GOALI: Advancing the Oxygenic Photogranule Process for Energy Positive Wastewater Treatment

从废水中回收化学能的机会虽然被广泛认可，但受到两个挑战的阻碍：缺乏有效的方法来利用这种能量和所产生的成本，即，例如，废水处理所需的能量。因此，迫切需要可持续的、能够回收潜在能量的废水处理创新。该项目的主要目标是进一步了解一种先进的新开发的系统，基于氧光颗粒的过程，该项目是基于PI研究小组的发现和发明，即活性污泥可以自然地转化为自曝气颗粒，并用于流动--通过无曝气废水处理系统。由于曝气是运行现有污水处理厂的最高能源需求，因此开发这项新技术可以节省大量能源。在含氧光颗粒中对CO2的光合同化作用也为以高质量生物原料的形式回收废水、化学能和太阳能提供了机会。这些特征可能导致废水处理方式的范式变化。这项研究还将揭示在静态和流体动力学条件下形成产氧光颗粒的机制，这是这种微生物颗粒的独特现象。此外，该研究将解决关键问题，如系统对自然或工程光照条件下深槽反应堆运行的适应性，这是扩大工艺规模所必须回答的问题，大大推进了新技术的工业化。该GOALI应用程序提出了学术界和工业界之间的国际多学科合作，以：1）提高对含氧光颗粒造粒现象的基本理解，以及2）设计这种新技术的关键组件以实现商业化。为了实现这些目标，PI提出了三个研究目标：1）阐明反应器操作中的颗粒化现象; 2）设计光模式以推进工业用途的氧化photogranule过程;以及3）调查城市污水处理的氧化photogranule过程的可行性。这项研究将涉及先进的显微镜，基于深度测序的微生物生态学，氧photogranules的生理学和反应器流体动力学的研究，以了解氧photogranules的形成，在反应器操作及其比较静态培养条件下发生的造粒。本项目还将进行大量的反应器研究，以调查光模式对颗粒化的影响以及通过生物营养物去除机制去除额外的氮。最后，该项目将进行试点，以调查的可行性的氧化photogranule工艺的城市污水处理的经济成本模型的发展，氧化photogranule工艺，因此，在这项研究中产生的数据将很容易转移到工业。这项研究是变革性的，因为它将开发一种新技术，将消耗能源的废水处理厂转变为能源积极的设施。因此，产氧光粒工艺的成功开发和工业化将带来重大的社会和环境影响。该项目涉及精心策划的多学科研究，包括美国-总部设在法国的学术界和工业界以及一家研究机构。与行业伙伴合作对该项目至关重要，因为其最终目标是在各城市实施这一进程。该项目将利用大学和工业界的PI之间的合作，相互指导，使该过程工业化，并在学术和工业会议上传播研究成果。该项目还包括国际合作，以促进生氧光粒研究，并接触到世界各地更广泛的科学家和工程师。法国研究人员还向他们的国家资助机构提交了该提案，该提案将补充美国的氧光颗粒研究，该GOALI还将加强与女子文理学院研究人员和学生的PI合作，应用显微镜来了解颗粒化现象。在该项目期间，PI将继续与肯尼亚合作者联系，共同为肯尼亚的卫生工作而努力，并在未来在肯尼亚启动一个氧光颗粒试验项目。最后，PI小组将继续与该地区的市政当局进行外联，以提高认识，并在市政雇员中煽动兴奋情绪，以便与学术研究建立联系并参与其中。

1605425ParkThe opportunity to recover chemical energy from wastewater, while widely recognized, is hindered by two challenges: the lack of an effective method to harness this energy and the cost incurred, i. e., amount of energy required, for wastewater treatment. Innovation of wastewater treatment that is sustainable and can recover potential energy is, thus, urgent. The primary goal of this project is to further the understanding of an advanced newly developed system, the oxygenic photogranule-based process, which has the potential to turn wastewater treatment plants into energy positive water resource recovery facilities.The proposed research is based on the discovery and invention in the PIs research group that activated sludge can naturally transform into self-aerating biogranules and be used for flow-through systems for aeration-free wastewater treatment. Since aeration is the highest energy demand in operating existing wastewater treatment plants, development of this new technology can bring substantial energy savings. Phototrophic assimilation of CO2 within oxygenic photogranules also opens opportunities to recover wastewaters chemical energy and solar energy in the form of high quality bio-feedstock. These features may lead to a paradigm change in how wastewater is treated. This research will also reveal the mechanism by which oxygenic photogranules are formed under both static and hydrodynamic conditions, which is a unique phenomenon for this microbial granule. Furthermore, the research will address key questions, such as system adaptability to the deep-tank reactor operation under natural or engineered light conditions, which must be answered to scale up the process, substantially advancing the new technology for industrialization. This GOALI application proposes international, multidisciplinary collaboration between academia and industry to: 1) improve fundamental understanding of the oxygenic photogranule granulation phenomenon, and, 2) engineer the key components of this new technology for commercialization. To accomplish these goals, the PIs propose three research aims: 1) to elucidate the granulation phenomenon in reactor operation; 2) to engineer the light pattern to advance the oxygenic photogranule process for industrial use; and, 3) to investigate the feasibility of the oxygenic photogranule process for municipal wastewater treatment. This research will involve studies of advanced microscopy, deep-sequencing based microbial ecology, physiology of oxygenic photogranules, and reactor hydrodynamics to understand oxygenic photogranule formation, in reactor operation and its comparison to granulation occurring under static cultivation conditions. This project will also conduct substantial reactor studies to investigate the impact of light pattern on granulation and additional N removal by the biological nutrient removal mechanism. Finally, the project will carry out a pilot to investigate the feasibility of the oxygenic photogranule process for municipal wastewater treatment with development of the economic cost model for the oxygenic photogranule process; thus, the data generated during this research will be easily transferred to industry. This research is transformative because it will develop a new technology to change energy consuming wastewater treatment plants into energy positive facilities. Successful development and industrialization of the oxygenic photogranule process will therefore bring substantial societal and environmental impact. This project involves well-planned multidisciplinary research comprising collaboration among U.S.-based academia and industry and a research institute in France. Working with industry partners is essential for this project because its ultimate goal is to implement the process in municipalities. The project will use collaboration between the PIs at university and industry to mentor each other, industrialize the process, and disseminate the research at both academic and industry meetings. The project also includes international collaboration to promote oxygenic photogranule research and reach out to broader scientists and engineers around the world. The French researchers also submitted the proposal to their national funding agency, which will complement the oxygenic photogranule research to be done in the U.S. This GOALI will also enhance the PIs collaboration with researchers and students from a womens liberal arts college, to apply microscopy to understand the granulation phenomenon. During this project, the PI will continue to reach out to Kenyan collaborators to work together for sanitation in Kenya and to initiate an oxygenic photogranule pilot in Kenya in the future. Finally, the PIs groups will have continuous outreach to municipalities in the region, to spread awareness and incite excitement among municipal employees to be connected to and involved with academic research.