Enhancing the Energy Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants through Co-digestion and Fuel Cell Systems
The present work provides an overview of technological measures to increase the self-sufficiency of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), in particular for the largely diffused activated sludge-based WWTP. The operation of WWTPs entails a huge amount of electricity. Thermal energy is also required fo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2017-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fenvs.2017.00070/full |
| _version_ | 1818911594807033856 |
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| author | Marta Gandiglio Andrea Lanzini Alicia Soto Pierluigi Leone Massimo Santarelli Massimo Santarelli Massimo Santarelli |
| author_facet | Marta Gandiglio Andrea Lanzini Alicia Soto Pierluigi Leone Massimo Santarelli Massimo Santarelli Massimo Santarelli |
| author_sort | Marta Gandiglio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present work provides an overview of technological measures to increase the self-sufficiency of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), in particular for the largely diffused activated sludge-based WWTP. The operation of WWTPs entails a huge amount of electricity. Thermal energy is also required for pre-heating the sludge and sometimes exsiccation of the digested sludge. On the other hand, the entering organic matter contained in the wastewater is a source of energy. Organic matter is recovered as sludge, which is digested in large stirred tanks (anaerobic digester) to produce biogas. The onsite availability of biogas represents a great opportunity to cover a significant share of WWTP electricity and thermal demands. Especially, biogas can be efficiently converted into electrical energy (and heat) via high temperature fuel cell generators. The final part of this work will report a case study based on the use of sewage biogas into a solid oxide fuel cell. However, the efficient biogas conversion in combined heat and power (CHP) devices is not sufficient. Self-sufficiency requires a combination of efficient biogas conversion, the maximization the yield of biogas from the organic substrate, and the minimization of the thermal duty connected to the preheating of the sludge feeding the anaerobic digester (generally achieved with pre-thickeners). Finally, the co-digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) into digesters treating sludge from WWTPs represent an additional opportunity for increasing the biogas production of existing WWTPs, thus helping the transition toward self-sufficient plants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T23:01:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a3119244e06a4d4a966915bec6911c31 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-665X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T23:01:11Z |
| publishDate | 2017-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-a3119244e06a4d4a966915bec6911c312022-12-21T20:02:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2017-10-01510.3389/fenvs.2017.00070289034Enhancing the Energy Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants through Co-digestion and Fuel Cell SystemsMarta Gandiglio0Andrea Lanzini1Alicia Soto2Pierluigi Leone3Massimo Santarelli4Massimo Santarelli5Massimo Santarelli6Energy Department, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, ItalyEnergy Department, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, ItalyEnergy Department, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, ItalyEnergy Department, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, ItalyEnergy Department, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, ItalyEnergiteknik. KTH, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United StatesThe present work provides an overview of technological measures to increase the self-sufficiency of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), in particular for the largely diffused activated sludge-based WWTP. The operation of WWTPs entails a huge amount of electricity. Thermal energy is also required for pre-heating the sludge and sometimes exsiccation of the digested sludge. On the other hand, the entering organic matter contained in the wastewater is a source of energy. Organic matter is recovered as sludge, which is digested in large stirred tanks (anaerobic digester) to produce biogas. The onsite availability of biogas represents a great opportunity to cover a significant share of WWTP electricity and thermal demands. Especially, biogas can be efficiently converted into electrical energy (and heat) via high temperature fuel cell generators. The final part of this work will report a case study based on the use of sewage biogas into a solid oxide fuel cell. However, the efficient biogas conversion in combined heat and power (CHP) devices is not sufficient. Self-sufficiency requires a combination of efficient biogas conversion, the maximization the yield of biogas from the organic substrate, and the minimization of the thermal duty connected to the preheating of the sludge feeding the anaerobic digester (generally achieved with pre-thickeners). Finally, the co-digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) into digesters treating sludge from WWTPs represent an additional opportunity for increasing the biogas production of existing WWTPs, thus helping the transition toward self-sufficient plants.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fenvs.2017.00070/fullenergy efficiencywaste water treatment plantssewage sludgesewage biogasco-digestionSOFC |
| spellingShingle | Marta Gandiglio Andrea Lanzini Alicia Soto Pierluigi Leone Massimo Santarelli Massimo Santarelli Massimo Santarelli Enhancing the Energy Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants through Co-digestion and Fuel Cell Systems Frontiers in Environmental Science energy efficiency waste water treatment plants sewage sludge sewage biogas co-digestion SOFC |
| title | Enhancing the Energy Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants through Co-digestion and Fuel Cell Systems |
| title_full | Enhancing the Energy Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants through Co-digestion and Fuel Cell Systems |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing the Energy Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants through Co-digestion and Fuel Cell Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing the Energy Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants through Co-digestion and Fuel Cell Systems |
| title_short | Enhancing the Energy Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants through Co-digestion and Fuel Cell Systems |
| title_sort | enhancing the energy efficiency of wastewater treatment plants through co digestion and fuel cell systems |
| topic | energy efficiency waste water treatment plants sewage sludge sewage biogas co-digestion SOFC |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fenvs.2017.00070/full |
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