Pharmaceutical Wastewater Treatment with Calcium Silicate Buffering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current pharmaceutical wastewater treatment processes face challenges such as low pH values affecting methane production, inefficient conversion of particulate pollutants, low biogas production, slow granular sludge formation, and high energy consumption, leading to unstable operations and low carbon resource recovery.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a floatation tank, pH adjusting tank, enhanced hydrolysis acidification tank, methanogenic tank, anoxic pool, aerobic pool, and sedimentation tanks, along with specific fillers and additives like micron calcium silicate, which adjusts pH, enhances acid production, and supports granular sludge formation, improving methane production and carbon resource recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If hydrolytic acidification is used to remove refractory pollutants, then organic matter removal is improved, but pH value decreases affecting subsequent methane production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a buffering substance (such as calcium carbonate or sodium hydroxide) as an intermediary to neutralize the acid produced during hydrolytic acidification. This mediator maintains the pH within an optimal range for subsequent methane production while preserving the organic matter removal efficiency of the acidification process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adjusts the pH parameter by controlling the dosage of buffering substances and optimizing the hydraulic retention time in the hydrolytic acidification reactor. This parameter adjustment ensures that the effluent pH remains suitable for methane production while maintaining high organic matter removal efficiency.
2Productivity
If hydraulic retention time is shortened to increase productivity, then treatment capacity is improved, but conversion of particulate pollutants to dissolved organic matter is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the treatment process into distinct stages: a hydrolytic acidification stage for converting particulate pollutants, followed by a methane production stage. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently - the hydrolysis stage ensures adequate conversion time while the overall system maintains high treatment capacity through controlled loading rates.
3Reliability
If physical and chemical methods are used for deep treatment, then treatment effect is improved, but operating costs and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces energy-intensive physical and chemical treatment methods with a biological treatment system. The anaerobic digestion process uses microorganisms to degrade organic pollutants, eliminating the need for high-energy operations such as evaporation, advanced oxidation, or membrane filtration, while achieving comparable or superior treatment effects.
4Ease of operation
If conventional anaerobic treatment is used, then operation management is simplified, but biogas production per unit volume is low and granular sludge formation is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates conditions for self-organizing granular sludge formation by optimizing the anaerobic reactor environment - including controlled mixing, appropriate loading rates, and nutrient balance. The granular sludge forms spontaneously through microbial self-organization, eliminating the need for external intervention while significantly enhancing biogas production efficiency and simplifying operation management.
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 solution stabilizes the treatment process, increases carbon resource recovery efficiency, reduces energy consumption, and simplifies operation, achieving efficient and stable pharmaceutical wastewater treatment.
Implementation Method 1
a floatation tank; a decontamination device is disposed in the floatation tank
Implementation Method 2
a pH adjusting tank; the acid tank and the base tank are independently connected to the pH adjusting tank
Implementation Method 3
an enhanced hydrolysis acidification tank... so that the organic matter in the influent is mostly removed
Implementation Method 4
hydrolytic acidification/methane production, so that the organic matter in the influent is mostly removed
Implementation Method 5
a methanogenic tank... there is often a lower pH value of effluent, affecting the subsequent methane production
Implementation Method 6
hydrolytic acidification/methane production, so that the organic matter in the influent is mostly removed
Implementation Method 7
the organic matter and total nitrogen in the anoxic + aerobic section are removed
Implementation Method 8
the organic matter and total nitrogen in the anoxic + aerobic section are removed
Implementation Method 9
a secondary sedimentation tank
Implementation Method 10
a coagulation sedimentation tank
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A device for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment with high efficiency resource recovery and low energy consumption, the device including: a floatation tank; a pH adjusting tank; an acid tank; a base tank; an enhanced hydrolysis acidification tank; a micron calcium silicate tank; a methanogenic tank; an anoxic pool; an aerobic pool; a biogas collection and treatment device; a secondary sedimentation tank; a coagulation sedimentation tank; a polyaluminium chloride (PAC) tank; a control device; and a power supply. The floatation tank, the pH adjusting tank, the enhanced hydrolysis acidification tank, the methanogenic tank, the anoxic pool, the aerobic pool, the secondary sedimentation tank and the coagulation sedimentation tank are connected sequentially. A decontamination device is disposed in the floatation tank. The acid tank and the base tank are independently connected to the pH adjusting tank, and joints thereof are provided with magnetic valves, respectively.