Bactest CYTOMAIA respirometer technology for optimisation of wastewater processes

这个项目（Shepherd）所解决的商业机会是将第一个现场的、真实的时间的活性污泥监测系统推向市场，这将使废水处理行业能够显著降低其能源消耗和碳足迹。废水处理过程的基础是在处理厂中产生稳定的微生物种群，用于净化未经处理的污水和商业废物。该过程是连续的，并通过调节流出物的流速和保持正确的氧含量来保持平衡，以允许有效的微生物生长和纯化。空气被大型压缩机压入“活性污泥”中以保持气体成分。电厂运行不佳的主要原因是电厂运行控制和测试不足。生物监测越来越被视为优化工艺的解决方案，是行业内的重要驱动力。目前还没有适合于真实的实时过程控制的微生物监测系统。该行业将高达50%的能源OPEX用于活性污泥的临时曝气，目的是优化废水处理厂的细菌活性。目前的标准测试是生化需氧量5，需要5至7天的结果回来的工厂，到那时，“情况”已经发生了巨大的变化。因此，测试可能是无用的。该行业多年来一直在寻求解决这个问题的方法。一种在线、可靠、真实的时间BOD分析装置（或类似）将改变控制，并导致提高排放标准和降低，优化，为了抓住这一商机，BACTEST需要修改其目前的成熟技术平台CYTOMAIA，该平台旨在用于便携式污染检测仪器（快速育种），使该技术可以用于一个更大的设备，将永久驻留在废水厂采样活性污泥，测试和传输结果到监测中心。这将使工厂操作员能够每小时（而不是每7天）获得细菌活动的“健康”结果，使他们能够更有效地利用曝气，从而降低能源消耗。此外，Shepherd生成的数据也将传输到BACTEST，在那里将生成一个数据库，该数据库是用于分析废水设施的软件工具，以协助废水设施的管理和规划。TSB项目的项目成果将证明我们的技术平台可以按照上述方式进行修改，并最终在测试废水设施上部署两个原型，一个在剑桥的Anglian Water，另一个在克兰菲尔德大学。行业专家过去常常解决问题工厂的问题，建议节省20%的成本应该是良好控制过程的目标。我们预计概念验证将花费约168，000英镑，需要12个月。

The business opportunity this project (Shepherd) addresses is to bring to market the first insitu,real time activated sludge monitoring system, that would enable the waste water industryto dramatically cut their energy consumption and carbon footprint.Fundamental to the process of dealing with wastewater is the generation of a stable populationof microorganisms in the process plant for the purification of raw sewage and commercialwaste. The process is continuous and kept in balance by adjusting flow rates of effluent andby maintaining the correct oxygen content to allow efficient microbial growth andpurification. Air is forced into the "activated sludge" by large compressors to maintain thegaseous composition. Key causes of poorly performing plants are inadequate plant operationcontrol and testing. Increasingly, biological monitoring is seen as the solution to optimisingprocesses and is a significant driver within the industry. Currently there are no microbialmonitoring systems suitable for real time process control. The industry spends up to 50% ofits energy OPEX on ad-hoc aeration of activated sludge with the aim to optimise bacterialactivity in waste water treatment plants. Currently the standard test is BOD5 which takes 5 to7 days for results to come back to the plant by which time the “situation” has dramaticallychanged. Thus the test can be useless. The industry has been seeking a solution to thisproblem for years. An on-line, reliable, real time BOD analysis device (or analogue) wouldtransform control and lead to enhanced discharge standards and lower, optimised, energyconsumption throughout the industry.In order to address this business opportunity BACTEST will need to modify its current proventechnology platform CYTOMAIA that was designed to be used in a portable contaminationtesting instrument (Speedy Breedy) such that the technology could be used in a larger devicethat would permanently reside on a waste water plant sampling activated sludge, testing andtransmitting results to a monitoring centre. This would enable plant operators to have resultson the “health” of bacterial activity every hour (as opposed to every 7 days) enabling them tomake more efficient use of aeration resulting is lower energy spend. In addition the datagenerated by Shepherd will also be transmitted to BACTEST where a database will be grownand software tools built to analyse waste water facilities to assist in management and planningof waste water facilities.Project outcomes from this TSB project will prove that our technology platform can bemodified as outlined above and will culminate in 2 prototypes being deployed on test wastewater facilities, one at Anglian Water in Cambridge, the other at Cranfield University.Industry experts used to trouble shooting problem plants suggest savings of 20% should be atarget for well controlled processes.We anticipate proof of concept will cost around £168,000 and take 12 months.