I-Corps: Development of the Next Generation Wastewater Treatment Technologies and Infrastructure

该项目的主要目标是开发和实施一种新的可持续的，成本，能源和资源有效的脱氮模式，使用厌氧氨氧化（anammox）工艺。厌氧氨氧化是一种经济高效的生物脱氮技术，相对于传统的生物脱氮技术，它依赖于连续的硝化和反硝化。此外，厌氧氨氧化细菌本身不产生一氧化二氮，从而导致厌氧氨氧化BNR工艺的温室足迹较低。该项目的主要重点是开发和应用基于厌氧氨氧化工艺将氨厌氧转化为氮气的废水处理新模式。具体而言，该项目旨在开发设计配置，监测和控制工具，通过系统应用厌氧氨氧化，可以广泛改善当前的废水处理基础设施。氮污染的适当管理是一个重大的社会和技术挑战。美国环保局正在考虑在全国范围内更广泛地实施BNR，以改善水质。然而，BNR工艺是相当能量和资源密集型的。因此，如果没有最佳的设计和实施，BNR流程可能会给国家已经紧张的资源带来过度的负担。该项目计划开发和实施厌氧氨氧化工艺技术，以确保水质目标与能源和资源需求不相冲突。

The main objective of this project is to develop and implement a new model for sustainable, cost-, energy- and resource-efficient nitrogen removal using the process of anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox). Anammox presents a cost-effective and energy-efficient alternate for biological nitrogen removal (BNR) relative to conventional approaches, which rely upon sequential nitrification and denitrification. Additionally, anammox bacteria by themselves do not produce nitrous oxide, thereby resulting in a lower greenhouse footprint of anammox BNR processes. The primary focus of this project is the development and application of a new model of wastewater treatment based on anaerobic conversion of ammonia to nitrogen gas, using the anammox process. Specifically, this project aims develop the design configurations, monitoring and control tools that could enable widespread improvements to the current wastewater treatment infrastructure by systematic application of anammox. The adequate management of nitrogen pollution is a significant societal and technological challenge. The USEPA is now considering enforcing more widespread implementation of BNR across the nation in an effort to improve water quality. However, BNR processes are rather energy and resource intensive. Therefore, if not optimally designed and implemented, BNR processes might place an inordinate burden upon the nation's already strained resources. This project plans to develop and implement anammox based process technologies, to ensure that water quality objectives are not in conflict with energy and resource needs.