Novel live biomass sensor for improved microbial monitoring, wastewater reactor management and processing, allowing significant energy, carbon emissions, and chemical reduction.

这笔赠款将支持一种新型传感平台和专有算法的验证，以连续测量污水和工业废物活性污泥厂的活生物量。这提供了真实的时间计算关键生物过程参数的独特能力，提供了改进的处理和环境影响以及高精度的曝气控制，显著减少了能源，化学品和碳排放。当前的方法要么基于实验室，要么测量总生物量（活的，死的和无机物），这意味着实时过程计算和曝气是不准确的。工厂通常会过度曝气，从而产生能源和碳排放问题。该提案得到了领先的传感器制造商和专业废水工程师的支持。该提案将允许进行实验工作，以证明该技术的有效性和商业可行性，并研究其他复杂的多生物环境中的潜在次要结果。背景：活性污泥厂（ASP）通过将污水/工业废水与空气和微生物混合来处理污水/工业废水，从而减少有机物含量，使其可以排放到水道中。能源使用和碳排放是关键驱动因素。活性污泥曝气占污水处理能源成本的60%。在整个欧洲，ASP的曝气在国家一级贡献了惊人的1-2%的净用电量。专家预测，通过改进工艺控制和优化曝气，可以将能源投入减少20%。尽管活性污泥工艺依赖于关键的微生物植物群，但目前还没有技术可以实时精确测量活生物量，以准确确定工艺完成所需的氧气量、生物量和时间。工业用地增加了5%。欧盟+欧洲自由贸易联盟共有68，800个污水处理厂。15，000个有适当的自动控制系统。美国有3，400个合适的处理厂，中国有1，000个，世界其他地区也是如此。中型处理厂的投资回报率预计为12-24个月（乌克兰战争前），但根据目前的能源价格，投资回报率可能低至4个月。与大型商业合作伙伴合作，提供信誉、现有客户和销售引擎，将有助于成功进入市场。

This grant will support validation of a novel sensing platform and proprietary algorithms to continuously measure live biomass in sewage and industrial waste activated sludge plants. This delivers unique ability to calculate critical biological process parameters in real time, delivering improved processing and environmental impact and high precision aeration control, significantly reducing energy, chemicals, and carbon emissions.Current methods are either lab-based or measure total biomass (live, dead and inorganics) meaning that real-time process calculations and aeration are inaccurate. Plants are generally over-aerated with energy and carbon emissions implications.The proposal is supported by the leading sensor manufacturer and expert wastewater engineers.The proposal will allow experimental work to prove efficacy and commercial viability of the technology, and research potential secondary outcomes in other complex, multi-organism environments.Background:Activated sludge plants (ASP's) treat sewage/industrial effluent by mixing it with air and microorganisms, which reduces organic content so it can be discharged to watercourses. Energy usage and Carbon Emissions are key drivers.Activated sludge aeration represents 60% of energy costs in sewage treatment. Across Europe aeration of ASP's contributes a staggering 1-2% of net electricity usage at country level. Experts predict energy input can be reduced by 20% by improving process control and optimised aeration.Although activated sludge processes rely on critical microbial flora, there are no technologies that can precisely measure live biomass in real-time to accurately determine the amount of oxygen, biomass, and time required for process completion.Total addressable municipal market = £270m of CAPEX and £31M of OPEX/year. Industrial sites add an additional 5%.There are 68,800 WWTPs in EU + EFTA. 15,000 have suitable automatic control systems. USA has 3,400 suitable treatment plants plus 1,000 in China, similarly ROW.ROI is predicted to be 12-24 months (pre-Ukraine war) for medium sized plants but may be as low as 4 months with current energy pricing.Successful market entry will be facilitated by collaboration with large commercial partners who deliver credibility, existing customers, and sales engines.