ENERGY PRODUCTION FROM

WASTEWATER

Barış ÇALLI
Marmara University, Environmental Engineering Department
Goztepe, Istanbul, TURKEY
http://enve.eng.marmara.edu.tr
Wastewater

o Water carried wastes from residences, institutions,

commercial and industrial establishments.
o When it is allowed to go septic, the decomposition of the
organic matter it contains will lead to nuisance conditions
including the production of malodorous gasses.
o Wastewater also contains nutrients, which can stimulate
the growth of aquatic plants.
o May also contain toxic compounds or compounds that
potentially may be mutagenic or carcinogenic.

MetCalf and Eddy, 2003

Components of domestic wastewater

o Human waste (faeces, tissue paper, urine, etc.)

o Washing water (personal, clothes, floors, etc.)
o Rainfall collected on roofs, yards, etc. Sewage
o Ground water infiltrated into sewage pipes
o General urban rainfall run-off from roads, etc.
o Industrial cooling waters
o Agricultural run-off
o (Pre)treated industrial wastewater
Composition of sewage
o Water ( > 99.5%)
o Non pathogenic bacteria (>105 / ml)
o Pathogens (bacteria, viruses, protozoa, parasitic worms)
o Organic particles (faeces, hair, food, paper fibres, humus, etc.)
o Soluble organic material (fruit sugars, soluble proteins, drugs, etc.)
o Inorganic particles (sand, grit, metal particles, ceramics, etc)
o Soluble inorganic material (ammonia, sulfides, thiosulfates, etc.)
o Macro solids (sanitary towels, nappies/diapers, etc.)
o Gases (hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, methane)
o Emulsions (oils in emulsion, paints, adhesives, etc.)
o Toxins (pesticides, herbicides, cyanide, etc )
Composition of sewage

SEWAGE

ORGANIC INORGANIC
(70%) (30%)

Proteins Carbohydrate Fats Grit Salts Metals

(65%) (25%) (10%)
 Characteristics of sewage
 Usually measured by BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) or COD (Chemical
Organic matter Oxygen Demand) and represents all organic compounds.
 Typical BOD level is 250 mg/l.

 Includes inert material such as sand and organic solids.

Suspended solids
 Typical level is 250 mg/l.

Nitrogen  Present as ammonia or urea and measured as TKN and NH4-N.

compounds  Typical TKN is up to 60 mg/l.

Phosphorus  Present in fecal matters and in detergents.

compounds  Typical Total phopshorus is 10-15 mg/l.

 Measured by presence of E.coli (a type of bacteria found in intestines).

Microorganisms
 Typical E.Coli number is 107/100 ml

Heavy metals  Present as Hg, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cr, Ag in trace amounts

Specific pollutants  Compounds like LAS detergents, surfactants and phenols

 Conventional WwTP - energy balance
Imported electricity
+3.2 MJ/kgCOD Heat Loss
-5.5 MJ
SCREENS GRIT PRIMARY AERATION FINAL
REMOVAL SEDIMENTATION Blower TANK CLARIFIER

8.7 MJ

Sewage Discharge
Primary
sludge -1.1 MJ
+12.5 MJ/kgCOD Sludge recycling
3.8 MJ
Grit WAS
2.1 MJ CHP unit
SLUDGE Biogas Electricity
THICKENER
3.4 MJ 1.4 MJ

5.9 MJ Energy loss

-0.5 MJ

Digester
ANAEROBIC
heating Excess heat
DIGESTER 1.2 MJ 0.3 MJ

Digested
sludge
-2.5 MJ
1 MJ = 0.278 kWh
Energy consumption in WwTPs

Aeration, pumping and anaerobic sludge digestion operations are typically

the largest energy users.

WEF 2009, Energy Conservation in Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities. Water Environment
Federation Manual of Practice No 32
 Aerobic vs. anaerobic treatment

CODeff
CODeff
Heat
Oxidation Heat
CO2 Oxidation
50% CH4
H2O
Energy

Organic Organic 90%

CO2
matter

Energy
matter
+ O2
50%
Cell synthesis Excess
sludge 10% Excess
sludge
Cell synthesis

Aerobic treatment Anaerobic treatment

Energy usage for different aerobic treatment
processes

Logan B., 2009 (Clarke Laureate Lecture)

Aerobic vs. anaerobic treatment

Aerobic Treatment Anerobic Treatment

Effluent quality GOOD POST TREATMENT

Start-up SHORT LONG

Process control EASY MORE STRINGENT

Sludge production HIGH (~5x) LOW (<1x)

NO HEATING HEATING (-)

Energy balance
AERATION (-) BIOGAS (+)

Nutrient removal APPLICABLE IMPRACTICAL

RESTRICTED BY
Organic Loading VERY HIGH
TRANSFER OF O2
Anaerobic treatment

LIMITATIONS
o Moderate BOD removal (80-90%)

o Necessity for nutrient (N and P) removal

o Slow start-up (up to 2-3 months)

o Stringent process control (pH, temp., alkalinity, ORP, etc.)

o Heating requirement (30-35 °C)

o Low efficiency in conversion of biogas to electricity (35-40%)

Anaerobic treatment

OPPORTUNITIES
o Separate collection of black and grey water To increase
organic
o Incorporation of ground-up kitchen wastes in sewage load

o Use of membrane bioreactor processes

o Operation at lower temperatures (20-25 °C)

o Progresses in biogas purification/upgrading

o Use of innovative bioelectrochemical systems (BESs)

Seperate collection and use of kitchen
disposer

KITCHEN BATHROOM LAUNDRY WC

Kitchen
disposer

Greywater

Blackwater+
Ground-up kitchen waste
Waste streams suitable for AD

o Organic fraction of municipal solid waste

o Sewage sludge
o Animal manure
o Fruit and vegetable processing waste
o Slaughterhouse and poultry wastes
o Yard waste and grass/grass silage
o Algae biomass
o Waste paper
o Industrial wastewaters (beverage, brewery, winery, dairy,
petrochemical, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, textile, etc.)
Converting complex organics in wastewater
to useful energy outputs

Rittmann B. 2008 Biotechol Bioeng.100(2) 203-12

Bio-electrochemical Systems (BESs)

Microbial fuel cell (MFC)

http://mfc-muri.usc.edu/images/public_images/how/how_MFC_animation.gif
Microbial fuel cell (MFC)

Outlet Reference
Electrode
(Ag/AgCl)

Cathode Anode
Reference chamber chamber
Electrode 230 230
(Ag/AgCl) mL mL Inlet

Magnetic
Stirrer

Proton Exchange Membrane

MEBiG, Marmara University, Environmental Biotechnology Group

http://mebig.marmara.edu.tr
Electron transfer to anode
Mediator Driven Transfer

Substrate CO2 + H2O

Direct Transfer

Substrate CO2 + H2O

e-
Substrate CO2 + H2O
e- e-
Bacteria
Medox
Bacteria Medred
e-
e-
Bacteria
Bacteria e- Medox
e- e- Medred

e- e- e-
ANODE

Cell-membrane-bound Electrically conductive Microbial

cytochromes pili (nanowires) mediators
(Geobacter) (Shewanella) (e- shuttles)
MFC electrode reactions
Redox Couple Eo (mV) vs. SHE
CO2/glucose -430
H+/H2 -410
CO2/acetate -280 Eanode
So/H2S -280
CO2/CH4 -240
SO42-/H2S -220 ∆G = 847.6 kJ/mol
Fe(CN)63-/Fe(CN)64- +360
V = 1.10 V
NO3-/NO2- +430
MnO2 (s)/Mn2+ +600
NO3-/N2 +740
Fe3+/Fe2+ +770
O2/H2O +820 Ecathode

[CH3COO-]=[HCO3-]=10 mM, pH 7, 298.15 oK, pO2 = 0.2 bar

Theoretical maximum voltage
Redox potential
vs SHE (V)
-0.5
-0.4
Anode: Acetate/CO2 (-0.28 V)
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0.0
0.1 Theoretical
0.2 maximum
0.3
VMFC
0.4
(1.09 V)
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9 Cathode: O2/H2O (0.82 V)
1.0
Energy losses in MFCs
Redox potential
vs SHE (V)
-0.5
-0.4
Anode: Acetate/CO2 (-0.28 V)
-0.3
-0.2 Consumed by
anodophilic
-0.1
bacteria
0.0 VMFC
0.1 (0.5-0.6 V)
0.2
0.3
0.4
Energy loss
0.5
as a result of
0.6
internal
0.7 losses
0.8
0.9 Cathode: O2/H2O (0.82 V)
1.0
 Energy losses in MFCs
Ohmic losses
Activation losses
Bacterial metabolic losses
Concentration losses

Rabaey K, Verstraete W (2005) Trends in Biotechnology 23:291-98

Limitations of MFC technology

• Low Coulombic efficiency and power density

• High internal resistance (losses)
• Limited electrochemical COD removal
• Need for easily biodegradable organic substrate
• High maintenance and material (membrane, anode &
cathode electrodes, catalyst) costs
• Upscaling problems
Estimated capital costs of MFCs

Rozendal RA. et al., 2008 Trends in Biotechol. 26(8) 450-59

Comparison of estimated capital costs and
product revenues

AD, anaerobic digestion; AS, activated sludge; MEC, microbial electrolysis cell;
MFC, microbial fuel cell

Rozendal RA. et al., 2008 Trends in Biotechol. 26(8) 450-59

ENERGY PRODUCTION FROM
WASTEWATER

Barış ÇALLI
Marmara University, Environmental Engineering Department
Goztepe, Istanbul, TURKEY
http://enve.eng.marmara.edu.tr