Manure Treatment via Electrocoagulation and Pelletizing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manure treatment methods in high livestock concentration areas fail to adequately valorize manure as fertilizer due to high heavy metal and antibiotic residues, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact, as they do not effectively reduce CO2 and NOx emissions from methanation and nitrogenous compounds.
Innovation Solution
A manure treatment process involving physical-chemical separation, electrocoagulation, and pelletizing with lignocellulosic materials to generate low-nitrogenous and low-GHG effluents, using cationic flocculants of very low cationicity and high molecular weight for enhanced coagulation and flocculation, reducing pollutant loads and greenhouse gas precursors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If anaerobic bio-digestion is used to treat manure, then organic fertilizer is produced, but heavy metals and antibiotic residues decrease the activity of methaniferous bacteria, leading to higher environmental impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary electrocoagulation treatment to remove heavy metals and antibiotic residues from manure before anaerobic bio-digestion. This pre-treatment eliminates harmful substances that would otherwise inhibit methaniferous bacteria, ensuring reliable digestion process while reducing environmental impact of the final product
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces electrocoagulation as an intermediary treatment process between manure collection and anaerobic digestion. This intermediary step uses electrical current to coagulate and remove harmful substances, protecting the subsequent biological treatment from inhibition while maintaining the overall effectiveness of manure valorization
2Manufacturing precision
If electrooxidation is used to reduce polluting load, then water quality improves, but significant energy consumption is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the high-energy electrooxidation process with electrocoagulation, which uses electrical current to generate coagulating agents in-situ. This substitution maintains effective pollutant removal while significantly reducing energy consumption by avoiding the need for continuous high-potential oxidation reactions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the electrochemical parameters from high-potential oxidation (electrooxidation) to lower-potential coagulation (electrocoagulation). This parameter change maintains the ability to remove pollutants effectively while reducing the energy input required, as coagulation occurs at lower electrical potentials compared to oxidation processes
3Quantity of substance
If evaporation is used to concentrate manure, then water content is reduced, but dissolved gases escape to atmosphere without control, maintaining significant emission levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal evaporation process with electrocoagulation, which concentrates manure through coagulation and sedimentation rather than heating. This substitution eliminates the need for high temperatures that cause uncontrolled gas escape, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions while still achieving manure concentration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent avoids the phase transition involved in evaporation (liquid to vapor) that causes uncontrolled gas emissions. Instead, it uses electrocoagulation which operates in the liquid phase, concentrating solids through coagulation and settling without requiring vaporization, thus preventing dissolved gases from escaping to the atmosphere
4Quantity of substance
If conventional manure treatment is used to produce organic fertilizer, then nitrogenous compounds are preserved, but CO2 and NOx emissions from methanation and nitrogenous compounds increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary electrocoagulation treatment to remove or transform nitrogenous compounds and organic matter before anaerobic digestion. This pre-treatment reduces the substrate available for methanation and nitrogen transformation processes, thereby preventing CO2 and NOx emissions while preserving essential nutrients in the final fertilizer product
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts potentially harmful nitrogenous compounds and organic matter into beneficial coagulated solids that can be removed or transformed. By electrocoagulating these compounds, the process prevents their subsequent decomposition into greenhouse gases, while the coagulated solids can be utilized as stable nutrient sources in the final fertilizer
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 process significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 95% and minimizes nitrogenous and organic pollutants, achieving a drastic reduction in environmental impact and pollutant loads, while producing a biomass fuel with reduced methane emissions.
Implementation Method 1
the electrocoagulation of the liquid fraction obtained in the previous stage to obtain an additional solid fraction and a liquid fraction
Implementation Method 2
by coagulation and subsequent flocculation of the solid particles obtained
Implementation Method 3
by coagulation and subsequent flocculation of the solid particles obtained
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention is a method of manure treatment, comprising: The solid-liquid physical separation of a liquid effluent containing manure generating a solid and a liquid fraction, The physical-chemical separation of the liquid fraction obtained in the previous step obtaining a solid and a liquid fraction, Electro-coagulation of the liquid fraction previously obtained getting a solid and a liquid fraction. Pelletized solid fractions obtained in the sum of the above steps in presence of lignocellulosic or lignocelluloses materials. The solid agglomerate obtained by pelletizing, offeros a high calorific value in the combustion. The resulting liquid has a very low content of nitrogenous compounds and residues of dissolved organic matter, phosphorus, organic pollutants or heavy metals.