WO2016163892A1

WO2016163892A1 - A compact sewage treatment system in fluid communication with a water closet, and a method thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2016163892A1
Application number: PCT/NO2016/050065
Authority: WO
Inventors: Håkon O. FRIESTAD
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-04-10
Filing date: 2016-04-07
Publication date: 2016-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 2017-10-10
Also published as: EP3280683B1; EP3280683A1; EP3280683A4

Abstract

A compact sewage treatment system is disclosed. The system comprises a tank with a lid like arrangement floating on top of accumulated liquid from the sewage, whereby the floating lid like arrangement stops odours from leaving the treatment system, and wherein the output of the treatment system is dry substances and/or water.

Description

A compact sewage treatment system in fluid communication with a water closet, and a method thereof.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a compact sewage treatment system in fluid communication with a conventional water closet and a method thereof, and especially to a sewage treatment system providing evaporation of water, and/or recirculation of water, and a method of purifying water and recycling of residues from the system as fertilizer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The principles of conventional water closets as we know today was patented already in 1775. However, it was first later that water closets were introduced on a larger scale in cities. Today we face challenges in handling the large amount of sewage from water closets. The piping infrastructure of conventional sewage systems are expensive to build and maintain, and the sewage treatment plants are large installations requiring skilled manpower to operate.

Therefore, in prior art there are examples of different solutions with the aim of mitigating cost, complexity and environmental challenges related to conventional water closet systems and handling of sewage. WO 2010/058187 A2 disclose a self-contained system for treating and recycling waste water, particularly for a toilet cubicle in a railway carriage or the like. Waste water from a toilet pan and wash basin is treated in an aerated membrane bioreactor. The permeate from the bioreactor is exposed to ozone and ultraviolet light in a tank from which a first stream is taken and reused for flushing the toilet. A second stream from the permeate tank is treated to a higher (potable) standard of purity by successive stages of reverse osmosis and ion exchange and is reused for hand washing.

JP 60225694 A disclose an arrangement of a filter comprising fine wooden pieces that is mixed with porous inorganic particles preventing clogging of sewage being applied to the filter. The filter is arranged with a perforated tubing receiving the sewage water to be filtered, and the tubing is distributing the sewage water evenly over the section including the fine wooden pieces. Filtered water is then distributed further from the filter. US 2002/0100110 Al disclose a water treatment and recycling system comprising an aeration chamber, a reaction chamber, a water tank, and a plurality of pumps. The water tank houses the treated water and is the supply source for supplying water to different water needs. A first pump comprises a grating collecting solids from the sewage and the solids are grinded before being pumped to the aeration chamber. Then a further pump transfers the content of the aeration chamber into the reaction chamber. The water is treated in the reaction chamber and is thereafter pumped into the water tank. The aeration chamber and reaction chamber contains therein a plurality of specially treated wood chips, and a bio-colony consisting of different microbes and bacteria introduced into the wood chips. The output of fluids from the reaction chamber is further treated with a carbon filter.

It would however, be an advantage to have a sewage treatment system that is compact enough to fit inside, for example a basement of a house, and that have a simple and improved protection against scent from the sewage as well as a simple manner to maintain and to remove residues from the sewage treatment system.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an alternative to the prior art.

In particular, it may be seen as an object of the present invention to provide a compact sewage treatment system comprising a collecting tank system arranged with a floating lid like arrangement stopping odors from leaving the treatment system,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the above described object and several other objects are intended to be obtained in a first aspect of the invention by providing a compact sewage treatment system, comprising - a restroom comprising a water closet;

- a tank located below the water closet;

- a pipe providing fluid communication from the water closet to the interior of the tank;

- an evaporation basin located at a level below the bottom of the tank;

wherein the pipe is feeding liquid comprising sewage and water from the water closet to a perforated container located inside the tank, wherein the perforated container is resting on a bottom surface of the tank, and shredded bark is arranged inside the tank with the exception of an empty space defined by the perforated container inside the tank, wherein the shredded bark is floating on top of liquid assembling at the bottom of the tank, wherein the liquid assembling at the bottom of the tank constitutes a biological active swamp; and an outlet pipe is arranged at a bottom side of the tank at a level above the bottom of the tank defining a top level surface of the swamp; wherein liquid is streaming from the swamp via the piping to an evaporation basin located at a level below the level of the bottom of the tank. Further, woodchips may be used instead of, or in combination, with shredded bark.

Further, the shredded bark my be filled up to a top level of the interior of the tank.

Further, liquid streaming from the pipe into the evaporation basin may be streaming instead or in addition to a sedimentation tank.

Further, liquid streaming from the pipe may be distributed to a reverse osmotic system, wherein output liquid from the reverse osmotic system is recirculated to the water closet, or is released directly to surrounding environment. Further, liquid that is not treated in the reverse osmotic system may be distributed back to the tank, or alternatively to a sedimentation tank.

Further, the evaporation basin may be located inside a house comprising the system, or outside the house wherein a surface of the evaporation basin will be in direct contact with surrounding air.

Further, the shredded bark may be from coniferous trees. Further, the shredded bark (6) may be from trees.

Further, the container 3 may be a bucket, wherein the opening of the bucket is facing towards the bottom surface of the tank, and wherein the pipe from the water closet is guided through a bottom surface of the bucket facing upwards towards the water closet.

Further, spacing elements may be arranged around the periphery of an opening of the bucket facing towards the bottom of the tank 1, thereby enabling a defined opening providing fluid communication from the inside of the bucket and the swamp 4 outside the bucket in the bottom of the tank 1.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of providing fertilizers is provided, wherein sewage from at least one water closet is distributed to at least one compact treatment system according to the present invention, wherein dry substance or concentrated fluid from the bottom of the evaporation basin is removed and used directly as a fertilizer.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of providing phosphates is provided, wherein sewage from at least one water closet is distributed to at least one compact treatment system according to the present invention, wherein dry substances or concentrated fluid from the bottom of the evaporation basin (8) is removed and used directly as a fertilizer, or is recrystallized as

phosphates again and is used for other purposes. According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of providing clean water is provided, wherein sewage from at least one closet is treated in a system according to the present invention, wherein liquid from the outlet pipe, alternatively via a sedimentation tank, is connected to a reverse osmotic system, wherein clean water output from the reverse osmotic system is recirculated to the at least one water closet, or is used for other purposes, or is released directly to surrounding environment. Respective aspects of the present invention may each be combined with any of the other aspects, These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter,

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The compact sewage treatment system according to the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. The accompanying figures illustrates an example of embodiment of the present invention and is not to be construed as being limiting to other possible embodiments falling within the scope of the attached claim set.

Figure la illustrates an example of embodiment of the invention,

Figure lb illustrates another example of embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

Although the present invention has been described in connection with the specified embodiments, it should not be construed as being in any way limited to the presented examples. The scope of the present invention is set out by the

accompanying claim set. In the context of the claims, the terms "comprising" or "comprises" do not exclude other possible elements or steps, The mentioning of references such as "a" or "an" etc. should not be construed as excluding a plurality. The use of reference signs in the claims with respect to elements indicated in the figures shall also not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention,

Furthermore, individual features mentioned in different claims, may possibly be advantageously combined, and the mentioning of these features in different claims does not exclude that a combination of features is not possible and advantageous.

The scent problem of sewage systems stems mainly from the component skatoie (3- methylindole) in feces and ammonia formed as decomposition products of urea and uric acid in the urine.

According to an aspect of the present invention, sewage is collected in a tank system provided with a Iayer of bark cut to shreds. The Iayer of bark is floating on top of the sewage collected in the tank and is functioning as a sort of lid preventing any scent to be released from the tank. Therefore, no filter providing filtering of air is necessary in any embodiments of the present invention.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, removal of residual water from the sewage can be done with a natural process of evaporation of residual water from the tank system, Therefore, in some examples of embodiments of the present invention there is no need for a water removal system . According to yet another aspect of the present invention, residual water may be coiiected and be further treated and achieve a water quality that allow the water to be recycled in the water closet system of a house wherein the system is installed .

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, solids in the sewage falls down to the bottom of the tank system in addition to water from the water closet due to gravitation into a biological active swamp wherein the solids are decomposed mostly to carbon dioxide and water. Some residual solids may not be decomposed. However, the naturai decomposition of the bark will release space in the tank providing additional space for solids that are not decomposed . In some examples of embodiments, dimensioned for a normal household, and the sewage system according to the present invention have been used over time, it seems necessary to refill bark only every second year.

With reference to Figure la, an example of embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . A tank 1 can be made in any shape and size and material as long as the tank volume can handle the sewage volume of the location the tank is to be located, and the material of the tank can withstand sewage, it is known from prior art how much waste humans produce, and it is therefore a simple and straight forward process of calculating a volume of a tank for an ordinary skilled person, The tank ί in Figure la is for example 1100 liter.

Inside the tank 1 there is another perforated container 3 receiving sewage from a water closet located above the tank 1, A pipe 2 is feeding sewage from the water closet to the container 3 with the help of gravitation. The pipe 2 is guided through an opening located at a top section of the container 3. Shredded bark 6 is arranged inside the tank 1 with the exception of the volume defined by the perforated tank 3.

At the bottom of the tank 1 there is a biological active swamp 4 which extends inside the bottom of the container 3 via the perforations of the walls of the container Above the bottom of the tank 1, at a level of the top surface the swamp 4 (for example 35 cm), there is arranged an outlet tube opening 7 from the tank 1. For example, a connection can be arranged in the outlet opening that is adapted to an ordinary water hose for garden use, or for attachment of any kind of tubing. The pipe or water hose 7 is then arranged in fluid communication with an evaporation basin 8. The evaporation basin 8 can be arranged at a slightly lower level than the bottom of the tank 1, thereby gravitation will provide the streaming of fluids out of the swamp 4 of the tank 1 to the evaporation basin 8.

The volume of the container 3 may be much less than the volume of the tank 1, For example, as disclosed above, the tank volume in Figure la is 1100 liter, and the volume of the container 3 is 80 liter in this example of embodiment. In the example depicted in Figure la the height of the tank is 1,1 meter while the area of the bottom of the tank is 1,0 m². When the shredded bark is filled the height of the bark will be 0,75 meter.

The purpose of the perforated container 3 is to obstruct fine particles and residues in the volume surrounding the container 3 to block the space constituted by the container 3. Thereby any obstruction of the outlet of the pipe 2 from the water closet is avoided. There is always a volume available inside the tank to receive the sewage. The shredded bark 6 is floating on top of the liquids of the swamp 4, and when added material is dumped inside the container 3, the shredded bark 6 will float upwards, and when the swamp level passes the outlet opening 7 liquid from the swamp will be streaming down to the evaporation chamber 8. Since it is only fluid that may pass out of the swamp inside the container 3 at the bottom of the tank 1 via the perforations, there is only liquid that is communicated via the outlet opening 7.

The bark 6 is used without any other pre-treatment of any kind. The size of the shreds can be of variable size, for example being a few centimeters up to larger sizes like fifty centimeters in size, Since the container 3 has the purpose of defining an empty space around the outlet pipe 2 from the water closet inside the tank 1, there is of course a relationship between the size of the perforations of the container 3 and the size of the shreds. Therefore, a larger number of smaller perforations are preferable.

In an alternative embodiment of the container 3, the container 3 is made out of a bucket like object wherein the opening of the bucket is facing downwards towards the bottom of the tank 1, while the pipe 2 from the water closet is guided through for example the bottom surface of the bucket. The fluid communication from inside the bucket and the swamp 4 outside the bucket is provided by liquid leakage in the interface area between the bucket wall and the bottom surface of the tank 1. It is also possible to arrange some spacing elements around the periphery of the opening of the bucket facing downwards towards the bottom surface of the tank 1 providing a small opening of a defined size enabling the fluid communication, In the example of embodiment illustrated in Figure la, the size of the evaporation basin 8 is a four square meter horizontally oriented concrete surface encircled by a forty centimetre high concrete wall.

It is further within the scope of the present invention to allow spill water from showers, washing machines etc. to be processed in an example of embodiment of the present invention.

The evaporation basin 8 will over years of use accumulate dry substances like phosphate at the bottom of the basin 8, According to a method according to the present invention, phosphate can be removed from a plurality of evaporation basins 8 and be used directly as a fertilizer. Alternatively, the dry substances may be recrystal!ized and used for other purposes. An example of collecting sewage from a plurality of households is illustrated in Figure lb. It is further within the scope of the present invention to connect the pipe or hose 7 from the tank 1 directiy to a reverse osmotic system of the type used in many households for cleaning drinking water. The reverse osmotic system may also be connected to an outlet from the evaporation basin 8. Therefore, according to an example of a method according to the present invention, making of clean drinking water is possible. In an example of embodiment, some water not passing the reverse osmotic system is recirculated to for example the tank 1 or a sedimentation tank,

Therefore, from an environmental point of view, respective examples of

embodiments of the present invention ail sewage fluids disappear as water and no sewage sludge is created. No external treatment plant is necessary.

Claims

Claims:

1. A compact sewage treatment system, comprising

- a restroom comprising a water closet;

- a tank (1) located below the water closet;

- a pipe (2) providing fluid communication from the water closet to the

interior of the tank (1);

- an evaporation basin (8) located at a level below the bottom of the tank (1); wherein the pipe (2) is feeding liquid comprising sewage and water from the water closet to a perforated container (3) located inside the tank (1), wherein the perforated container (3) is resting on a bottom surface of the tank (1), and shredded bark (6) is arranged inside the tank (1) with the exception of an empty space defined by the perforated container (3) inside the tank (1), wherein the shredded bark (6) is floating on top of liquid assembling at the bottom of the tank (1), wherein the liquid assembling at the bottom of the tank (1) constitutes a biological active swamp (4); and an outlet pipe (7) is arranged at a bottom side of the tank (1) at a level above the bottom of the tank (1) defining a top level surface of the swamp (4); wherein liquid is streaming from the swamp (4) via the piping (7) to an evaporation basin (8) located at a level below the level of the bottom of the tank (1).

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein woodchips are used instead of, or in combination, with shredded bark.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the shredded bark (6) is filled up to a top level of the interior of tank (1).

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein liquid streaming from the pipe (7) into the evaporation basin (8) instead, or in addition, is distributed to a sedimentation tank.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein liquid streaming from the pipe (7) is distributed to a reverse osmotic system, wherein output liquid from the reverse osmotic system is recirculated to the water closet, or is released directly to surrounding environment.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein liquid streaming in the pipe (7) that is not treated in the reverse osmotic system is distributed back to the tank (1), or to a sedimentation tank.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the evaporation basin (8) is located inside a house comprising the system, or outside the house wherein a surface of the evaporation basin (8) is in direct contact with surrounding air.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the shredded bark (6) is from

coniferous trees.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the shredded bark (6) is from trees.

10. The system according to any preceding claim 1-9, wherein the container 3 is a bucket, wherein the opening of the bucket is facing towards the bottom surface of the tank 1, and wherein the pipe 2 from the water closet is guided through a bottom surface of the bucket facing upwards towards the water closet.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein spacing elements are arranged around the periphery of opening of the bucket facing towards the bottom of the tank 1, thereby enabling a defined opening providing fluid communication from the inside of the bucket and the swamp 4 to the outside of the bucket in the bottom of the tank 1.

12. A method of providing fertilizers, wherein sewage from at least one water closet is distributed to at least one compact treatment system according to any claim 1-9, wherein dry substances or concentrated fluid from the bottom of the evaporation basin (8) is removed and used directly as a fertilizer.

13. A method of providing phosphates, wherein sewage from at least one water closet is distributed to at least one compact treatment system according to any claim 1-9, wherein dry substances or concentrated fluid from the bottom of the evaporation basin (8) is removed and used directly as a fertilizer, or is recrystallized to phosphates again and is used for other purposes.

14. A method of providing clean water, wherein sewage from at least one closet is treated in a system according to claim 1, wherein liquid from the outlet pipe (7), alternatively via a sedimentation tank, is connected to a reverse osmotic system, wherein clean water output from the reverse osmotic system is recirculated to the at least one water closet, or used for other purposes, or is released directly to surrounding environment.