Induced Nucleus for Rapid Aerobic Granular Sludge Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aerobic granular sludge technology faces challenges with a long start-up period, difficult granulation, and structural instability under low concentration municipal sewage inflow, limiting its wide application in municipal sewage treatment, despite its potential for efficient organic carbon degradation and nutrient removal.
Innovation Solution
A sewage treatment biological agent featuring an induced nucleus with a three-dimensional helical structure made from degradable plastics, which provides nutrient components for microbial growth, promotes rapid granulation, and stabilizes the structure, utilizing extracellular polymers and flow shear forces for enhanced settling performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If aerobic granular sludge is used for municipal sewage treatment, then treatment efficiency and nutrient removal are improved, but start-up period is extended and granulation becomes difficult under low concentration inflow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming aerobic granular sludge in a reactor before actual sewage treatment. The granules are cultivated in advance under controlled conditions to achieve stable structure and high settling performance, then these pre-formed granules are used to inoculate the treatment system, significantly shortening the start-up period under low concentration municipal sewage inflow
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by adjusting operational parameters during granulation phase versus treatment phase. During granulation, higher organic loading rates and specific hydraulic conditions are used to promote granule formation. Once granules are formed, parameters are adjusted to optimize treatment efficiency while maintaining granule stability, thus resolving the contradiction between rapid granulation and efficient treatment
2Speed
If aerobic granular sludge is used, then settling performance is improved and secondary sedimentation tank is reduced, but structural stability deteriorates under long-term operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating heterogeneous granule structures with different functional zones. The granules have dense outer layers for settling and inner cores for active metabolism. This spatial differentiation of properties allows the granules to maintain both high settling rates and structural stability during long-term operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials concept by forming granules that contain multiple microbial communities and extracellular polymeric substances with different properties. The composite structure of polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids in the extracellular matrix provides both settling velocity and structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between settling performance and stability
3Ease of manufacture
If exogenous strengthening methods are used to promote granulation, then granule formation is improved, but operational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by using the sewage substrate itself and naturally occurring microbial processes to achieve granulation. Instead of adding external chemicals or carriers, the system relies on microbial self-organization and extracellular polymeric substance production to form stable granules, eliminating the need for costly exogenous strengthening agents
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 biological agent achieves short granulation periods, stable structure, and effective treatment of municipal sewage, with high removal rates of organic matter and nutrients, while utilizing waste plastics and reducing operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
by the metabolism of microorganisms, makes pollutants in a dissolved state or colloidal state, and some insoluble organic and even inorganic pollutants in the sewage are converted into stable and harmless substances
Implementation Method 2
The treatment technologies of municipal sewage can be divided into three types according to the mechanism of action: physical treatment, chemical treatment and biological treatment. According to the physical treatment method, the suspended pollutants are separated and recovered from the sewage by physical action
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a sewage treatment biological agent and a preparation method and application thereof. The sewage treatment biological agent according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an induced nucleus. The induced nucleus has good bioaffinity. A microbial flora can be attached to the induced nucleus to achieve rapid growth. As the microbial flora gathers and grows on the induced nucleus, the granulation is gradually achieved by the sewage treatment biological agent to facilitate the sewage treatment. The microbial flora grows on the induced nucleus, and the growth process of microbial flora is a covering growth process which starts from the induced nucleus and gradually expands outward and centers on the induced nucleus. During the growth of microbial flora, extracellular polymers are secreted, which can further promote the granulation process by the sewage treatment biological agent.