Method, apparatus and systems for treating contaminants in a waste fluid

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, apparatus and system for the treatment of organic and inorganic waste in a waste fluid. The method involves a co-current plug flow of fluid in a reactor in which ozone mass transfer conforms to the effective life of the ozone used in the treatment. Hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide can be added to the waste fluid. The combined fluids to be treated travel the reactor through a series of surfaces in a packed reactor. The apparatus includes a diffuser for ozone which assists in the co-current plug flow of fluids. The diffuser can have a porosity of about 10 microns. The invention further envisions a compact system for efficient treatment of waste fluids.

1 . A reactor for oxidizing waste fluid while enhancing gas-liquid ozone mass transfer to be comparable to the rate that ozone is being utilized during oxidation comprising:
 reactor for treating waste fluid with hydrogen peroxide, caustic and ozone;   the reactor having a packing comprising a series of surfaces constructed and arranged for substantially plug flow of fluids under pressure;   waste fluid inlet for receiving at least waste fluid beneath a plug flow regime in the reactor and reactant inlet for ozone located beneath the substantially plug flow regime;   diffuser device in juxtaposition to the reactant inlet effecting diffusion of ozone in the at least waste fluid;   continuously supplying ozone gas, hydrogen peroxide and an effective amount of caustic if needed to adjust pH with a flow of waste fluid proximate to a bottom end of a substantially vertical substantially tubular reactor having a chamber with a packed bed comprising the series of surfaces;   the porosity of the diffuser device and the packing enhance ozone mass transfer;   the waste fluid inlet and reactant inlet constructed and arranged for co-current substantially non-turbulent, substantially plug flow of fluids;   outlet for treated fluid and off-gas, ozone, and volatile organic compounds positioned above the substantially non-turbulent, substantially plug flow regime;   wherein ozone mass transfer design characteristics of the reactor substantially conform to an effective life for the ozone.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the packing being raschig rings. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the diffuser device being a plate with multiple inlets, the ozone inlet being substantially centered on the plate and the waste fluid inlet being eccentric, the ozone inlet forming a substantially conical outlet with the largest dimension covered by a diffuser for ozone and a baffle located beneath the outlet but over the eccentric inlet to distribute fluid and promote flow. 
     
     
         6 . The reactor according to  claim 5 , wherein the diffuser is sintered metal or ceramic article having a porosity between about 0.2 and about 100 microns. 
     
     
         7 . The reactor according to  claim 6 , wherein the porosity is about 5 to about 20 microns. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the reactor is designed for a residence time for the ozone of less than about 6 minutes. 
     
     
         12 . The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the waste fluid total contaminant concentration is less than about 3000 parts per million. 
     
     
         13 . The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the reactor is designed for a pressure less than about 5 atmospheres absolute and less than about an ignition pressure for ozone. 
     
     
         14 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A system for oxidizing waste fluid while suppressing stripping of organics and enhancing gas-liquid ozone mass transfer comprising:
 a hydrogen peroxide dispenser for storing and dispensing hydrogen peroxide continuously and a caustic dispenser for storing and dispensing caustic continuously both into a waste fluid;   an ozone generator adapted to provide an effective amount of ozone into the waste fluid;   an ozone diffuser;   at least one pressurized reactor having packing comprising a series of surfaces and an ozone diffuser for treatment of the waste fluid;   the packing and porosity of the ozone diffuser enhance ozone mass transfer;   wherein the reactor is designed for co-current substantially non-turbulent, substantially plug flow of the waste fluid, hydrogen peroxide, caustic, and ozone during an effective life of the ozone;   continuously supplying ozone gas, hydrogen peroxide and an effective amount of caustic if needed to adjust pH with a flow of waste fluid proximate to a bottom end of a substantially vertical substantially tubular reactor having a chamber with a packed bed comprising the series of surfaces; and   a flash chamber at the top of the reactor for receiving treated waste fluid and off-gas wherein off-gas, ozone, and volatile organic compounds are separated from treated waste fluid.   
     
     
         36 . The reactor according to  claim 35 , wherein the system includes multiple reactors connected and arranged for series flow of treated waste fluid and arranged for parallel flow of ozone reactant through reactor inlets. 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the reactor is constructed and arranged for gas-liquid volumetric flow ratios effective for substantially non-turbulent, substantially plug flow throughout the reactor. 
     
     
         40 . The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the ozone mass transfer rate is enhanced by increasing the gas-liquid interfacial area of bubbles traversing a plug flow path through a reaction zone and maintaining increased gas-liquid interfacial area of ozone bubbles traversing a reaction zone. 
     
     
         41 . The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the ozone mass transfer rate is enhanced comparable to the rate that ozone is being utilized during oxidation by maximizing the difference in concentration of ozone across a gas-liquid interface. 
     
     
         42 . The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the size of the reactor is reduced 1 to 2 orders of magnitude over turbulent, non-plug flow reactors. 
     
     
         43 . The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid residence time in the reactor is scaled to the useful lifetime of dissolved ozone. 
     
     
         44 . The system according to  claim 35 , wherein the size of the reactor is reduced 1 to 2 orders of magnitude over turbulent, non-plug flow reactors. 
     
     
         45 . The system according to  claim 35 , wherein the liquid residence time in the reactor is scaled to the useful lifetime of dissolved ozone. 
     
     
         46 . The reactor according to  claim 1 , further comprising an ozone mass transfer coefficient between about 0.01 to about 2 sec −1 . 
     
     
         47 . The system according to  claim 35 , further comprising an ozone mass transfer coefficient between about 0.01 to about 2 sec −1 . 
     
     
         48 . The system according to  claim 35 , wherein the ozone mass transfer rate is enhanced by increasing the gas-liquid interfacial area of bubbles traversing a plug flow path through a reaction zone and maintaining increased gas-liquid interfacial area of ozone bubbles traversing a reaction zone. 
     
     
         49 . The system according to  claim 35 , wherein the ozone mass transfer rate is enhanced comparable to the rate that ozone is being utilized during oxidation by maximizing the difference in concentration of ozone across a gas-liquid interface. 
     
     
         50 . The system according to  claim 35 , wherein effluent is recycled. 
     
     
         51 . The system according to  claim 35 , wherein the system further comprises monitoring and control equipment for the oxidation treatment. 
     
     
         52 . The reactor according to  claim 1 , wherein the packing being supported by a screen. 
     
     
         53 . A method for treating waste fluid while suppressing stripping of organics and enhancing gas-liquid ozone mass transfer rate comprising:
 continuously supplying ozone gas, hydrogen peroxide and an effective amount of caustic if needed to adjust the pH with a flow of waste fluid proximate to a bottom end of a substantially vertical substantially tubular reactor having a chamber with a packed bed comprising a series of surfaces;   reacting the ozone, hydrogen peroxide and the effective amount of caustic co-currently with the flow of waste fluid in the reactor without substantial back mixing thereof, said co-current flow of ozone, peroxide, caustic and waste fluid being substantially non-turbulent, substantially plug flow through the tubular reactor and packed bed, thereby producing an oxidized flow;   maintaining a pH from about 7 to about 11 for the fluid being treated, an effective pressure, and an effective ozone mass transfer coefficient which complements an effective life of the ozone; and   continuously withdrawing the oxidated flow from a top end of the tubular reactor.