Urea Wastewater Treatment via Dynamic Aerobic Anaerobic Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wastewater treatment plants face challenges in optimally regulating the conversion of urea in wastewater, particularly with high urea concentrations, to achieve complete treatment with minimal energy consumption, as existing processes often require separate aerobic and anaerobic steps and struggle to control substance conversions effectively.
Innovation Solution
A wastewater treatment plant with a first treatment tank equipped with an oxygen supply device and a control system that allows for aerobic or anaerobic operation based on ammonium or ammonia concentration, enabling flexible switching between these states to optimize energy use and substance conversion, along with additional tanks for nitrification and denitrification processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate aerobic and anaerobic process steps are used to treat urea-containing wastewater, then complete treatment can be achieved, but the system complexity and difficulty of regulation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple treatment processes (aerobic nitrification and anaerobic denitrification) into a single bioreactor system. The bioreactor is equipped with both an aeration device for oxygen supply and a recirculation system that creates anaerobic zones, allowing both aerobic and anaerobic processes to occur simultaneously in different regions of the same reactor, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining treatment effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic control through a recirculation pump that can adjust flow rates to create varying oxygen conditions within the bioreactor. By controlling the recirculation rate, the system dynamically switches between aerobic and anaerobic conditions in different zones, enabling flexible regulation of nitrification and denitrification processes without requiring separate fixed reactors
2Ease of operation
If multiple separate treatment tanks are used for nitrification and denitrification, then process control is simplified, but the plant requires more space and equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges nitrification and denitrification tanks into a single integrated bioreactor. The reactor design includes internal zoning where aerobic conditions occur in the aeration zone and anaerobic conditions occur in the recirculation zone, eliminating the need for separate physical tanks while maintaining distinct process zones for both nitrogen transformation processes
3Reliability
If conventional multi-step treatment processes are used, then thorough wastewater treatment is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous simultaneous nitrification and denitrification processes within the bioreactor through continuous aeration and recirculation. This eliminates the need for sequential batch processing and allows both aerobic and anaerobic zones to operate continuously, improving energy efficiency by eliminating idle periods and reducing the total volume of aeration required compared to conventional separate-tank systems
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 allows for flexible and efficient wastewater treatment by controlling oxygen supply and circulation, reducing energy consumption and maintaining optimal ammonium and ammonia levels, while supporting simultaneous process steps in the same tank, thereby enhancing treatment efficiency and adaptability.
Implementation Method 1
urea being converted into ammonia and carbon dioxide by way of ammonification
Implementation Method 2
This is preferably done by urease or urease enzymes, which are preferably formed by bacteria
Implementation Method 3
the at least one first processing tank is designed in such a way that it has an oxygen supply device, via which oxygen can be supplied to the contents of the processing tank
Implementation Method 4
ammonium ions are formed in the water, which in a second step can be oxidized to nitrite and then to nitrate by adding oxygen
Implementation Method 5
the nitrate is converted into nitrogen by means of denitrification in the absence of oxygen
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a wastewater treatment plant for treating urea-containing wastewater, comprising at least one first treatment tank (2) which has a wastewater inlet (8) through which urea-containing wastewater is introduced into the first treatment tank, wherein, during operation of the wastewater treatment plant, urea is converted into ammonia in the first treatment tank (2), preferably by urease enzymes, wherein an oxygen supply device (14, 16), in particular in the form of an aeration device (16), is arranged in the first treatment tank (2), and the wastewater treatment plant has a control device (46) by which the oxygen supply device (14, 16) can be switched on and off in such a way that the conversion of urea into ammonia can be carried out selectively aerobically or anaerobically, as well as a corresponding wastewater treatment process.