Biofilter Odor Control in Mixed Waste Anaerobic Digestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current waste management strategies face challenges in handling mixed waste streams containing plastic, paper, cardboard, and organic materials, as traditional methods like landfilling are environmentally harmful, and anaerobic digestion facilities cannot process non-organic materials, leading to inefficiencies in bio-gas production and odor control.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that involve separating and recycling plastic, paper, and cardboard from organic materials using an anaerobic digester and a biofilter, where the organic material is converted into bio-gas, fertilizer, and water, while maintaining negative pressure to capture and purify odorous air using a biofilter with a filter media of woodchips.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If anaerobic digestion is used to process organic waste, then bio-gas production is achieved, but non-organic materials like plastic and paper cannot be processed
Solution Approach 1:
The waste stream is segmented into organic and non-organic components through separation processes before processing. The system divides the mixed waste into distinct streams: organic materials go to the anaerobic digester for bio-gas production, while non-organic materials are routed to recycling processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Non-organic materials (plastic, paper, cardboard) are extracted and removed from the organic waste stream before anaerobic digestion. This extraction allows the anaerobic digester to process only suitable organic materials while the separated non-organics are directed to appropriate recycling facilities.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional landfilling is used for waste disposal, then waste handling is simple, but environmental pollution occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts potentially harmful waste materials into beneficial products. Organic waste is transformed into bio-gas (energy source), fertilizer, and water through anaerobic digestion. Non-organic materials are converted into recyclable resources. This approach eliminates the need for landfilling while producing valuable outputs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the state and form of waste materials through various processing parameters. Organic waste undergoes biochemical transformation at controlled temperatures and conditions to produce bio-gas and fertilizer. Non-organic materials undergo physical separation and processing to enable recycling.
3Productivity
If mixed waste streams are processed together, then processing efficiency is reduced, but separation processes are required
Solution Approach 1:
The waste processing system is segmented into distinct operational units: separation processes that divide mixed waste into organic and non-organic streams, an anaerobic digester for organic material processing, and recycling facilities for non-organic materials. This segmentation allows each unit to operate optimally for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a multi-functional waste processing facility that handles both organic and non-organic materials through integrated separation and processing units. The facility simultaneously performs anaerobic digestion for bio-gas production and material recycling, making it universally applicable to mixed waste streams.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If odorous air is not controlled during waste processing, then air quality deteriorates, but negative pressure systems are needed
Solution Approach 1:
A biofilter system serves as an intermediary component between the anaerobic digester and the atmosphere. The biofilter captures odorous air through negative pressure, allowing it to pass through a filtering medium where odors are neutralized by microbial action, and then releases purified air to the environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The odorous air, which is a harmful byproduct of anaerobic digestion, is converted into a treatment opportunity. The biofilter system captures and treats the odorous air through biological processes, transforming the harmful odor into purified air that can be safely released, while also generating beneficial microbial activity within the filter medium.
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 enables a high-efficiency recycling process with minimal environmental pollution, producing bio-gas, fertilizer, and water while effectively removing odors from the recycling and digestion process, thus addressing the inefficiencies of traditional waste handling methods.
Implementation Method 1
the organic material is converted to the bio-gas, the fertilizer, and the water using the anaerobic digester
Implementation Method 2
A filter media is disposed on each of the trays for removing odor from the odorous air in the chamber and produce a purified air
Implementation Method 3
The filter media includes a mixture of woodchips including a plurality of hardwood chips and a plurality of softwood chips
Implementation Method 4
At least one sprinklers disposed in the chamber and attached to the housing for transferring water into the chamber of the housing to maintain the chamber of the housing in a predetermined humidity
Implementation Method 5
A heater disposed in the housing of the chamber and attached to the top wall of the housing to maintain the chamber of the housing between a predetermined temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A method for breaking down a pallet of plastic, paper, cardboard, and organic material to produce bio-gas, fertilizer, and water includes a step of maintaining a negative pressure during the steps of removing, separating, recycling, feeding, and converting to clean odorous air. The step of maintaining the negative pressure is further defined as removing the odorous air generated during the steps of separating, recycling, feeding, and converting. The chamber of the biofilter is maintained at a predetermined humidity of at least 80% and a predetermined temperature of between 70° F. and 80° F. A biofilter for removing odorous air includes a filter media having a mixture of woodchips having hardwood chips being present between 30 wt. % and 50 wt. %, softwood chips being present between 50 wt. % and 70 wt. %, and microorganisms disposed therein.