Temperature Controlled Biological Growth Surface for Anammox
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for nitrogen and carbon removal from wastewater, such as nitrification and heterotrophic denitrification, result in significant sludge production and high energy costs due to the need for temperature control of large water volumes, which is economically prohibitive, especially at lower temperatures where biological processes like anammox bacterial activity is reduced.
Innovation Solution
A temperature-controlled biological growth surface that selectively heats or cools biological organisms, such as anammox bacteria, to optimize their metabolic activity for nitrogen, carbon, and phosphate removal without the need for extensive water temperature control, using methods like electric resistance heating, gas convection, and radiation heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If conventional nitrification and heterotrophic denitrification are used for nitrogen removal, then nitrogen removal is achieved, but significant sludge production and high aeration energy consumption occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temperature parameter to activate anammox bacteria, which operate optimally at higher temperatures (30-40°C). By maintaining elevated temperature through heating elements integrated into the bioreactor, the system achieves efficient nitrogen removal via anammox process while producing significantly less sludge compared to conventional methods
2Loss of substance
If anammox bacteria are used for nitrogen removal, then sludge production is reduced and aeration energy is decreased, but bacterial activity sharply decreases at lower temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The system actively maintains elevated temperature (30-40°C) using integrated heating elements to ensure anammox bacteria remain in their optimal activity range. This temperature control enables consistent high-rate nitrogen removal while minimizing sludge production, regardless of ambient temperature conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a temperature control system as an intermediary between the ambient environment and the anammox bacteria. This mediator (heating system) buffers the bacteria from temperature fluctuations in the surrounding water, maintaining optimal conditions for bacterial activity and process efficiency
3Productivity
If large volumes of wastewater temperature is controlled for biological processes, then organism activity is optimized, but energy cost becomes economically prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of heating large volumes of wastewater throughout, the invention applies heating locally at the bioreactor scale where the biological process occurs. Heating elements are integrated directly into the bioreactor structure, confining thermal energy input to the immediate vicinity of the biomass, thereby dramatically reducing total energy consumption while maintaining process efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the treatment system into discrete bioreactors with integrated temperature control, rather than treating the entire wastewater volume. This allows independent temperature management of small reactor volumes containing the biomass, avoiding the prohibitive energy costs of heating large volumes of water
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 approach reduces sludge production, CO2 emission, and aeration energy requirements while maintaining efficient nitrogen and carbon removal, allowing for cost-effective biological treatment processes across varying temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature source in thermal communication with the biomass growth surface
Implementation Method 2
using methods like electric resistance heating
Implementation Method 3
using methods like electric resistance heating, gas convection, and radiation heating
Implementation Method 4
using methods like electric resistance heating, gas convection, and radiation heating
Data Source
AI summary
A temperature controlled biological growth surface, including a biomass growth surface configured to support a biomass, and a temperature source in thermal communication with the biomass growth surface. Further, a method for removing one or more of nitrogen, carbon, or phosphate from a medium, including contacting a temperature controlled biological growth surface with the medium, where the biological growth surface comprises an organism configured to remove the one or more of nitrogen, carbon, or phosphate from the medium when within a temperature range, and heating the temperature controlled biological growth surface to within the temperature range in order to allow the organism to remove the one or more of nitrogen, carbon, or phosphate from the medium, or cooling the temperature controlled biological growth surface to within the temperature range in order to allow the organism to remove the one or more of nitrogen, carbon, or phosphate from the medium.