ENERGY PRODUCTON

FROM
WASTEWATER

DHRUV MEHTA
MANU AGRAWAL
SUBMITTED BY:

GUIDED BY:

Dr.

WHAT IS WASTEWATER ?
Wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence and also
refer to any water that is utilized in an any processes is no longer considered fit for human consumption.
Wastewater is water containing wastes from residential, commercial, industrial processes. Wastewater is a
term applied to any type of water that has been utilized in some capacity that negatively impacts on the
quality of the water. Wastewater is not just sewage but all the water used in the home that goes to the drain
or into the sewage collection system of the wastewater. This include water from baths, showers, sinks, and
toilets . Small industries and business often contribute large amount of wastewater to collection system
In 1972 Wastewater regulations been effective amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
known as the Clean Water Act (CWA), established the foundation for wastewater discharge control in the
country. The CWAs primary objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological
conditions of the nations waters.
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

(NPDES) program is one of the most successful

environmental programs ever implemented. Since the federal Clean Water Act was adopted in 1972.
stand alone document, no author identified
The journal of Environmental engineering and science, 2002, 1(4): 247-264 Retrieved from www.nrcresearchpress.com>doi>abs

SIGNIFICANCE AND OBJECTIVES OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Principle objective of the wastewater treatment is generally to allow human and industrial effluent to be
disposed of without danger to human health or unacceptable damage to the natural environment.
Wastewater treatment is essential before disposing it into rivers and streams for the water resources to be
clean and aquatic ecology to be conserved. For the first half of the 20th century, pollution in the Nations
urban waterways resulted in frequent occurrences of low dissolved oxygen, fish kills and bacterial
contamination.

SOME OF THE KEY CHALLENGES FACED BY WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Collection facilities
Population growth
Increasing urbanization
Disposal of wastewater, Sustainable treatment
stand alone document, no author identified, no date
Office of water programs, California state university, Sacramento, operation & maintenance of wastewater system, vol. 2, 5th ed., chapter 8 from http://
web.deu.edu.tr/atiksu/ana52/wtreat.html for more detail go to www.env.nm.gov

WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT & WATER DEMAND

Generation

Disposal

Waste water
management

Collection

Treatment

CWA (2010) reported projected water demand in various sectors; During 2010-2050, Water demand for
Energy will increase by 26 times , Water demand for Industry by 5.3 times, Drinking water demand by 2
times of total in 40-years
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Wastewater management survey for more detail please go on www.waterencyclopedia.com/Tw-Z/Wastewater-Treatment-and-Management.html

ENERGY PRODUCTION FROM WASTEWATER

electricity is most important In daily life;
find new source for production of electricity;
production of electricity from wastewater;
There are different methods for production of Electricity from wastewater.
BIO ELECTROCHEMICAL TREATMENT (BET)
Bio electrochemical systems (BESs) have the potential for treating wastewater and simultaneously
Electricity Generation and Sustainable Wastewater Treatment. BES such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs)
and microbial electrolysis cell (MECs) are an emerging technology which converts biodegradable organic
matter to electrical energy or hydrogen using a biofilm on the electrode as the biocatalyst.
BET may reduce the energy consumption for wastewater treatment by replacing energy intensive aeration
of present treatment systems
leading to reduce environmental impact and disposal costs.
CGWB. 2011. Ground Water Year Book - India 2010-11. Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Water Resources. Government of India, from http://www.cgwb.gov.in/documents/Ground
%20Water%20Year%20Book-2010-11.pdf

 MICROBIAL FUEL CELL (MFC)

MFC can be defined as electrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy contained in organic
matter into electricity by means of catalytic (metabolic) activity of the living microorganisms. MFCs
converts energy available in bio convertible substrate into electricity
There are two type of MFC Designs
Single chamber MFC:
Microbial fuel cell (MFC);
Single chamber;
Membrane;
Operating condition;
Anaerobic condition;
Mixed culture.

Ventra Mohan S., Veer Raghavulu S., Sarma P.N., et. Al (3 December 2007) Bioengineering and Environmental Centre, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology Biosensors and Bioelectronics
23 (2008) 13261332 retrieved from www.Elsevier.com/locate/bios for more detail www.sciencedirect.com

Two Chambered MFC:

Microbial fuel cell (MFC);
Membrane;
Operating condition;
Chemical wastewater treatment;
Anaerobic;
Mixed culture;
Acidophilic.
Anodic reactions:
C12H22O11 +13H2O 12CO2 + 48H+ + 48e Cathodic reaction:
O2 + 4e + 4H+ 2H2O

Ventra Mohan S., Veer Raghavulu S., Sarma P.N., et. Al (22 August 2007), Bioengineering and Environmental Centre, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology from Biochemical Engineering Journal 39
(2008) 121130 retrieved from www.Elsevier.com/locate/bios for more detail www.sciencedirect.com

 Microbial Electrolytic Cell (MECs)

MECs oxidize organic matters electrochemically using microbial biofilms in anaerobic chamber to yield
protons and electrons, which are subsequently used in a reduction reaction to produce value added
products such as hydrogen and methane.
There are four kind of MICROBIAL ELECTROLYTIC CELL (MECs)
Double-chamber MECs
Microbial Electrolytic cell (MEC);
Dual chamber;
Membrane;
Operating condition;
anodic chamber;
cathode chamber;
middle chamber;
Hydrogen production 1.1 mol
stand alone document, no author identified, no date
Microbial electrochemical cell for simultaneous water desalination, energy production, and wastewater treatment from www.elsevier.com/locate/he for more detail www.sciencedirect.com

 Single-chamber MECs
Microbial Electrolytic cell (MEC);
Single chamber;
Membrane;
Membrane less single-chamber;
Operating condition;
Hydrogen production is 0.53m3 m3 d1 based on liquid volume
Continuous flow MECs
Microbial Electrolytic cell (MEC);
Single chamber;
Operating condition;
Hydrogen production is 0.53m3 m3 d1.
Advantages of MECs
Uses Hydrogen and methane.
convert waste organic matter into a valuable energy source.
Hydrogen can also be combined with the nitrogen in the air to produce ammonia, which can be used to make
ammonium fertilizer which use for alternative to fossil fuel for internal combustion engines.
stand alone document, no author identified, no date
Microbial electrochemical cell for simultaneous water desalination, energy production, and wastewater treatment from www.elsevier.com/locate/he for more detail www.sciencedirect.com

 ANAEROBIC DIGESSION
Anaerobic microbiological decomposition is a process in which micro-organisms derive energy and grow
by metabolising organic material in an oxygen-free environment resulting in the production of methane
(CH4).
The anaerobic digestion process can be subdivided into the following four phases, each requiring its own
characteristic group of micro-organisms:
Hydrolysis: conversion of non-soluble biopolymers to soluble organic compounds
Acidogenesis: conversion of soluble organic compounds to volatile fatty acids (VFA) and CO 2
Acetogenesis: conversion of volatile fatty acids to acetate and H 2
Methanogenesis: conversion of acetate and CO2 plus H2 to methane gas
Potential Benefits of 100% Anaerobic Treatment
reduces energy requirement.
Produces more renewable energy as biogas.
reduces production of secondary sludge.
Wastewater reuse for agriculture and irrigation.
reduces bio-solids production.
stand alone document
de Mes T.Z.D., Stams A.J.M., Reith J.H and Zeeman G., energy production by anaerobic digestion of wastewater from www.sciencedirect.com

Parameter
AEROBIC
DIGESSION

Aerobic Treatment
Microbial reactions take place in the presence of

Process Principle

Anaerobic Treatment
Microbial reactions take place in the absence of

Microbial reactions take molecular/

place in free
theoxygen
presence of molecular/ free molecular/
oxygen and
products are
freereactions
oxygen
carbon dioxide, water and
excess
biomass
Reactions
products
are carbon dioxide, water and Reactions products are carbon dioxide, methane and

excess biomass
excess
biomass
An aerobic treatment system
or ATS, often called (incorrectly) an
aerobic
septic system, is a small scale
sewage treatment system
similar to
a septic
system, organic
but which
uses an
for digestion
Applications
Wastewater
with
low tank
to medium
Wastewater
withaerobic
medium process
to high organic
impurities
rather than just the anaerobic
process
used
in and
septic
systems and
aerobic
treatment
is done
impurities (COD
< 1000
ppm)
for wastewater
(COD
> 1000
ppm) and
easilyinbiodegradable
presences of oxygen that are difficult to biodegrade e.g. municipal wastewater e.g. food and beverage wastewater rich

Aerobic Biological Treatment

sewage,Technologies
refinery wastewater etc.
Reaction
Kinetic
Conventional
Net Sludge Yield

ActivatedRelatively
Sludge fast
Process (CASP) System
Relatively high

Cyclic Activated Sludge System (CASS)

Capital
Investment

Relatively high
Integrated Fixed Film Activated
Sludge (IFAS) System

Example Technologies

Activated

Sludge

e.g.

Extended

in starch/sugar/alcohol
Relatively slow
Relatively low (generally one fifth to one tenth of
aerobic treatment processes)
Relatively low with pay back
Aeration, Continuously stirred tank reactor/digester, Up flow

Oxidation Ditch, MBR, Fixed Film Processes e.g. Anaerobic sludge Blanket (UASB), Ultra High Rate
Trickling Filter/Bio tower, BAF, MBBR or Hybrid Fluidized Bed reactors e.g. EGSBTM, ICTM etc.
Processes e.g. IFAS
Energy requirement

High

Low

Degree of treatment

Hugh

Moderate

Start-up time
Nutrient Requirement

2 to 4 week
High

2 to 4 months
Low

Oder
Low
Potential odour problem
Biogas
Production
YesEnvironment Centre for Science and Environment from
Rohilla Suresh
Kumar., Trivedi R.C., Ahmad No
Merajuddin , Jolly Helina ., Sharma Richa (May 2011) Centre for Science and
www.cseindia.org

 HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM WASTEWATER

Manufactures hydrogen from sunlight with an organic wastewater and the photosynthetic microorganism. Because
this technology doesn't use the organic matter that becomes food, and use the organic matter included in waste,
clean power generation is possible. The maximum problem in the hydrogen gas production with the wastewater is
that the energy production efficiency is low.
Current Global Hydrogen Production
48% from Natural Gas
30% from Oil

Hyrogen production

18% from Coal

4% from Electrolysis of Wastewater
Advantages of production Hydrogen from wastewater

18

Reduce in use of fossil fuel;

30

4
48

Impartment of toxic gases in to environment is reduce;

Easy to use as a combustion fuel;
One advantage is that it stores approximately 2.6 times
the energy per unit mass as gasoline;

Thank you

About half is used to produce ammonia (NH3) fertilizer;

stand alone document, no author identified

Liu H. and Fang H.H.P., Water Science and Technology Vol 47 No 1 pp 153158 IWA Publishing 2002 Centre for Environmental Engineering Research

Natural Gas
Oil
Coal
Wastewater