Novel Membrane-Based Processes for Nutrients, Energy and Water Recovery from Source Separated Human Urine

Volpin, Federico

Novel Membrane-Based Processes for Nutrients, Energy and Water Recovery from Source Separated Human Urine

Volpin, Federico

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Publication Type:: Thesis
Issue Date:: 2020

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Volpin, Federico
dc.date.accessioned	2023-02-01T03:42:55Z
dc.date.available	2023-02-01T03:42:55Z
dc.date.issued	2020
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/165769
dc.description	University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.description.abstract	Worldwide, the combined effect of urban intensification and ageing infrastructure is seriously challenging all utility providers. Wastewater treatment infrastructures are no different. The integration of novel decentralised solutions with the current centralised status quo is becoming an essential measure across the whole utility board, from energy production and storage to potable water harvesting, treatment, and supply and even to waste treatment. Decentralising the treatment of our wastes is especially of interest as it has the potential of transforming the water sector into a net producer of energy, water, and raw materials. Urine source-separation is especially attractive due to urine low volume, high nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations (80% of N and 50% of P inputs into sewers), and the relative ease of collection and storage. As such, it has the potential of being a suitable raw material from the production of fertiliser, energy, and water. While conventional technologies often struggle in dealing with urine alkalinity, high total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration (i.e. 3 to 5 g.L⁻¹) and high salinity (i.e. 1 to 4%), the strong chemical resistance, small footprint, tuneable selectivity and versatility in the operation of membrane processes makes them suitable for extracting value from human urine. As such, this Thesis looked at novel stand-alone and membrane-based hybrid processes for the extraction of nutrients, energy, and clean water from source-separated human urine. The Thesis begins by studying the use of moderate flux-opposing hydraulic pressure in forward osmosis (FO) and optimal membrane morphology in membrane distillation (MD), to minimise the leakage of nitrogen to the distilled water produced by the hybrid FO-MD process. Experimental results with both fresh and hydrolysed urine found that this novel approach can decurtate the nitrogen flux in FO by up to 33%. Combining flux-opposing hydraulic pressure with optimum urine pH and draw solution (DS) salt concentration achieved FO water fluxes as high as 28 L.m⁻².h⁻¹ while bringing the nitrogen leakage to a minimum of 1.4 g.L⁻¹ (Starting from an initial nitrogen concentration of 6.4 g/L). Overall, this Thesis investigated the proof-of-concept of utilising multiple emerging technologies for the treatment of human urine. It was identified that, while processes like FO and RED so far seems to have a limited effectiveness in treating human urine, the combination of MBR with MD has showed to be a promising candidate in producing a fertiliser that is suitable for use in hydroponic cultivation.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.format	Thesis (PhD)
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US.UTF-8
dc.relation	https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/165769/2/02whole.pdf
dc.rights	au.edu.uts.lib/ppc
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	The author owns the copyright in this thesis including all reproduction and reuse rights for the work. The work may not be altered without the permission of the copyright owner. Attribution is essential when quoting or paraphrasing from this thesis.
dc.rights	© 2020 Federico Volpin
dc.rights	au.edu.uts.lib/ppc
dc.title	Novel Membrane-Based Processes for Nutrients, Energy and Water Recovery from Source Separated Human Urine	en_US.UTF-8
dc.type	Thesis
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*

Abstract:

Worldwide, the combined effect of urban intensification and ageing infrastructure is seriously challenging all utility providers. Wastewater treatment infrastructures are no different. The integration of novel decentralised solutions with the current centralised status quo is becoming an essential measure across the whole utility board, from energy production and storage to potable water harvesting, treatment, and supply and even to waste treatment. Decentralising the treatment of our wastes is especially of interest as it has the potential of transforming the water sector into a net producer of energy, water, and raw materials. Urine source-separation is especially attractive due to urine low volume, high nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations (80% of N and 50% of P inputs into sewers), and the relative ease of collection and storage. As such, it has the potential of being a suitable raw material from the production of fertiliser, energy, and water. While conventional technologies often struggle in dealing with urine alkalinity, high total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration (i.e. 3 to 5 g.L⁻¹) and high salinity (i.e. 1 to 4%), the strong chemical resistance, small footprint, tuneable selectivity and versatility in the operation of membrane processes makes them suitable for extracting value from human urine. As such, this Thesis looked at novel stand-alone and membrane-based hybrid processes for the extraction of nutrients, energy, and clean water from source-separated human urine. The Thesis begins by studying the use of moderate flux-opposing hydraulic pressure in forward osmosis (FO) and optimal membrane morphology in membrane distillation (MD), to minimise the leakage of nitrogen to the distilled water produced by the hybrid FO-MD process. Experimental results with both fresh and hydrolysed urine found that this novel approach can decurtate the nitrogen flux in FO by up to 33%. Combining flux-opposing hydraulic pressure with optimum urine pH and draw solution (DS) salt concentration achieved FO water fluxes as high as 28 L.m⁻².h⁻¹ while bringing the nitrogen leakage to a minimum of 1.4 g.L⁻¹ (Starting from an initial nitrogen concentration of 6.4 g/L). Overall, this Thesis investigated the proof-of-concept of utilising multiple emerging technologies for the treatment of human urine. It was identified that, while processes like FO and RED so far seems to have a limited effectiveness in treating human urine, the combination of MBR with MD has showed to be a promising candidate in producing a fertiliser that is suitable for use in hydroponic cultivation.

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