Seeding Agent Production via Two-Stage Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seeding agents for wastewater treatment facilities have low biodiversity and are costly, limiting their versatility and application, as they primarily contain a few types of microorganisms, which are not effectively functional in various treatment environments during start-up or adjustment processes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a two-stage drying process of fermented organic waste materials to produce a seeding agent with a high concentration of gram-positive bacteria, including Bacillus, Clostridium, and actinomycetes, enhancing microbial biodiversity and functionality across different wastewater treatment conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional seeding methods using sludge from existing facilities or soil bacteria-containing supernatant solution are used, then the process complexity and time required increase significantly, but the seeding effectiveness remains unstable and slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-cultivating specific microorganisms (gram-positive bacteria including Bacillus, Clostridium, and actinomycetes) in a controlled manner before they are needed for seeding. The fermentation process prepares a concentrated mixture of target microorganisms in advance, which is then dried and stored as a seeding agent. This eliminates the need for on-site sludge collection and processing, enabling rapid facility start-up while ensuring reliable seeding effectiveness through predetermined microbial composition.
2Adaptability or versatility
If commercially-available seeding agents using aseptically cultured microorganisms are used, then the cost increases, but the biodiversity and adaptability remain limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transforming the cultivation conditions from aseptic laboratory culture to controlled fermentation processes. This allows the large-scale production of diverse gram-positive bacteria that would be costly to obtain through traditional aseptic methods. The fermentation process parameters (temperature, pH, substrate composition) are optimized to promote the growth of multiple beneficial microorganism types simultaneously, achieving high biodiversity at lower cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies composite materials by creating a composite seeding agent that contains multiple types of gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus, Clostridium, actinomycetes) in a single formulation. This composite microbial preparation provides enhanced adaptability to various wastewater treatment conditions compared to single-strain commercial products, while being more cost-effective through fermentation-based production rather than multiple separate aseptic cultures.
3Ease of manufacture
If sludge is withdrawn from existing facilities for seeding, then the operational state variability among facilities increases the difficulty of selecting suitable seed sludge, but the seeding process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies taking out by extracting the essential functional components (gram-positive bacteria) from the complex sludge matrix of existing facilities. Instead of using whole sludge that carries over operational state variability and requires careful selection between facilities, the invention isolates and cultivates the beneficial microorganisms in a controlled fermentation process. This produces a standardized seeding agent that is easy to manufacture and apply, while being compatible with various facility operational states due to its controlled microbial composition.
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 method enables rapid and stable wastewater treatability in various treatment facilities by producing a seeding agent with a high percentage of effective microorganisms, reducing the time and cost associated with facility start-up and adjustment, while ensuring stability and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a fermentation step of aerobically fermenting a raw material (100) comprising organic waste (10) and an auxiliary material (20)
Implementation Method 2
a first drying substep of drying the fermented raw material after being subjected to the fermentation step
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a method for producing a seeding agent containing a variety of and a large amount of effective microorganisms, from a raw material containing organic waste, at low cost. The method is characterized in that it comprises a fermentation step, a first drying substep and a second drying substep. The fermentation step is configured to aerobically ferment a raw material comprising organic waste and an auxiliary material. The first drying substep is a process of drying the fermented raw material after being subjected to the fermentation step, until a water content thereof becomes a value falling within a first range which is less than that as measured just after completion of the fermentation step. The second drying substep is a process of further drying the dried raw material after being subjected to the first drying substep, until a water content thereof becomes a value falling within a second range which is less than a lower limit of the first range, within a period of time which is less than a period of time required for the first drying substep.