Acidic Organic Wastewater Treatment via Acclimated Sludge and Microalgae
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for treating acidic organic wastewater, such as terephthalic acid wastewater, face challenges with high COD values and pH adjustments, leading to low COD removal rates and the need for additional alkali, which complicates the process and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A method combining activated sludge treatment and microalgae treatment, where the activated sludge is acclimated to adapt to acidic conditions, allowing self-pH adjustment and continuous use, and microalgae are used to further reduce COD values with CO2 capture, followed by pyrolysis for biomass energy production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional activated sludge treatment is used on acidic organic wastewater, then the treatment process can be simplified, but the COD removal rate is low and additional alkali is required for pH adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by acclimating activated sludge to acidic conditions (pH 2-4), transforming the sludge from unable to tolerate acid into能够有效降解有机物的酸适应性污泥. This parameter change in the microbial community enables the system to operate in acidic conditions without additional alkali while maintaining high COD removal rates
Solution Approach 2:
The acclimated activated sludge performs multiple functions simultaneously: it tolerates acidic conditions, degrades organic pollutants efficiently, and maintains system pH stability without requiring external alkali addition. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between process simplicity and treatment effectiveness
2Reliability
If pH adjustment with alkali is performed to enable activated sludge treatment, then the sludge can function properly, but the process becomes more complex and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The acclimated activated sludge serves itself by maintaining the pH within its functional range through its acid tolerance and metabolic activities. The system becomes self-regulating without external pH adjustment, eliminating the need for alkali addition and associated complexity while ensuring reliable sludge functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful acidic condition into a beneficial feature by acclimating the sludge to thrive in acidic environments. The acidinity that initially inhibited sludge function becomes the selecting pressure that creates highly efficient, alkali-independent treatment capability
3Productivity
If microalgae treatment is added after activated sludge treatment, then CO2 capture and further COD reduction are achieved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two separate treatment stages (activated sludge treatment and microalgae treatment) into an integrated system where effluent from the first stage becomes influent to the second stage. This merging achieves synergistic effects: activated sludge performs bulk organic degradation while microalgae capture CO2 and polish remaining pollutants, improving overall productivity without proportionally increasing complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly reduces COD values in acidic organic wastewater without the need for additional alkali, achieves high CO2 capture rates, and simplifies the treatment process while producing biomass energy, addressing the inefficiencies of existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
microalgae have the characteristics of fast growth rate, short harvest period, and high photosynthetic utilization efficiency. During the growth and reproduction process, organic compounds in the water body can be accumulated, absorbed and utilized as a nitrogen source and a sulfur source
Implementation Method 2
After the microalgae treat the wastewater, a stage of performing thermal pyrolysis to the remaining microalgae ('algae mud') is added, and the microalgae is used as the raw material for producing a biomass gas
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method for the treatment and resource utilization of acidic organic wastewater, comprising: (1) performing activated sludge treatment on acidic organic wastewater; and (2) performing microalgae treatment on the acidic organic wastewater treated in step (1). By means of the combination of activated sludge treatment and microalgae treatment, the present invention can significantly reduce the COD of the acidic organic wastewater. In some embodiments, the use of acclimated activated sludge or activated sludge having a specific microbial flora structure can not only improve the treatment efficiency while shortening the treatment time, but also omit a pH value adjustment step without causing sludge accumulation.