Bioreactor for acid mine drainage control

Patent · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001

OSTI ID:874144

Zaluski, Marek H ^[1]; Manchester, Kenneth R ^[1]

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1. Butte, MT

A bioreactor for reacting an aqueous heavy metal and sulfate containing mine drainage solution with sulfate reducing bacteria to produce heavy metal sulfides and reduce the sulfuric acid content of the solution. The reactor is an elongated, horizontal trough defining an inlet section and a reaction section. An inlet manifold adjacent the inlet section distributes aqueous mine drainage solution into the inlet section for flow through the inlet section and reaction section. A sulfate reducing bacteria and bacteria nutrient composition in the inlet section provides sulfate reducing bacteria that with the sulfuric acid and heavy metals in the solution to form solid metal sulfides. The sulfate reducing bacteria and bacteria nutrient composition is retained in the cells of a honeycomb structure formed of cellular honeycomb panels mounted in the reactor inlet section. The honeycomb panels extend upwardly in the inlet section at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal. The cells defined in each panel are thereby offset with respect to the honeycomb cells in each adjacent panel in order to define a tortuous path for the flow of the aqueous solution.

• Research Organization: MSE INC
• DOE Contract Number: AC22-96EW96405
• Assignee: MSE Technology Applications, Inc. (Butte, MT)
• Patent Number(s): US 6325923
• OSTI ID: 874144
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

bioreactor
acid
mine
drainage
control
reacting
aqueous
heavy
metal
sulfate
containing
solution
reducing
bacteria
produce
sulfides
reduce
sulfuric
content
reactor
elongated
horizontal
trough
defining
inlet
section
reaction
manifold
adjacent
distributes
flow
nutrient
composition
provides
metals
form
solid
retained
cells
honeycomb
structure
formed
cellular
panels
mounted
extend
upwardly
acute
angle
defined
panel
offset
define
tortuous
path
aqueous solution
sulfuric acid
structure formed
reducing bacteria
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