JP2010119963A - Waste water treatment apparatus for space station and method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waste water treatment apparatus for a space station and a method therefor, in each of which the water to be treated can be treated by a simple constitution in the space station. <P>SOLUTION: The waste water treatment apparatus 10A for the space station is provided with: a biodegradation unit 12 for subjecting the water 11, which is to be treated and is the waste water generated in the space station or the water discharged from the human body, to biodegradation using activated sludge; a membrane separation unit 14 for separating a solid 14a from pretreated water 13 pretreated in the biodegradation unit 12 by using a membrane; a produced water production unit 18 for distilling or freezing the separated water 16, which is obtained when the solid 14a is separated, to obtain produced water 17; and an oxygen supply unit 19 for supplying oxygen when the water to be treated is subjected to the biodegradation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wastewater treatment apparatus and method for a space station used for wastewater treatment technology (urine treatment, domestic wastewater treatment) to be mounted on a space station or a future moon / Mars mission.

  It has been proposed to recycle discharged effluent or urine discharged from workers in the space station or future Moon and Mars missions, one of which is the water film distillation method.

  Since there is an impurity in the discharged water, it is necessary to adsorb and remove the impurity contained in the distilled water after membrane distillation with the membrane distillation apparatus.

  For this reason, it has been proposed to adsorb impurities by activated carbon as a pretreatment, but there is a problem that ammonia discharged from the human body cannot be adsorbed and removed by the activated carbon.

Since the wastewater treatment method using membrane distillation involves evaporation, pure treated water can be obtained, and thus it is possible to use reclaimed water in a wide range of applications.
On the other hand, in the membrane distillation method, fouling of the membrane surface with organic substances and entrainment of low boiling point components in the treated water may occur, so that component adjustment on the treated water side may be required.
This time, the urine discharged from workers working at the space station, etc. contains organic substances such as proteins and ammonia produced by the decomposition of urea. Deteriorating factor.

  Therefore, as measures for removing deterioration factors, a removal (pretreatment) method by adsorption of activated carbon such as organic substances, a removal (post treatment) method of ammonia in the treated water by ion exchange resin or activated carbon adsorption, and the like have been proposed.

Here, FIG. 4 shows an example in which an adsorption method is employed as a post-treatment of membrane distillation.
As shown in FIG. 4, the conventional waste water purification apparatus includes a pervaporation apparatus 2 that distills the water to be treated supplied by a liquid feeding pipe 54, two impurity adsorption apparatuses 3 and 3, and each impurity adsorption apparatus. 3 and 3 are provided. As the permeable membrane 201 in the pervaporation apparatus 2, a permeable membrane made of a dense membrane having a cation group is used (see Patent Document 1). Reference numeral 202 denotes a transmission side (secondary side), and 203 denotes a supply side (primary side).

The impurity adsorbing device 3 is an adsorbent such as an inorganic porous particle, and examples of the inorganic porous particle include activated carbon, silica gel, activated alumina, vermiculite, charcoal, and zeolite. In the continuous water purification apparatus 1 of the illustrated example, two impurity adsorption devices 3 and 3 are provided, and are regenerated alternately by switching the direction control valve 61 interposed in the air supply pipe 53.
Each of the impurity adsorption devices 3 is provided with a regeneration device. This regenerating apparatus is provided with a heating means 4 and a depressurizing means (for example, a vacuum pump or the like, not shown), and regenerates by heating the adsorbent in a depressurized state. The decompression condition is a pressure of 10 Pa or less, and the heating condition is 100 to 200 ° C. In the continuous water purification apparatus 1 of the illustrated example, the decompression means constituting the regenerator is provided on the downstream side.

JP 2006-095526 A

  However, even if inorganic porous particles (activated carbon, etc.) used as the impurity adsorbing device 3 are repeatedly regenerated, the adsorbent must be replaced by breakthrough at the end, and the object to be treated containing a high concentration removal target In the case of water, there is a problem that the breakthrough speed is increased, and as a result, the frequency of replacement of the adsorbent is increased.

  In space, crew work time is limited, and equipment maintenance time is required to be minimal. Increasing the frequency of adsorbent replacement is fatal for space equipment, Less maintenance equipment is required.

  Furthermore, the adsorbent exchanged by breakthrough is returned to the ground, and there is a problem that the exchange cost and labor are required.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a wastewater treatment apparatus and method for a space station that can treat water to be treated with a simple configuration in the space station.

  The first invention of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a biodegradation treatment apparatus for treating treated water such as waste water or human body discharged water used in a space station by biodegradation of activated sludge, and the solid For a space station, comprising: a production water production apparatus that obtains production water by distilling or freezing separated water from which substances are separated; and an oxygen supply apparatus that supplies oxygen during the biodegradation treatment. It is in the wastewater treatment equipment.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wastewater treatment apparatus for a space station, characterized in that in the first aspect, the apparatus comprises a membrane separation device for membrane-separating solids from pretreated water pretreated by the biodegradation treatment device. It is in.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wastewater treatment apparatus for a space station according to the first aspect, wherein the biodegradation treatment apparatus is a membrane separation activated sludge apparatus (MBR).

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wastewater treatment apparatus for a space station, characterized in that, in any one of the first to third aspects, oxygen is further supplied from an oxygen concentrator to the oxygen supply unit.

  A fifth invention is the wastewater treatment apparatus for a space station according to any one of the first to fourth inventions, wherein the production water production apparatus is a membrane distillation apparatus or a freeze concentration apparatus.

  A sixth invention includes a biodegradation treatment step for removing organic substances in the water to be treated and oxidizing ammonia, and a membrane separation step for membrane separation of solids from pretreated water pretreated in the biodegradation treatment step, And a production water production step of distilling or freezing the separated water separated from the solid in the membrane separation step.

  A seventh invention is the waste water treatment method for a space station according to the sixth invention, wherein the production water production step is a membrane distillation step or a freeze concentration step.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the biodegradation processing apparatus by biodegradation of activated sludge can achieve simultaneously decomposition | disassembly of organic substance and oxidation of ammonia, and can eliminate the deterioration factor in a membrane distillation apparatus.
Since the performance of the biodegradation process is maintained by self-growth, replacement work such as an adsorbent is unnecessary, and the increased solid matter (microorganisms) is removed by the membrane separation process as necessary. The amount of microorganisms in the system can also be maintained within a certain range.

  This makes it possible to reuse the water that is indispensable for the maintenance of human life, and enables long-term stay in space.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. In addition, constituent elements in the following embodiments include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

A wastewater treatment apparatus for a space station according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wastewater treatment apparatus for a space station according to a first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, a wastewater treatment apparatus 10A for a space station according to the present embodiment is a biodegradation that treats water 11 to be treated such as wastewater used in the space station or the like or human body drainage water by biodegradation of activated sludge. Distilling or freezing the treatment device 12, the membrane separation device 14 for separating the solid matter 14a from the pretreated water 13 pretreated by the biodegradation treatment device 12, and the separated water 16 separating the solid matter 14a A production water production device 18 for obtaining the production water 17 and an oxygen supply device 19 for supplying oxygen at the time of biodegradation treatment are provided.

In the present embodiment, examples of the production water production apparatus 18 for obtaining the production water 17 include a membrane distillation apparatus and a freeze concentration apparatus.
Here, the membrane distillation apparatus uses a hydrophobic porous membrane that allows vapor to pass but not liquid to flow high-temperature separation water 16 and cooling water on both sides of the membrane, and water vapor passes through the membrane from the high-temperature separation water 16. In this case, the product water 17 is obtained by moving to the cooling water side.
The freeze concentration apparatus is an apparatus for obtaining the production water 17 by freezing the separation water 16 and separating the generated ice and the solution.

  In the present embodiment, a biodegradation treatment device 12 that performs treatment by biodegradation of activated sludge is disposed as a pretreatment device of the production water production device 18, and the removal of organic substances in the treated water 11 and the oxidation of ammonia are simultaneously performed. For example, impurities that deteriorate the performance of, for example, a membrane distillation apparatus or a freeze concentration apparatus are removed.

Here, the biodegradation treatment apparatus 12 includes microbial colonies called activated sludge containing organic substances contained in urine, bacteria having a function of oxidizing ammonia, fungi (yeast, mold), and protozoa. It is a waste.
Further, in order to maintain the activated sludge in the biodegradation processing apparatus, it may be supported on a solid substance (for example, ceramic, glass, sand, plastic, etc.) called an adhesion carrier and filled therewith.

  In the pretreated water 13 from the biodegradation treatment apparatus 12, when the microorganisms are not supported by the carrier, since the microorganisms (solid) are contained, a membrane separation device 14 is provided. After the removal, the separated water 16 is supplied to the production water production apparatus 18 to produce the production water 17.

  Further, the solid matter 14 a such as particles separated by the membrane separation device 14 and the solid matter 18 a such as a precipitated component that has exceeded solubility due to concentration in the production water production unit 18 are subjected to a dehydration process in the dehydration device 21. It is recovered and disposed as a solid 22. The dehydrated water is returned to the upstream side of the biodegradation treatment device 12 as return water 23 and is treated again with the water to be treated 11.

  Here, the membrane separation device 14 may be any device that separates the solid matter 14a from the pretreated water 13 pretreated by the biodegradation treatment device 12. For example, an MF membrane (microfiltration membrane) Or a UF membrane (ultrafiltration membrane) may be used.

In addition, in order to maintain the activated sludge in the treatment tank in the biodegradation treatment apparatus 12, it is particularly preferable to use solid MBR or a MBR (Membrane Bio Reactor) to maintain the activated sludge in the treatment tank. preferable.
This membrane separation activated sludge apparatus (MBR) is a process that combines activated sludge method and membrane separation method, and usually a microfiltration membrane (MF membrane) or ultrafiltration membrane (UF membrane) is used as the separation membrane, Sludge outflow can be prevented by the solid-liquid separation action of this membrane, and the biological concentration of the bioreactor can be increased. As a result, the apparatus can be miniaturized and the amount of surplus sludge produced is small.
Therefore, when MBR is used, the loss of solid logistics is prevented, so the membrane separation device 14 may be omitted also in this embodiment.

  The biodegradation processing apparatus 12 is required to supply a predetermined amount of oxygen, and the oxygen is supplied from the space station cabin through an oxygen supply apparatus 19 arranged in parallel with the biodegradation processing apparatus 12. Like to do.

  Here, the oxygen supply device 19 may be any device as long as it separates oxygen from the air in the cabin. For example, an oxygenator can be exemplified.

Furthermore, in order to increase the efficiency of oxygen supply, the air in the cabin can be concentrated by an oxygen concentrator 25 (PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption), oxygen-enriched membrane, etc.) and further supplied.
Here, the oxygen concentrator 25 takes in the air 24 in the cabin, concentrates oxygen (O ₂ ), and separates nitrogen (N ₂ ).
In this case, for example, the gas supply amount in the oxygenator is reduced, and the oxygenator can be made compact.
Carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) is discharged from the oxygenator of the oxygen supply device 19.

Wastewater, urine and the like generated in the space station using such a wastewater treatment apparatus for the space station are processed by the following steps.
(Process 1)
First, a biodegradation process in which the biodegradation apparatus 12 removes organic substances in the water to be treated 11 and oxidizes ammonia.
(Process 2)
A membrane separation step of membrane-separating solids from the pretreated water 13 pretreated in the biodegradation treatment step.
(Process 3)
A production water production process for producing the production water 17 by membrane distillation or freeze concentration of the separated water 16 from which the solid matter 14a has been separated in the membrane separation process.

Thus, the biodegradation treatment step by biodegradation in step 1 can simultaneously achieve the decomposition of the organic matter and the oxidation of ammonia, and can eliminate the deterioration factors in the membrane distillation apparatus and the freeze concentration apparatus.
Since the performance of the biodegradation process is maintained by self-growth, replacement work such as an adsorbent is unnecessary, and the increased solid matter (microorganisms) is removed by the membrane separation process of process 2 as necessary. Therefore, the amount of microorganisms in the system can also be maintained within a certain range.
Thereby, the production water 17 indispensable for human life maintenance can be manufactured by the production water manufacturing process in the process 3, and the long-term stay of the human in space can be enabled.
Therefore, the life support apparatus of the space station provided with the wastewater treatment apparatus for the space station of the present embodiment can continuously produce high quality product water over a long period of time.

A wastewater treatment apparatus for a space station according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a wastewater treatment apparatus for a space station according to the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, the wastewater treatment apparatus 10B for the space station according to the present embodiment includes an oxygen supply device 19 for supplying oxygen into the treated water 11 such as wastewater used in the space station or the like or human body drainage water. Production to obtain product water 17 by distilling or freezing biodegradation treatment device (MBR) 12 for treating the treated water supplied with oxygen by biodegradation of activated sludge and pretreated water 13 treated with activated sludge A water production device 18.

In this embodiment, an oxygen supply device 19 such as an artificial lung is provided in series to supply oxygen directly into the water to be treated 11.
In addition, since the biodegradation treatment apparatus 12 employs a method of immobilizing microorganisms with an adherent carrier or a membrane separation activated sludge method (MBR), it is possible to eliminate the contamination of microorganisms into the water to be treated as in Example 1. This eliminates the need to install a membrane separator.

  Further, as in the wastewater treatment apparatus 10C for the space station shown in FIG. 3, a part of the pretreated water 13 after the treatment of the biodegradation treatment apparatus 12 is returned to the upstream of the biodegradation treatment apparatus 12 and circulated. Further, it is possible to treat even water containing a high concentration object (organic matter, ammonia). The ratio of the circulating liquid is determined by the initial concentrations of organic matter and ammonia.

  According to the present embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, a membrane separation device provided downstream of the biodegradation processing device 12 is not necessary, and the entire system can be simplified (compact).

  As described above, according to the wastewater treatment technology for a space station according to the present invention, harmful substances and urine can be pretreated with a simple configuration, and the deterioration factor in the membrane distillation apparatus and the freeze concentration apparatus can be removed. It is suitable for use in life support equipment for space stations.

1 is a schematic diagram of a wastewater treatment apparatus for a space station according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is the schematic of the waste water treatment equipment for space stations concerning Example 2. FIG. It is the schematic of the other waste water treatment equipment for the space station which concerns on Example 2. FIG. It is the schematic of the conventional waste water purification apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

10A, 10B, 10C Space station wastewater treatment equipment 11 Water to be treated 12 Biodegradation treatment equipment 13 Pretreatment water 14a Solid matter 14 Membrane separation device 16 Separation water 17 Production water 18 Production water production equipment 18a Solid matter 19 Oxygen supply equipment 21 Dehydrator 22 Solid matter 23 Return water 24 Air 25 Oxygen concentrator

Claims (7)

A biodegradation treatment apparatus that treats treated water such as waste water or human body effluent used in a space station by biodegradation of activated sludge;
A production water production apparatus for obtaining product water by distilling or freezing the separated water from which the solids have been separated;
A wastewater treatment apparatus for a space station, comprising: an oxygen supply device that supplies oxygen during biodegradation treatment. In claim 1,
A wastewater treatment device for a space station, comprising a membrane separation device for membrane separation of solid matter from pretreated water pretreated by the biodegradation treatment device. In claim 1,
A wastewater treatment apparatus for a space station, wherein the biodegradation treatment apparatus is a membrane separation activated sludge apparatus. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 3,
A wastewater treatment apparatus for a space station, wherein oxygen is further supplied from an oxygen concentrator to an oxygen supply apparatus. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 4,
The waste water treatment apparatus for a space station, wherein the production water production apparatus is a membrane distillation apparatus or a freeze concentration apparatus. A biodegradation process that removes organic matter in the water to be treated and oxidizes ammonia;
A membrane separation step of membrane-separating solids from the pretreated water pretreated in the biodegradation treatment step;
A wastewater treatment method for a space station, comprising a production water production step of distilling or freezing the separated water obtained by separating the solids in the membrane separation step. In claim 6,
The waste water treatment method for a space station, wherein the production water production process is a membrane distillation process or a freeze concentration process.

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