Biological Bed Effluent Treatment with Segmented Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for treating phytosanitary effluents face challenges such as fragile equipment, high costs, and potential contamination due to imperfectly sealed biological beds, which can lead to soil and water pollution, and variability in degradation effectiveness over time.
Innovation Solution
A device with a biological bed system that maintains optimal humidity levels between 60% and 120% of the substrate's retention capacity, using controlled effluent introduction and aeration to ensure constant and efficient degradation of phytosanitary products, while preventing anaerobic phases and bad odor emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a biological bed is used to treat phytosanitary effluents, then degradation of phytosanitary products is achieved, but the biological bed is not perfectly sealed leading to contamination risk
Solution Approach 1:
The biological bed is divided into multiple compartments separated by impermeable partitions. This segmentation allows each compartment to be independently sealed and controlled, preventing contamination while maintaining degradation effectiveness. The effluents are distributed across multiple segmented zones rather than a single large bed.
Solution Approach 2:
An impermeable geotextile layer is introduced as an intermediary between the biological bed and the surrounding environment. This mediator prevents direct contact between the effluents and external soil/water, blocking contamination pathways while allowing the biological degradation process to proceed uninterrupted.
2Productivity
If effluents are introduced into the biological bed, then degradation occurs, but humidity control is difficult leading to variable effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
Humidity sensors are installed within the biological bed to continuously monitor moisture levels. This feedback information is used to automatically control the introduction of effluents and irrigation, adjusting the system in real-time to maintain optimal humidity ranges for consistent microbial activity and degradation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system actively controls and adjusts the humidity parameter within the biological bed by regulating effluent introduction rates and supplemental irrigation. By maintaining humidity within optimal ranges (60-80% of field capacity), the microbial degradation process remains consistently effective regardless of external conditions.
3Productivity
If the biological bed volume is increased to handle arrival peaks, then effluent treatment capacity is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamic control of effluent introduction rates based on real-time monitoring of bed humidity and microbial activity. During peak arrival periods, effluents are distributed more rapidly across multiple compartments; during lower flow periods, the system reduces introduction rates to maintain optimal conditions. This dynamic adjustment allows a smaller total bed volume to handle variable loads effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares the biological bed in advance by pre-wetting substrates and establishing microbial populations before peak effluent arrivals. This preliminary conditioning ensures the bed is ready to immediately process incoming effluents at high rates without requiring excessive bed volume for buffer capacity.
4Productivity
If humidity is too high in the biological bed, then microbial activity increases, but anaerobic phases occur causing bad odors
Solution Approach 1:
The system precisely controls the humidity parameter within a narrow optimal range (60-80% of field capacity) through regulated effluent introduction and supplemental irrigation. This parameter control ensures sufficient moisture for high microbial activity while preventing waterlogging that would create anaerobic conditions and odorous emissions.
Solution Approach 2:
Humidity sensors provide continuous feedback on moisture levels in the biological bed. When humidity approaches levels that could cause anaerobic conditions, the system automatically reduces effluent introduction rates or increases aeration, preventing bad odors before they occur while maintaining optimal degradation activity.
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 ensures constant and optimal degradation of phytosanitary products, reduces the risk of contamination, and maintains aerobic conditions, thereby improving the effectiveness and reliability of the treatment process.
Implementation Method 1
a biological bed consisting of a substrate comprising microorganisms, and into which the effluents are introduced
Implementation Method 2
the humidity in the biological bed is globally between 60% and 120% of the retention capacity of the biological bed
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The procedure for treating liquid/viscous effluents (4) such as sludge, comprises storing the effluents in a storage tank (3), introducing the effluents into a biological bed (2) by capillarity, pretreating the stored effluents, and activating microorganisms in the biological bed. Degradation of plant health products comprises a step of introducing the effluents into the biological bed made up of a substrate having micro-organisms to degrade the effluents in which the substrate is maintained at 12-35[deg]C. The procedure for treating liquid/viscous effluent (4) such as sludge, comprises storing the effluents in a storage tank (3), introducing the effluents into a biological bed (2) by capillarity, pretreating the stored effluents, and activating micro-organisms in the biological bed. Degradation of plant health products comprises a step of introducing the effluents into the biological bed made up of a substrate having micro-organisms to degrade the effluents in which the substrate is maintained at 12-35[deg]C. Moisture in the biological bed contains retention capacity (60-120%) of the substrate. A given volume of effluents are introduced into the biological bed according to- an evaporation rate of the bed, and a retention rate of the product by fixing on the substrate of the bed. The effluents are introduced into the biological bed in such a way that the evaporation rate of the biological bed contains 500-1000 liters of the water effluent. During the pretreatment acidity i.e. a pH value of the stored effluents are modified. The pretreatment step comprises introducing organic matter and microbial inoculums into the effluents to stimulate the products. The activation stage of the microorganisms comprises refreshing the biological bed. The refreshed biological bed is obtained by introducing an air from the bottom of the bed. An independent claim is included for a water treatment device.