Mavinic, Donald (The University of British Columbia)

Purpose

This proposal aims to integrate UBC developed leading edge technologies into an efficient sewage sludge treatment system for sludge solids destruction and bioenergy recovery at the Annacis Research Centre (ARC), a state-of-the-art wastewater research facility adjacent to the Annacis Island wastewater treatment plant in Delta, B.C. The integrated system consists of a UBC patented microwave enhanced advanced oxidation process (MW-AOP) and an innovative anaerobic digestion (AD) system for methane production. The microwave wastewater system would not only reduce sludge solids content, but also facilitate the release of nutrients into solution. The resulting solution would make it easy for microorganisms to complete biodegradation, resulting in an increase of biogas production rate. Further, more efficient bioenergy production can be achieved by an innovative anaerobic digestion system. The tasks required in this R&D project include: 1). testing of the UBC-designed pilot-scale continuous flow microwave treatment system; 2). examining the performance of a two-phase anaerobic digestion system; 3). evaluating the performance of the integrated system at ARC first, then in one of Metro Vancouver's wastewater treatment plants; and 4). establishing the design criteria and operating protocols for this integrated system. The final outcome of the project will be a fully developed 'proof-of-concept' integrated sewage sludge treatment system. The improved waste management, sludge reduction and resource recovery system developed in this project will have a significant impact on sludge management and bioenergy production, and substantial economical and environmental benefits for the wastewater treatment industry.