RU2753349C1 - Biofilter for purification of water bodies with electronic unit - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: biotechnology.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to biotechnology and environmental protection in the field of control and purification of water bodies from contaminants. The biofilter for purification of water bodies is comprised of phytounits, microbial fuel elements and an electronic unit, placed in a single body. Each of the phytounits consists of plants embedded in highly porous filler with immobilised bacteria. The highly porous filler acts as an artificial environment. Each unit of microbial fuel elements is made in form of a container. An anode is located at the bottom of the container, then a sludge layer and a cathode. The anode, the sludge layer and the cathode are electrically connected in parallel with the electronic unit, wherein the sludge layer is at least 3 cm. The electronic unit consists of a power harvester and a digital analytical unit connected thereto. The power harvester includes a supercapacitor, a DC-DC converter, a comparator, and a power supply driver. The DC-DC converter, the comparator, and the power supply driver are connected in parallel with the supercapacitor and interconnected electrically in series. The digital analytical unit is comprised of a microcontroller for controlling the operation of the electronic unit of the biofilter, a sensor, a transmitter, and an antenna, electrically interconnected.

EFFECT: invention ensures a technical result consisting in the expanded operational capabilities and increased versatility of the biofilter.

1 cl, 4 dwg

Description

The invention relates to biotechnology and environmental protection in the field of control and cleaning of water bodies (municipal, natural and industrial) from pollutants.

Bioplato is an artificially created treatment system, similar to bioponds, which are built according to the optimal factors of the treatment process. For wastewater treatment, higher plants, algae and microorganisms are used here, which carry out the process of filtration, sedimentation, absorption and adsorption.

https://www.promstok.com/articles/ochistnye-sooruzheniya/bioplato_dlya_ochistki_stochnykh_vod/.

Soluble organic matter is removed during the absorption, adsorption and activity of microorganisms that develop on the surface of the plant root organs and bioplato loading. With full observance of the technological parameters in the bioplato, complete mineralization of almost all organic pollutants can occur.

As for nitrogen, part of it is removed by absorption by aquatic plants, as a nutrient necessary for them, and as a result of the mineralization of nitrogen-containing compounds by denitrifying and nitrifying microorganisms. Compared to other biological treatment technologies, bioplato most effectively removes nitrogen from wastewater.

Known bioplato for wastewater treatment, containing a flowing reservoir equipped with aeration and recirculation systems, a biological filter of hydroponic type floating on the surface of the reservoir (patent 2562143RF, IPC C02F 3/32 (2006.01), C02F 3/08 (2006.01), C02F 11/02 (2006.01).). The filter includes an artificial plantation of higher aquatic plants placed on a support structure. The support structure consists of positively buoyant blocks connected to each other. The blocks contain hinged modules, the outer and inner frames of the modules are made of tubular and plate elements. The supporting elements are connected to the frameworks of the modules and interact with the root system of plants and their stems. The modules are equipped with side hinge elements and an axial hinge element. The blocks of the support structure are spaced apart from each other and are rigidly connected to each other by ties in the form of pipe rods. Each block consists of three or more parallel rows of modules. The carrying capacity of one module is at least 25-30 kg, the supporting elements for plants in the module are made in the form of flexible hexagonal lattices. The blocks of the support structure, located at the beginning and end of the reservoir, are equipped with anchors to fix them on the surface of the reservoir.

The disadvantages of this bioplato are its limited use, due to the predominantly rectangular shape of the reservoir, in addition, it is necessary to provide aeration and recirculation, which is energy-consuming and laborious.

Known adjustable floating island containing one or more layers of non-woven mesh material and optional floating nodules (patent US 09). The mesh material is optionally coated with a spray elastomer or inoculi20090139927, IPC C02F 3/32 (2006.01) A01G 57/00 (2006.01): В29С 57/00 (2006.01), publ. 06/04/2020 are fed with nutrients or microorganisms. An island may include a floating rearing medium, floats, floating blocks, collecting seed blanket, dipping element, capillary tubes, absorbers and / or flotation devices. A broader embodiment consists of a nonwoven mesh material, floating nodules, additional floating knots, step cushions, and additional load distribution elements. The buoyancy of the island can be controlled by rigid frames of horizontal elements, vertical elements that can be moved vertically within the island, and / or a frame of prefabricated flotation tubes and cross members.

The disadvantage of this bioplato is the impossibility of monitoring, and as a consequence, the lack of control over the influence of this bioplato on the environment, both positive and negative.

The closest prototype analogue is a combined ecological device containing a combined ecological floating layer and a microbial fuel cell (patent 102531181 CN, IPC C02F 3/32 (2006.01); Н01M 8/16 (2006.01); https://patentscope.wipo.int /search/ru/detail.jsf?docId=CN85170367&_cid=P12-K7LTK8-09286-1). The combined ecological floating layer contains a block of surface aquatic plants, a middle block of aquatic animals, and a lower block of artificial environment from top to bottom. The aquatic plant block consists of aquatic economic plants and a conductive material for the attachment of aquatic plants; the aquatic animal unit is used to breed predatory aquatic molluscs. In the artificial environment block, the artificial environment with activated carbon nanoparticles is enriched with a large number of microbes, forming a highly efficient biomembrane purification zone. A combined ecological floating bed device for lake water purification is characterized in that a conductive material is removed from the device through a conductive wire, forming an air cathode electrode from a microbial fuel cell. A combined ecological floating bed device for using a microbial fuel cell to purify lake water can significantly improve water quality. The disadvantage of this device is its functional limitation, due to the lack of the ability to observe the physicochemical characteristics of water, which are essential for the reservoir.

The technical result of the proposed device is to expand the functionality, while increasing its versatility.

To achieve the technical result, a bioplato for the purification of reservoirs is proposed, including phytoblocks, microbial fuel cells and an electronic unit, made in a single housing. Each of the phytoblocks consists of plants embedded in a highly porous filler with immobilized bacteria. Blocks of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are made in the form of a container, at the bottom of which there is an anode, then a layer of sludge and a cathode, while MFCs are electrically connected in parallel with an electronic unit consisting of an energy harvester and a digital-analytical unit connected to it. The energy harvester includes a supercapacitor, DC-DC converter, comparator, power driver. DC-DC converter, comparator, power supply driver are connected in parallel with the supercapacitor. The digital-analytical unit contains a microcontroller that performs the work of controlling the electronic bioplato unit, a sensor, a transmitter, an antenna, electrically connected to each other.

Common features are a floating layer containing a block of surface aquatic plants, an artificial environment, and a microbial fuel cell. But the artificial environment in the claimed bioplato does not provide for the presence of nanoparticles and top-down arrangement. The microbial fuel cell is made of a conductive material in which aquatic plants are fixed and a conductive wire is removed from it, forming an air cathode electrode from the microbial fuel cell.

Features:

- plants buried in a highly porous filler with immobilized bacteria;

- microbial fuel cells are made in the form of a container, at the bottom of which there is an anode, then a sludge layer and a cathode;

- the presence of an electronic unit.

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a bioplato assembly; in fig. 2. - block diagram of the electronic unit, on which solid lines with arrows indicate the connections between the units and show the direction of action between them; in fig. 3 - diagram of nitrogen (N) concentration in water, I - presence of nitrogen at the beginning of the experiment, II - presence of nitrogen in water after 5 days; in fig. 4. - the dynamics of temperature fluctuations, remotely transmitted by the electronic bioplato unit every 30 minutes, while the temperature readings are indicated vertically in C °, and horizontally the serial number of the measurement.

Bioplato consists of three functional blocks: phytoblocks 1, microbial fuel cells 2, electronic unit 3, made in a single housing 4.

Each of the phytoblocks 1 consists of plants 5, buried in a highly porous filler 6, with immobilized bacteria. Plants 5 perform the work of assimilating nitrates and other nitrogen compounds dissolved in water. For bioplato plants 5 are selected from those naturally growing in the area where the bioplato is established, or those capable of growing in the local conditions. Expanded clay was taken as a highly porous filler 6, which is the place of immobilization of nitrifying bacteria. Bacteria-nitrifiers are immobilized on a highly porous filler 6 before installing the bioplato into the reservoir.

Blocks of microbial fuel cells (MFC) 2 are made in the form of a container, at the bottom of which there is an anode 7, a layer of sludge 8, a cathode 9. The thickness of the sludge 8 must be at least 3 cm. Anode 7 is located at the base of the container MFC 2. the role of the reservoir of natural aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms. The aerobic bacteria that are in the sludge 8 consume oxygen and create anoxic conditions favorable for anaerobic electrogenic microorganisms. Cathode 9 is located above silt 8. In MFC 2, the energy of chemical bonds of organic substances is converted into electrical energy with the help of microorganisms. Anodophilic electrogenic bacteria located on the anode 7 assimilate the organic substances contained in the water, the decomposition of which releases protons and electrons.

It was experimentally revealed that when the sludge thickness is less than 3 cm, favorable anaerobic conditions are not formed in MFC 2.

Electronic unit 3 includes energy harvester 11 and digital-analytical unit 12. Energy harvester 11 consists of DC-DC converter 13, supercapacitor 14, comparator 15, power driver 16. All units 13, 15, 16 of harvester 11 are electrically connected in parallel with supercapacitor 14. The digital-analytical unit 12 contains a microcontroller 17, which performs work to control the electronic unit 3 bioplato, a sensor 18, a transmitter 19, an antenna 20, electrically connected to each other.

Bioplato works as follows

Microbial fuel cells 2 are connected to a DC-DC converter 13 to supply them with electric current. DC-DC converter 13 performs the work of converting the low voltage received from the MFC 2 into a high one to provide power to the electronic unit 3. Energy accumulation from the MFC 2 occurs in the supercapacitor 14, which supplies power to the electronic unit 3 at the time of its active operation. When providing the necessary energy reserve in the supercapacitor 14, the logical state of the comparator 15 is switched, which monitors the voltage value on the plates of the supercapacitor 14. After reaching a certain voltage, the comparator 15 sends a pulse signal to the power driver 16. The power driver 16 functionally acts as a switch with a timer (in the figures not shown). The time for opening the power driver 16 is limited by the operation of the timer included in the driver 16. When the power driver 16 is opened, the digital-analytical unit 12 is powered. At the same time, the microcontroller 17, the sensor 18, the transmitter 19 are supplied with power. The microcontroller 17 receives data from the sensor 18. After receiving the signal from the sensor 18, the microcontroller 17 transmits the temperature data to the transmitter 19. The transmitter 19 receives the data, modulates the signal, and sends a radio signal through the antenna 20. In accordance with the software of the digital-analytical unit 12, it is possible to install a light sensor, temperature sensors, pollution, turbidity and salinity of water.

After installing the bioplateau in the reservoir, the phytoblock 1 is filled with water. Nitrogen compounds (ammonium and nitrites) enter phytoblock 1 together with water from the reservoir. Nitrifying bacteria, in the course of bacterial metabolism, convert toxic nitrogen compounds (ammonium and nitrites) into safer nitrates. Plants 5 of phytoblock 1 assimilate nitrates formed during the nitrification reaction, the concentration of organic substances decreases due to the operation of MFC 2, and the generated electrical energy ensures the operation of the sensor 18, thereby allowing monitoring of the reservoir.

An example of a specific implementation

A suspension of bacteria was prepared from a biological product for aquariums, namely, "TetraSafeStart". In the composition of this drug, the manufacturer claims bacteria of the Nitrosomonas and Nitrospira groups. In this suspension was placed a highly porous filler 6, which was taken as expanded clay, for 12 hours to immobilize bacteria-nitrifiers. As plants 5, we used a hydrophytic plant of the genus Urut (Myriophyllum), buried in expanded clay 6, with immobilized bacteria. Four microbial fuel cells 2 were placed in the bioplato body 4. In the harvester 11, a supercapacitor 14, with a capacity of 4 F. B. Transmitter 19 was chosen as an NS-12 module with a transmission power of up to 0.1 W and a radio signal transmission range of up to 1 kilometer. A DS18B20 temperature sensor was used as sensor 18.

In order to create a model pollution with nitrogen compounds, ammonium sulfate was added to the water at a concentration of 26 mg / l (10 MPC), which corresponded to 20.2 mg / l (N).

After placing the bioplato into the reservoir and the penetration of water with reduced nitrogen compounds dissolved in it, nitrification of nitrogen compounds by nitrifying bacteria immobilized on expanded clay begins. In addition, water seeps into the microbial fuel cell 2, which leads to moistening of silt 8. In microbial In the fuel cell 2, electrons move from the bacterial cells to the anode 7. The anode 7 acquires a negative charge. At the same time, the difference in the redox potential leads to the diffusion of protons through the layer of sludge 8 from electrogenic bacteria to the cathode 9, where the air oxygen is combined with protons and electrons that have passed through the DC-DC converter 13 of the harvester 11 to the cathode 9. Confirmation of the nitrification process is an increase in the amount of nitrates in water due to the assimilation of ammonium by bacteria - nitrifiers located on expanded clay 6 in phytoblock 1. The total nitrogen content decreased. This is due to the fact that the nitrates formed by the nitrifying bacteria were assimilated by the plants 5. After 5 days, the nitrogen concentration dropped to 12 mg / l (Fig. 3). Each microbial fuel cell 2 generated voltage up to 700 mV and current up to 0.5 mA. DC-DC converter 13 converted the low voltage received from the MFC 2 into a high voltage, which leads to the charging of the supercapacitor 14. After charging the supercapacitor 14 to a voltage of 3.08 V, the comparator 15 formed a control pulse fed to the power driver 16. In this case, the stored energy in supercapacitor 14 was equal to 18.97 Joules. The power driver 16, turned on the power of the microcontroller 17, the temperature sensor 18, the transmitter 19. The power supply time was determined by the internal timer of the power driver 16, set for 2 seconds. After power is supplied to the microcontroller 17, the signals received from the temperature sensor 18 are processed according to the software and sent to the transmitter 19, which modulates the signal and transmits it through the antenna 20. By the time the radio signal transmission ends, the timer of the power driver 16 is triggered, which leads to closing it and stopping the power supply of the digital-analytical unit 12. As a result, the power supply of the microcontroller 17, the temperature sensor 18 and the transmitter 19 was turned off. 3.0 V, and the stored energy became equal to 18 Joules. The operation of microbial-fuel cells 2 continued, leading to repeated charging of the supercapacitor 14. At intervals from 20 to 1000 seconds, the voltage across the supercapacitor reached 3.08 V. a new achievement of 3.08 V at the supercapacitor 14. The temperature measurement graph using the electronic unit 3 bioplato is shown in FIG. 4. The graph of the measurement of illumination using the electronic unit 3 bioplato is shown in FIG. 4.

From the analysis of graph 3, we can talk about the purification of water in the reservoir from nitrogen compounds by 40.6% in 5 days, which indicates the effective work of the bioplato. In addition, the presence of an electronic unit allows you to monitor the environmental indicators of the reservoir. The proposed bioplato design allows bioplato placement both in flowing water bodies and in reservoirs with stagnant water.

Based on the foregoing, it can be concluded that the technical result has been achieved due to the essential features of the proposed new bioplato design.

Claims (1)

Bioplato for the purification of reservoirs, containing buried plants, a microbial fuel cell, an artificial environment, characterized in that it contains phytoblocks, microbial fuel cells and an electronic unit located in a single housing, while each of the phytoblocks consists of plants buried in a highly porous filler with immobilized bacteria, which is taken as an artificial environment, and each block of microbial fuel cells is made in the form of a container at the bottom of which an anode is located, then a layer of sludge and a cathode, electrically connected in parallel with the electronic unit, and the layer of sludge is at least 3 cm, the electronic unit consists of an energy harvester and a digital analytical unit connected to it, while the energy harvester includes an ionist bioplato unit, sensor, transmitter, antenna, electrically connected to each other.

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