PFI:AIR-TT: Prototype Development and Demonstration of Milli-electrode Array (MEA) as Real-time In situ Profiling Device in Waste Treatment Systems

PFI:AIR-TT：作为废物处理系统中实时原位分析装置的毫电极阵列 (MEA) 原型开发和演示

• 批准号: 1640701
• 负责人: Baikun Li
• 金额: $ 20万
• 依托单位: University of Connecticut
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2020-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1640701&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PFI; AIR; TT; Prototype; Development

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating a novel real-time in situ profiling technology to fill the need for monitoring heterogeneous waste treatment systems. The milli-electrode array (MEA) is important because waste treatment systems (e.g. wastewater, food waste) have been operated like a "black box" and monitored using "single point" probes without obtaining a whole picture of system operational status. This new technology will lead to an improved ability to monitor and control the operation of these systems and increase their commercial potential to transform waste material into valuable fuels and other products. In addition, the ability to economically produce milli-electrode arrays with multiple parameter sensing capability could lead to their application in other system monitoring situations such as other types of biochemical reactors. The project will result in a prototype development and full-scale demonstration of MEA technology. This state-of-the-art MEA sensor has following unique features: sturdy configuration with long lifetime, simple measurement procedure, low-cost durable materials, and easy deployment and replacement. These features provide the following advantages: real-time profiling of multiple parameters spatiotemporally, durable inexpensive rapid sensing, and complete datasets to reflect system operational status at lowest capital cost. This project addresses the following technology gaps as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application. First, with an anaerobic digestor (AD) as the testbed, integration of the heterogeneous datasets generated by MEA profiles into AD control and management will be explored, which will enable the adjustment of AD operational status in real-time, accommodate gradients across the whole system, and catch the early warnings of system problems before malfunction. Second, the occurrence of biofouling from particles and microorganisms in wastewater will be prevented by utilizing novel anti-fouling materials (e.g. hydrophilic film, gold and silver nanoparticles printed on mm-sized electrodes). Third, an impedance reading will be used to detect early fouling of MEA sensors. The impedance of working MEA sensors will be periodically measured and compared with the clean MEA sensors to catch the surface property changes under fouling, so that the MEA accuracy will not be sacrificed in the long-term profiling. In addition, personnel involved in this project (two doctorate students with one for MEA prototype development and the other for MEA deployment in AD systems) will receive hands on innovation entrepreneurship experiences by working with PIs and Co-PIs in customer discovery interviews, UConn School of Engineering Entrepreneur Leadership Training Course, and MEA business model canvas development.The project engages a food waste AD technology company (Quantum Biopower Inc.) to provide full-scale AD test site for MEA technology demonstration, a leading environmental biotechnology research laboratory (Li PI; University of Connecticut) and a world-class expert in sensor development (Lei CO-PI; University of Connecticut) to augment research capability in this technology translation effort from research discovery toward commercial reality.

该PFI：空气技术翻译项目致力于翻译一种新型的实时原位分析技术，以满足监测异质废物处理系统的需求。 Milli-Electrode阵列（MEA）很重要，因为废物处理系统（例如废水，食物浪费）被像“黑匣子”一样操作，并使用“单点”探针进行监测，而没有获得系统操作状态的整体图片。这项新技术将提高监视和控制这些系统的运行，并提高其将废料转换为有价值的燃料和其他产品的商业潜力。此外，具有多个参数传感能力的经济产生毫升电极阵列的能力可能会导致其在其他系统监测情况（例如其他类型的生化反应器）中的应用。 该项目将导致原型开发和MEA技术的全面演示。该最先进的MEA传感器具有以下独特功能：坚固的配置，长寿，简单的测量程序，低成本耐用的材料以及易于部署和更换。这些功能提供了以下优势：多个参数的实时分析时空，耐用的廉价快速感测和完整的数据集，以最低的资本成本反映系统运营状态。该项目解决了以下技术差距，因为它从研究发现转化为商业应用。首先，将探索MEA配置文件生成的异质数据集的整合到AD控制和管理中，将探索厌氧摘要（AD），将探索实时调整AD操作状态，适应整个系统中的梯度，并在故障之前捕获系统问题的早期警告。其次，通过利用新型的抗粉状材料（例如，印刷在MM尺寸电极上的亲水膜，金和银纳米颗粒），可以预防废水中颗粒和微生物的生物污染。第三，阻抗读数将用于检测MEA传感器的早期结垢。将定期测量工作MEA传感器的阻抗，并将其与干净的MEA传感器进行比较，以捕获结垢下的表面特性变化，以便在长期分析中不会牺牲MEA精度。 此外，参与该项目的人员（两个具有MEA原型开发的博士学位学生，另一个用于AD系统中的MEA部署的学生）将通过与PIS和CO-PIS合作在客户发现访谈中通过工程学培训培训课程以及MEA商业模型canv and canter-fort and Incove and Incoges nig canter（量）。 MEA技术演示的广告测试站点，领先的环境生物技术研究实验室（Li Pi; Connecticut大学），以及世界一流的传感器开发专家（Lei Co-Pi; Connecticut大学），以增强从研究发现从研究发现到商业现实的技术翻译工作中的研究能力。