WERF Awards Contract for Energy Production, Recovery Research

The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) recently awarded Brown and Caldwell a contract to perform research that addresses energy production and recovery associated with all aspects of the wastewater conveyance and treatment, the disposition of residuals or reuse of water. This research is a part of WERF’s Energy Production and Efficiency Challenge aimed at capturing the latent energy embedded in wastewater by advancing the production of energy.

The Brown and Caldwell research team will conduct a lab-scale evaluation of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket technology for low-energy mainline domestic wastewater treatment in cold temperatures. The team will also develop an anaerobic digester diagnostic method using acoustic Doppler technology. Better digester mixing characterization from new diagnostic techniques can lead to improved development and application of mixer technologies and enhance biogas production or decrease volume requirements for anaerobic digestion. Any of these outcomes can lower costs and increase adoption of anaerobic digesters at facilities without anaerobic digesters.

Source: Water Environment Research Foundation