lid or structure on the opening, undissolved gas inside the treatment tank 13 can be efficiently released to the outside. On the other hand, in the case of a treatment tank 13 that is a tank or container with a lid on the opening, even if the water to be treated and / or activated sludge emit a foul odor, leakage of the foul odor to the outside can be reduced, and a drop in the temperature of the water to be treated in cold regions can be reduced.

[0024] (Biological treatment unit 1: Radiation unit 11) A radiation unit 11 that irradiates aerobic microorganisms with radiation is provided on the inner wall surface of the treatment tank 13. The radiation unit 11 is located at a position below a first reference height position of the liquid surface when the water to be treated is subjected to activated sludge treatment with a predetermined storage volume.

[0025] The radiation emitter 11 includes a natural ore 111 containing an alkali metal and / or an alkaline earth metal and emitting radiation, and an ore container 112 containing the natural ore 111. The ore container 112 is made of radiation-transmitting plastic or glass and may be a sealed container with shape retention or a sealed bag without shape retention. In this case, small-sized natural ore 111 can be held in the water to be treated. The ore container 112 may also be a container or bag with multiple through holes, or a mesh container or mesh bag. In this case, by containing natural ore 111 with a particle size larger than the diameter of the holes in the container or bag, the natural ore 111 contained in the ore container 112 can be brought into direct contact with the water to be treated via the through holes.

[0026] If the water to be treated comes into direct contact with the natural ore 111, alkali metals and / or alkaline earth metals may be eluted from the natural ore 111 into the water to be treated. Alkali metals and alkaline earth metals have a higher tendency to ionize than hydrogen. Therefore, the water to be treated may become mineral-containing water containing ionized alkali metals and / or ionized alkaline earth metals. The mineral-containing water enables activated sludge treatment while further activating aerobic microorganisms through bioenergy, which is the radiation hormesis effect.

[0027] Here, the "natural ore 111" is not particularly limited as long as it contains an alkali metal and / or an alkaline earth metal. In particular, the natural ore 111 contains an isotope of potassium. 40 Isotopes of K and / or rubidium 87 It is preferable that Rb is contained. 40 K and / or 87 It may be mineral-containing water capable of emitting high-energy particles, including Rb.

[0028] Furthermore, the natural ore 111 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a natural ore 111 containing one or more minerals exemplified by feldspar, calcite, dolomite, and zeolite. The natural ore 111 preferably contains feldspar, exemplified by alkali feldspar and plagioclase. Feldspar is a three-dimensional tectosilicate mineral whose main component is an aluminosilicate of an alkali metal and / or an alkaline earth metal. Therefore, by including feldspar in the natural ore 111, the radiating portion 11 can contain an even greater amount of alkali metal and / or alkaline earth metal.

[0029] The natural ore 111 preferably contains alkali feldspar, exemplified by orthoclase, borosilicate, microcline, and albinoclase, among other feldspars. Alkali feldspar is a feldspar that contains a large amount of potassium and / or sodium. Therefore, if the natural ore 111 contains alkali feldspar, it can be expected that the radiation portion 11 will contain more potassium. In particular, alkali feldspar is an isotope of potassium. 40 Because it contains a lot of potassium, it is easy to more selectively activate aerobic microorganisms through the radiation hormesis effect.

[0030] The natural ore 111 preferably contains minerals with a particle size of 5 μm or less. This can increase the surface area of ​​the natural ore 111. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the natural ore and the water to be treated are in direct contact with each other, the alkali metals and / or alkaline earth metals contained in the natural ore 111 can be easily eluted into the water to be treated. Furthermore, the natural ore 111 may be sintered at high temperature to form a ceramic. The radiating portion 11 constitutes an activating portion that selectively activates aerobic microorganisms.

[0031] (Biological treatment unit 1: Contact unit 12) A contact section 12 that brings the water to be treated into contact with the radiation section 11 is provided on the inner wall surface of the treatment tank 13. The contact section 12 has a hollow radiation section housing 121. The radiation section housing 121 has a closed top surface, and has a side opening 121a and a bottom opening 121b formed on part of the side surface and the bottom surface, respectively. The top surface of the radiation section housing 121 is connected to the end of a circulation pipe 161 that constitutes the circulation path 16 for the water to be treated, and to the end of an activated sludge recovery pipe 241 of the activated sludge recovery path 24.

[0032] The circulation path 16 includes a treatment tank water pump 163 that sucks and discharges the water to be treated present at the bottom of the treatment tank 13, a two-port, two-position valve 162 that branches the water to be treated discharged from the treatment tank water pump 163 in two directions, and a circulation pipe 161 connected to one output port of the two-port, two-position valve 162. As a result, the water to be treated in the treatment tank 13 is forcibly fed into the radiation unit housing 121 via the circulation path 16, causing the water to flow downward within the radiation unit housing 121 and flow into the treatment tank 13 through the lower opening 121b. As the water to be treated flows through the radiation unit housing 121, it comes into contact with the radiation unit 11. The other output port of the two-port, two-position valve 162 is connected to the solid-liquid separation unit 2, which will be described later, via a treated water pipe 221.

[0033] The radiation unit housing 121 is disposed so that at least the side opening 121a and the bottom opening 121b are positioned below the first reference height position. As a result, when the water to be treated supplied from the circulation path 16 flows through the radiation unit housing 121 at the contact portion 12, the hydrostatic pressure decreases, and the water to be treated in the treatment tank 13 around the side opening 121a is drawn into the radiation unit housing 121. As a result, the circulation of the water to be treated through the circulation path 16 and the drawing of the water to be treated into the radiation unit housing 121 promote agitation of the water to be treated in the treatment tank 13.

[0034] (Biological treatment unit 1: Gas supply unit 14) The treatment tank 13 is further provided with a gas supply unit 14 that supplies air, which is an oxygen-containing gas, into the treatment tank 13. The gas supply unit 14 has a blower 141 arranged outside the treatment tank 13 and an air supply pipe 142 connected to the exhaust port of the blower 141 and arranged at the bottom of the treatment tank 13. A plurality of through holes are formed in the side of the air supply pipe 142. As a result, the gas supply unit 14 supplies bubbly air from the bottom of the treatment tank 13 to the water to be treated by the blower 141 sending air into the air supply pipe 142 and discharging the air through the through holes.

[0035] The air supply pipe 142 is located at the center of the bottom of the treatment tank 13 and is configured to supply bubbly air from the center of the bottom of the treatment tank 13. This allows the gas supply unit 14 to raise the water to be treated together with the air from the center of the bottom of the treatment tank 13, creating a swirling flow that swirls at the top and flows back to the center of the bottom. This promotes agitation of the water in the treatment tank 13 and promotes the flow of the water in the radiation unit housing 121. Furthermore, the bubbly air supplies oxygen to the water to be treated. The flow of the water and the bubbly air vibrate the water, uniformly supplying oxygen to aerobic microorganisms and increasing their exposure to oxygen. This increases the oxygen uptake by aerobic microorganisms, promoting their proliferation. In this way, the gas supply unit 14 not only supplies bubbly air to the water to be treated, but also vibrates the water to be treated, which is provided by the vibration device 17 described below.

[0036] The blower 141 may be configured to be able to control the amount of air supplied. When air is supplied at a constant supply rate, the flow velocity and flow direction of the water to be treated can be kept constant. On the other hand, when air is supplied by increasing or decreasing the supply rate, the flow velocity and flow direction of the water to be treated can be changed. Thus, when the amount of air supplied by the blower 141 is controllable, the swirling flow of the water to be treated can be changed by changing the amount of air supplied, thereby promoting agitation of the water to be treated in the treatment tank 13.

[0037] The air supply pipe 142 may be arranged over the entire bottom surface of the treatment tank 13, and configured to supply air bubbles from the entire bottom surface of the treatment tank 13. When air is supplied from the entire bottom surface of the treatment tank 13, air can be supplied evenly to the entire water to be treated in the treatment tank 13.

[0038] (Biological treatment unit 1: surfactant addition unit 51) The treatment tank 13 is provided with a surfactant addition section 51 that adds an anionic surfactant to the water to be treated. The surfactant addition section 51 has a measuring device (not shown) that measures the amount of anionic surfactant supplied, and enables the anionic surfactant to be supplied from above the treatment tank 13 at a predetermined amount.

[0039] Here, an "anionic surfactant" is a surfactant containing anions, which dissolve and disperse in the water to be treated. The anions dissolve and disperse in the water to be treated, and the presence of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups in the molecule gives the surfactant the ability to be compatible with both water and oil. Examples of anionic surfactants include alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl phosphates, olefin alkyl ethers, and amino fatty acid salts. This allows the surfactant adding unit 51 to suppress the inhibitory effect of cationic surfactants on activated sludge treatment when the water to be treated contains cationic surfactants by adding anionic surfactants.

[0040] Specifically, cationic surfactants may be present in treated water due to the use of detergents, shampoos, cosmetics, etc. Activated sludge treatment is a treatment method that uses aerobic microorganisms to decompose organic matter in the liquid. Therefore, when cationic surfactants are present, their hydrophobic groups bind to the hydrophobic groups in the cell membranes of aerobic microorganisms, increasing the permeability of the cell membranes. This results in the leakage of nutrients and oxygen from the cells and the easier entry of extracellular toxins into the cells, destroying the cells and killing the aerobic microorganisms. This reduces the functionality of the activated sludge treatment, and therefore, treatment efficiency may decrease when treated water containing cationic surfactants is treated with activated sludge.

[0041] In this way, when treating water containing a cationic surfactant with activated sludge, it is preferable to configure the system so that an anionic surfactant is supplied to the water from surfactant adding section 51. In this case, the hydrophobic groups of the anionic surfactant bond with the hydrophobic groups of the cationic surfactant, thereby suppressing the adsorption (binding) of the cationic surfactant to aerobic microorganisms. Therefore, when the anionic surfactant is added to the water to be treated, the inhibition of the activated sludge treatment by the cationic surfactant is suppressed.

[0042] It is desirable to measure the amount of cationic surfactant contained in the water to be treated and supply the amount of cationic surfactant according to the measured amount. The reason for this is to prevent damage to the cell membranes of aerobic microorganisms and inhibition of the metabolism of aerobic microorganisms caused by excessive anionic surfactant. Examples of measurement methods include an absorbance method, which measures the absorbance of the cationic surfactant and calculates its amount, and an electrochemical method, which utilizes the electrochemical properties of the cationic surfactant to measure its amount.

[0043] (Biological treatment unit 1: pH adjustment unit 52) The treatment tank 13 is provided with a pH adjustment unit 52 that adjusts the pH of the water to between 6 and 9 using hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). The pH adjustment unit 52 has meters (not shown) that measure the supply amounts of hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate, respectively, and is capable of supplying predetermined amounts of hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate from above the treatment tank 13. This allows the pH adjustment unit 52 to acidify the alkaline water to be treated with hydrochloric acid, and to maintain a pH suitable for activated sludge treatment through the pH buffering action of the sodium bicarbonate.

[0044] In addition, the treatment tank 13 is preferably provided with a pH measuring device such as an electrochemical pH meter that measures the pH of the water to be treated using a pH electrode and a reference electrode, or an ion-selective electrode pH meter that measures the pH using an ion-selective electrode that reacts specifically to hydrogen ions in the water to be treated, and the supply amounts of hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate are preferably adjusted according to the pH measured by the pH measuring device.

[0045] (Biological treatment unit 1: Vibration device 17) The treatment tank 13 is provided with a vibrating device 17. The vibrating device 17 is attached to the outer surface of the side wall of the treatment tank 13. The vibrating device 17 is configured so that a weight is attached to an eccentric disk, and the central axis of the eccentric disk is rotated by a drive motor. When the weight rotates around the circumference of the eccentric disk, vibrations are generated due to the eccentricity of the eccentric disk as the weight moves from one point on the circumference to another. These vibrations are then transmitted to the side wall of the treatment tank 13. The vibrations transmitted to the side wall detach aerobic microorganisms adhering to the inner surface of the side wall and vibrate the water to be treated, uniformly supplying oxygen to the aerobic microorganisms. As a result, the aerobic microorganisms increase their oxygen uptake, promoting their growth.

[0046] The vibrating device 17 is not limited to a configuration that generates vibrations by rotating a weight eccentrically, but may have the following configurations: Specifically, the vibrating device 17 may be a pneumatic vibrating device that generates vibrations by driving a piston with air pressure; an electromagnetic vibrating device that generates a magnetic field by passing an electric current through an electromagnetic coil and vibrates a vibrating plate attached to the side wall of the treatment tank 13 with the magnetic field; an acoustic vibrating device that generates sound waves from a speaker and vibrates a vibrating plate attached to the side wall of the treatment tank 13 with the sound waves; or an ultrasonic vibrating device that generates ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic generator and vibrates a vibrating plate attached to the side wall of the treatment tank 13 with the ultrasonic waves. These various vibrating devices 17 can impart vibrations of a frequency and / or amplitude different from the vibrations generated by the air bubbles (oxygen-containing gas) from the gas supply unit 14 to the treatment tank 13 and the water to be treated. Therefore, by selecting the appropriate device, oxygen can be supplied to the aerobic microorganisms more efficiently.

[0047] (Biological treatment unit 1: Other components) A band heater and cooling pipes (not shown) may be provided in the treatment tank 13, along with a temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the water to be treated. In this case, even in seasons when the atmospheric temperature rises and falls significantly from normal temperature, the temperature of the water to be treated in the treatment tank 13 can be detected by the temperature detector, and the power supply to the band heater and the amount of water to the cooling pipes can be adjusted, thereby performing activated sludge treatment while maintaining the temperature of the water to be treated at a constant level.

[0048] Furthermore, it is preferable that a microbial activator be supplied to the water to be treated from an activator supply device (not shown) in the treatment tank 13. The activator supply device has a timer and a meter, and can add a predetermined amount of microbial activator to the water to be treated in the treatment tank 13 using the timer, for example, at night (from 10 p.m. to the morning). Here, the "microbial activator" has the function of selectively promoting the growth and / or activation of aerobic microorganisms. As a result, for example, when the water to be treated is kitchen wastewater, the addition of the microbial activator can promote the growth of grease trap microorganisms, which are a group of microorganisms that decompose oils and fats contained in the kitchen wastewater, and can also promote the decomposition of oils and fats. The activator supply device also constitutes an activation unit that selectively activates aerobic microorganisms. The water purification device 100 may be provided with either the activator supply device or the radiation unit 11, or may be provided with both.

[0049] (Solid-liquid separation section 2: solid-liquid separation tank 21) A solid-liquid separation section 2 is provided downstream (post-process) of the biological treatment section 1 configured as described above, which separates the treated water that has been treated with activated sludge in the biological treatment section 1 into sludge and supernatant liquid. The solid-liquid separation section 2 has a solid-liquid separation tank 21. The solid-liquid separation tank 21 has the same configuration as the treatment tank 13 of the biological treatment section 1, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0050] The solid-liquid separation tank 21 is connected to the treatment tank 13 of the biological treatment unit 1 via a treated water feed line 22. The treated water feed line 22 has a treated water pipe 221, a two-port two-position valve 162 connected to one end of the treated water pipe 221, and a treatment tank water feed pump 163 connected to the two-port two-position valve 162. After the feed direction of the two-port two-position valve 162 is switched to the other output port, the treated water feed line 22 supplies the treated water sucked from the treatment tank 13 by the treatment tank water feed pump 163 from above the solid-liquid separation tank 21 via the treated water pipe 221.

[0051] The amount of treated water supplied to the solid-liquid separation tank 21 is controlled by supplying the treated water so that the liquid level coincides with a predetermined second reference height. This allows solid-liquid separation to be performed with a certain amount of treated water stored in the solid-liquid separation tank 21. The liquid level of the treated water is detected by two level gauges 231 and 232 provided in the solid-liquid separation tank 21. One level gauge 231 is positioned to detect the upper limit height position of the treated water. The other level gauge 232 is positioned to detect the lower limit height position of the supernatant region of the treated water. This allows the other level gauge 232 to accurately distinguish the supernatant portion of the treated water. The level gauges 231 and 232 are the same as the level gauge 18 in the treatment tank 13, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0052] The solid-liquid separation tank 21 is provided with an activated sludge recovery conduit 24, which is a mixing section 24 that mixes treated water containing activated sludge with water to be treated. The activated sludge recovery conduit 24 has an activated sludge recovery pipe 241, one end of which serves as a discharge outlet, located above the radiation unit housing 121, and a separation tank water pump 242 connected to the other end of the activated sludge recovery pipe 241. The input port of the separation tank water pump 242 is connected via piping to the vicinity of the bottom of the solid-liquid separation tank 21. As a result, the activated sludge recovery conduit 24 supplies treated water (sediment) containing a large amount of activated sludge, which has been sucked from the solid-liquid separation tank 21 by the separation tank water pump 242, to the treatment tank 13 from above the radiation unit housing 121 via the activated sludge recovery pipe 241. As a result, the mixer 24 makes it possible to circulate treated water containing a large amount of activated sludge from the solid-liquid separation tank 21 to the treatment tank 13, and also increases the contact opportunity between the radiation unit 11 and the activated sludge, making it possible to exert a higher radiation hormesis effect on the aerobic microorganisms in the activated sludge. Note that the separation tank water pump 242 is preferably configured to be able to discharge excess treated water (sediment) to an external disposal mechanism using a two-port two-position valve and waste liquid piping (not shown).

[0053] Solid-liquid separation tank 21 is provided with drainage channel 25 for discharging the treated supernatant water from which the activated sludge has been separated. Drainage channel 25 has drainage pump 252 connected to the bottom of the supernatant water in solid-liquid separation tank 21, and drainage piping 251 for guiding the treated water discharged from drainage pump 252 to a river, the sea, an agricultural waterway, an industrial waterway, or the like.

[0054] (Water purification control device 3) The treatment operations of the biological treatment unit 1 and solid-liquid separation unit 2 configured as described above are controlled by a water purification control device 3. The water purification control device 3 has a treatment tank control unit 31 that controls the biological treatment unit 1 and a solid-liquid separation tank control unit 32 that controls the solid-liquid separation unit 2. The water purification control device 3 may be a personal computer, a programmable controller, or a combination of a personal computer and a programmable controller. In addition, the treatment tank control unit 31 and the solid-liquid separation tank control unit 32 of the water purification control device 3 may each be configured as a personal computer or a programmable controller. Furthermore, the water purification control device 3 may be connected to a monitoring device 4 operated by an administrator 5 so as to be able to communicate data with each other. In this case, remote monitoring of the water purification device 100 is possible, and centralized monitoring of multiple water purification devices 100 installed in various locations is also possible.

[0055] (Water purification method) To explain in detail the processing operation by the water purification control device 3, the water purification control device 3 executes each step of the water purification method shown in Fig. 2. Note that in this embodiment, a case will be described in which the water purification method is automatically executed by the water purification control device 3, but this is not limited to this, and some or all of the water purification method may be performed manually.

[0056] First, the treated water storage step S1 is carried out. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the settling tank water supply pump 192 is operated, and the supernatant water to be treated, which is obtained by settling solids in the sewage or wastewater in the primary treatment unit, is supplied from above the treatment tank 13 via the treated water supply pipe 191. Then, when the liquid level of the water to be treated rises to the first reference height position and is detected by the liquid level gauge 18, the supply of the water to be treated is stopped. As a result, the treatment tank 13 stores the water to be treated at a predetermined storage volume.

[0057] Next, the treated water adjustment step S2 is performed. The treated water adjustment step S2 includes a hydrochloric acid addition step S21, a sodium bicarbonate addition step S22, and a surfactant addition step S23. The hydrochloric acid addition step S21 and the sodium bicarbonate addition step S22 are performed when the pH value of the water to be treated is outside the range of pH6 to pH9. Specifically, the pH value of the water to be treated is measured, and if it is outside the range of pH6 to pH9, the pH adjustment unit 52 is activated. Then, the supply amounts of hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate (sodium bicarbonate) are measured so that the pH value of the water to be treated falls within the range of pH6 to pH9, and then the hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate are supplied from above the treatment tank 13. Furthermore, in the surfactant addition step S23, the amount of cationic surfactant contained in the water to be treated is measured, and an anionic surfactant is supplied at a supply amount corresponding to the measured amount of cationic surfactant.

[0058] As a result, in the treated water adjustment step S2, the water to be treated in the treatment tank 13 is maintained at a pH value of 6 or higher and 9 or lower using hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and the inhibitory effect of cationic surfactants on activated sludge treatment is suppressed by adding anionic surfactants.

[0059] Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the activated sludge formation process S3 is performed. The activated sludge formation process S3 includes a circulation process S31, an aeration process S32, an agitation process S33, and an activation process S34. In the circulation process S31, the inlet and one of the outlets of the two-port, two-position valve 162 are connected, and then the treatment tank water supply pump 163 is operated. This causes the water to be treated present at the bottom of the treatment tank 13 to be sucked in, and the water that flows through the circulation pipe 161 via the two-port, two-position valve 162 is supplied to the radiation unit housing 121 installed in the treatment tank 13. The water to be treated flows downward within the radiation unit housing 121 and flows out of the bottom opening 121b into the treatment tank 13. As a result, when the water to be treated flows through the radiation unit housing 121, it comes into contact with the radiation unit 11, and aerobic microorganisms contained in the water to be treated are selectively activated by bioenergy, which is the radiation hormesis effect of natural radiation. That is, the water to be treated in the treatment tank 13 is circulated in the circulation step S31, and at the same time, the activation step S34 is carried out.

[0060] In the aeration step S32, the blower 141 is operated to send air into the air supply pipe 142. The air is then discharged through the through-hole of the air supply pipe 142. As a result, air bubbles are supplied from the bottom of the treatment tank 13 into the water to be treated. The air bubbles rise from the center of the bottom of the treatment tank 13, and the water to be treated also rises as it rises, generating a swirling flow that swirls at the top and flows back into the center of the bottom. As a result, agitation of the water to be treated in the treatment tank 13 is promoted, and the flow of the water to be treated in the radiation unit housing 121 of the contact unit 12 is promoted. That is, when the aeration step S32 is performed, an agitation step S33 in which the water to be treated is agitated and an activation step S34 in which aerobic microorganisms are activated and multiplied by air are simultaneously performed.

[0061] Furthermore, the vibrator 17 is operated (agitation step S33, activation step S34), and vibrations are transmitted to the side wall of the treatment tank 13. The vibrations transmitted to the side wall not only detach the aerobic microorganisms adhering to the inner surface of the side wall, but also vibrate the water to be treated, increasing the opportunities for supplying oxygen to the aerobic microorganisms. As a result, the aerobic microorganisms increase their oxygen uptake, promoting their proliferation. As a result, in the activated sludge formation step S3, the organic matter in the water to be treated stored in the treatment tank 13 is decomposed by the aerobic microorganisms and turned into flocculated sludge.

[0062] The activated sludge formation step S3 continues until most of the organic matter has been flocculated by the activated sludge treatment. Thereafter, the separation step S4 is performed. Specifically, the blower 141 is stopped, and the vibrator 17 is also stopped. The inlet and the other outlet of the two-port, two-position valve 162 are then switched to a connected state, and the treated water containing the flocculated sludge in the treatment tank 13 is transferred to the solid-liquid separation tank 21 by the treatment tank water supply pump 163. In the solid-liquid separation tank 21, the treated water is stored up to a second reference height and left until the sludge in the treated water has sufficiently settled. Then, the drainage pump 252 is operated, and the treated water, which becomes the supernatant liquid in the upper region, is discharged to the outside (discharge step S6). Meanwhile, the treated water containing a large amount of settled sludge is recovered into the treatment tank 13 via the activated sludge recovery pipe 241 by the operation of the separation tank water supply pump 242 (activated sludge recovery step S5). By carrying out such a series of treatment steps S1 to S6, the water to be treated is purified in batch units.

[0063] (Variation) In this embodiment, the radiation unit 11 and the contact unit 12 are provided on the side wall surface of the treatment tank 13, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the radiation unit 11 and the contact unit 12 may be arranged in an inner region, such as the center of the treatment tank 13. Specifically, the radiation unit 11 may be arranged in the treatment tank 13 closer to the opening than the gas supply unit 14 and so as to overlap the gas supply unit 14 in a plan view. In this case, the gas supply unit 14 functions as a contact unit, and bubbles from the gas supply unit 14 bring the radiation unit 11 into contact with the water to be treated.

[0064] 5, the radiation unit 61 and the contact unit 62 may be provided in the circulation path 16 outside the treatment tank 13. Specifically, the contact unit 62 has a tubular member 621 with a double piping structure. At least the inner wall 621a of the tubular member 621 is made of plastic or glass, and has a plurality of through holes formed therein. The inner wall 621a may be formed in a mesh-like shape. The radiation unit 11 including the natural ore 111 is provided between the outer wall 621b and the inner wall 621a of the tubular member 621. The upper and lower ends of the tubular member 621 are connected to the circulation piping 161 so as to form part of the circulation piping 161, and the water to be treated flows through the inner space of the inner wall 621a of the tubular member 621 as a flow path. As a result, the radiation section 61 and contact section 62 in Figure 5 are able to selectively activate aerobic microorganisms contained in the water to be treated by the radiation hormesis effect of natural radiation during the period when the water to be treated in the treatment tank 13 is circulated through the circulation path 16.

[0065] It is preferable that a plurality of baffles 622 are provided in the inner space of the inner wall 621a of the cylindrical member 621. In this case, the flow direction of the water to be treated can be forcibly changed toward the direction in which the radiating section 11 is present, while the water to be treated is stirred. Therefore, aerobic microorganisms can be uniformly activated throughout the water to be treated flowing through the cylindrical member 621.

[0066] (summary) As described above, the water purification device 100 includes the radiation unit 11 containing natural ore containing alkali metals and / or alkaline earth metals, the contact unit 12 that brings the water to be treated into contact with the radiation unit 11, the treatment tank 13 that treats the water to be treated using activated sludge, and the gas supply unit 14 (supply unit) that supplies an oxygen-containing gas into the treatment tank 13. More specifically, the water purification device 100 includes the radiation unit 11 containing natural ore 111 that contains alkali metals and / or alkaline earth metals and emits natural radiation, the contact unit 12 that brings the water to be treated, which contains aerobic microorganisms and organic matter, into contact with the radiation unit 11, thereby selectively activating the aerobic microorganisms in the water to be treated by the radiation hormesis effect of natural radiation, the treatment tank 13 that performs activated sludge treatment on the water to be treated using activated sludge containing the aerobic microorganisms selectively activated by the radiation hormesis effect, and the gas supply unit 14 (supply unit) that supplies an oxygen-containing gas to the water to be treated stored in the treatment tank 13.

[0067] As a result, the water purification device 100 is able to activate a wide range of aerobic microorganisms in purified water using activated sludge treatment, thereby further increasing the efficiency of the activated sludge treatment.

[0068] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, the effects described in the above-described embodiments are merely a list of the most preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1 Biological Treatment Section 2 Solid-liquid separation section 3. Water purification control device 11 Radiation section 12 Contact part 13 Treatment tank 14 Gas supply section 16 Circulation path 17 Vibration device 18 Level gauge 19 Treated water supply line 21 Solid-liquid separation tank 22 Treated water supply line 24 Activated sludge recovery channel (mixing section) 25 Drainage Channel 31 Treatment tank control section 32 Solid-liquid separation tank control section 51 Surfactant addition section 52 pH adjustment section 61 Radiation part 62 Contact area

Claims

1. an activation unit that selectively activates aerobic microorganisms; a contact portion that brings the water to be treated into contact with the radiation portion; a treatment tank for treating the water to be treated using activated sludge; a supply unit that supplies an oxygen-containing gas into the treatment tank; A water purification device comprising:

2. The water purification device described in claim 1, wherein the activation section is composed of an emission section containing natural ores containing alkali metals and / or alkaline earth metals, and / or an activation agent supply device capable of supplying a microbial activator that selectively promotes the growth and / or activation of the aerobic microorganisms to the treated water.

3. The system further includes a mixing section for mixing the treated water, which has been treated in the treatment tank and contains activated sludge, with the water to be treated. The contact unit brings the water to be treated, which has been mixed with the treated water, into contact with the radiation unit, The treatment tank treats the water to be treated mixed with the treated water. The water purification device according to claim 1 .

4. Further provided is a surfactant adding unit that adds an anionic surfactant to the water to be treated, The water purification device according to claim 1 , wherein the surfactant adding unit is configured to supply the anionic surfactant to the water to be treated when the water to be treated contains a cationic surfactant.

5. The water purification device according to claim 1 , further comprising a pH adjusting unit that adjusts the pH of the water to be treated to between 6 and 9 using hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate.

6. The water purification apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a vibration device that vibrates the water to be treated in the treatment tank.

7. The water purification apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the vibration device is configured to impart vibrations to the water to be treated having a frequency and / or amplitude different from vibrations generated by the gas supplied by the supply unit.

8. The treatment tank has an opening, the radiation unit is disposed in the treatment tank closer to the opening than the supply unit and so as to overlap with the supply unit in a plan view; The water purification device according to claim 1 , wherein the supply section is configured to function as the contact section.

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