An innovative ultra-fine bubble engineered nozzle for sustainable cost-effective water aeration

Project Information

UFine

Grant agreement ID: 827561

DOI

10.3030/827561

Project closed

EC signature date 8 August 2018

Start date 1 September 2018

End date 31 December 2018

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

NANOGENTECH LTD
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - UFine (An innovative ultra-fine bubble engineered nozzle for sustainable cost-effective water aeration)

Reporting period: 2018-09-01 to 2018-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Nanogentech Ltd (Nanogentech) is a UK engineering Company, founded in 2016 in Nottingham, pioneering the development of ultra-fine bubble technology for water oxygenation and associated applications. Their UFine system, an innovative ultra-fine bubbles generator for water aeration, will revolutionize the dynamics in wastewater cleansing, enabling to achieve the highest efficiency and sustainability at the lowest energy cost. The team is now working towards the optimization of the system for energy-efficient and sustainable municipal wastewater treatment. The key objectives of the development are to optimize the ultra-fine bubble generator design; to set up an industrial assembly line; to validate the system at municipal wastewater treatment plants, and to obtain CE mark certification of the UFine system.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Throughout the duration of the project, Nanogentech defined the users’ requirements for design implementation, reviewed the product development plan, defined the scale-up activities, and scouted for municipal wastewater treatment operators to support in the validation stages. The market segments and opportunities have also been evaluated, defining the TAM and SAM. Nanogentech established a commercialisation strategy. The Phase 1 feasibility assessment showed that a development plan for the UFine system is technically and commercially viable, and that implementation of a commercialisation plan should be pursued. SME Instrument Phase 2 funding could provide the correct amount of funding and support to allow the stated activities to be implemented successfully.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Water aeration is the highest energy consumption part of the wastewater treatment process, accounting for approximately 55% of the overall wastewater treatment operating costs, 75% of the treatment plant energy (about 140 TWh), and emitting almost 100M tons of CO2. The EC are strongly promoting investment into new infrastructure to maximise energy efficiency and increase sustainability worldwide. To achieve these objectives, they are imposing enormous pressure on the wastewater industry to update their facilities and treatment processes. Strikingly, the EU member states have invested €25 billion annually so far to comply with the new regulations and directives for urban wastewater treatment. Nanogentech solution – UFine – will be the first water aeration system able to ensure the highest performance in wastewater treatment at the lowest energy demand. UFine will enable wastewater treatment plant operators to comply with the new directives by reducing energy costs and CO2 emissions, while ensuring a lower investment in infrastructure and a rapid payback time.

Pilot testing facility