N. Sharma, C. Price, S. Nimbalkar
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
United States
Keywords: energy efficiency, energy capture, resource recovery, advanced data management, WRRFs, WWTPs
Summary:
In the US, 3% of total electricity is consumed by municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that remove contaminants from sewage before releasing it back into the water cycle. The removed organic matter and nutrients, however, have substantial embedded chemical energy that is not being recovered by current technology. The wastewater industry is becoming increasingly complex, driven by rising populations, stricter environmental regulations, and the need for operationally resilient forward-looking practices. There is a critical need for wastewater management to move beyond just water quality compliance and address energy and environmental challenges. Managing data collected throughout the plant is critical to address existing challenges and accommodate new changes. Smart strategies for WWTP operation through process optimization, process control, and digital twins can reduce plant energy consumption, generate electricity, and create new product streams like fertilizers. This talk is aimed at identifying the status of current smart manufacturing strategies for WWTPs, the primary issues and barriers for adoption, and future research and development opportunities. In addition, the study also attempts to quantify the overall energy and cost savings potential of the identified smart manufacturing opportunities. This will enable to establish return on investment for current typical (business-as-usual) vs advanced state-of-the-art methods.