Energy efficient, membrane-less solid waste treatment system for clean effluent production

This technology is a cost and energy-efficient membrane-less bioreactor for the effective treatment of solid waste.

Unmet Need: Efficient and sustainable methods for solid waste treatment

Current methods for solid waste treatment involve solid-liquid separation techniques such as settling and membrane filtration. Although these techniques can extract some resources from the waste stream, they are inefficient, costly, and/or prone to fouling. The efficient recovery of valuable resources and treatment of waste will be essential as the global population continues to increase.

The Technology: Membrane-less bioreactor that produces clean effluent through fluid aeration

This technology treats solid waste through a membrane-less bioreactor that utilizes an auto-thermal aerobic digestion process. Through an optimal design that minimizes energy costs, wastewater is aerated with oxygen to form humidified air. The humidified air is then condensed to produce the clean liquid effluent with an average of 28 mg/L COD and 1.2 mg/L TSS. This process retains all solids and soluble compounds, recovering valuable resources and producing a rich fertilizer.

Applications:

• Municipal-scale wastewater treatment
• Landfill and agricultural waste treatment
• Composting toilets for consumers
• Solid-liquid separation technique
• Fertilizer production from municipal waste
• Biotechnology applications involving aerobic conditions for compound production
• Machine engine fuel aerator
• Large scale chemical manufacturing

Advantages:

• Reduces the energy cost of aeration processes
• Simplifies waste processing system for at-home consumers
• Produces clean effluent without need for membrane
• Eliminates risk of fouling
• Improves aeration efficiency
• Cost effective

Lead Inventor:

Ruby Lai, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR CU21227, 21228

• Licensing Contact: Dovina Qu