Molded Cellulose Equipment for Mill Effluent BOD Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Paper mills face high costs and inefficiencies in wastewater treatment due to high biological oxygen demand (BOD) from short fibers and fines removed from Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) systems, which are costly to process and restrict production if not managed effectively.
Innovation Solution
Collecting fiber-rich wastewater streams from paper machines before they enter the process sewers and using molded cellulose equipment to filter out fibers and BOD components, converting them into usable molded fiber products such as egg cartons and packaging, thereby reducing BOD levels by 95% through blending and molding processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional wastewater treatment methods (clarifier, screw press, large DAF system) are used to remove fibers, then BOD levels are reduced to permissible levels, but treatment costs are significant and production is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes fibers and BOD components from wastewater using molded cellulose equipment before the water enters the conventional treatment system. This extraction approach eliminates the need for complex downstream treatment infrastructure while achieving the same BOD reduction goal.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding fibers to landfill or burning them for energy, the patent recovers these fibers and converts them into sellable molded fiber products. This transforms a waste stream into a revenue-generating resource, offsetting treatment costs and improving overall system efficiency.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional wastewater treatment methods are used, then BOD is reduced to permissible levels, but treatment costs are significant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful BOD-rich waste stream into a beneficial resource by using the fibers to create sellable molded products. This transforms a cost center (wastewater treatment) into a potential profit center (molded fiber product sales), eliminating treatment costs while generating revenue.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the paper mill's own molded cellulose equipment to treat its wastewater, making the treatment process self-sufficient and eliminating dependence on external, costly treatment facilities. The mill serves its own treatment needs using existing infrastructure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If fibers are removed using conventional methods, then BOD is reduced, but the fibers are sent to landfill or burned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers fibers that would otherwise be discarded to landfill or burned for energy. By capturing these fibers early in the process and converting them into molded products, the system prevents material loss and creates value from what was previously considered waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and form of the fibers by molding them into solid products. This parameter change transforms loose,难以处理的 fibers into structured, sellable items, enabling recovery and value creation from the fiber material.
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 significantly reduces wastewater treatment costs and improves efficiency by converting BOD-rich waste into sellable products, ensuring compliance with environmental standards and enhancing profitability for paper mills.
Implementation Method 1
using molded cellulose equipment to filter out the fibers and other BOD components
Implementation Method 2
The fibers filtered from these water sources can be molded into various shapes, depending on the mold, which are then dewatered and dried
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of forming a molded pulp product that involves separately collecting, from a paper-making process, waste water containing short fibers at a first fiber consistency, waste water as dilution water containing fibers at a second fiber consistency that is lower than the first fiber consistency, and water containing long fibers, the long fibers having a length that is greater than a length of the short fibers, blending the waste water containing short fibers and the water containing long fibers to obtain a pulp slurry, and molding the pulp slurry into a molded pulp product at a pulp molding machine. In an embodiment, filtrate removed during the molding of the molded pulp product has a BOD measurement that is 95% less than a BOD measurement of the pulp slurry, where the BOD measurements are obtained using the EPA 405.1, SM5210B Test Method.