Armenta Maxwell, Kakar Farokh Laqa, Al-Omari Ahmed, Muller Christopher, Nakhla George, Santoro Domenico, Bell Katherine
Brown and Caldwell, Various States, Walnut Creek, California, USA.
University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Water Environ Res. 2025 May;97(5):e70068. doi: 10.1002/wer.70068.
IntensiCarb® represents a vacuum-driven intensification technology with applicability in fermentation or anaerobic digestion. Implementation of this technology in fermentation facilitates a 50% reduction in process volume while concurrently enhancing the yield of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) for advantageous utilization such as carbon source for enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR). An analysis was conducted to assess the process performance and life-cycle costs of IntensiCarb in comparison to chemical addition and conventional fermentation methodologies for Total Phosphorus (TP) removal. Experimental outcomes pertaining to vacuum-assisted process intensification informed the process performance analysis. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were estimated and compared between alternatives. The findings of the assessment indicate that IntensiCarb is a competitive option among alternatives that reduce effluent TP through EBPR. TP removal via FeCl chemical addition was the most economically advantageous alternative based on current economics and estimated life-cycle cost. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Novel vacuum-assisted fermentation, IntensiCarb®, was evaluated against other alternatives for process and cost comparisons in enhanced biological phosphorus removal facilities. IntensiCarb® has a similar life-cycle cost with conventional fermentation and MicroC® 2000 alternatives for achieving lower effluent total phosphorus. The evaluation suggests this technology may be economically viable at full-scale for enhanced biological phosphorus removal facilities. FeCl addition and IntensiCarb had the highest greenhouse gas emission estimates relative to conventional fermentation or using MicroC® 2000.
IntensiCarb®是一种真空驱动的强化技术，适用于发酵或厌氧消化。在发酵过程中采用该技术可使工艺体积减少50%，同时提高挥发性脂肪酸（VFA）的产量，以便于将其作为增强生物除磷（EBPR）的碳源等有利用途。与添加化学药剂和传统发酵方法相比，对IntensiCarb去除总磷（TP）的工艺性能和生命周期成本进行了分析。与真空辅助工艺强化相关的实验结果为工艺性能分析提供了依据。对各替代方案的温室气体（GHG）排放进行了估算和比较。评估结果表明，在通过EBPR降低出水TP的替代方案中，IntensiCarb具有竞争力。基于当前经济状况和估算的生命周期成本，通过添加FeCl去除TP是最具经济优势的替代方案。
针对强化生物除磷设施中的工艺和成本比较，对新型真空辅助发酵技术IntensiCarb®与其他替代方案进行了评估。在实现较低出水总磷方面，IntensiCarb®与传统发酵和MicroC® 2000替代方案具有相似的生命周期成本。评估表明，该技术在强化生物除磷设施的全规模应用中可能在经济上可行。相对于传统发酵或使用MicroC® 2000，添加FeCl和IntensiCarb的温室气体排放估算最高。
