EP1212261A1

EP1212261A1 - Device and method for treating liquid manure

Info

Publication number: EP1212261A1
Application number: EP00960238A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Paul Debillemont
Original assignee: Eco Flanders SA
Current assignee: Eco Flanders SA
Priority date: 1999-09-14
Filing date: 2000-09-14
Publication date: 2002-06-12
Also published as: WO2001019735A1; AU7262400A; EP1084993A1; CA2384409A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for treating liquid manure comprising an electrolytic system with series of electrodes. At least part of the electrodes consists of soluble magnesium alloy electrodes. The invention also concerns a method for treating liquid manure, which consists in submitting the liquid manure to an electrolytic treatment with electrodes. It consists in applying the liquid manure in soluble magnesium alloy electrodes.

Description

"Slurry treatment device and method"

The present invention relates to a slurry treatment device comprising an electrolytic system with series of electrodes. The present invention aims in particular to treat different types of slurry to extract, on the one hand, a solid fraction, completely hygienized, that is to say free from any pathogenic bacteria, which can easily be spread on agricultural land and containing nutrients in proportion such that it corresponds to an ideal intake for plants and, on the other hand, a liquid fraction meeting the standards in force in terms of water purification.

Intensive breeding produces quantities of liquid manure often very difficult to treat by biological way because they contain sometimes appreciable quantities of antibiotics, copper and zinc contained in food not assimilated by animals and rejected as such in their excrement . These antibiotics and this copper therefore provide a significant antiseptic action. These highly toxic, non-biodegradable compounds gradually pollute aquifers and surface waters. The essential characteristic of manure is to present a very high chemical oxygen demand (COD) compared to a biological oxygen demand after 5 days (BOD ₅ ), often above 20, this proving the difficulty of biodegradation of polluting elements. In addition, ammonia, often present in high doses, especially in so-called "young" manure can only lead to the formation of nitrates, troublesome elements when they are found in surface waters.

A slurry treatment device comprising an electrolytic system with series of electrodes is known from document WO 95/05347. In the known system, soluble metal electrodes are used, preferably composed of iron or aluminum.

A disadvantage of the known system is that it does not make it possible to sufficiently eliminate the formation of nitrates due to the significant presence of ammonia. The present invention aims to eliminate as much as possible the formation of nitrates.

This is made possible by providing that at least a portion of the electrodes is constituted by soluble electrodes of magnesium alloy. Such electrodes ensure that the ammonia, still present in the slurry, is precipitated in the form of a stable insoluble compound, namely phosphate-ammonia-magnesium (MgNH ₄ PO ₄ ) which is found in the sludge, along with other elements, such as copper, zinc and iron. These other elements provide the trace elements necessary for good plant growth.

Preferably, the series of electrodes consist of two series of different composition, a first series constituting the soluble electrodes made of magnesium alloy and a second series of electrodes composed in particular of iron. This makes it possible to obtain completely satisfactory results by limiting the costs of the electrodes, since the magnesium-based electrodes are more expensive.

According to a preferred embodiment of the device of the invention, each series of electrodes is mounted between two partitions, the partitions being arranged to guide the slurry coming from one direction in the opposite direction. If part of the electrodes were to form the guide means between two series, these guide electrodes would wear out more quickly. Therefore, these partitions cause the electrodes to wear almost uniformly.

By providing the electrodes in a tank having a sloping bottom and the tank having a slurry inlet on the top side of the slope, a slurry flow is achieved in the tank, without having to use pumps.

The present invention also relates to a method for treating slurry, in which the slurry is subjected to an electrolytic treatment with electrodes, characterized in that the slurry is applied in soluble electrodes of magnesium alloy.

Preferably, after the electrolytic treatment, lime is added to the slurry. This makes it possible to further perfect the elimination of the ammonia residues still present at this stage of purification. Details concerning the invention are described below with reference to the single figure, schematically illustrating a processing device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In a first step, the slurry is brought into a mechanical separator 1, in particular a centrifuge system, making it possible to eliminate any particle whose size is greater than 100 microns. By this stage, a first part, relatively dry, containing compounds which can be composted such as nitrogen, phosphate and potash is obtained, and a second part, liquid, free of elements which may interfere with the process of electrolysis.

The liquid part is then stored in a tank 2, before being brought into the electrolysis tank 3 according to the invention. The reservoir is divided into several compartments, delimited by partitions 13 to 19. In the compartments there are series of electrodes 7 to 12. Each electrode is connected to one of the terminals 20 and 21 of an energy source. Adjacent electrodes are connected to different terminals.

The electrodes of series 7, 9 and 11 are for example of the iron or aluminum type, while the electrodes of series 8, 10 and 12 contain magnesium. The iron or aluminum electrodes make it possible to transform the ammonia into its constituent elements in gaseous form, namely nitrogen and hydrogen, the nitrogen being released at the anode, the hydrogen at the cathode. However, the action of the electric current alone at these electrodes, as powerful as it is, does not allow these elements to be completely released.

By providing magnesium alloy electrodes, the ammonia still present is precipitated into phosphate-ammonia-magnesium (MgNH ₄ P04), relatively insoluble under the pH conditions used, namely a pH above 8. The phosphate is present in slurry in organic and mineral form, both soluble in the presence of magnesium and ammonia.

In addition, in order to perfect the bactericidal action of the electric current, one or more compartments of the cell can be fitted with insoluble carbon or graphite electrodes or, more advantageously, titanium electrodes covered with a phosphate layer. mixed calcium and sodium obtained by soaking in a molten medium these said phosphates. The electrodes thus obtained have a high catalytic power and release nascent oxygen, very reactive at the anodic level. This oxygen makes it possible to release ions (CIO) ^" in the presence of chlorides present in great quantity in any type of slurry.

Although generally little used, an addition of organic, anionic or cationic type flocculant can be provided, in order to obtain an effective separation of the insolubilized compounds produced by the system. The electrical voltage applied is generally between 4V and 24V, depending on the system chosen, either in electrodes all connected to the current generator, or operating on the well-known world of bipolarity. In addition, a periodic reversal of the polarity can be used, this facilitating the detachment of the particles generally observed at the cathode level. The cell or the electrolysis tank 3 can also be fitted with ramps for injecting water at a pressure of 3 to 4 bars, which generally corresponds to the pressure of city water. Periodic flushing of the electrodes also allows for more efficient system performance.

The water / sludge mixture obtained is discharged sequentially and is stored in a tank 4 for subsequent filtration.

To further perfect the elimination of the ammonia residues still present at this stage of purification, an addition of lime is also provided in the tank 4; this, by effect of "stripping" completely eliminates any NH ₄ ⁺ ion which can still be found at this final stage of treatment. In other words, adding lime will increase the pH and thus release ammonia into the air, which goes from the liquid to the gaseous form. Slurries, thus treated, that is to say free of their ammonia have a double advantage:

1. They are rid of their foul odor, unpleasant especially in strong heat.

2. They have only a minimal fraction of nitrates, these essentially coming from a partial oxidation during the different stages of treatment of organic nitrogen.

Another advantage of the process described consists essentially in reducing the COD / BOD ₅ ratio so that it is between 3 and 5. Having therefore greatly reduced the COD value, in particular the so-called "hard" COD and having only very little reduction in BOD ₅ , the application of a biological purification system can now be considered. It is no longer necessary to operate the system in aerobic and anaerobic phase, only the first oxidation phase is used. The device according to the invention can also be mounted so as to be moved from site to site. It can be supplemented by one or more ancillary equipment when the rejection standards are very strict, namely more precisely, one or more activated carbon filters, mixed resins, ultra or nanofiltration or any other equivalent system tending to reduce the organic pollutants.

The solid parts coming from the mechanical separator 1 and from the tank 4 are mixed and treated in an appropriate device 6 and then arranged, for example, in the form of granules which can be spread on agricultural land.

Claims

REVEND1CATIONS

1. Slurry treatment device comprising an electrolytic system with series of electrodes, characterized in that at least a part of the electrodes is constituted by soluble electrodes made of magnesium alloy.

2. Device according to claim 1, in which the series of electrodes comprise two series of different compositions, a first series constituting the soluble electrodes of magnesium alloy and a second series of electrodes, in particular composed of iron.

3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which each of the series of electrodes is mounted between two partitions, the partitions being arranged to guide the slurry coming from one direction in the opposite direction.

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the electrodes are provided in a tank having a sloping bottom and the tank at a slurry inlet on the side of the top of the slope.

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the electrodes include insoluble carbon or graphite electrodes.

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the electrodes comprise insoluble titanium electrodes covered with a layer of mixed calcium and sodium phosphate.

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the electrodes are connected to an energy source having terminals, said energy source making it possible to periodically reverse the polarity of the terminals.

8. Slurry treatment method, in which the slurry is subjected to an electrolytic treatment with electrodes, characterized in that the slurry is applied in soluble electrodes of magnesium alloy.

9. Slurry treatment method according to claim 8, wherein, after the electrolytic treatment, lime is added to the slurry.