NOVEL WASTEWATER AERATION TECHNOLOGY

This project has developed and tested energy-efficient aeration equipment for wastewater treatment and oxidation methods for drinking water and wastewater purification. Its aeration equipment can operate using renewable solar and wind energy. Its technology utilises new methods based on hydrodynamic supercavitation to efficiently mix gas (air containing oxygen) and liquid (treated wastewater)，whcih is versatile and can be adapted to meet the aeration needs of almost any type of WWTP.

Market background

Every day, 2 million tons of sewage and industrial and agricultural waste are discharged into the world’s water. These pollutants come from urbanization, industrialization, unsustainable food production practices, and poor water and wastewater management strategies. Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) are one of the most expensive public industries due to exceptionally high energy consumption. Take United States for example, publicly owned wastewater treatment systems in the USA use 75 billion kilowatt hours of energy annually, which is enough electricity to power 6.75 million homes.

Project Introduction

Current aeration technologies are fine bubble diffusers (50% of the market) and surface aerators of different type. FBD aeration performance deteriorates due to fast aging, especially in hot climate and hard water, and requires periodic operation interruptions for maintenance. Additional indirect cost due to bio-reactor emptying and following long period of operation recovery (up to 3 months) – depends on operation redundancy of the Plant, fines payable, etc. Besides, FBD aeration use large volumes of air, that causes odors, fumes and dangerous aerosols.

This project’s novel aeration due to its modularity can be rapidly deployed in operational WWTP with no Plant operation interruption. At newly designed WWTPs , this Aeration does not affect any requirements for infrastructure: no added concretes, nor compressors buildings or piping, etc. And this Aeration is applicable to any type and size of wastewater bio-treatment facilities, and is especially advantageous vs “conventional aeration” at shallow aeration basins. 

Core Advantages

And its technology also has following advantages:

• Does not require air blowers, air distribution piping, nor air diffusers;

• Reduces energy consumption for wastewater treatment in municipal, industrial and private systems – by 60% - 80%.

• Reduces aeration cost by 60%-80%.

• Reduces gases emissions from WWTP by 30%-60%.

• Lowers environmental impacts – low Greenhouse Gasses, aerosols and odors polluted from the facility;

Business Models

• Turn-key purchase at substantially lower price than a Diffused Aeration

• Savings Share between the Purchaser and ACT for 10-15 years, while ACT funds the System installation.

Market Size

Global Water Intelligence: the aeration equipment market in 2016 at $13B.

Frost & Sullivan: the global waste water aeration systems market earned revenues of $4.88 billion in 2011 and it is expected to touch $8.39 billion in 2020.

Helmut Kaiser, March 2013: Aeration and aeration systems in waste water treatment is a market with over 5 bn Euro worldwide by 2012.

Project Need

Strategic Partnership, and/or Funding for pilot full-scale installations at a number of WWTPs in Israel.