Systems and methods for activating and dewatering sludge using acoustic pressure shock waves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12110238-B2
Application number	US-202217676495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2022
Priority date	Aug 7, 2015
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A method of activating and dewatering sludge through application of acoustic pressure shock waves to wastewater.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising applying acoustic pressure shock waves that have a compressive phase producing high compressive pressure and a tensile phase producing cavitation bubbles that collapse with high speed jets to sludge in a liquid containment.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying the acoustic pressure shock waves to the sludge in wastewater during a biological oxidation process.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising aerating the wastewater during the biological oxidation process.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising producing the acoustic pressure shock waves near a mixed liquor surface of the wastewater.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising producing the acoustic pressure shock waves near a mixed liquor surface of the wastewater.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the acoustic pressure shock waves are applied from an acoustic pressure shock wave activation device floating on the mixed liquor surface.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the acoustic pressure shock waves are applied from an acoustic pressure shock wave activation device floating on the mixed liquor surface.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising moving the acoustic pressure shock wave activation device on the mixed liquor surface with one or more driving motors.

9. The method of claim 5 , further comprising moving the acoustic pressure shock wave activation device on the mixed liquor surface with one or more driving motors.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sludge is liquid sludge in a filter basket having a filter lining within a dewatering tank and applying acoustic pressure shock waves to dewater the liquid sludge and collecting solid sludge from the basket.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising moving a floating acoustic pressure shock wave dewater device applying the acoustic pressure waves to dewater the liquid sludge.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sludge is frozen sludge and further comprising thawing the frozen sludge over a permeable media, applying acoustic pressure shock waves to dewater the frozen sludge during thawing, and collecting solid sludge from the media.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising moving an acoustic pressure shock wave dewater device applying the acoustic pressure shock waves to dewater the frozen sludge to push water in a certain zone of sludge sediment.

14. A sludge treatment system comprising a containment with wastewater and sludge that has a fluid surface and an acoustic pressure shock wave device movable across the fluid surface and having a generator that produces acoustic pressure shock waves into the sludge, wherein the acoustic pressure shock wave device floats at the fluid surface.

15. The treatment system of claim 14 , wherein the acoustic pressure shock wave device includes one or more driving motors.

16. The treatment system of claim 15 , further comprising one or more aerators in the wastewater.

17. A sludge treatment system comprising a containment with wastewater and sludge that has a fluid surface and an acoustic pressure shock wave device movable across the fluid surface and having a generator that produces acoustic pressure shock waves into the sludge, and further comprising one or more aerators in the wastewater.

18. A sludge treatment system comprising a containment with wastewater and sludge that has a fluid surface and an acoustic pressure shock wave device movable across the fluid surface and having a generator that produces acoustic pressure shock waves into the sludge, and further comprising at least one of a filter and filter media positioned in the in the containment beneath the fluid surface.

19. The treatment system of claim 15 , further comprising at least one of a filter and filter media positioned in in the containment beneath the fluid surface.

Assignees

• Sanuwave Inc

Inventors

• Cioanta Iulian
• Jackson John

Classifications

• G21F9/06

  Processing (separating different isotopes of the same chemical element B01D59/00) · CPC title

• C02F2001/5218

  Crystallization · CPC title

• B01D21/009

  Heating or cooling mechanisms specially adapted for settling tanks · CPC title

• B01D9/0081

  Use of vibrations, e.g. ultrasound · CPC title

• B01D9/0036

  Crystallisation on to a bed of product crystals; Seeding · CPC title