Method for Reducing Sludge Wasting and Enhancing Bio-hydrogen Generation from the Activated Sludge Process
Chul Park, Ph.D.
Treatment and disposal of bio-hazardous sludge accounts for 50-60% of the operational costs at a wastewater treatment plant. To treat this sludge, it undergoes a process involving thickening, conditioning, and dewatering, followed by transport to a landfill or incinerator. In addition to high costs, landfilling and incineration are detrimental from a sustainability standpoint. In this patented invention, a closed, anaerobic, completely stirred tank side stream reactor is added after the outlet of the settling tank at the wastewater treatment plant. Solids retention time in the reactor is short (< 4 days), keeping its size and cost down. The acidic and anaerobic environment of the reactor causes biomass to deflocculate and sludge to hydrolyze, ultimately reducing sludge by 60%. The invention also has the added benefit of producing hydrogen and methane fuel.
• Reduces sludge by 60% • Easily integrable into existing wastewater treatment plants • Reduces phosphorous and nitrogen without needing to add organic carbon • Produces H2 and CH4
• Sludge reduction reactor • Wastewater treatment plant retrofits • Biogas production
Chul Park, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, whose research focuses on innovations in wastewater treatment.
Available for Licensing and/or Sponsored Research
UMA 09-31
Patent US 9,422,178 Issued
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