BIOWAVE(TM) - A NOVEL REACTOR FOR THE TREATMENT OF WASTE-WATER

Biowave(TM), a novel process ibr the treatment of sewage, is based on the development of a resonant wave motion in a tank. Treatment is brou ght about by biofilms attached to arrays of parallel plates in the tan k. These biofilms are alternately wetted by the wastewater and exposed to air. The plates are arranged parallel to the direction of wave-mot ion resulting in a very energy efficient device - the only energy requ ired is that to overcome friction between moving water and the plates. The unit produced a very high quality effluent at all loads tested. T he commercially available wave generator, a floating plastic sphere wi th an internal motor driving a weight oscillating on a vertical shaft, supplied by the WOW company of Belgium, has been used successfully to demonstrate this concept for wastewater treatment. An intrinsic limit ation caused by placing the drive mechanism inside the floating body m eant that the unit was tested with a wave-motion of greater frequency and lower amplitude than designed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.