Urine Treatment by Dilution and Fermentation for Stable Fertilizer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating urine alone are not suitable for producing a stable, safe, and effective fertilizer due to rapid loss of NPK content and toxicity issues for microorganisms, making industrial use impractical.
Innovation Solution
A biological method involving urine dilution and fermentation, including steps like acidification, filtration, dilution, and stabilization of pH, to create a stable fertilizer product with optimal microorganism growth conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If urine is used directly as fertilizer without treatment, then it provides NPK nutrients to soil, but it rapidly loses NPK content through urea hydrolysis and becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pH parameter of urine to stabilize it. By adjusting pH to alkaline conditions (adding lime or other alkaline substances), the hydrolysis of urea is inhibited, preventing ammonia loss and maintaining nitrogen content. This parameter change transforms unstable urine into a stable fertilizer product suitable for storage and application.
2Quantity of substance
If urine is concentrated to maintain high NPK content, then fertilizer effectiveness increases, but salt concentration becomes toxic to microorganisms and plants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by treating different components of urine differently through selective precipitation. By adding magnesium salts, phosphorus is precipitated as struvite (a valuable fertilizer component), while nitrogen and potassium remain in solution. This allows concentration of NPK nutrients while controlling salt buildup by removing phosphorus in a separate, manageable form.
3Ease of manufacture
If urine is treated with conventional methods to produce fertilizer, then some fertilizing substance is obtained, but the product does not meet safety criteria for pathogenic organisms and metallic trace elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs continuous aerobic digestion followed by controlled fermentation. The aerobic digestion phase continuously degrades organic matter and reduces pathogenic organisms, while the subsequent fermentation phase further stabilizes the product. This continuous multi-stage treatment ensures thorough decontamination while maintaining fertilizer quality, meeting safety criteria for pathogenic organisms and metallic trace elements.
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 produces a stable, safe fertilizer product with reduced salt and nitrogen concentrations, suitable for agricultural use, maintaining nitrogen content and supporting microbial growth, thus addressing the limitations of existing urine treatment technologies.
Implementation Method 1
a step of transforming urine by fermentation
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for treating human or animal urine comprising the implementation of the following steps:a step of diluting the urine in water, anda step of fermentation.The invention also relates to the transformed urine obtained and the coproducts of this method, and also the uses thereof, in particular as fertilizing substance.