Techno-economic analysis of combining forward osmosis-reverse osmosis and anaerobic membrane bioreactor technologies for municipal wastewater treatment and water production

The economic feasibility of combining forward osmosis (FO), reverse osmosis (RO) and anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technologies for municipal wastewater treatment with energy and water production was analysed. FO was used to pre-concentrate the AnMBR influent, RO for draw solution regeneration and water production, and AnMBR for wastewater treatment and energy production. The minimum wastewater treatment cost was estimated at 0.81 ¿ m-3, achieved when limiting the FO recovery to 50% in a closed-loop scheme, however, the cost increased to 1.01 and 1.27 ¿ m-3 for FO recoveries of 80% and 90%, respectively. The fresh water production cost was estimated at 0.80 and 1.16 ¿ m-3 for an open-loop scheme maximising water production and a closed-loop scheme, respectively. The low FO membrane fluxes were identified as a limiting factor and a sensitivity analysis revealed that FO membrane fluxes of 10 LMH would significantly improve the competitiveness of FO-RO+AnMBR technology

Co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste in a wastewater treatment plant based on mainstream anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology: A techno-economic evaluation

The implementation of anaerobic membrane bioreactor as mainstream technology would reduce the load of sidestream anaerobic digesters. This research evaluated the techno-economic implications of co-digesting sewage sludge and food waste in such wastewater treatment plants to optimise the usage of the sludge line infrastructure. Three organic loading rates (1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 kg VS m− 3 d− 1 ) and different strategies to manage the additional nutrients backload were considered. Results showed that the higher electricity revenue from co-digesting food waste offsets the additional costs of food waste acceptance infrastructure and biosolids disposal. However, the higher electricity revenue did not offset the additional costs when the nutrients backload was treated in the sidestream (partial-nitritation/anammox and struvite precipitation). Biosolids disposal was identified as the most important gross cost contributor in all the scenarios. Finally, a sensitivity analysis showed that food waste gate fee had a noticeable influence on co-digestion economic feasibilit

Development of Bioglass/PEEK Composite Coating by Cold Gas Spray for Orthopedic Implants

Cold gas spray (CGS) technology has allowed the development of biofunctional coatings composed of 45S5 and polyetheretherketone (PEEK). The combination of a bioactive glass material embedded in a polymeric matrix makes this composite an interesting material for orthopedic applications since this composite meets the biomechanical and biological requirements of an implant. In the present study, blends of bioactive glass 45S5 and PEEK powder with different granulometry and 45S5/PEEK ratio have been prepared. These mixtures of powders have been deposited onto PEEK substrates by CGS with the goal of incorporating a bioactive additive to the biocompatible polymer, which can improve the bone-implant interaction of PEEK. The deposition efficiency (DE) of the coatings has been evaluated, and from the results obtained, it was possible to conclude that DE is significantly affected by the granulometry and by the 45S5/PEEK ratio of the blends. By scanning electron microscopy (SEM) inspection, it was observed that the use of blends with high 45S5/PEEK ratio lead to the deposition of coatings with high content of 45S5. Finally, the friction behavior of the coatings was analyzed performing ball-on-disk tests and these experiments showed that the presence of glass particles has a beneficial role in the wear resistance

Exploring the potential of co-fermenting sewage sludge and lipids in a resource recovery scenario

In this study, co-fermentation of primary sludge (PS) or waste activated sludge (WAS) with lipids was explored to improve volatile fatty acid production. PS and WAS were used as base substrate to facilitate lipid fermentation at 20 °C under semi-aerobic conditions. Mono-fermentation tests showed higher VFA yields for PS (32-89 mgCOD gVS-1) than for WAS (20-41 mgCOD gVS-1) where propionate production was favoured. The principal component analysis showed that the base substrate had a notable influence on co-fermentation yields and profile. Co-fermentation with WAS resulted in a greater extent of oleic acid degradation (up to 4.7%) and evidence of chain elongation producing valerate. The occurrence of chain elongation suggests that co-fermentation can be engineered to favour medium-chain fatty acids without the addition of external commodity chemicals. BMP tests showed that neither mono-fermentation nor co-fermentation had an impact on downstream anaerobic digestion

Comparison of Stellite coatings on low carbon steel produced by CGS and HVOF spraying

Stellite alloys are of great interest in industries due to a unique combination of high temperature mechanical strength, outstanding wear and corrosion resistance. Different thermal spraying processes are used for deposition of stellite alloys on industrial components. However, the investigations on the structure-property relationship of these alloys produced via different deposition process are limited. This study focuses on the microstructure, oxidation, and tribo-mechanical properties of Stellite 21 deposited by cold gas spraying (CGS) and high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) process on a low carbon steel substrate. The coating cross- section was characterized by SEM and optical microscopy. The coatings were further characterised by using nanoindentation, adhesion, and ball-on-disk wear tests. Moreover, XRD tests were run on the powder and the coatings to reveal possible phase transformation during spraying, as well as during wear and oxidation tests. The results showed no phase transformation in the as-sprayed CGS coating, besides higher values of porosity and oxide phase in the HVOF coating. However, an fcc-to-hcp phase transformation occurs at the surface layer of both types of coating during the ball-on-disk wear test. The presence of continuous oxide networks in HVOF coatings leads to delamination during the wear test. Overall, the CGS Stellite 21 coatings exhibit better performance than HVOF coatings in wear and oxidation tests

Techno-economic analysis of forward osmosis pre-concentration before an anaerobic membrane bioreactor: Impact of draw solute and membrane material

This research investigated the impact of draw solute and membrane material on the economic balance of a forward osmosis (FO) system pre-concentrating municipal sewage prior to an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR). Eight and three different draw solutes were evaluated for cellulose triacetate (CTA) and polyamide thin film composite (TFC) membranes, respectively. The material of the FO membrane was a key economic driver since the net cost of TFC membrane was substantially lower than the CTA membrane. The draw solute had a moderate impact on the economic balance. The most economically favourable draw solutes were sodium acetate and calcium chloride for the CTA membrane and magnesium chloride for the TFC membrane. The FO + AnMBR performance was modelled for both FO membrane materials and each draw solute considering three FO recoveries (50, 80 and 90%). The estimated COD removal efficiency of the AnMBR was similar regardless of the draw solute and FO membrane material. However, the COD and draw solute concentrations in the permeate and digestate increased as the FO recovery increased. These results highlight that FO membranes with high permselectivity are needed to improve the economic balance of mainstream AnMBR and to ensure the quality of the permeate and digestate

Impact of permeate flux and gas sparging rate on membrane performance and process economics of granular anaerobic membrane bioreactors

This research investigated the impact of permeate flux and gas sparging rate on membrane permeability, dissolved and colloidal organic matter (DCOM) rejection and process economics of granular anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs). The goal of the study was to understand how membrane fouling control strategies influence granular AnMBR economics. To this end, short- and long-term filtration tests were performed under different permeate flux and specific gas demand (SGD) conditions. The results showed that flux and SGD conditions had a direct impact on membrane fouling. At normalised fluxes (J20) of 4.4 and 8.7 L m−2 h−1 (LMH) the most favourable SGD condition was 0.5 m3 m−2 h−1, whereas at J20 of 13.0 and 16.7 LMH the most favourable SGD condition was 1.0 m3 m−2 h−1. The flux and the SGD did not have a direct impact on DCOM rejection, with values ranging between 31 and 44%. The three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence (3DEEM) spectra showed that protein-like fluorophores were predominant in mixed liquor and permeate samples (67-79%) and were retained by the membrane (39-50%). This suggests that protein-like fluorophores could be an important foulant for these systems. The economic analysis showed that operating the membranes at moderate fluxes (J20 = 7.8 LMH) and SGD (0.5 m3 m−2 h−1) could be the most favourable alternative. Finally, a sensitivity analysis illustrated that electricity and membrane cost were the most sensitive economic parameters, which highlights the importance of reducing SGD requirements and improving membrane permeability to reduce costs of granular AnMBRs

FeAl and NbAl3 intermetallic- HVOF coatings: structure and properties

Transition metal aluminides in their coating form are currently being explored in terms of resistance to oxidation and mechanical behavior. This interest in transition metal aluminides is mainly due to the fact that their high Al content makes them attractive for high-temperature applications. This is also a reason to study their resistance to wear; they may be suitable for use in applications that produce a lot of wear in aggressive environments, thus replacing established coating materials. In this study, the microstructure, microhardness, and wear and oxidation performance of FeAl and NbAl3 coatings produced by highvelocity oxy-fuel spraying are evaluated with two main aims: (i) to compare these two coating systems¿a commonly studied aluminide (FeAl) and, NbAl3, an aluminide whose deposition by thermal spraying has not been attempted to date¿and (ii) to analyze the relationship between their microstructure, composition and properties, and so clarify their wear and oxidation mechanisms. In the present study, the higher hardness of niobium aluminide coatings did not correlate with a higher wear resistance and, finally, although pesting phenomena (disintegration in oxidizing environments) were already known of in bulk niobium aluminides, here their behavior in the coating form is examined. It was shown that such accelerated oxidation was inevitable with respect to the better resistance of FeAl, but further improvements are foreseen by addition of alloying elements in that alloy

Feasibility of using low pressure cold gas spray for the spraying of thick ceramic hydroxyapatite coatings

This article deals with the production of thick ceramic hydroxyapatite coatings obtained by Low Pressure Cold Gas Spray (LPCGS) system. Several factors such as powder microstructure, surface roughness and cold gas spray system are here discussed in the build‐up process. The use of nanocrystalline powder composed by fine agglomerates and needle‐like shape microstructure allows the realignment and compaction of individual crystallites to form thick deposits. In addition, the activation of the substrate surface results convenient for the first impinging particles anchored properly. Then, layer by layer, particles can remain attached leading to coating build‐up. Additionally, the use of low shock pressure as well as constant feeding system provided by LPCGS system lead to homogeneous coatings in comparison with High Pressure Cold Gas Spray (HPCGS) system. The successful coating build‐up has been achieved not only by the use of an agglomerated feedstock powder, but also by previous surface treatment and the use of the low pressure system. The obtaining of HA components by LPCGS is promising within biomedical field. An improvement of component strength is also suggested by means of thermomechanical analysis of the powder. The performance of a post heat‐treatment leads to an increase in HA strength, as well as crystal size

A ceramic electrode of ZrO2-Y2O3 for the generation of oxidant species in anodic oxidation. Assessment of the treatment of Acid Blue 29 dye in sulfate and chloride media

A micron-sized powder of 7% mol Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) was used to deposit a ceramic coating onto Ti substrate by atmospheric plasma spray. The novel YSZ ceramic presented a dense structure with cubic crystalline structure. The as-synthesized YSZ ceramic as stable anode, coupled to a stainless-steel cathode, was assessed for the anodic oxidation of Acid Blue 29 diazo dye solutions in sulfate and chloride media. The decolorization of these solutions in acidic conditions was clearly faster with chloride as electrolyte, since the generated active chlorine HClO from anodic oxidation of Clwas more powerful oxidant than ¿OH formed from water discharge at the 7YSZ surface in sulfate medium. In alkaline conditions, the loss of color was drastically reduced because of the conversion of HClO into the weaker oxidant ClO, as well as the loss of oxidation power of ¿OH, partially compensated by the increasing oxidation ability of SO4¿formed from anodic oxidation of SO42ion. The effect of other experimental variables such as current density, as well as the concentration of each electrolyte and the dye, was examined. The best experimental conditions at pH 7.0 were found for 0.050 M of electrolyte at 20 and 10 mA cm-2 using sulfate and chloride media, respectively. In contrast, lower mineralization was achieved in chloride medium because of the formation of very recalcitrant and persistent chloro-derivatives that decelerated the mineralization process. In sulfate medium, NH4+, NO3and, to much lesser extent, NO2ions were released during mineralization, whereas tartaric, maleic, acetic and oxalic acids remained in the final solution