SusChEM: Algal-Based Resource Positive Sanitation (ARPS) Systems - An Integrated Modeling Framework to Advance Wastewater Infrastructure Sustainability

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1438667This research and associated educational activities will advance the sustainability of municipal and agricultural wastewater infrastructure by establishing a systems-scale modeling framework for algal-based resource recovery technologies, and will leverage this framework to teach Illinois farmers about sustainable wastewater management. Research will pursue financially viable treatment processes capable of nutrient recovery and energy positive wastewater management, and will focus on overcoming critical knowledge gaps that limit our ability to design algal-based resource positive sanitation (ARPS) systems integrating algae cultivation, harvesting, and downstream processing to manage wastewater as a renewable resource. Wastewater management is often viewed as a burden by farmers and municipalities (with good cause). Conventional approaches to sanitation focus on pollutant mitigation, resulting in unsustainable financial models that lead to dilapidated infrastructure and inefficient resource management. This research seeks to re-envision wastewater treatment by developing holistic approaches to nutrient management enabling energy positive nutrient recovery through the design of systems that achieve microalgae cultivation, harvesting, and processing to fuels. The research will focus on the development of an integrated modeling framework that links design decisions, operational decisions, and independent variables (e.g., climate, wastewater composition) with predictions of treatment efficacy, nutrient recovery, and energy production. Research efforts will be integrated with an education plan designed to engage undergraduate students, Illinois farmers, and the public at large (from pre-schoolers to adults). These goals will be achieved by (i) mentoring undergraduate students through on-campus programs targeting underrepresented groups in engineering, (ii) developing a course module for environmental engineering undergraduates, and (iii) partnering with a local farm and farmer education organization to develop a module on sustainable wastewater management. Objectives of this research are (i) to establish an integrated modeling framework that enables dynamic modeling of ARPS and the prediction of water quality, recovered nutrients, and the production of energy, and (ii) to elucidate the mechanisms governing the sustainability of ARPS systems and leverage this information to establish a path forward for ARPS development. Existing models of sub-systems (cultivation, harvesting, downstream processing) will be leveraged to provide a baseline modeling framework, and targeted experimentation will enable the development of novel models for cultivation and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL; the greatest source of uncertainty in preliminary calculations). This ARPS model will be integrated in a quantitative sustainable design (QSD) framework (including life cycle assessment, life cycle costing, sensitivity and uncertainty analyses) to identify technology targets and enable decision-makers to navigate sustainability trade-offs under uncertainty. The benefits and drawbacks of increasing model complexity will also be evaluated through the development of two new sub-models (one for cultivation, one for HTL). Ultimately, the integration of these models in the QSD framework will enable researchers to more accurately characterize uncertainty, quantify trade-offs in decision-making, identify critical barriers to long-term viability of ARPS systems, and prioritize research and investment to advance such technologies. The research plan will be coupled with an educational plan to engage students, farmers, and the broader public in a discussion related to waste, water, and nutrient management. Undergraduate students will be engaged through educational module development and through undergraduate research opportunities. In partnership with a local farm and a farmer educational program, a module will be developed on sustainable wastewater management and ARPS systems for an immersion school for farmers in central Illinois.