BIOREACTOR FOR BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF CONTAMINATED WATER

摘要

The invention relates to a bioreactor unit for the aerobic biological treatment of hydrocarbon contaminated waste water and off-gases. The bioreactor comprises a biotreatment chamber comprising a vertically extending housing unit forming the walls, floor and ceiling of the biotreatment chamber. The housing unit also comprises a door for accessing the biotreatment chamber. The biotreatment chamber also comprises waste water inlet means for discharging waste water under pressure from the upper portion of the biotreatment chamber, onto a plurality of superimposed water treatment trays disposed substantially horizontally inside the chamber, the water treatment trays being adapted for retrieval from the biotreatment chamber through the door of the housing unit. Each water treatment tray has at least one bottom porous section adapted to receive contact media. The contact media on the porous section of the water treatment trays acts to retain and favor the growth of microorganisms having the ability to degrade hydrocarbons. The water treatment trays are disposed in the biotreatment chamber in a stationary relationship during treatment to permit intimate successive contact of waste water and off-gases with contact media on each of the trays for gradual treatment of the waste water, as the waste water flows downwards in the biotreatment chamber. The biotreatment chamber also comprises a water outlet substantially at the bottom of the biotreatment chamber for discharging treated waste water, air flow means to create an aerobic environment in the biotreatment chamber, air flow means being adapted to provide an air flow through the water treatment trays and air outlet means for removing air introduced in the biotreatment chamber through the air flow means.