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得到了广泛认可，但受到两个挑战的阻碍：缺乏有效的方法来利用这种能源，以及废水处理所需的能源量。因此，废水处理的可持续和可回收势能的创新是迫在眉睫的。该项目的主要目标是进一步了解一种先进的新开发系统，即基于氧光颗粒的工艺，该工艺有可能将废水处理厂转变为能源积极的水资源回收设施。拟议的研究是基于PIs研究小组的发现和发明，即活性污泥可以自然转化为自曝气生物颗粒，并用于无曝气废水处理的流经系统。由于曝气是运营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。氧光颗粒内二氧化碳的光营养同化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。本研究还将揭示在静态和流体动力条件下氧光颗粒的形成机制，这是该微生物颗粒所特有的现象。此外，该研究还将解决一些关键问题，如系统在自然或工程光条件下对深槽反应堆运行的适应性，这些问题必须得到解决，才能扩大工艺规模，从而大大推进新技术的产业化。这项GOALI申请提出了学术界和工业界之间的国际多学科合作：1)提高对氧光颗粒造粒现象的基本理解，2)设计这项新技术的关键组件以实现商业化。为了实现这些目标，PIs提出了三个研究目标：1)阐明反应器运行中的造粒现象；2)设计光模式，推进氧光颗粒工艺的工业应用；3)探讨氧光颗粒工艺处理城市污水的可行性。这项研究将涉及先进显微镜、基于深度测序的微生物生态学、产氧光颗粒生理学和反应器流体动力学的研究，以了解产氧光颗粒的形成、反应器操作及其与静态培养条件下造粒的比较。该项目还将进行大量的反应器研究，以研究光模式对生物营养物去除机制对造粒和额外N去除的影响。最后，本项目将开展中试，探讨氧光颗粒工艺处理城市污水的可行性，并建立氧光颗粒工艺的经济成本模型；因此，研究过程中产生的数据将很容易转移到工业上。这项研究将开发出一种新技术，将耗能的污水处理厂转变为节能设施，因此具有变革性。因此，氧光颗粒工艺的成功开发和产业化将带来巨大的社会和环境影响。该项目涉及精心策划的多学科研究，包括美国学术界和工业界与法国一家研究所之间的合作。与行业合作伙伴合作对于该项目至关重要，因为其最终目标是在市政当局实施该过程。该项目将利用大学和工业界的pi之间的合作，相互指导，使过程工业化，并在学术和行业会议上传播研究成果。该项目还包括国际合作，以促进氧气光颗粒的研究，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提案，这将补充在美国进行的氧气光颗粒研究。该目标还将加强PIs与一所女子文理学院的研究人员和学生的合作，应用显微镜来了解颗粒现象。在这个项目中，PI将继续与肯尼亚的合作者接触，共同致力于肯尼亚的卫生，并在未来在肯尼亚启动氧气光颗粒试点项目。最后，pi小组将继续与该地区的市政当局进行接触，传播意识并激发市政雇员与学术研究的联系和参与。

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.