Biochemically Conditioned Flush Water for Wastewater Odor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The animal husbandry industry faces significant challenges with ammonia and odor emissions from barns, lagoons, and spray irrigation, which affect human health and animal productivity, and existing technologies for nutrient and odor management are costly and inefficient, particularly in swine operations.
Innovation Solution
A nutrient and odor management system (NOMS) that biochemically conditions flush water by lowering its pH through nitrification to convert ammonia to ionized ammonium, reducing ammonia gas emissions and nitrogen levels, using existing waste system components and optimizing the entire husbandry operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional ammonia removal technologies are used, then ammonia emissions are reduced, but operational costs and energy consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing lagoon ecosystem and naturally occurring microorganisms to perform ammonia removal through nitrification and denitrification processes. The lagoon serves as both waste storage and treatment system, eliminating the need for separate mechanical treatment facilities and reducing energy consumption while maintaining effective ammonia emission control.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If chemical treatments are applied to reduce ammonia, then ammonia gas emissions are suppressed, but additional equipment and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system leverages the natural biochemical processes occurring in the lagoon environment. Microorganisms naturally present in the lagoon perform ammonia conversion through nitrification (ammonia to nitrite/nitrate) and denitrification (nitrate to nitrogen gas), eliminating the need for chemical additives or complex mechanical treatment systems while effectively reducing ammonia gas emissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces mechanical and chemical ammonia removal systems with biological processes. Instead of using chemical treatments or mechanical aeration systems, the system relies on naturally occurring microorganisms to convert ammonia through biochemical reactions, simplifying the overall system while maintaining effectiveness.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If nitrogen levels are reduced in wastewater, then beneficial reuse becomes more difficult, but environmental compliance and odor control improve
Solution Approach 1:
The system selectively removes excess nitrogen while preserving beneficial nutrients through controlled nitrification and denitrification processes. By managing the conversion of ammonia to nitrate and subsequently to nitrogen gas, the system reduces harmful nitrogen levels and ammonia emissions while maintaining appropriate nutrient concentrations for beneficial reuse applications such as irrigation.
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
The system effectively suppresses ammonia gas emissions by up to 90%, reduces nitrogen levels, improves animal health and productivity, and lowers operational costs by minimizing the need for additional equipment and energy, while allowing targeted nutrient reuse.
Implementation Method 1
The system uses a nitrification system that transforms ammonia to nitrite and nitrate, lowering the pH of the flush water by at least 0.3 pH units
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system to significantly reduce odor emissions caused by ammonia and other noxious gasses and reduce nitrogen levels in animal husbandry wastewater effectively and efficiently by the use of flush water that has been biochemically conditioned to lower the pH thus reducing the level of un-ionized compounds including NH3 which can volatilize into the atmosphere and which method and system can also be used to remove ammonia and nitrogen from the wastewater system. The present disclosure includes the use of flush water that has been biochemically conditioned to lower its pH thus sequestering non-ionized ammonia from being released from a liquid as ammonia gas. This disclosure relates to the new use of nitrification for biochemical conditioning of wastewater for use as flush water to reduce atmospheric ammonia emissions.