Technology Options for Reducing Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at WWTP?

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I work for a small city in Montana and we are looking for ways to reduce the energy use, energy costs, and greenhouse gas emission produced by our local Wastewater Treatment Plant.

What new technologies would you recommend that we implement in order to accomplish these goals?

We currently have Variable Frequency Drives but want to do more to drive down our costs and emissions. 

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6 Answers

  1. We recommend Deep tank Aeration System developed by us. It has low energy foot print.

    Rajendrakumar V Saraf, FIE, FIWWA

    Chairman

     Viraj Envirozing India Pvt. Ltd

    21, Radhakrishna, Near SBI, Paud Road

    Pune 41038

    Tel 02015433445, 9822186763

    www.virajenvirozing.com

  2. Kathryn Eklund 

    Based on over 40 years worldwide expertise, I would recommend following key technology upgrades aside from VSD's as to save save energy and reduce GHG emissions in biological STP/WWTP's:

    1. apply high-rate anaerobic digestion (HRAD) on medium to high strength organic wastewaters as to convert organics (COD, BOD) to methane (CH4) replacing fossil fuel for heat and power generation.

    2. aerobic treatment - aeration system: using ultrafine bubble diffusers combined with horizontal liquid flow we achieved over 4 kgO2/kWh SOTE which is up to 3 times more efficient as compared to conventional aeration.

    3. aerobic treatment - biological nitrogen removal: using short-cut partial (50%) nitritation (NH4+ > NO2-) along with anammox (NH4+ + NO2- > N2-gas) we saved over 50% energy as compared to the usual nitrification-dentrification via full oxidation to nitrate NO3-

    4. advanced multi-parameter process controls instead of the usual dissolved oxygen (DO) control.

    If interested, I would be happy to send you more info via email.

    Regards,

    Bruno

    1 Comment

    1. @ Kathryn : The simple answer to reduce the energy consumption and GHG emissions is to apply green technologies such as constructed wetlands, soil bio technology or Eco-biopack

      etc. as they don't use blowers. Hence, would urge you to study the current energy consumption and accordingly you may think of choosing a retrofit or change the system to be energy efficient.

      I have worked on green technologies for wastewater treatment. Should you require any help you may contact me at msrikan@gmail.com

  3. Dear Kathryn,

     

    There are lots of suggestions that can help you, but it will depend on the wastewater parameters, climate, temperature, disponible area and other ones.

    Many of them can be integrated in a possible solution of your trouble, and now I will tell you some of the ones we can help.

    1) Use the sewage system (pipes) as part of the treatment system: you can do it if you bioaugment the microbes in the system.

    2) Use a USB (little compex), anaerobic filters (simple) or any other anaerobic technology that can initially remove organic contaminants and that can produce some biogas to you can use that biogas to generate energy for the same treatment system.

    3) Dose or use the adequate microbial formulation for your treatment: You can treat the wastewater developing and using the native bacteria, but many times this bacterias doesn't have the high performance of the microbial formulation.

    4) Install a bioreactor as a biocleaner that continuously produce the adequate bacteria and that partially digest the organic sludge in the same tank. This system continuously release big quantities of bacteria that help to digest more effectively the organic compound as some other nutrients if the system is correctly designed.

    5) Use direct filtration wastewater: It is treatment concept that use a filtration technology (from 25 to 0,2 um), and that can reduce the contaminants and safe area and energy due to it remove many of the organics as solids.

    If you have a healthy bacterial system in your biological treatment plant, you can digest your contaminants with less power compsumtion.

    You can use this suggestions separately or you can integrate some of them in the same solution.

    Let us know the daily flow, lab analysis, description of the actual plant and maybe with our technical partners we could help you.

    Regards,

    Orlando D. Gutiérrez Coronado

    2 Comments

    1. French English

      Bonjour 

      Comment peut on augmenter d'un coté la présence bactérienne Aérobie, dans un effluent quand de l'autre coté on va créer un milieu sans oxygène: c'est contradictoire.

      En plus il est important de déterminer comment  par un principe actif on transforme un milieu Aérobie en milieu sans oxygène pérenne aussi vite. La nature est bien faite mais c'est aussi contradictoire quand on connait la vitesse de circulation de l'effluent dans l'infrastructure de getion des eaux usées.

      Hello how can we increase on one side the presence aerobic bacterial, in an effluent when on the other side we will create an environment without oxygen: it is contradictory.

      In addition it is important to determine how by an active principle an aerobic medium is transformed into a medium without perennial oxygen as fast. Nature is well done but it is also contradictory when we know the flow rate of the effluent in the wastewater getion infrastructure.

      1 Comment reply

      1. Hi lyseconcept,

        Maybe initially it could sound contradictory,but I will try to answer your question in my best effort,

        “How can ​we increase on ​one side the ​presence ​aerobic ​bacterial, in ​an effluent ​when on the ​other side we ​will create an ​environment ​without oxygen: ​it is ​contradictory?”

        You can treat the wastewater in a first anaerobic step to produce the acid fermentation products, or even to reach the biogas yield, and at the second step you can treat the remaining organics in that wastewater in an aerobic system (if it is necessary) to reach the regulation law parameters required.

        Thinking in that way, you could use the pipes as a kind of bioaugmented anaerobic system to reach the fermentation products and feed it to an anaerobic system obtaining the biogas to use as energy source. After that you can treat it in an aerobic system saving area and aeration energy costs.

        Other example is that you use a direct filtration system at inlet separating the solids and sending them to a small anaerobic digester obtaining the biogas to use as energy source. The filtered wastewater with less organics contaminants can be send to the actual plant and treated using less aeration energy.

        Other ideas are that they use other simple technologies as anaerobic covered lagoons, facultative lagoon wetlands that could use more area, or even some other more complex automated systems that have tiny equilibrium and must be operated by high skilled people or that will need remote control.

        Regards,

        Orlando D. Gutiérrez Coronado

  4. Information complémentaire 

    Les émanations pestilentielles dégagées par les eaux usées proviennent des matières organiques qui se décomposent par la putréfaction sous l'action d'une forte méthanisation.

    Les infrastructures biologiques suppriment l'action de la putréfaction en maintenant en permenence l'effluent d'eaux usées en état biologique, totalement aérobie. 

    Ce n'est plus la putréfaction qui détruit la matière organique, mais les micros organismes pa rle principe de la Biodégradation.

     Plus de résidus organiques, plus d'odeur, plus de traitement alternatif, etc   

    Additional Information pestilential emanations from wastewater are derived from organic materials that decompose by rot under the action of high digestion.

    Biological infrastructure suppresses the action of rot by maintaining permenence wastewater effluent in a totally aerobic, organic state. 

    It is no longer the rot that destroys the organic matter, but the microorganisms PA LAN principle of biodegradation.

    More organic residue, more odor, more alternative treatment, etc.  

  5. Bonjour Kathryn

    C’est très simple. Il suffit déjà de ne plus admettre que l’infrastructure de votre assainissement avec sa station locale des eaux usées soit l’unique dispositif d'épuration de vos eaux usées.

    Ce qui fait que plus aucun habitat ne doit plus être raccordé à cette station locale.

    Ensuite vous devez considérer que le traitement des eaux usées effectué immédiatement sur le lieu de la production coûte beaucoup moins cher. L’infrastructure est moins volumineuse, prend moins de place au sol, son coût d’implantation est moins onéreux et surtout l’épuration des eaux usées atteint plus de 98% d’efficacité.

    Cet environnement individuel ne produit pas d’émanations pestilentielles, ne nécessite aucune gestion de traitement alternative.

    Le liquide rejeté est dispersé sur un exutoire végétalisé  qui complète le travail d’épuration de la biotechnologie en amont en purifiant le sol de la pollution urinaire.

    l’ensemble ayant une performance épuratoire de plus de 98%

    Son coût financier est 1000 fois inférieur à l’infrastructure de collecte et de gestion de la station locale

    Hello Kathryn
    It's very simple. It is already enough to stop admitting that the infrastructure of your sanitation with its local sewage station is the only device to purify your wastewater.
    So that no more habitat should be connected to this local station.
    Then you have to consider that the treatment of wastewater immediately at the place of production costs much less. The infrastructure is less voluminous, takes up less space on the ground, its cost of implementation is less expensive and above all sewage treatment reaches more than 98% efficiency.
    This individual environment does not produce pestilential fumes, requires no alternative treatment management.
    The discarded liquid is dispersed on a green outlet that complements the purification work of upstream biotechnology by purifying the soil from urinary pollution.
    The ensemble having a purification performance of more than 98%
    Its financial cost is 1000 times lower than the local station's collection and management infrastructure

  6. Hi,

    Depending of the size o your plant, but I strongly suggest to install a digestor. You will generate biogaz that you will use or sell, and you will have 30% less sludge to treat (centrifuge, transport...).

    Let me know if you have any question! nicolas@1h2o3.com

    Nicolas

    1 Comment

    1. I agree. Using biogas can drastically reduce the costs of WWTPs (and of course emisions). We have made an economic balance, and in CEE conditions, sludge processing for biogas production is cost effective from 100k PE (is worth it). Now it is even more advantageous to modify biogas to the biomethan and push it into the grid.