Modular Effluent Treatment System for Marine Biofouling Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies are inadequate for treating biowaste from marine bio-scaling removal, particularly for thick calcareous organisms like Sun Coral, as they fail to effectively separate and dispose of the solid phase rich in biogenic calcium carbonate and organic matter, and do not ensure the complete removal of metallic elements and microscopic organisms from the effluent.
Innovation Solution
The Modular System for Effluent Treatment (MSET) processes the raw effluent into separate solid and liquid streams, using a self-cleaning rotary filter, comminution equipment, oxidation process, and subsequent drying to reduce organic matter, followed by ultraviolet inertization to ensure the effluent is free of microscopic organisms and metallic elements, allowing safe return to the marine environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If typical effluent treatment operations are used, then the treatment process is simple, but they fail to effectively separate and dispose of the solid phase rich in biogenic calcium carbonate and organic matter
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment system is divided into distinct modules: a solid-liquid separator for initial separation, a drying unit for solid phase treatment, and a liquid effluent treatment unit for liquid phase processing. This segmentation allows each module to specialize in specific separation and treatment tasks, achieving effective separation of biogenic calcium carbonate and organic matter while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design.
2Productivity
If thick macro-scaling is removed from hulls, then bio-scaling removal effectiveness is improved, but the amount of solid waste containing invasive species increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the solid phase containing biogenic calcium carbonate and organic matter from the liquid effluent through solid-liquid separation. The solid phase is then dried to reduce moisture content and volume, making it suitable for disposal or potential recovery applications. This approach effectively manages the solid waste generated from macro-scaling removal while minimizing environmental impact.
3Ease of operation
If liquid effluent is returned to marine environment without treatment, then discharge simplicity is maintained, but invasive species dispersal occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes invasive species, organic matter, and contaminants from the liquid effluent through solid-liquid separation and subsequent liquid phase treatment. This extraction process ensures that the treated effluent returned to the marine environment is free from harmful substances and invasive species, eliminating the harmful effect while maintaining operational feasibility through integrated treatment modules.
4Device complexity
If solid phase with high organic content is disposed of without drying, then disposal process is simplified, but organic matter decomposition and odor generation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary drying treatment to the solid phase before final disposal. By removing moisture content through the drying unit, the organic matter is stabilized and prevented from decomposition. This preliminary action eliminates the generation of harmful odors and decomposition products, ensuring environmentally safe disposal while maintaining a manageable process through integrated module design.
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
MSET achieves 100% operational efficiency in treating biowaste from macro-scaling removal, reducing organic content in solids to less than 10% humidity, enabling safe disposal and utilizing the calcium carbonate in the manufacturing industry, while ensuring the effluent is inert and environmentally safe for release.
Implementation Method 1
separates the biowaste into basically two main streams, namely: the solid effluent stream and liquid effluent stream
Implementation Method 2
The Modular System for Effluent Treatment (MSET) processes the raw effluent into separate solid and liquid streams, using a self-cleaning rotary filter, comminution equipment
Implementation Method 3
oxidation process, and subsequent drying to reduce organic matter
Implementation Method 4
subsequent drying to reduce organic matter, enabling safe disposal and utilizing the calcium carbonate in the manufacturing industry
Implementation Method 5
followed by ultraviolet inertization to ensure the effluent is free of microscopic organisms and metallic elements
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a system for treating effluent from robotic equipment used to remove marine biofouling, primarily targeting organisms such as orange cup coral, which collect on hulls of floating units for transporting oil and derivatives thereof, or on production and exploration platforms. The system involves separating the flow into two elemental phases: solid and liquid. In the solid-phase flow, treatment is carried out in steps essentially comprising particle-size reduction, direct oxidation, oxidation residence, separation, drying, temporary hermetic storage, packaging, and automatic transportation for final storage. The liquid phase includes a step of centrifuging, adsorption, inerting, and discharge of treated effluent into the sea in accordance with environmental law. The entire system is automated to minimize manual actions and interventions, and is programmed to run without interruption as a function of the flowrate of raw effluent.