Okoye Frances, Kakar Farokh Laqa, Elbeshbishy Elsayed, Bell Kati, Muller Christopher, Jimenez Jose, Al-Omari Ahmed, Santoro Domenico, Jang Eunkyung, Walton John, Bahreini Gholamreza, Zaman Masuduz, Nakhla George, Hazi Ferenc, Takacs Imre, Murthy Sudhir, Rosso Diego
Environmental Research for Resource Recovery Group, Department of Civil Engineering, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada.
Brown and Caldwell, Walnut Creek, California, USA.
Water Environ Res. 2022 Mar;94(3):e10694. doi: 10.1002/wer.10694.
This study demonstrates the potential of an innovative anaerobic treatment technology for municipal biosolids (IntensiCarb), which relies on vacuum evaporation to decouple solids and hydraulic retention times (SRT and HRT). We present proof-of-concept experiments using primary sludge and thickened waste activated sludge (50-50 v/v mixture) as feed for fermentation and carbon upgrading with the IntensiCarb unit. IntensiCarb fully decoupled the HRT and SRT in continuously stirred anaerobic reactors (CSAR) to achieve two intensification factors, that is, 1.3 and 2, while keeping the SRT constant at 3 days (including in the control fermenter). The intensified CSARs were compared to a conventional control system to determine the yields of particulate hydrolysis, VFA production, and nitrogen partitioning between fermentate and condensate. The intensified CSAR operating at an intensification factor 2 achieved a 65% improvement in particulate solubilization. Almost 50% of total ammonia was extracted without pH adjustment, while carbon was retained in the fermentate. Based on these results, the IntensiCarb technology allows water resource recovery facilities to achieve a high degree of plant-wide intensification while partitioning nutrients into different streams and thickening solids. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The IntensiCarb reactor can decouple hydraulic (HRT) and solids (SRT) retention times in anaerobic systems while also increasing particulate hydrolysis and overall plant capacity. Using vacuum as driving force of the IntensiCarb technology, the system could achieve thickening, digestion, and partial dewatering in the same unit-thus eliminating the complexity of multi-stage biosolids treatment lines. The ability to partition nutrients between particulate, fermentate, and condensate assigns to the IntensiCarb unit a key role in recovery strategies for value-added products such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon, which can be recovered separately and independently.
本研究展示了一种创新的城市生物固体厌氧处理技术（IntensiCarb）的潜力，该技术依靠真空蒸发来解耦固体停留时间和水力停留时间（SRT和HRT）。我们展示了概念验证实验，使用初沉污泥和浓缩的剩余活性污泥（体积比50-50的混合物）作为进料，通过IntensiCarb装置进行发酵和碳升级。IntensiCarb在连续搅拌厌氧反应器（CSAR）中完全解耦了HRT和SRT，以实现两个强化因子，即1.3和2，同时将SRT保持在3天不变（包括对照发酵罐）。将强化的CSAR与传统控制系统进行比较，以确定颗粒水解、挥发性脂肪酸（VFA）产生以及发酵产物和冷凝物之间氮分配的产量。强化因子为2的强化CSAR实现了颗粒溶解提高65%。在不调节pH值的情况下，几乎50%的总氨被提取出来，而碳则保留在发酵产物中。基于这些结果，IntensiCarb技术使水资源回收设施能够实现全厂范围的高度强化，同时将养分分配到不同的物流中并使固体增稠。从业者要点：IntensiCarb反应器可以在厌氧系统中解耦水力（HRT）和固体（SRT）停留时间，同时还能增加颗粒水解和整体工厂产能。利用真空作为IntensiCarb技术的驱动力，该系统可以在同一单元中实现增稠、消化和部分脱水，从而消除了多级生物固体处理生产线的复杂性。在颗粒、发酵产物和冷凝物之间分配养分的能力赋予了IntensiCarb装置在氮、磷和碳等增值产品回收策略中的关键作用，这些产品可以分别独立回收。
