Microorganism granule selection apparatus easily installable in bioreactor of sewage / wastewater treatment system

Abstract

Disclosed are: a microorganism granule selection apparatus which is installed in a bioreactor of a sewage / wastewater treatment system to select and recover microorganism granules; and a sewage / wastewater treatment system comprising same. According to an aspect of the present invention, provided is a granule selection apparatus which receives sewage / wastewater containing sludge from a bioreactor, distributes the sludge to an inclined tube part, selects the sludge and microorganism granules in the inclined tube part, and settles and collects the selected granules.

Description

A microbial granule sorting device that can be easily installed in a biological reactor of a wastewater treatment system.

[0001] The present invention relates to a granule sorting device for effectively sorting microbial granules from a mixed liquid suspension solid by easily installing the device in an existing bioreactor in a wastewater treatment system using microbial granules.

[0002] The content described in this section merely provides background information for the present embodiment and does not constitute prior art.

[0003] Typically, wastewater treatment plants utilize the standard activated sludge process or its variants, with sludge moving between reactors with different conditions through continuous flow or sludge return. Microorganisms used in this biological wastewater treatment encompass a wide variety of species and can be broadly categorized into autotrophs and heterotrophs depending on the carbon source used. These microorganisms have a specific gravity of approximately 1.05 to 1.2 and a size of less than 0.05 to 1.0 µm, resulting in slow sedimentation rates. Consequently, the concentration of microorganisms that can be separated and concentrated through solid-liquid separation in typical gravity sedimentation tanks is limited. Furthermore, the dominant microorganisms, target pollutants, and removal efficiency vary depending on the conditions of each reactor. Furthermore, bulking and foaming phenomena can occur depending on the characteristics of the influent and the operating method, leading to fluctuations in solid-liquid separation performance and treatment efficiency.

[0004] To overcome these problems, biofilm processes that attach microorganisms using media, and membrane bioreactors that separate treated water and sludge using membranes instead of sedimentation tanks are being applied.

[0005] However, using a filter medium to immobilize microorganisms incurs additional costs for both the production of the filter medium and the immobilization of the microorganisms, and there is the problem of unimmobilized microorganisms leaking out. Furthermore, membrane bioreactors suffer from reduced filtration efficiency due to membrane fouling and high energy consumption for membrane cleaning.

[0006] Another approach utilizes microbial granules, a technology that utilizes highly concentrated, self-immobilized granular sludge produced by microorganisms without external mediators. Specifically, by adjusting biological and physical operating conditions during the wastewater treatment process, microbial flocs self-immobilize to form granules. These microbial granules have the advantage of increasing solids concentration and increasing the proportion of active microorganisms within the reactor, maximizing biological treatment capacity.

[0007] The most crucial step for the efficient operation of this microbial granule process is the selection of granules. In an actual bioreactor, in addition to active microorganisms and their byproducts, particulate matter such as non-biodegradable suspended organics (NSSOs), slowly biodegradable suspended organics (SSOs), and non-volatile suspended solids (FSS) exist in the form of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS). Of these, active microorganisms typically account for less than 30%. Therefore, the process of effectively selecting and recovering microbial granules from the MLSS has a significant impact on the efficiency and performance of the entire treatment process.

[0008] However, since the existing microbial granule process is operated based on a batch reactor, while most existing medium and large-scale treatment plants apply a continuous flow process, it is difficult to apply the microbial granule process as an improvement technology within existing treatment facilities.

[0009] In particular, a technology has been proposed to additionally install a separate physical separation device between the existing biological reactor and the secondary sedimentation tank to separate granules and flocs and recover only granules, or to install a selection device inside the aeration tank. However, it is difficult to secure space to install such a separation device in the existing treatment facility, and it is also realistically difficult to secure a hydraulic flow that can effectively perform granule selection in the existing continuous flow reactor.

[0010] One embodiment of the present invention aims to provide a microbial granule sorting device that can be easily installed and maintained in a biological reactor of an existing wastewater treatment plant without structural changes or interruption of operation.

[0011] In addition, one embodiment of the present invention aims to provide an upward-flow tubular inclined tube-type granule sorting device capable of easily controlling the sedimentation speed of granules so that the sorting of microbial granules can be maintained stably and efficiently despite fluctuations in the inflow rate of a wastewater treatment plant and changes in the operating conditions of a biological reactor.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, a microbial granule sorting device installed in a biological reactor of a wastewater treatment system to sort and recover microbial granules comprises: a sludge inflow zone for receiving wastewater containing sludge that has undergone biological treatment in a biological reactor and moving it downward; a distribution pipe for evenly distributing sludge introduced through the sludge inflow zone to an inclined pipe section; a discharge pipe branching from the distribution pipe and discharging sludge introduced into the distribution pipe to a preset height within the inclined pipe section; an inclined pipe section for sorting microbial granules from sludge discharged from the discharge pipe and causing them to settle downward; a granule collection section provided at the lower portion of the distribution pipe for collecting granules separated from the inclined pipe section and settling downward; a granule discharge pipe for discharging granules collected in the granule collection section to the outside; and a sludge discharge pipe for discharging sludge and wastewater from which microbial granules are separated from the inclined pipe section. A granule sorting device is provided, characterized by including a discharge weir.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, the biological reactor is an aerobic reactor, and the sludge inflow zone is characterized in that it receives sludge that has undergone a biological reaction in the aerobic reactor from above and moves it downward while removing air bubbles attached to the sludge.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, the inclined tube section is characterized in that a plurality of tubular unit inclined tubes are provided inclined in a vertical direction, and the plurality of unit inclined tubes are arranged in a plurality of rows and horizontally so that selection of granules is performed in an upward flow manner inside the unit inclined tubes.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present invention, the discharge pipe is provided in a number corresponding to the plurality of unit inclined pipes, and is formed to branch from the distribution pipe and extend upward toward the inside of the plurality of unit inclined pipes to a preset height, and the preset height to which the discharge pipe extends is characterized in that it is in the range of 30 to 65% of the total height of the inclined pipe section.

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, the distribution pipe is characterized in that one end is connected to the lower end of the sludge inflow zone, receives sludge from the sludge inflow zone, and supplies the sludge to the unit inclined pipe through the discharge pipe, and the diameter of the distribution pipe decreases from the end connected to the sludge inflow zone to the other end.

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, the inclined pipe section is formed as an inclined pipe module having a structure in which two to four unit inclined pipes are integrally connected, and the inclined pipe modules are characterized in that they can be individually separated and assembled within the inclined pipe section.

[0018] According to one aspect of the present invention, the granule sorting device further includes a plurality of support legs at the bottom, and the support legs are characterized in that they can be adjusted in height and / or horizontally so that the granule sorting device can be installed and supported while maintaining a horizontal position within the biological reactor.

[0019] According to one aspect of the present invention, a wastewater treatment system including the granule sorting device is provided, comprising a primary sedimentation tank, a biological reaction tank, and a secondary sedimentation tank, wherein the granule sorting device is installed inside the biological reaction tank and is positioned at the end of the biological reaction tank.

[0020] According to one aspect of the present invention, at least one granule sorting device is installed in the biological reactor, and is arranged along the width direction at the end of the biological reactor to receive sludge that has undergone granule growth and pollutant decomposition at the front end of the biological reactor.

[0021] According to one aspect of the present invention, the biological reactor further includes an emergency discharge sluice gate, and the emergency discharge sluice gate is arranged parallel to the sludge discharge weir of the granule sorting device so that, in an emergency, the sludge of the biological reactor is discharged to a subsequent process without flowing into the granule sorting device.

[0022] According to one aspect of the present invention, the biological reactor is composed of an anaerobic tank, an anoxic tank, and an aerobic tank in that order, and the granule sorting device is installed at the end of the aerobic tank.

[0023] As described above, according to one aspect of the present invention, the granule sorting device has the advantage of being easily installed not only in a new wastewater treatment facility but also in an existing treatment facility without significantly changing the structure of the existing reactor.

[0024] In addition, by applying an upward-oriented tubular inclined pipe sedimentation structure, granules and flocs can be efficiently separated, and in particular, by modularizing the individual inclined pipes into an assembly-type structure, individual modules can be removed and cleaned without stopping the operation of the reactor. Furthermore, this inclined pipe modular structure has the advantage of easily adjusting the flow rate within the unit inclined pipe of the granule sorting device in response to the condition of the granules to be recovered or the flow rate fluctuation of the inflowing wastewater, thereby stably maintaining the granule sorting efficiency.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a reaction tank in which a microbial granule sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention is installed.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating a microbial granule sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the movement path of granules and flocs when performing microbial granule selection in a conventional inclined plate sedimentation structure.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the movement path of granules and flocs in a tubular inclined tube of a microbial granule sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a configuration in which the position of a unit slope pipe is adjusted in a microbial granule sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a support structure of a microbial granule sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 7 is a process diagram illustrating an example in which a microbial granule sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied to a wastewater treatment system.

[0032] The present invention is susceptible to various modifications and embodiments. Specific embodiments are illustrated and described in detail in the drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, but rather to encompass all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. Throughout the description of each drawing, similar reference numerals have been used to designate similar components.

[0033] Terms such as first, second, A, and B may be used to describe various components, but these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component. The term "and / or" includes a combination of multiple related items described herein or any of multiple related items described herein.

[0034] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0035] The terminology used in this application is solely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should be understood that terms such as "comprise" or "have" in this application do not preclude the presence or possibility of addition of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification.

[0036] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0037] Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this application.

[0038] In addition, each configuration, process, procedure or method included in each embodiment of the present invention may be shared within a scope that is not technically inconsistent with each other.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a reaction tank in which a microbial granule sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention is installed.

[0040] The present invention relates to a microbial granule sorting device applicable to a wastewater treatment system using microbial granules, and is particularly characterized by being a granule sorting device having a structure that can be easily installed in a biological reactor of an existing wastewater treatment system.

[0041] Fig. 1a is a cross-sectional view of a reaction tank, and Fig. 1b is a plan view showing the top of the reaction tank. As illustrated in Fig. 1, a microbial granule sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be installed within a reaction tank (100), wherein the reaction tank (100) refers to a bioreactor, i.e., a space where a microbial reaction takes place.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 1, the reactor (100) may include a biological reaction zone (110), a granule sorting device (120), a sludge discharge channel (130), a granule transport unit (140), and an emergency discharge sluice gate (150).

[0043] The reaction tank (100) may be a biological reaction tank already installed in an existing wastewater treatment facility or a biological reaction tank installed in a wastewater treatment process of a new treatment facility.

[0044] The biological reaction zone (110) is formed on the inflow side where wastewater flows into the reactor (100), decomposes pollutants through microbial reaction, and discharges the wastewater after the microbial reaction is completed to the granule sorting device (120).

[0045] The biological reaction zone (110) receives wastewater that has undergone a pretreatment process within the wastewater treatment process, induces the growth of microbial granules, and removes pollutants based on the formed granules.

[0046] The biological reaction zone (110) may be, for example, an aerobic tank. Wastewater containing mixed liquid suspended solids (MLSS) that has undergone biological treatment for a certain retention time in the biological reaction zone (110) is introduced into a granule sorting device (120).

[0047] The granule sorting device (120) is placed at the end of the reactor (100), i.e., on the downstream side, and effectively sorts and recovers microbial granules from the mixed liquid suspended solids (MLSS) that has undergone biological treatment, and the wastewater from which the granules have been separated is discharged to the solid-liquid separation or advanced treatment stage at the subsequent stage.

[0048] As described above, the granule sorting device (120) may be configured as a separate, independent structure and may be installed inside an existing reactor. Referring to FIG. 1b, at least one granule sorting device (120) may be installed inside the reactor (100), and the number of granule sorting devices to be installed may be determined by the size of the reactor (100), particularly the width of the reactor (100).

[0049] The granule sorting device (120) can effectively separate and recover only granules with a relatively fast sedimentation rate among the mixed liquid suspended solids (MLSS) by utilizing the difference in sedimentation rate between microbial granules and inactive solids, i.e., flocs, and the wastewater from which the granules have been separated is discharged through a sludge discharge channel (130) for subsequent treatment.

[0050] The specific configuration of separating granules and flocs in the granule sorting device (120) will be described later in FIG. 2.

[0051] The sludge discharge channel (130) receives wastewater from which granules have been separated from the granule sorting device (120), and can transport it to a subsequent process or temporarily store it for flow control.

[0052] Accordingly, the sludge discharge channel (130) may be configured as a water channel-shaped transport pipe provided at the rear end of an existing reactor (100) or as a tank with a storage function.

[0053] The granule transport unit (140) receives microbial granules recovered from the granule sorting device (120) and temporarily stores them or returns them to the biological treatment stage.

[0054] The granule transport unit (140) may be a separate storage tank already formed in the existing reactor (100), or may be configured in the form of a transport pipe.

[0055] An emergency discharge sluice gate (150) is installed at the end of the reactor (100), and in the event of an emergency, allows the wastewater in the reactor (100) to be discharged directly to the subsequent process without passing through the granule sorting device (120).

[0056] Referring to Fig. 1b, an emergency discharge sluice gate (150) can be installed between granule sorting devices (120) on the discharge side of the reactor (100).

[0057] The emergency discharge sluice gate (150) is kept closed during normal operation of the granule sorting device (120), so that all wastewater that has passed through the biological reaction zone (110) flows into the granule sorting device (120). However, if a problem occurs in the granule sorting device (120) and wastewater cannot flow in, the emergency discharge sluice gate (150) is opened, so that the wastewater in the reaction tank (100) bypasses the granule sorting device (120) and is discharged directly into the sludge discharge channel (130).

[0058] For this purpose, the emergency discharge sluice gate (150) may be configured as a manual or automatic valve (not shown).

[0059] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a specific configuration of a microbial granule sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] FIG. 2a is a cross-sectional view of a microbial granule sorting device (120) according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2b is a plan view showing the upper part of the microbial granule sorting device (120).

[0061] Referring to FIG. 2, the microbial granule sorting device (120) includes a sludge inlet section (210), a distribution pipe (220), a discharge pipe (225), an inclined pipe section (230), a unit inclined pipe (233), an inclined pipe module (235), an inclined pipe module support section (237), a granule collection section (240), a granule discharge pipe (245), a sludge discharge weir (250), and a support leg (260).

[0062] Referring to Fig. 2a, the sludge inflow zone (210) receives wastewater containing mixed liquid suspended solids (MLSS, hereinafter referred to as "sludge") from the biological reaction zone (110) and supplies it to the distribution pipe (220). The sludge inflow zone (210) has an internal space formed so that a downward flow can be formed, and one end of the distribution pipe (220) is connected to the bottom surface.

[0063] Meanwhile, as previously described, the biological reaction zone (110) may be, for example, an aerobic tank. At this time, wastewater passing through the aerobic tank contains a large amount of bubbles during the reaction with oxygen. Sludge mixed with these bubbles may interfere with normal sedimentation. Accordingly, the sludge inlet zone (210) may function to remove bubbles attached to the sludge as it passes through the zone.

[0064] To this end, the sludge inlet zone (210) receives wastewater from above to form a downward flow, and in the process, air bubbles can be separated from the sludge as they move upward. The sludge from which the air bubbles have been removed continues to move along the downward flow and is supplied to the distribution pipe (220) located at the bottom surface of the sludge inlet zone (210).

[0065] The distribution pipe (220) receives sludge from which bubbles have been removed from the sludge inlet zone (210), distributes the sludge to the inclined pipe section (230), and supplies the sludge to the inclined pipe section (230) through the discharge pipe (225).

[0066] Referring to the plan view of Fig. 2b, the inclined pipe section (230) can be configured by arranging a plurality of unit inclined pipes (233) in a row, and the distribution pipe (220) is connected to the lower part of the inclined pipe module (233) constituting one row so as to evenly supply sludge to each unit inclined pipe (233).

[0067] That is, a plurality of discharge ports (not shown) corresponding to the number of distribution pipes (220) can be formed at the bottom of the sludge inlet zone (210), and a plurality of distribution pipes (220) are installed to correspond to each row of unit inclined pipes (233) constituting the inclined pipe section (230).

[0068] At this time, the distribution pipe (220) may be formed in a structure in which the diameter thereof gradually decreases as it moves away from the inflow side located in the sludge inflow zone (210). This is to ensure that the flow rate of the sludge supplied to each unit incline pipe (233) is maintained the same by gradually reducing the cross-sectional area of ​​the distribution pipe (220), taking into account that the sludge flow rate decreases as it moves downstream from the inflow end as the sludge is supplied to the incline pipe section (230).

[0069] Referring again to FIG. 2a, the discharge pipe (225) is located at the upper portion of the distribution pipe (220) and discharges sludge moving along the distribution pipe (220) into the interior of the inclined pipe section (230).

[0070] To this end, the discharge pipe (225) is formed to branch from the upper surface of the distribution pipe (220) and extend toward the inclined pipe section (230), and it is preferable that the extended length be extended to reach the middle height of the inclined pipe section (230), that is, to a height corresponding to 30 to 65% of the total height of the inclined pipe section (230). In addition, the discharge pipe (225) is formed to be inclined at an angle corresponding to the inclination angle of the inclined pipe section (230).

[0071] The discharge pipe (225) is formed in multiple numbers to correspond to the unit inclined pipes (233) constituting the inclined pipe section (230) and is placed inside the unit inclined pipe (233). At this time, the discharge pipe (225) is placed at a position adjacent to the upper side of each unit inclined pipe (233) so as not to obstruct the sedimentation path of the granule particles.

[0072] The inclined pipe section (230) separates microbial granules and inactive solids, i.e., flocs, from the sludge flowing in from the discharge pipe (225) by utilizing the difference in sedimentation rate between the two. At this time, granules with a fast sedimentation rate settle downward and move to the granule collection section (240), and wastewater containing flocs moves upward and is discharged to the outside through the sludge discharge weir.

[0073] The inclined pipe section (230) is composed of a plurality of unit inclined pipes (233), and these unit inclined pipes (233) are arranged in a plurality of transverse and column directions to form one inclined pipe section (230). The plurality of unit inclined pipes (233) are arranged to be inclined in the vertical direction, thereby separating granules and flocs within each inclined pipe (233). The unit inclined pipe (233) is formed in a tubular, i.e., tubular inclined pipe structure.

[0074] As described above, the present invention utilizes the difference in sedimentation speed between granules and flocs to sort granules, and introduces an inclined plate-based sedimentation structure to minimize the area required for granule separation. However, it is not realistically easy to install a conventional inclined plate type sedimentation device inside a biological reactor of an existing wastewater treatment facility, and in a plate-type inclined structure, flocs and granules are not separated efficiently, so there is a problem that a significant number of flocs are sedimented together with granules, which will be explained with reference to FIG. 3.

[0075] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the path along which granules and flocs move in a typical inclined plate sedimentation structure.

[0076] Figure 3(a) shows the movement path of granules, and Figure 3(b) shows the movement path of flocs. Referring to Figure 3, in a conventional inclined plate sedimentation structure, sludge flows in from the bottom. Considering the return of recovered granules, assuming that the total inflow flow rate into the inclined plate structure is 2Q, 1Q moves downward as the return flow rate simultaneously with the inflow, and only the remaining 1Q moves into the inclined plate structure. Therefore, the flow rate at which sedimentation separation actually occurs within the inclined plate is 1Q.

[0077] Referring to Figure 3, the mixture of granules, flocs and water moving on the inclined plate has a cross-sectional area A of V w1It moves at a velocity of (=1Q / A, Q: inlet flow rate of the inclined plate, A: area between the inclined plates). At this time, V G Granules with a settling velocity of V w1 and V G The resultant force ν G It sinks downward within the slope and separates into the lower part. Also, V F A floc with a settling velocity of V w1 and V F The resultant force ν F As it moves within the inclined plate, as can be seen in Fig. 3(b), in this case, it settles on the surface of the inclined plate and is unable to be separated from the granules.

[0078] Moreover, in the conventional inclined plate structure, 1Q is returned immediately before the separation of granules and flocs is performed. Therefore, the effective separation flow rate actually performed in the inclined plate structure is only 50% of the total inlet flow rate. Consequently, the actual separation efficiency of granules and flocs is further reduced.

[0079] On the other hand, the unit inclined pipe (233) of the present invention discharges a mixture of granules, flocs, and water into the unit inclined pipe (233) through the discharge pipe (225), and by extending the discharge point to the middle height of the unit inclined pipe (233), the sorting efficiency can be improved compared to the conventional inclined plate type sedimentation structure. The process of sorting granules and flocs within the unit inclined pipe (233) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0080] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the movement path of granules and flocs in a unit inclined tube of a microbial granule sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] Fig. 4(a) shows the flow velocity and the sedimentation velocity of granules in the inclined pipe (233), Fig. 4(b) compares the movement paths of granules and flocs in the inclined pipe (233) of the present invention, and Fig. 4(c) is a conceptual diagram comparing the movement paths of flocs in the existing inclined plate structure and the inclined pipe structure of the present invention.

[0082] Referring to Fig. 4, the unit inclined pipe (233) of the present invention has a discharge pipe (225) formed to extend upwards to the middle height inside. Accordingly, when the inflow flow rate is 2Q, the flow rate for the inclined pipe cross-sectional area (A) corresponds to the discharge speed of the discharge pipe (225), which can be maintained twice as fast as the flow rate in the conventional inclined plate structure (V w2 =2Q / A). As the flow velocity within the inclined pipe increases, the flocs move further upward in the inclined pipe (233), and the sorting efficiency for relatively large flocs can be further improved compared to the conventional inclined plate structure.

[0083] Referring again to FIG. 2, the inclined pipe section (230) of the present invention includes a plurality of unit inclined pipes (233), and the unit inclined pipes (233) may be connected in groups of two to four to form an inclined pipe module (235) of an integrated structure. This inclined pipe module (235) may be formed in a structure that can be separated and assembled separately.

[0084] For example, referring to FIG. 2b, the slope pipe module (235) may have a structure in which three unit slope pipes (233) are formed integrally.

[0085] Meanwhile, the number of unit inclined pipes (233) included in the inclined pipe module (235) may be changed as needed and is not limited to the above embodiment. In addition, the number of unit inclined pipes (233) arranged in the inclined pipe section (230) in the horizontal and column directions may also be changed depending on the size of the reaction tank, etc.

[0086] The inclined pipe section (230) of the granule sorting device (120) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that unit inclined pipes (233) are arranged in five rows, and three unit inclined pipes (233) form one inclined pipe module (235), so that two inclined pipe modules (235) are arranged in each row.

[0087] The inclined pipe module support (237) is formed on the upper part of the inclined pipe section (230), so that when some inclined pipe modules (235) are not used in the inclined pipe section (230), the inclined pipe module (235) can be supported while being lifted upward.

[0088] To this end, a plurality of inclined pipe module support members (237) may be formed on the upper portion of the inclined pipe section (230) at a position higher than the water level at which wastewater containing flocks overflows, and the number of support members (237) may vary depending on the number of inclined pipe modules (235) arranged horizontally.

[0089] The inclined pipe module support (237) is formed of a magnetic material, so that the upper part of the inclined pipe module (235) raised upward can be attached to the inclined pipe module support (237) by magnetic force.

[0090] The granule collection unit (240) is formed at the bottom of the inclined pipe unit (230) and the distribution pipe (220), collects granules that have been precipitated and separated in the inclined pipe unit (230), and discharges them to the granule transport unit (140) for return through the granule discharge pipe (245).

[0091] The granule collection unit (240) is formed with a hopper structure so that granules settling from the top can be effectively collected.

[0092] The granule discharge pipe (245) is formed as a pipe connecting the granule collection unit (240) and the granule transport unit (140), and transports the collected granules to a storage tank or transport device for return.

[0093] A sludge discharge weir (250) is formed on the upper outflow channel side of the inclined pipe section (230) and discharges wastewater including floc discharged through the inclined pipe section (230) into the sludge discharge channel (130).

[0094] The sludge discharge weir (250) is arranged in a form that is placed on the sludge discharge weir (not shown) installed at the end of the reactor (100). At this time, the lower part of the sludge discharge weir (250) can be coated with a material for buffering and watertightness (not shown). Through such a coating on the lower part of the sludge discharge weir, even when the granule sorting device (120) is installed in the existing reactor (100), a watertight structure is secured on the concrete weir of the reactor (100), so that separate watertightness treatment is not necessary, and also, when the granule sorting device (120) needs to be lifted for repair of the device, the lifting operation is easy.

[0095] For the sludge discharge weir (250), it is preferable to use a coating material having watertightness and cushioning performance such as rubber or similar, in addition to watertightness, for shock absorption and vibration absorption.

[0096] The support legs (260) are formed in multiple pieces so that the granule sorting device (120) can be installed inside the reaction tank (100).

[0097] The support leg (260) stably supports the granule sorting device (120) on the bottom of the reaction tank (100), and includes at least four legs, thereby including a horizontal adjustment function so that the granule sorting device (120) can remain horizontal regardless of the shape of the bottom surface of the reaction tank (100). This will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0098] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a support structure of a microbial granule sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 6, the support leg (260) includes a horizontal adjustment part (610) and a screw connection part (630) at the bottom.

[0100] The horizontal adjustment unit (610) is connected to the lower part of the support leg (260), and rotates to allow adjustment of height and / or horizontality, and supports the bottom surface of the reaction tank (100) by contacting it.

[0101] The screw joint (630) is installed in the support leg (260) so that the horizontal adjustment part (610) adjusts the height and horizontality by screw joint.

[0102] By adjusting the height of each individual support leg (260) by the configuration of the horizontal adjustment part (610) and the screw connection part (630) formed at the end of the support leg (260), the granule sorting device (120) can be installed while maintaining the horizontal level even when the bottom surface of the reactor (100) is not horizontal. At this time, in order to check the horizontal level of the granule sorting device (120), a horizontal and vertical level (not shown) may be further included on the upper part of the granule sorting device (120).

[0103] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a structure in which the position of the inclined tube module is changed in a microbial granule sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0104] As described above, the inclined pipe module (235) of the present invention is configured in a structure that can be separated and assembled separately, and the maintenance efficiency of the inclined pipe section (230) can be improved by this assembled structure.

[0105] Referring to Fig. 5, the individual inclined pipe module (235) is attached and fixed to the inclined pipe module support member (237) located on the upper side of the inclined pipe section (230) while being lifted upward. At this time, the inclined pipe module (235) lifted upward is lifted to a position higher than the discharge water level at which sludge discharged through the inclined pipe section (230) overflows, thereby blocking the inflow of sludge through the module (235). As a result, the lifted inclined pipe module (235) does not separate granules and flocs.

[0106] By applying a method of adjusting the number of effective modules so that some of the inclined pipe modules (235) are not used for granule sorting, the present invention can effectively control the flow rate in the entire inclined pipe section (230) by adjusting the sludge inflow area passing through the inclined pipe section (230).

[0107] In general, since the inflow rate of wastewater treatment facilities fluctuates daily or seasonally, it is not easy to maintain a constant appropriate flow rate for optimal separation of granules and flocs within the inclined pipe section (230). In addition, in the initial stage when granules begin to form, the size of the granules is not significantly different from that of the flocs, so the flow rate must be lowered to secure the separation efficiency of the granules, and thereafter, as the growth of the granules progresses, the flow rate must be gradually increased.

[0108] In order to increase the flow rate within the inclined plate, methods such as reducing the number of inclined plates or increasing the return flow rate have been used. However, in the former case, it is not easy to change the number of inclined plates during operation, and in the latter case, not only does maintenance cost increase due to the operation of the return pump, but it can also affect the conditions of the bioreactor.

[0109] On the other hand, the granule sorting device (120) of the present invention can individually adjust the modules (235) in the inclined pipe section (230) in an assembly-like manner and prevent sludge inflow by lifting them upward, so that the effective area can be relatively easily changed even during operation, thereby effectively controlling the flow rate in the inclined pipe.

[0110] For example, when a total of 10 inclined pipe modules (235) are installed, when one inclined pipe module (235) is lifted upward as shown in FIG. 5, the flow rate can be increased by 10% for the effective inclined pipe section (230). That is, when a total of 10 inclined pipe modules (235) are installed, it is possible to respond to a flow rate fluctuation within a range of 10% to 100%. That is, the range capable of responding to a flow rate fluctuation can also be controlled depending on the number of granule sorting devices (120) installed in the reactor (100) and the number of inclined pipe modules (235) equipped in each device.

[0111] Meanwhile, the assembly structure of the inclined pipe module (235) of the present invention has the advantage that cleaning can be performed without stopping the granule sorting device (120) during long-term operation.

[0112] As the granule sorting device (120) is operated for a long time, solid substances such as microorganisms are attached and grown on the inner wall of the inclined pipe (233), and thus periodic cleaning and management of the inclined pipe (233) is required. When cleaning the sedimentation structure of the conventional inclined plate and integral inclined pipe type, the inflow of sludge must be stopped and the entire structure must be separated, which sometimes requires the entire process to be stopped.

[0113] However, the present invention applies a prefabricated structure of an inclined pipe module (235), so that individual modules (235) can be selectively separated from the sorting device (120), washed externally, and then reassembled. Accordingly, there is no need to stop the operation of the reaction tank (100) and the granule sorting device (120).

[0114] Figure 7 is a process diagram illustrating an example in which a microbial granule sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied to a wastewater treatment system.

[0115] As described above, the granule sorting device (120) of the present invention can be easily installed in a reaction tank (100) in an existing wastewater treatment system.

[0116] Referring to Fig. 7, the reactor (100) in which the granule sorting device (120) is installed may be a continuous flow type bioreactor (see Figure (a) of Fig. 7). In this case, the bioreactor may be configured to receive wastewater, induce the growth of microbial granules, simultaneously decompose pollutants, separate and recover granules in the granule sorting device (120) provided at the end of the bioreactor, and return the recovered granules to the front of the bioreactor.

[0117] In addition, referring to the drawing (b) of FIG. 7, the reaction tank (100) in which the granule sorting device (120) of the present invention is installed may be an aerobic tank. In this case, the reaction tank (100) may be configured in the order of an anaerobic tank, an anoxic tank, and an aerobic tank, so that contaminants are decomposed as the granules grow, and the granule sorting device (120) installed at the end of the aerobic tank may be configured to separate and recover the granules after the completion of the reaction and return them to the front end of the anaerobic tank.

[0118] The above description is merely an example of the technical idea of ​​the present embodiment, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. Therefore, the present embodiments are not intended to limit the technical idea of ​​the present embodiment, but rather to explain it, and the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present embodiment is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present embodiment should be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of the present embodiment.

[0119]

[0120] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0121]

[0122] *This patent application claims priority under 35 USC § 119(a) to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0089596, filed in Korea on July 8, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. Furthermore, if this patent application claims priority in countries other than the United States for the same reasons, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

Claims

1. In a microbial granule sorting device installed in a biological reactor of a wastewater treatment system to sort and recover microbial granules, A sludge inflow zone that receives wastewater containing sludge that has undergone biological treatment in a biological reactor and moves it downward; A distribution pipe that evenly distributes sludge introduced through the above sludge introduction zone to the inclined pipe section; A discharge pipe branching from the above distribution pipe and discharging sludge flowing into the distribution pipe to a preset height within the inclined pipe section; An inclined pipe section that selects microbial granules from the sludge discharged from the above discharge pipe and causes them to settle downward; A granule collection unit provided at the lower portion of the above distribution pipe to collect granules separated from the inclined pipe and settling downward; A granule discharge pipe for discharging granules collected in the granule collection unit to the outside; and A granule sorting device characterized by including a sludge discharge weir that discharges sludge and wastewater from which microbial granules are separated from the above-mentioned inclined pipe section.

2. In paragraph 1, The above biological reactor is an aerobic reactor, A granule sorting device characterized in that the above sludge inflow zone receives sludge that has undergone a biological reaction in the above aerobic tank from above and moves it downward while removing air bubbles attached to the sludge.

3. In paragraph 1, The above slope section is, A granule sorting device characterized in that a plurality of tubular unit inclined pipes are arranged in a vertically inclined manner, and the plurality of unit inclined pipes are arranged in a plurality of rows and horizontally so that sorting of granules is performed in an upward flow manner inside the unit inclined pipes.

4. In paragraph 3, The above discharge pipe is, Equipped with a number corresponding to the above multiple unit slope pipes, Branching from the above distribution pipe, it is formed to extend upward toward the inside of the plurality of unit slope pipes to a preset height, A granule sorting device characterized in that the preset height at which the discharge pipe is extended is in the range of 30 to 65% of the total height of the inclined pipe section.

5. In paragraph 3, The above distribution pipe is connected at one end to the lower part of the sludge inlet zone to receive sludge from the sludge inlet zone and supply the sludge to the unit inclined pipe through the discharge pipe. A granule sorting device characterized in that the diameter of the above distribution pipe decreases from one end connected to the sludge inlet zone to the other end.

6. In paragraph 3, The above slope section is, The above unit slope pipes are formed as slope pipe modules with a structure in which 2 to 4 slope pipes are connected integrally. A granule sorting device characterized in that the above-mentioned inclined pipe module can be individually separated and assembled within the above-mentioned inclined pipe section.

7. In paragraph 1, The above granule sorting device further includes a plurality of supporting legs at the bottom, A granule sorting device characterized in that the above support leg is height and / or horizontally adjustable so that the granule sorting device can be installed and supported while maintaining a horizontal position within the biological reactor.

8. In a wastewater treatment system including the granule sorting device of paragraph 1, Primary sedimentation tank; biological reactor; and Includes a secondary sedimentation tank, A wastewater treatment system characterized in that the granule sorting device is installed inside the biological reactor and is positioned at the end of the biological reactor.

9. In paragraph 8, The above granule sorting device, A wastewater treatment system characterized in that at least one biological reactor is installed in the biological reactor, and is arranged along the width direction at the end of the biological reactor to receive sludge that has undergone granule growth and pollutant decomposition at the front end of the biological reactor.

10. In paragraph 9, The above biological reactor further includes an emergency discharge gate, A wastewater treatment system characterized in that the above emergency discharge sluice gate is arranged parallel to the sludge discharge weir of the granule sorting device so that, in an emergency, the sludge of the biological reactor is discharged to a subsequent process without flowing into the granule sorting device.

11. In paragraph 8, The above biological reactor, A wastewater treatment system characterized in that it is composed of an anaerobic tank, an anoxic tank, and an aerobic tank in that order, and the granule sorting device is installed at the end of the aerobic tank.

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