Systems and methods for reducing ammonia emissions from and for recovering the ammonia liquid effluents
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
InventorsMatias B. Vanotti, Ariel A. Szogi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for passive capture of ammonia in an ammonia-containing liquid effluent. The invention allows for the passage of ammonia through microporous hydrophobic gas-permeable membranes and its capture in a circulated stripping solution with concomitant production of a concentrated non-volatile ammonium salt.
Claims25
A system for reducing ammonia concentration in liquid effluents consisting essentially of at least one gas permeable membrane assembly allowing for the diffusion of ammonia gas from said liquid effluent into said membrane assembly, a reservoir containing a stripping solution, and a delivery system for (i) delivering the stripping solution from the reservoir to said membrane assembly to chemically change the ammonia gas to ammonia salts and for (ii) carrying the salts to a second reservoir or to said reservoir containing said stripping solution;
- said delivery system comprising a pump having an intake end and a discharge end, and at least two hollow tubes, a first tube having one end attached to the discharge end of the pump and a second end attached to a first side of a gas permeable membrane assembly;
- and a second tube having a first end attached to a second side of said gas permeable membrane and a second end disposed above or in said reservoir for discharging ammonium salts to said reservoir.
A method for producing ammonium salt from an ammonia-containing liquid effluent consisting essentially of:
- capturing ammonia from a liquid effluent containing ammonia within the confines of a gas-permeable membrane assembly, contacting said ammonia with a stripping solution to produce ammonium salts, and transporting the salts to a reservoir for collection.
A system for recovering phosphorus from solid or municipal wastes consisting essentially of:
- (a) a phosphorus extraction tank containing solid animal or municipal wastes, and
- (b) a phosphorus removal tank in fluid communication with said phosphorus extraction tank wherein said phosphorus removal tank further comprises a membrane manifold system for diffusion of ammonia gas in fluid communication with a liquid effluent from said phosphorus extraction tank, a stripping solution to chemically change the ammonia gas to ammonia salts wherein said stripping solution is in fluid communication with said manifold system, a pump in fluid communication with said stripping solution and said membrane manifold system, and a pH measurement and alkali control dispenser in fluid communication with said liquid effluent in said phosphorus removal tank.
A system for treating liquid effluent consisting essentially of:
- (a) an effluent stream in fluid communication with a homogenization tank, a solid separation unit and a phosphorus and ammonia separation tank,
- (b) a homogenization tank in fluid communication with said effluent stream and said solid separation tank,
- (c) a solid separation unit in fluid communication with said homogenization tank and said phosphorus and ammonia removal tank,
- (d) a membrane manifold system for diffusion of ammonia gas in fluid communication with a liquid effluent from said solid separation unit, a stripping solution tank in fluid communication with said membrane manifold system, a stripping solution to chemically change the ammonia gas to ammonia salts contained in said stripping solution tank, wherein said stripping solution is in fluid communication with said membrane manifold system, and a pH measurement and alkali distribution control dispenser in fluid communication with said liquid effluent in said removal tank.
A system for treating liquid effluent consisting essentially of:
- (a) an effluent stream in fluid communication with a homongenization tank, a solid separation unit and a phosphorus separation tank, and
- (b) a homogenization unit in fluid communication with said effluent stream and said solid separation unit wherein said homogenization unit includes a membrane manifold system for diffusion of ammonia gas in fluid communication with a liquid effluent from said solid separation unit, a stripping solution tank in fluid communication with said membrane manifold system, a stripping solution to chemically change the ammonia gas to ammonia salts contained in said stripping solution tank wherein said stripping solution is in fluid communication with said membrane manifold system, a pump in fluid communication with said stripping solution and said membrane manifold system, and a pH measurement and alkali addition control dispenser in fluid communication with said liquid effluent in said removal tank,
- (c) a solid separation unit in fluid communication with said homogenization tank and said phosphorus removal tank;
- and
- (d) a phosphorus separation unit in fluid communication with said solid separation unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.