Student project: anaerobic digestion with phosphate recovery
Introduction:
Source separation of domestic wastewater into a dilute (Greywater) and a concentrated (Blackwater) stream enables more efficient wastewater treatment compared to the conventional approach and facilitates resource recovery (energy and nutrients).
In the office of Desah, 8 ultra-low flush vacuum toilets produce a very concentrated BW, further facilitating nutrient recovery. The produced BW is treated in a UASB reactor that futures treatment followed by nutrient recovery and pathogen removal.
Goal and activities:
The goal of this internship is to study and optimize the anaerobic digestion of concentrated BW at the office of Desah combined with phosphate and nutrient recovery.
The tasks will be:
- Daily operation and monitoring of a UASB reactor
- Physicochemical analysis of influent, effluent and sludge
- Calculation of energy and mass balance of the system
- Evaluating and optimizing the reactor’s performance
- Investigating the potential for nutrient recovery
The duration of the internship should be at least 3 months. We are looking for an enthusiastic candidate studying a BSc or MSc program in the field of environmental or chemical engineering, process technology or any other relevant field.
Desah will provide a monthly compensation of 250€ plus all actual travel costs will be covered.
Our profile:
DeSaH BV is located at Sneek, the Netherlands. We are a company that develops and implements innovative and sustainable technologies and concepts within the water chain. In our approach, we do not speak of wastewater treatment, but of Resource Management Systems (RMS) which we design and implement by utilizing sustainable and cost-effective innovations. Our main focus is in decentralized, source-separated sanitation.
If you are interested in the project or you have any questions, please contact Paraschos Chatzopoulos including a motivational letter and a CV.
