Described are methods and devices for the treatment of fecal matter. A column reactor is used to smolder fecal matter to produce and a volatile components stream and smoldered media. The volatile components stream may be subject to catalysis to reduce the emission of noxious substances and/or generate heat energy. Also described is the use of a turntable for removing smoldered media from the column reactor.

A preparation method for a novel composite anode based on nitrogen-doped charcoal of sludge and porous volcanic, and a microbial fuel cell, relating to the technical field of resource utilization of new materials, new energy and wastewater. Active sludge is prepared into porous nitrogen-doped charcoal by using a nitrogen high-temperature pyrolysis baking method; and then, surface minerals are removed by using an acidification method to improve the electrical conductivity of the charcoal; finally, surface charcoal loading is performed by taking volcanic granules as a carrier to prepare and form nitrogen-doped charcoal granules on a volcanic surface. The novel granules have high porosity, high electrical conductivity and large specific surface area, and fully meet the performance requirement of the anode material of the microbial fuel cell. The anode of the novel nitrogen-doped porous charcoal can increase the loading capacity of electricity-producing bacteria and microorganisms of the anode of the microbial fuel cell, and improve the conversion rate of biomass energy in wastewater; by virtue of low-resistance characteristics, the electron transfer efficiency is also improved, and finally, the power of the microbial fuel cell is enhanced, so that both wastewater treatment and recycling and efficient biological power generation are achieved.

A hierarchical catalyst composition comprising a continuous or particulate macroporous scaffold in which is incorporated mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles, wherein an enzyme is embedded in mesopores of the mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles. Methods for synthesizing the hierarchical catalyst composition are also described. Also described are processes that use the recoverable hierarchical catalyst composition for depolymerizing lignin, remediation of water contaminated with aromatic substances, polymerizing monomers by a free-radical mechanism, epoxidation of alkenes, halogenation of phenols, inhibiting growth and function of microorganisms in a solution, and carbon dioxide conversion to methanol. Further described are methods for increasing the space time yield and/or total turnover number of a liquid-phase chemical reaction that includes magnetic particles to facilitate the chemical reaction, the method comprising subjecting the chemical reaction to a plurality of magnetic fields of selected magnetic strength, relative position in the chemical reaction, and relative motion.

A bio-derived polymer matrix composite originating from a single wastewater stream and a method for the production of such bio-derived polymer matrix composites from a single wastewater stream are herein disclosed. The process disclosed allows production of both the bio-derived polymer matrix and the additive, the main constituents of the composite, at the same time from a unique wastewater stream source. In a preferred embodiment, this invention is applied but not limited to the production of a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) composite from a single olive mill wastewater (OMW) stream. An application of such composites is represented by but not limited to the use as materials to make agricultural items.

Systems and methods associated with biomass decomposition are generally described. Certain embodiments are related to adjusting a flow rate of a fluid comprising oxygen into a reactor in which biomass is decomposed. The adjustment may be made, at least in part, based upon a measurement of a characteristic of the reactor and/or a characteristic of the biomass. Certain embodiments are related to cooling at least partially decomposed biomass. The biomass may be cooled by flowing a gas over an outlet conduit in which the biomass is cooled, and then directing the gas to a reactor after it has flowed over the outlet conduit. Certain embodiments are related to systems comprising a reactor and an outlet conduit configured such that greater than or equal to 75% of its axially projected cross-sectional area is occupied by a conveyor. Certain embodiments are related to systems comprising a reactor comprising an elongated compartment having a longitudinal axis arranged substantially vertically and an outlet conduit comprising a conveyor.

The present invention is related to an anaerobic photobioreactor and a method for active biomass cultivation, wastewater treatment, nutrients recovery, energy production and high-value products synthesis. Phototrophic bacteria are cultured in the anaerobic photobioreactor lighted with solar or artificial irradiation where certain light wavelengths are selectively discarded with a light selector installed on the top of the photobioreactor. In this light-based process wastewater treatment and resources recovery, like nutrients and high-value bioproducts (fertilizers, polymers and proteins) present in wastewater are performed simultaneously. Cultured biomass is treated by anaerobic digestion for biofuel production, including optative hydrolytic pre-treatment, and/or valuable bioproducts can be obtained in a downstream process.

Implementations of a non-polluting biomass processor, and manufactured processor components are disclosed which at least partly address the local technical problems of a municipality, business, and/or organization, to generate non-polluting emissions, while generating at least one, often two or more, product outputs from biomass feedstocks input into the biomass processor. Examples of the operations of the biomass processor and various combinations of its manufactured processor components are disclosed. The product outputs may include carbon char and/or activated carbon, both of which may be used to increase water retention in climates with hot, dry summers and/or used to remediate water pollution in water reservoirs.

A biosolids treatment system that treats human biosolids to produce thermal energy for self-consumption for the production of beneficial use products including low carbon ash, high carbon activated biochar, and Class A biosolids. The system includes a variable feed conveyor that conveys a biosolid feed into a dryer; a dryer that dries the biosolid feed to a predetermined moisture content to create one of a beneficial use products, where the predetermined moisture content is controlled by varying the speed of variable feed conveyors and a variable feed mixer; and a gasifier that converts the biosolid feed into two of the beneficial use products.

Methods are provided for treating intimately dispersed mixtures of water, bitumen, and fine clay particles, such as oil sands mature fine tailings (MFT). Select methods use dissolved silicate ions and a base (alkali), optionally in combination with a biopolymer, to flocculate a slurry. A mixing regime is disclosed involving the addition to MFT of silicate ions in solution and alkali, to initiate aggregation/destabilization of clay particles. Methods are exemplified that provide distinct sediment layers in conjunction with the release of residual bitumen (for example 40-50% of the initial bitumen content). In these exemplified embodiments, a densely packed bottom layer containing 75 wt. % solids showed high yield stress values (3.5-5.5 kPa) and entrapped little residual bitumen (0.2-0.3 wt. %). The methods accordingly segregate a material suitable for reclamation.

The present invention provides a microwave pyrolysis reactor (1) comprising an inner pipe element (2) and a housing (4), wherein the inner pipe element (2) is made of a microwave transparent material and comprises a first open end (5) and a second open end (6); the housing (4) comprises a first inner surface, enclosing an annular space (7,44) around the inner pipe element (2), a waste inlet (10), a solids outlet (11), a gas outlet (12), an inert gas inlet (45) and a port (13) for a microwave waveguide (14), the waste inlet and the solids outlet are in communication with the first open end and the second open end of the inner pipe element, respectively, and the port for a microwave waveguide is in communication with the annular space; and wherein the inner pipe element is arranged with the first open end at a higher vertical level than the second open end, such that a material entering the waste inlet during use is transported through the inner pipe element, from the first open end to the second open end, by gravity; and wherein the gas outlet (12) is arranged upstream the first open end of the inner pipe element and downstream the waste inlet of the housing, and the inert gas inlet (45) is arranged to provide an inert gas into the annular space (7,44) during use.