Innovative Application of Electroflotation Technology for Microbrewery Wastewater Treatment
Year: 2021
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Decentralized wastewater generators are experiencing increasing pressure from rising overstrength surcharge fees to identify more economical and sustainable methods of disposing of the wastewater. A continuous lab-scale electroflotation reactor was designed for the treatment of high-strength microbrewery wastewater (MBWW). MBWW has extremely elevated levels of total suspended solids (TSS) (>6000 mg/L), chemical oxygen demand (COD) (10,000 mg/L) and total phosphorous (TP) (300 mg/L). As a result, it is notoriously challenging to treat using conventional onsite treatment methods, particularly due to the dynamic and complex composition of the wastewater matrix. With an applied current density of 8 A/m2 and an electroflotation treatment time of just 20 minutes, the electroflotation reactor was able to effectively remove >95 % of TSS, >85% of TP, and >70% of COD. The results presented in this thesis highlight the potential for the electroflotation reactor to be integrated alongside pre-existing systems or to operate as a standalone advanced treatment unit.
Author: James Arambarri
Language: English
Subfield: Filtration and Separation
Field: Chemical Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3169491699