Wastewater treatment plants can produce renewable biogas energy through anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge and other organic waste. The biogas can be used to generate electricity and heat on-site through combined heat and power systems, reducing energy costs and emissions. Larger regional facilities may provide greater economies of scale for energy production compared to plant-by-plant solutions. Proper operation and monitoring of digestion systems optimizes biogas yield and renewable energy output.
Waste water treatment and sewage slugde management in Veneto: the role of int...francesco loro
The management of sewage slude is a challenge and an opportunity. the Integratet plant , WWTP - Anaerobic digestion - Composting is a way to solve this problem
Environmental and pollution control in Thermal Power StationsManohar Tatwawadi
The presentation gives the basic idea as to the environment, pollutions and laws, the governing bodies and the limits of the emmissions. Also specifically about the solid waste, liquid waste and the gas emmissions from the Thermal Power Plants.
Waste water treatment and sewage slugde management in Veneto: the role of int...francesco loro
The management of sewage slude is a challenge and an opportunity. the Integratet plant , WWTP - Anaerobic digestion - Composting is a way to solve this problem
Environmental and pollution control in Thermal Power StationsManohar Tatwawadi
The presentation gives the basic idea as to the environment, pollutions and laws, the governing bodies and the limits of the emmissions. Also specifically about the solid waste, liquid waste and the gas emmissions from the Thermal Power Plants.
Artificial intelligence based control approach for membrane bioreactor in sew...eSAT Journals
Abstract Membrane bioreactors (MBR) for wastewater treatment, which have increasingly been employed for the last 15 years and which play an important role in wastewater treatment. It is the continuation of the fundamental contribution of sewage water treatment, which is extended and complemented in various aspects. In this project an advanced control approach is made to bring desired purification for sewage water. The major challenge in controlling MBR is the large amount of uncertainty present in the process models, in the unknown inflow conditions, and in the limited measurement information. Hence, controller development is driven by the necessity to structure uncertainty, to attenuate its harmful effects, and to exploit it wherever possible. Such a control method is model based predictive controller. The frame work for the model-based control of membrane bioreactors (MBR) is developed, which aims at the economical optimization of MBR operation Keywords: MBR, NMPC, Optimization.
Electricity Generation from Biogas Produced in a Lab-Scale Anaerobic Digester...inventionjournals
The sludge produced during wastewater treatment should be stabilized in order to minimize the damage to the environment. This study includes the evaluation of sludge stabilization and biogas formation by anaerobic digestion in order to generate electricity using stirling motor.The study was carried out with the raw sludge form the thickener of the wastewatertreatment plant. The main aim of the study is to provide sludge stabilization resulting biogas production by reduction of organic matter and to generate electricity. Anaerobic digestion studies were carried out using a laboratory scale anaerobic reactor with a volume of 7L.Under themesophilic condition, the sludge age was maintained at 10 days during the first 20 days of operation, while the reactor was operated for 90 days until the end of the run, with a sludge age of 20 days.The results have changed in the range of 42-52% after the organic matter reduction obtained from the anaerobic digestion. Concentrations of 3735.7300 ppm, 5060.5768 ppm, and 6951.4013 ppm biogas were obtained. Biogas was turned on by mechanical energy with a Stirlingmotor and then turned to direct current and the lamps with 3V 20mA each were run for 60 minutes
An Ex-Ante Evaluation for Solid Waste Treatment Facilities using LCCAcivejjour
The application of Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) in infrastructure facilities projects has been marginalised so far especially in real-life projects. In many cases, the significance of this tool is not the end result by itself but the improvements that can be made to the infrastructure facility design during and as a result of the LCCA model development. This paper presents lessons-learnt from analysing and developing a LCCA model for an actual integrated municipal solid waste management infrastructure facility using the anaerobic treatment technology and recycling. The development of the LCCA model for the facility involved several distinctive steps such as system analysis and disintegration, maintenance and operation cost data acquisition, identifying relevant performance indicators for each operation that can be utilized in tandem with the LCCA model, setting up serviceability threshold for each operation. In addition to model development description, the paper highlights the requirements needed and the impediments that may be encountered when developing LCCA model for solid waste management facilities. At the end, the paper concludes with providing recommendations for decision makers and researchers in this field based on the experience gained from the model development.
An Ex-Ante Evaluation for Solid Waste Treatment Facilities using LCCAcivej
The application of Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) in infrastructure facilities projects has been
marginalised so far especially in real-life projects. In many cases, the significance of this tool is not the
end result by itself but the improvements that can be made to the infrastructure facility design during and
as a result of the LCCA model development. This paper presents lessons-learnt from analysing and
developing a LCCA model for an actual integrated municipal solid waste management infrastructure
facility using the anaerobic treatment technology and recycling. The development of the LCCA model for
the facility involved several distinctive steps such as system analysis and disintegration, maintenance and
operation cost data acquisition, identifying relevant performance indicators for each operation that can be
utilized in tandem with the LCCA model, setting up serviceability threshold for each operation. In addition
to model development description, the paper highlights the requirements needed and the impediments that
may be encountered when developing LCCA model for solid waste management facilities. At the end, the
paper concludes with providing recommendations for decision makers and researchers in this field based
on the experience gained from the model development.
Green building concepts and good building practicesManohar Tatwawadi
The power sector must adopt the green building concepts and go for good building practices. In fact all industries need to go for the same. The same practices can also be adopted in all commercial as well as residential buildings.
Treatment of Waste Water from Organic Fraction Incineration of Municipal Soli...IJERD Editor
Evaporation is one of treatment alternatives of waste water from condensation of vapour in flue gas
or from flue gas scrubber system of an incinerator. The waste water contains tar and heavy metals which are
toxic and must be separated, before discharged to environment or recycled. Due to the relatively low efficiency
of the evaporation process, a combination of the evaporation-absorption process is developed to increase the
efficiency. The aim of this research is to study the separation efficiency of tar from the tar-water mixture from
organic fraction incineration of garbage by evaporation-absorption process, and compared it with the
evaporation process. The evaporation process was performed by evaporating the waste water directly, while the
evaporation-absorption process was carried out by evaporating the waste water before it had been mixed with
palm oil as an absorbent. The results showed that the efficiency to separate the heavy tar of the evaporation
process was 73.27% compared to the combination of evaporation-absorption that was 98.82%. Meanwhile, for
the separation of the light tar, the efficiencies of both process types were almost the same. This system can be
integrated with the incinerator for the treatment of flue gases and waste water generated from the burning of
organic fraction of MSW
Artificial intelligence based control approach for membrane bioreactor in sew...eSAT Journals
Abstract Membrane bioreactors (MBR) for wastewater treatment, which have increasingly been employed for the last 15 years and which play an important role in wastewater treatment. It is the continuation of the fundamental contribution of sewage water treatment, which is extended and complemented in various aspects. In this project an advanced control approach is made to bring desired purification for sewage water. The major challenge in controlling MBR is the large amount of uncertainty present in the process models, in the unknown inflow conditions, and in the limited measurement information. Hence, controller development is driven by the necessity to structure uncertainty, to attenuate its harmful effects, and to exploit it wherever possible. Such a control method is model based predictive controller. The frame work for the model-based control of membrane bioreactors (MBR) is developed, which aims at the economical optimization of MBR operation Keywords: MBR, NMPC, Optimization.
Electricity Generation from Biogas Produced in a Lab-Scale Anaerobic Digester...inventionjournals
The sludge produced during wastewater treatment should be stabilized in order to minimize the damage to the environment. This study includes the evaluation of sludge stabilization and biogas formation by anaerobic digestion in order to generate electricity using stirling motor.The study was carried out with the raw sludge form the thickener of the wastewatertreatment plant. The main aim of the study is to provide sludge stabilization resulting biogas production by reduction of organic matter and to generate electricity. Anaerobic digestion studies were carried out using a laboratory scale anaerobic reactor with a volume of 7L.Under themesophilic condition, the sludge age was maintained at 10 days during the first 20 days of operation, while the reactor was operated for 90 days until the end of the run, with a sludge age of 20 days.The results have changed in the range of 42-52% after the organic matter reduction obtained from the anaerobic digestion. Concentrations of 3735.7300 ppm, 5060.5768 ppm, and 6951.4013 ppm biogas were obtained. Biogas was turned on by mechanical energy with a Stirlingmotor and then turned to direct current and the lamps with 3V 20mA each were run for 60 minutes
An Ex-Ante Evaluation for Solid Waste Treatment Facilities using LCCAcivejjour
The application of Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) in infrastructure facilities projects has been marginalised so far especially in real-life projects. In many cases, the significance of this tool is not the end result by itself but the improvements that can be made to the infrastructure facility design during and as a result of the LCCA model development. This paper presents lessons-learnt from analysing and developing a LCCA model for an actual integrated municipal solid waste management infrastructure facility using the anaerobic treatment technology and recycling. The development of the LCCA model for the facility involved several distinctive steps such as system analysis and disintegration, maintenance and operation cost data acquisition, identifying relevant performance indicators for each operation that can be utilized in tandem with the LCCA model, setting up serviceability threshold for each operation. In addition to model development description, the paper highlights the requirements needed and the impediments that may be encountered when developing LCCA model for solid waste management facilities. At the end, the paper concludes with providing recommendations for decision makers and researchers in this field based on the experience gained from the model development.
An Ex-Ante Evaluation for Solid Waste Treatment Facilities using LCCAcivej
The application of Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) in infrastructure facilities projects has been
marginalised so far especially in real-life projects. In many cases, the significance of this tool is not the
end result by itself but the improvements that can be made to the infrastructure facility design during and
as a result of the LCCA model development. This paper presents lessons-learnt from analysing and
developing a LCCA model for an actual integrated municipal solid waste management infrastructure
facility using the anaerobic treatment technology and recycling. The development of the LCCA model for
the facility involved several distinctive steps such as system analysis and disintegration, maintenance and
operation cost data acquisition, identifying relevant performance indicators for each operation that can be
utilized in tandem with the LCCA model, setting up serviceability threshold for each operation. In addition
to model development description, the paper highlights the requirements needed and the impediments that
may be encountered when developing LCCA model for solid waste management facilities. At the end, the
paper concludes with providing recommendations for decision makers and researchers in this field based
on the experience gained from the model development.
Green building concepts and good building practicesManohar Tatwawadi
The power sector must adopt the green building concepts and go for good building practices. In fact all industries need to go for the same. The same practices can also be adopted in all commercial as well as residential buildings.
Treatment of Waste Water from Organic Fraction Incineration of Municipal Soli...IJERD Editor
Evaporation is one of treatment alternatives of waste water from condensation of vapour in flue gas
or from flue gas scrubber system of an incinerator. The waste water contains tar and heavy metals which are
toxic and must be separated, before discharged to environment or recycled. Due to the relatively low efficiency
of the evaporation process, a combination of the evaporation-absorption process is developed to increase the
efficiency. The aim of this research is to study the separation efficiency of tar from the tar-water mixture from
organic fraction incineration of garbage by evaporation-absorption process, and compared it with the
evaporation process. The evaporation process was performed by evaporating the waste water directly, while the
evaporation-absorption process was carried out by evaporating the waste water before it had been mixed with
palm oil as an absorbent. The results showed that the efficiency to separate the heavy tar of the evaporation
process was 73.27% compared to the combination of evaporation-absorption that was 98.82%. Meanwhile, for
the separation of the light tar, the efficiencies of both process types were almost the same. This system can be
integrated with the incinerator for the treatment of flue gases and waste water generated from the burning of
organic fraction of MSW
Biological Wastewater Treatment Market Global Trends and Forecast Analysis (2...PriyanshiSingh187645
The global biological wastewater treatment market is projected to grow at a substantial CAGR of 5.5% over the coming years. The global Biological Wastewater Treatment industry was estimated to be worth USD 9465.2 million in 2022 and was expected to be worth USD 13768.8 million by 2028.
Integrated green technologies for msw (mam ver.)mamdouh sabour
SA is facing a great challenges for waste management due to the fast demographic and industrial growth, which left the country with accumulative amount of generated waste that needs to be managed in the most cost-effective, sustainable and green.
The Biogas Revolution Powering Homes with Sustainable Energy.pptxKingYuvraj1
A biogas plant is a facility that utilizes organic waste materials, such as agricultural residues, food scraps, animal manure, and sewage, to produce biogas through a process called anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion involves the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms in the absence of oxygen, resulting in the production of methane-rich biogas and a nutrient-rich slurry called digestate.
Similar to Biogas portal article srinivas kasulla (20)
Diabetes is a rapidly and serious health problem in Pakistan. This chronic condition is associated with serious long-term complications, including higher risk of heart disease and stroke. Aggressive treatment of hypertension and hyperlipideamia can result in a substantial reduction in cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes 1. Consequently pharmacist-led diabetes cardiovascular risk (DCVR) clinics have been established in both primary and secondary care sites in NHS Lothian during the past five years. An audit of the pharmaceutical care delivery at the clinics was conducted in order to evaluate practice and to standardize the pharmacists’ documentation of outcomes. Pharmaceutical care issues (PCI) and patient details were collected both prospectively and retrospectively from three DCVR clinics. The PCI`s were categorized according to a triangularised system consisting of multiple categories. These were ‘checks’, ‘changes’ (‘change in drug therapy process’ and ‘change in drug therapy’), ‘drug therapy problems’ and ‘quality assurance descriptors’ (‘timer perspective’ and ‘degree of change’). A verified medication assessment tool (MAT) for patients with chronic cardiovascular disease was applied to the patients from one of the clinics. The tool was used to quantify PCI`s and pharmacist actions that were centered on implementing or enforcing clinical guideline standards. A database was developed to be used as an assessment tool and to standardize the documentation of achievement of outcomes. Feedback on the audit of the pharmaceutical care delivery and the database was received from the DCVR clinic pharmacist at a focus group meeting.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT GREEN WASHING IS!.pdfJulietMogola
Many companies today use green washing to lure the public into thinking they are conserving the environment but in real sense they are doing more harm. There have been such several cases from very big companies here in Kenya and also globally. This ranges from various sectors from manufacturing and goes to consumer products. Educating people on greenwashing will enable people to make better choices based on their analysis and not on what they see on marketing sites.
Artificial Reefs by Kuddle Life Foundation - May 2024punit537210
Situated in Pondicherry, India, Kuddle Life Foundation is a charitable, non-profit and non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving the living standards of coastal communities and simultaneously placing a strong emphasis on the protection of marine ecosystems.
One of the key areas we work in is Artificial Reefs. This presentation captures our journey so far and our learnings. We hope you get as excited about marine conservation and artificial reefs as we are.
Please visit our website: https://kuddlelife.org
Our Instagram channel:
@kuddlelifefoundation
Our Linkedin Page:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/kuddlelifefoundation/
and write to us if you have any questions:
info@kuddlelife.org
WRI’s brand new “Food Service Playbook for Promoting Sustainable Food Choices” gives food service operators the very latest strategies for creating dining environments that empower consumers to choose sustainable, plant-rich dishes. This research builds off our first guide for food service, now with industry experience and insights from nearly 350 academic trials.
Willie Nelson Net Worth: A Journey Through Music, Movies, and Business Venturesgreendigital
Willie Nelson is a name that resonates within the world of music and entertainment. Known for his unique voice, and masterful guitar skills. and an extraordinary career spanning several decades. Nelson has become a legend in the country music scene. But, his influence extends far beyond the realm of music. with ventures in acting, writing, activism, and business. This comprehensive article delves into Willie Nelson net worth. exploring the various facets of his career that have contributed to his large fortune.
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Introduction
Willie Nelson net worth is a testament to his enduring influence and success in many fields. Born on April 29, 1933, in Abbott, Texas. Nelson's journey from a humble beginning to becoming one of the most iconic figures in American music is nothing short of inspirational. His net worth, which estimated to be around $25 million as of 2024. reflects a career that is as diverse as it is prolific.
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Humble Origins
Willie Hugh Nelson was born during the Great Depression. a time of significant economic hardship in the United States. Raised by his grandparents. Nelson found solace and inspiration in music from an early age. His grandmother taught him to play the guitar. setting the stage for what would become an illustrious career.
First Steps in Music
Nelson's initial foray into the music industry was fraught with challenges. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue his dreams, but success did not come . Working as a songwriter, Nelson penned hits for other artists. which helped him gain a foothold in the competitive music scene. His songwriting skills contributed to his early earnings. laying the foundation for his net worth.
Rise to Stardom
Breakthrough Albums
The 1970s marked a turning point in Willie Nelson's career. His albums "Shotgun Willie" (1973), "Red Headed Stranger" (1975). and "Stardust" (1978) received critical acclaim and commercial success. These albums not only solidified his position in the country music genre. but also introduced his music to a broader audience. The success of these albums played a crucial role in boosting Willie Nelson net worth.
Iconic Songs
Willie Nelson net worth is also attributed to his extensive catalog of hit songs. Tracks like "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," "On the Road Again," and "Always on My Mind" have become timeless classics. These songs have not only earned Nelson large royalties but have also ensured his continued relevance in the music industry.
Acting and Film Career
Hollywood Ventures
In addition to his music career, Willie Nelson has also made a mark in Hollywood. His distinctive personality and on-screen presence have landed him roles in several films and television shows. Notable appearances include roles in "The Electric Horseman" (1979), "Honeysuckle Rose" (1980), and "Barbarosa" (1982). These acting gigs have added a significant amount to Willie Nelson net worth.
Television Appearances
Nelson's char
Characterization and the Kinetics of drying at the drying oven and with micro...Open Access Research Paper
The objective of this work is to contribute to valorization de Nephelium lappaceum by the characterization of kinetics of drying of seeds of Nephelium lappaceum. The seeds were dehydrated until a constant mass respectively in a drying oven and a microwawe oven. The temperatures and the powers of drying are respectively: 50, 60 and 70°C and 140, 280 and 420 W. The results show that the curves of drying of seeds of Nephelium lappaceum do not present a phase of constant kinetics. The coefficients of diffusion vary between 2.09.10-8 to 2.98. 10-8m-2/s in the interval of 50°C at 70°C and between 4.83×10-07 at 9.04×10-07 m-8/s for the powers going of 140 W with 420 W the relation between Arrhenius and a value of energy of activation of 16.49 kJ. mol-1 expressed the effect of the temperature on effective diffusivity.
1. 1
Introduction:
Through a process called anaerobic digestion (AD), organic solids can be broken down to produce biogas, a methane rich
byproduct that is usable for energy generation. When applied at municipal wastewater treatment facilities, an existing
waste stream can be converted into renewable energy and can be used by either installing a combined heat and power
system, using a normal biogas generator, or through biogas upgrading to grid level or vehicular fuel. If additional organic
waste streams are diverted to these facilities to supplement municipal wastewater solids, even greater efficiencies and
energy potential can be attained for energy generation onsite and resale to the grid or to the clients directly based on a
project to project basis. Such projects lead to environmental benefits such as methane capture, reduction of green house
gases, renewable energy generation, organic fertilizer generation, employment generation and organic waste volume
reduction. Furthermore, facilities can reduce their operational costs associated with energy consumption and waste
disposal while generating revenue from processing additional waste streams.
Wastewater treatment plants present an untapped source of renewable energy. Within the millions of gallons of
wastewater that pass through these plants in any given day, are hundreds of tons of bio solids. When anaerobically
digested, those bio solids generate biogas which can be anywhere from 60 to 70 percent methane. If captured, that
biogas fuel can be used in several ways - thus, creating a renewable energy source. In short, based on my experience, it
can be said that, contained within the wastewater is ten times more energy than what is necessary to treat that water.
Sewage sludge is produced in waste water treatment plants as a part of their internal plant cleaning process. The sludge
contains the particles from the waste water, which can also be used as organic fertilizer because it is rich in organic
matter, leaving the water clean for its release into the nature. A growing population worldwide along with increased
2. 2
global industrialization is increasingly being served by waste water treatment facilities which has led to a rapid growth of
sewage sludge production.
The main feedstock for Anaerobic Digestion in waste water treatment plants is sewage sludge. Sewage sludge is
generally composed of primary and secondary sludge, which is also called mixed sludge. Grease from the grease traps are
often also digested. Screens are not suitable for Anaerobic Digestion as they contain coarse materials that may be
harmful to pumps and stirring systems. In addition to this, other organic materials such as organic waste from households
or from industries may also be digested in the anaerobic reactor of the waste water treatment plant - this is then called
co-digestion. Primary sludge, also called raw sludge, is produced by gravitational sedimentation in the primary settler. It
has a high content of organic matter and is easily degradable. Under optimum digestion conditions, a methane yield of
350 – 400 Nm3/t organic dry matter (ODM) can be expected. Secondary sludge, also called excess sludge or activated
sludge, results from the biological treatment of waste water. It has a smaller degradable fraction than primary sludge
and thus a lower biogas yield. Under optimum digestion conditions, a methane yield of 200 – 250 Nm3/t organic dry
matter (ODM) can be expected.
Renewable energy production takes on increasing importance in light of dwindling resources and the world’s increasing
energy consumption. Anaerobic Digestion technology is one of the options for deployment in the conversion of organic
residues to renewable energy and organic fertilizer. It plays an important role in achieving the ambitious targets set by
the European renewable energy directive, 2009/28/EC which states that 20% of the final energy consumption must be
provided by renewable sources by 2020. As important consumers and producers of energy, waste water treatment plants
are one of the numerous players influencing the development towards energy sustainability. It is recommended that
operators of a plant should regularly evaluate its processes and include the results in their reports. Improvements and
deterioration in performance in comparison to past performance should be highlighted and updated regularly. We will
now focus on sewage sludge treatment and AD, but it is recommended to integrate the results into an analysis of the
entire waste water treatment plant.
A number of operational and environmental parameters have been studied in detail and recommended below in order to
assess a plant’s sustainability. The situation in any particular plant can be compared to the indicated ranges, which
allows one to get an overall idea of the plant’s performance and to establish any potential for improvements. Operational
parameters which are necessary for the best results of the anaerobic digestion at a waste water treatment plant are:
Hydraulic retention time
Temperature
Gas production
Degradability of the substrate/feedstock
Methane content in the biogas
Final end use of the produced gas and organic manure
A possible approach for the implementation of the optimization process is described hereafter, divided in the following
steps:
Situation analysis: The first step is to understand where and why there are deficient performances. The parameters
described above are an important tool in this process; ideally, data is collected regularly in order to track their evolution.
For process steps with deficient performance, the following questions must be asked:
• Is the technical equipment efficient?
• Has it been designed appropriately?
• Is it operated correctly?
• Has there been regular maintenance?
Furthermore, it is important to consider the general concept of the plant. Are synergies within the plant being exploited?
Are there synergies with surrounding industries that could be exploited or created?
3. 3
Optimization Plan: The next step involves optimization measures based on the results of the situation analysis. A number
of key measures are described. An evaluation of the costs and benefits helps to decide if a measure should be applied and
to establish the final optimization plan.
Implementation and further monitoring: The last step is the planning and realization of the optimization measures. It is
important to continue the monitoring of operational and environmental parameters after the implementation. A
comparison before and after is a good way to appreciate the real effectiveness of the applied measures.
Sewage Sludge Pretreatment:
The aim of sewage sludge pretreatment is destruction of solid structures and cell walls of the biomass to enhance the rate
and volume of gas production. Its main aims are a faster digestion process, higher energy production and a reduction of
the sludge volume. Further effects are better de-watering ability and a possible reduction of the reactor volume resulting
from a higher throughput of sewage sludge. A large number of mechanical, thermal, chemical and biochemical
pretreatment technologies are available on the market (for sewage sludge also called disintegration technologies).
Taking a closer look at different pre- treatments, many have not shown themselves to be beneficial from a sustainability
point of view, which is a reason why any purchase must be studied carefully on a case by case basis for every project.
Co-digestion:
In addition to sewage sludge, some waste water treatment plants include other organic feedstock in the anaerobic
reactor. This is referred to as co-digestion. This can lead to a significant increase in biogas production because most co-
substrates have a considerably higher methane production per tonne of fresh matter than sewage sludge. This is due to
the lower water content and high content of energy-rich substances such as proteins, carbohydrates and fats in co-
substrates. As co-digestion in waste water treatment plants is subject to strict regulations in most countries, the legal
situation must be studied carefully before planning to proceed in the direction of co-digestion. Co-digestion is an
interesting option to optimize the biogas production, but it also involves additional work and infrastructure at the waste
water treatment plants. Various devices are required such as the reception pit, suction device, pretreatment, storage, etc.
The additional substrates also induce an increase of the nitrogen load in the processed water.
Innovative Water to Energy Solutions – Perfect Example (Anaerobic Digestion and use of
CHP)
As the adoption of Anaerobic Digestion and CHP at waste water treatment plants is no easy task, several other potential
means of tapping the energy contained within waste water are worth taking note of. One especially innovative solution,
is the use of microbial fuel cells to directly harvest energy from raw waste. IntAct labs and several other startups are In
the process of developing this technology for applications such as municipal wastewater treatment. Other options include
the mixing of sludge into landfill trash to catalyze methane production for capture. Springfield waste water treatment
plant is currently sending their sludge to landfill, where the gas is capture and reused. Unfortunately, this system is not as
efficient for the production and capture of biogas.
Regional facilities are another alternative that may be more feasible, particularly for space constrained
facilities. Furthermore, a regional facility can be much larger and have greater economies of scale during
the installation of anaerobic digestion and CHP. The downside is that plants would have to continue transporting their
sludge for treatment, limiting the financial benefit of each facility. At the same time, the operational changes and
challenges would be limited to this facility, and the capital costs can be shared or financed by a larger entity such as the
state.
As mentioned previously, the addition of high strength food wastes can also improve the productivity of
4. 4
an anaerobic digestion and CHP system. If anaerobic digestion and CHP systems are more productive, the payback on the
installation of these systems can be shortened, making the adoption of anaerobic digestion and CHP more financially
feasible, even for smaller plants. While still considered relatively new, food wastes can be effectively incorporated into
wastewater treatment systems to enhance methane (and renewable energy) production. Lastly, selecting a single plant
as a pilot project may help demonstrate the effectiveness of AD and CHP technologies. This plant may subsequently
provide operational lessons to interested plants, enabling risk‐ averse operators to overcome fears of unknown processes
and skepticism about their viability. Doing so will also enable the testing of new ideas such as the addition of high
strength food wastes.
Conclusion:
Any developed city can be a leader in its overall management of waste streams, especially if it begins to think more
broadly about it both in terms of solid waste as well as waste water. The present article argues to use anaerobic digestion
at waste water treatment plants and if possible to treat the biodegradable food waste at the same facility to get more
biogas. To push the envelope and truly to be a leader, the developed cities can take strides to do more than just that. Any
developed city has the opportunity to view its waste systems holistically and to see where those systems overlap and
through regional solutions, adopt a vision of resource recovery where more is reclaimed and less is wasted.
With millions of gallons of waste water passing through waste water treatment plants each day, the opportunity costs of
foregoing this renewable energy source are growing as we delay action through adoption of these technologies. These
costs are both environmental and economical. Anaerobic digestion and further use of the produced biogas minimizes
emissions from energy generation and waste water processing which in turn generates positive cash flow for the waste
water treatment plants. States like California and New York are already ahead of the domestic curve in adopting these
practices, a place where any city can also be, if the right steps are taken. The possibilities of anaerobic digestion and
various uses of the produced biogas are already proven, not only in the United States and Europe but other developed
countries too. While there are veritable challenges in translating these ideas into reality, the grand vision of other cities
to have resource reclamation is not beyond attainment as long as we, choose to take strides in the right direction. We
must identify key projects today and offer them the financial means to demonstrate the future of renewable energy,
waste water treatment and resource recovery. In doing so, cities can spark the transformation of waste systems into an
environmentally sound and economically stable network, helping to bridge the gap where the country falls short of
global action to mitigate human environmental impacts.
Suggestions:
The best way towards sustainable biogas production at waste water treatment plants is the establishment of a
monitoring system. It is recommended that each plant should regularly evaluate its processes and note the results
regularly, illustrating good and deficient performances, as well as optimization possibilities. Good awareness of each
stage of the process and the possibilities for improvement is one of the most important steps in the optimization process.
The detailed operational report can also serve as a communication tool in order to attract attention of the local
population and politicians when investments are required. It is further important to remain attentive to developments
and regularly investigate new possibilities. It is sometimes beneficial to replace an old system, even though still
functional, by a new, more efficient one. Or, as the industrial neighborhood of a plant changes, new possibilities for
synergies should be examined. However, plant optimization is a continuous process, which requires a committed,
innovative and dynamic operating team. Continuous education and experience exchange is an effective way to keep up
with the best practices and the newest technological developments.
Contributed by:
Srinivas Kasulla
Biogas Consultant