Vinasse Treatment by Flowing Flotation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vinasse, a residue from sugar-alcohol and ethanol production, poses significant environmental pollution risks due to its high organic matter and nutrient content, with existing treatment methods being inefficient and costly, and direct infiltration into soil leading to eutrophication and contamination.
Innovation Solution
A high-performance flotation process is developed to treat vinasse within existing storage tanks, utilizing coagulation, flocculation, aeration, and nano/micro air bubbles to remove pollutants, resulting in concentrated sludge and treated vinasse that can be reused as fertilizer, reducing transportation costs and environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If vinasse is disposed directly into the environment, then the volume of vinasse is quickly reduced, but high polluting potential and eutrophication of natural waters occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary treatment process using flotation technology with coagulants and flocculants between the vinasse and the environment. These chemical intermediaries aggregate suspended solids and contaminants into removable flocs, allowing rapid disposal while preventing direct pollution of water bodies and soil.
Solution Approach 2:
The flotation process extracts and removes contaminants, suspended solids, and pollutants from vinasse by forming separable flocs that can be physically removed. This extraction separates the harmful components from the treated effluent, enabling safe disposal while maintaining speed.
2Loss of energy
If vinasse is infiltrated directly into soil for fertirrigation, then transportation and disposal costs are reduced, but contamination of water table and degradation of soil properties occur
Solution Approach 1:
The flotation treatment acts as an intermediary processing step between vinasse generation and soil application. By treating vinasse before disposal, the process enables safe fertirrigation with controlled nutrient content, preventing water table contamination and soil degradation while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment process changes the physical-chemical parameters of vinasse by removing excess organic matter, suspended solids, and contaminants through flotation. This parameter modification produces a treated effluent suitable for safe soil application, enabling cost-effective disposal without environmental harm.
3Reliability
If conventional treatment methods are used, then some treatment effect is achieved, but high costs and inefficiency persist
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical treatment systems with flotation technology that uses air bubbles and chemical aggregation. This substitution achieves superior treatment effectiveness for vinasse with lower operational costs and simpler equipment requirements compared to traditional methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The flotation process changes the operational parameters of treatment by using gas-liquid-solid three-phase separation instead of conventional liquid-liquid or solid-liquid separation. This parameter change enables more efficient contaminant removal at lower costs with simpler process control.
4Reliability
If flotation process is applied to treat vinasse, then pollution removal efficiency is significantly improved, but complex equipment and process control are required
Solution Approach 1:
The flotation process is segmented into distinct functional stages: coagulation, flocculation, flotation, and sludge removal. Each stage uses simple, dedicated equipment performing a single function, which reduces overall system complexity while maintaining high pollution removal efficiency through optimized step-by-step treatment.
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 process effectively reduces pollution by 75% and decreases infiltration rates, allowing for controlled fertilization with a concentrated nutrient-rich sludge, lowering aquifer contamination risks and enhancing agricultural productivity.
Implementation Method 1
flotation process in flow, used exclusively for depollution of water courses contaminated with iron ore
Implementation Method 2
flotation of vinasse in natural, to obtain concentrated vinasse sludge and treated vinasse
Implementation Method 3
introduction of equipment and systems that will compose at least one stage of coagulation
Implementation Method 4
followed by a flocculation stage, with injection of organic and vegetal flocculating agents
Implementation Method 5
followed by aeration and oxygenation stage for mixing of coagulants, oxidation of vinasse and formation of flakes
Implementation Method 6
oxidation of vinasse and formation of flakes
Implementation Method 7
forming concentrated vinasse sludge, which is removed by gravity or pumping
Data Source
AI summary
“VINASSE TREATMENT PROCESS BY FLOTATION IN FLOW”, more precisely, it is a vinasse treatment process, by high performance flowing flotation system in industrial plants' facilities, resulting in obtaining concentrated vinasse sludge and treated vinasse, being said process comprised by vinasse treatment, which consists of treatment steps performed inside flotation tank, which comprises succession of coagulation systems and basins, flocculation, combined with aeration and oxygenation, in addition to a system of nano and micro bubbles in flotation basin, in which vinasse naturally flows into its storage tank, being said process results in formation of surface sludge and treated vinasse.