Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header

Research and development of a high performance, broadband generic wastewater seperation technology (MEST)

Objective

Scientific objectives and approach:

The project starts with the basic idea of separating wastewater streams pressure-less into a fluid and a residue component using a Nickel screen with a specific orifice structure as a filter. The fluid to be processed is transported by means of a jackscrew rotating through this filter. The idea is completely new. First laboratory testing show that the idea is valid, particle sizes down to 50 µm can be separated continuously out of a wastewater stream without using external pressure. By changing the characteristics of the screen itself, without changing the machine set up, a highly flexible separation instrument can be composed suited for a variety of applications. The understanding of filter screen characteristics and separation physics therefore is of utmost importance to meet desired market requirements. Physical and chemical research is carried out concentrating on the filter screen material. Material research is carried out to deal with the variety of process conditions: chemical resistance research (indicators: pH, temperature, fluid composition) as function of material composition with Nickel as main carrier. Physical research is done to understand mechanical behaviour of the screen material.
Process settings will be studied for the electroforming processes to compose filter configurations in order to guide the contact angle of the filter orifices and the contacting fluid, temperature effects on passing the filter will be studied, retention will be studied on extreme changing conditions. Parallel to this route a first prototype will be developed having the flexibility of fast turn over of filter screen material. The kinetics of input flows for a variety of product definitions will be studied, the same for the output side, transport phenomena while separating will be calculated and studied, strength analysis of the total system will be carried out. This parallel route is carried out while the heart of the system is researched onto a higher level. Risk is downscaled by starting research and development for the agriculture market; later more severe requirements will be faced going into R&D for the other markets.
At the end of the project duration a semi-tech scale production of new filter screens is planned in order to support full evaluation by end-users on realistic level.

Problems to be solved:

Most current processes for the separation of solid parts out of wastewater streams are outdated and don't meet the fast changing requirements in agriculture, fisheries and food-industries. Marginal improve-ments are of course still possible but in general they have reached their limits with respect to performance, reliability, process bandwidth, design flexibility and economics.
The need for re-use of process water is emerging. New economical viable, local, high performance separation technologies will overcome current limitations. Main objective is to research and develop a system that will fulfill latest requirements to start with agriculture followed by fishery and food markets. With the separation technology high environmental, logistic and labour costs are avoided. New end products are generated implemented into applications as compost ingredients, purified starch used in packaging and recycling paper. The expulsion of Nitrogen from processed dung onto arable lands can be dosed, environmental pollution from dung transportation will descend, capacity of production processes will incline significantly while water consumption will decline.

Expected Impacts:

Assessment of the project results will be judged on the following milestones:
Bandwidth of separation process, Development of new screens, Lab system evaluation and
System evaluation proto-type.
Expected results are a highly flexible prototype system meeting the waste recycling requirements in the 3 target markets and a successful screen research ending up in a semi-tech scale production ability.
One year after project execution the technology is developed into a commercial available system. Market launch in first instance in the Netherlands and Belgium, later followed by Germany.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

A. SMITS CONSTRUCTIES B.V.
EU contribution
No data
Address
Peelstraat 5a
5446 NA Wanroy
Netherlands

See on map

Total cost
No data

Participants (3)