As Kungsängens wastewater treatment plant is considering a move, it opens up a possibility to implement nitrogen recovery technologies that comply with current and future legislative requirements. Nitrogen recovery offers simultaneous treatment of wastewater and collection of concentrated ammonia products for fertiliser production. This can create a circular and sustainable solution by reduced energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen pollution. Despite the large amount of research that has been performed on this topic, practical use at wastewater treatment facilities in Sweden are still scarce. The aim of the degree project was to identify nitrogen recovery technologies and investigate their potential impact at a new Kungsängens wastewater treatment plant. A literature review provided different nitrogen technologies and concept scoring was used to rank and score them. Gas permeable membrane and ammonia stripping ranked the highest and both have the potential to be implemented at Kungsängens current or possible new site. Simulations were used to identify the change in energy consumption and change in effluent water quality related to the implementation of a nitrogen recovery technology. Calculations were performed to reach thequantities of nitrogen that could be recovered, and it was found that the nitrogen recovery potential was 0,2343 ton/d using gas permeable membrane, and 0,2750 ton/d using ammonia stripping. By replacing artificial fertilisers with recovered nitrogen, 7,95 kWh/kg N could be saved using gas permeable membrane and 2,76 kWh/kg N could be saved using ammonia stripping. The degree project also provides insight into European and Swedish lawconformity and predictability. Finally, a discussion of environmental impacts, potential for nitrogen recovery, nitrogen policies, and energy savings was conducted. It was concluded that nitrogen recovery can create benefits due to avoided nitrous oxide emissions, avoided production of precipitation chemicals and decreased energy consumption for aeration. Compared to artificial fertiliser produced using the Haber-Bosch method, it was determined that a significant reduction of carbon dioxide emissions could be reached.

[ES] El aumento de la población y el uso incontrolado de recursos y materias primas a escala global ha provocado una pérdida de la calidad ambiental y ha puesto de manifiesto la necesidad de un cambio de la mentalidad de la sociedad. Este cambio ha de articularse a partir de una normativa centrada en los conceptos de sostenibilidad y economía circular y a través del desarrollo e implantación de tecnologías más eficaces y respetuosas con el medio ambiente. El campo de las aguas residuales es uno de los que presenta una mayor capacidad de desarrollo en términos de economía circular y sostenibilidad. Las aguas residuales actúan como sumideros de diferentes recursos como son la energía o los nutrientes como el nitrógeno y el fósforo. En la actualidad, el nitrógeno es eliminado del agua residual mediante tratamientos biológicos como la nitrificación-desnitrificación que, además de impedir la recuperación de este recurso, tienen un consumo energético elevado. Además, la producción industrial del nitrógeno amoniacal se centra en el proceso Haber-Bosch, el cual es también electro-intensivo. Por todo ello, la necesidad de recuperar el nitrógeno presente en el agua residual ha ido tomando fuerza en los últimos años. Los contactores de membrana de fibra hueca son considerados como una de las tecnologías más prometedoras para la recuperación de nitrógeno. Estas membranas se caracterizan por su hidrofobicidad, lo que permite únicamente el paso de sustancias gaseosas de una corriente a otra. Esta tecnología consiste en poner en contacto una disolución rica en nitrógeno amoniacal a un pH elevado y una disolución ácida. El pH elevado hace que el amonio presente se encuentre en forma de amoniaco gas el cual es capaz de atravesar la membrana siendo capturado en la corriente ácida, normalmente de ácido sulfúrico, dando lugar a una disolución de sulfato de amonio. Esta tecnología destaca por, ser selectiva para el nitrógeno amoniacal, su bajo consumo energético y sus bajas necesidades de espacio para su implementación. En este trabajo se realiza un estudio sobre la aplicación de los contactores de membrana de fibra hueca para la recuperación de nitrógeno en el campo de las aguas residuales, centrándose en los siguientes puntos: - Evaluación del efecto de los principales parámetros operacionales sobre el rendimiento y la velocidad del proceso. Los parámetros en cuestión son el pH, el caudal y la temperatura de la corriente alimento, la superficie de membrana disponible y las características de las corrientes ácida y de alimentación. - Desarrollo de un modelo matemático capaz de representar el proceso de recuperación, así como la evolución del pH durante el mismo. - Estudio económico y ambiental de la implantación de esta tecnología a escala industrial en una depuradora. - Desarrollo de un sistema de control para su operación en continuo. / [CAT] L'augment de la població i l'ús incontrolat de recursos i matèries primeres a escala global ha provocat la pèrdua de qualitat ambiental i ha posat de manifest la necessitat d'un canvi de mentalitat de la societat. Aquest canvi ha d'articular-se d'acord amb una normativa centrada en els conceptes de sostenibilitat i economia circular i mitjançant el desenvolupament i implantació de tecnologies més eficients i respectuoses amb el medi ambient. El camp de les aigües residual és un dels que presenta major capacitat de desenvolupament en termes d'economia circular i sostenibilitat. Les aigües residuals actuen com a embornals de diferents recursos els quals arriben a les estacions depuradores com són l'energia o els nutrients com el nitrogen i el fòsfor. Actualment, el nitrogen és eliminat de l'aigua residual mitjançant tractaments biològics com la nitrificació-desnitrificació, que a més d'impedir la recuperació d'aquest recurs, té un consum energètic elevat. A més, la producció industrial del nitrogen amoniacal es basa en el procés de Haber-Bosch que és també electro-intensiu. Els comptadors de membrana de fibra buida son considerats com una de les tecnologies més prometedores per a la recuperació de nitrogen. Aquestes membranes es caracteritzen per la seua hidrofobicitat, la qual cosa permet únicament el pas de substàncies gasoses d'un corrent a altra. Aquesta tecnologia consisteix a posar en contacte una dissolució rica en nitrogen amoniacal a un pH elevat i una dissolució àcida. El pH elevat fa que l'amoni present es trobi en forma d'amoníac gas que és capaç d'entravessar la membrana sent capturat en el corrent àcida, normalment d'àcid sulfúric, i donant lloc a una dissolució de sulfat d'amoni. Aquesta tecnologia destaca per, ser selectiva per al nitrogen amoniacal, baix consum energètic i poques necessitats d'espai per a la seua implementació. En aquest treball es realitza un estudi sobre l'aplicació dels comptadors de membrana de fibra buida per a la recuperació de nitrogen en el camp de les aigües residuals, basant-se en els següents punts: - S'ha avaluat l'efecte dels principals paràmetres operacionals sobre el rendiment i la velocitat del procés. Aquests paràmetres són el pH, el cabal i la temperatura del corrent d'alimentació, la superfície de la membrana disponible i les característiques dels corrents àcides i d'alimentació. - S'ha desenvolupat un model matemàtic per tal de representar el procés de recuperació així com l'evolució del pH. - S'ha realitzat un estudi econòmic i ambiental de la implantació d'aquesta tecnologia a escala industrial en una depuradora - S'ha desenvolupat un sistema de control per a l'operació en continu. / [EN] Population growth and the global uncontrolled used of resources have reduced environmetal quality and highlighted the need for a change in society's mentality. This change should be carried out by new regulations based on the circular economy and sustainability and through the development and implementation of more efficcient evironmentally-friendly technologies. Wastewater treatment appears as one of the most promising industrial fields in terms of circular economy and sustainability. Wastewater acts as a sink of energy and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous, which end up in wastwater treatment plants. Nitrogen is currently removed by the aerobic biological process called nitrification-denitrification. This process avoids the possibility of recovering nitrogen and requires a high energy consumption. Futhermore, ammonia is produced by the Haber-Bosch process, which also requires a lot of energy, thus increasing the need for nitrogen recovery from wastewater. The hollow fibre membrane contactor has appeared as a promising technology for nitrogen recovery. This hydrophobic membrane favours the passage of free ammonia gas from one side to the other without passing liquids. This technology puts a nitrogen-rich solution high pH stream in contact with an acid solution. The high pH makes ammonia appear as free ammonia gas, which is able to pass through the membrane. This free ammmonia is captured by an acid solution, usually sulphuric acid, producing an ammonia sulphate solution. The main advantages of this tecnology are its low energy consumption, small space requirements and the fact that it is selective to ammonia. This thesis describes an overall study of the potential of hollow fibre membrane contactor for nitrogen recovery from wastewater, for which the following aspects of the tecnlogy have been analyzed: - Operational parameters such as pH, feed Flow rate, temperature, membrane surface and the characteristics of the feed and acid stream. - A mathematical model able to represent pH and nitrogen evolution during the recovery process was developed. - An economical and environmental analysis focused on the implantation of this technology in a wastewater treatment plant. - A control system for optimizing continuous operations. / Noriega Hevia, G. (2021). Recuperación de nitrógeno mediante contactores de membrana: aplicación, modelación y control [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/178972

A better way to improve understanding and quantification of nitrous oxide (N₂O) emitted from intensive maize cropping systems is to develop an advanced emissions measurement method This study developed an open path (OP) method to measure N₂O emissions from four adjacent maize plots managed by tillage practices of no-till (NT) and chisel plow (ChP), and different nitrogen (N) treatments from 2014 to 2016. Anhydrous ammonia (220 kg NH₃-N ha^-1) was applied in once or equally split (full vs. split rate) and applied in different timing (Fall vs. Spring). The spring N application occurred either before planting (pre-plant) or in season (side-dress). Emissions measurements were conducted by using the OP method (the scanning OP Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (OP-FTIR) + the gas point-sampling system + a backward Lagrangian stochastic (bLS) dispersion model) and static closed chamber methods. The performance and feasibility of the OP measurements were assessed by a sensitivity analysis, starting with errors associated with the OP-FTIR for calculating N₂O concentrations, and then errors associated with the bLS model for estimating N₂O emissions. The quantification of N₂O concentrations using the OP-FTIR spectrum was influenced by ambient humidity, temperature, and the path length between a spectrometer and a retro-reflector. The optimal quantitative method mitigated these ambient interference effects on N₂O quantification. The averaged bias of the calculated N₂O concentrations from the spectra acquired from wide ranges of humidity (0.5 – 2.0 % water vapor content), temperature (10 – 35 °C), and path length (100 – 135 meters) was 1.4 %. The precision of the OP-FTIR N₂O concentrations was 5.4 part per billion(3σ) in a stationary flow condition for a 30-minute averaging period. The emissions measurement from multiple sources showed that the field of interest was likely interfered by adjacent fields. Fields with low emission rates were more sensitive to the adjacent fields with high emissions, resulting in substantial biases and uncertainties. The minimum detection limit of the N₂O emission rates was 1.2 µg m^-2 s^-1 (MDL; 3σ). The OP measurements showed that the NT practice potentially reduced N₂O emission compared with ChP. Under the long-term NT treatments, the split-N rate application (110 kg NH₃-N ha^-1 in the fall and spring) resulted in lower N₂O emissions than the full application (220 kg NH₃-N ha^-1 in the fall). The management of NT coupled with split-N rate application minimized N₂O emissions among treatments in this study, resulting in N₂O-N losses of 3.8, 13.2, and 6.6 N kg ha^-1 over 9-, 35-, and 20-days after the spring NH₃ application in 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively. The spring pre-plant N application in 2015 also resulted in higher N₂O emissions than the spring side-dress application in 2016, and the increased N₂O-N loss was corresponding to lower N recovery efficiency in 2015 measurements. A comparison of chamber and OP measurements showed that soil N₂O emissions were likely underestimated by 10x without considering the wind-induced effect on gas transport at the ground-atmospheric interface. This study showed that the OP method provides a great opportunity to study agricultural N₂O emissions as well as management optimization for the sustainability of the agroecosystems.