Small Scale Plant Testing

Aerobic Granular Sequencing Batch Reactors (GSBRs)

1. Can we devise a low-tech way to cycle through different phases: drain, feed, anaerobic phase, then aeration?

2. Can startup be shortened by smart inoculation?

3. Can GSBRs be used effectively to further treat wastewater after a UASB process.

4. Can the amount of biogas produced by an upstream UASB provide enough methane to power aeration pumps?

5. Can we devise aeration schemes that don’t require electricity? Or at least use a small amount (e.g that could be provided by a solar panel)

6. Can GSBRs be used to treat blackwater (high strength wastewater)?

Fall 2016

The AguaClara Small Scale Plant Testing team is planning to research how efficiently the newly built 1 liter per second plant performs. To do this, the team plans on running clay tests to see if the plant can clean water at varying high NTUs, from 5 to 500.