New System combines on site power disinfection

Published on July 19, 2012 07:25 by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Technology

A treatment system that generates power from biogas and uses exhaust heat from turbines to disinfect wastewater is currently conducting a pilot test at a Southern California treatment plant, demonstrating it's ability to process 500,000 gpd and potential to scale to treat 10-20 mgd.

The treatment system was developed by the Pasteurization Technology Group, a California-based company.

PTG's patented technology can use digester gas as fuel to drive a turbine that generates renewable electricity. The hot exhaust air from the turbine is then passed through a series of heat exchangers that increase the temperature of the incoming wastewater to a level that disinfects the wastewater stream, about 180 degrees.

The hot water is recycled back through the heat exchangers to pre-heat the incoming wastewater. That recovers the heat energy and cools the disinfected water to a level safe for discharge. The system is said to be over 90% efficient in capturing the heat energy.

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