Design and development of High Voltage Hybrid Reactor for Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Project Title

Design and development of High Voltage Hybrid Reactor for Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Project Area of Specialization Electrical/Electronic EngineeringProject Summary

Water is an essential element for continuity of life on planet earth. Clean water is compulsory for drinking, household usage, agriculture and to maintains a balanced life in every region. Industrial revolution kick started by the west form 1760 and reached at a peak plateau in 1820s’ and subsequently in China in late 1950s. The industrialization results in the growth in every field of life inter alia some disadvantages. These include water contamination, air pollution, global warming, degradation of ecological systems, and greenhouse gas emissions. Due to this doomsday clock have been set to three minutes to midnight. Water, the most essential element after the air has been polluted in many regions of the world. In Pakistan, drinking water of many cities have been polluted and some of them have been identified with carcinogenic elements. We inherited fresh and clean water from our ancestors and if we continue business as usual, we shall give a polluted environment and contaminated waters to our future generation.

Globally two-thirds of the population do not have access to clean drinking water. The facts alarmed after we look into the necessity for clean and safe water. Clean water is inaccessible for 2 billion individuals worldwide. Anthropogenic activities cause waterborne diseases that lead towards 80% of all diseases and are responsible for 33% of deaths. In Pakistan more than 30% disease are water born resulting augmentation in death rate by 40%.  Due to water contamination all living organisms in danger and some of them are facing extension threat. Contaminated water consists of suspended and dissolved particles, pathogens, and hard metals. Industrial wastewater treatment has become necessity due to their harmful effects to the aquafers and land.

This final year project aims to design, develop and implement Industrial waste water treatment system using High voltage crona discharge. Existing water treatment methods are unable to remove toxic impurities pathogens, heavy metals and carcinogenic elements from industrial waste water. University of Gujrat is located in rich industrial triangle of Gujrat, Gujranwala and Silakot where there are hundreds of industries discharging their waste water in local drains like Pulkho, Aik, Daik which are submerged in river Chanab at Head Khanki, Wazirabad. Many of the districts next like Jhangg, Sargodha, Chinot are using Chanab water for cultivation and drinking at large.

This work intends to design a High Voltage Marx generator that can produce 190-220KV in safe operating system. This high voltage subsequently produces DC pulsating crona discharge in a acrylic material water chamber. . This process employs natural oxidizers like hydrogen peroxide and ozone, UV radiations hence changing heavy metals to their respective oxides and organic compounds to carbon dioxide.  

Project Objectives

Project Objective

The main objectives for this project are 

1. To design and implement a high Marx voltage power generator (190-220 KV).
2. To design and implement hybrid reactor for waste water treatment.
3. To design and implement a cost effective industrial waste water treatment system.
4. To design a low cost discharging circuit of high voltage power generator safely.

Project Implementation Method

Project Implementation Method

This final year project involves design and implementation of high voltage crona discharge for industrial waste water treatment. In the first step, we will design and implement Marx generator for high voltage corona discharge and perform experiments for various voltage ranges from 180-220KV for observation and testing for appropriate crona discharge for the waste water treatment. The initial design circuit of Marx generator is shown in Fig. 1. 

Fig. 1 Circuit diagram of high voltage Marx generator

The proposed system involved high voltage, for which we will develop a measuring instrument by designing a high voltage probes using existing multi-meters by adding appropriate calibrated resistors. In addition to this, we will develop a safe discharging circuit of the proposed system to ensure safety of personnel who are using it.

In second step, we will develop an acrylic chamber fixed with point-plate electrode for smooth crona discharge in the closed chamber. The proposed setup includes 1-Ground electrode; 2-Gas phase discharges; 3-liquid phase discharges; 4-High Voltage Point electrode as shown in Fig. 2.

                              

  In third step, samples of waste water from Fan, Tanneries, Leather and soap industry will be collected from Gujrat, Gujranwala and Sialkot. Initial tests like  UV visible, PL emission, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPFC) will be performed in university of Gujrat labs and results will be obtained. The same samples will be treated by the our designed high voltage crona discharge system using various arrangements by varying time, voltage, electrode material and temperature. The results of treated water will be tested again for comparison.

In fourth step, the system is dynamically optimized keeping in view of the results obtained and will be operational for desired waste water category.

Benefits of the Project

Benefits of the Project

Wastewater treatment by high voltage method has the following key benefits

1. The pulsed corona discharge treatment for wastewater remediation is proved to a cost effective, energy efficient and environment friendly than conventional methods.
2. Total energy consumption in this technique is quite low as compared to other techniques.
3. The microbial survivability rate is reduced after the treatment, which can cause the cell annihilation.
4.   Heavy metals concentration in the water is reduced which is beneficial for the prevention of carcinogenic and other diverse diseases.
5. The conductivity and PH of the water is improved after the treatment.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

Technical details of final deliverables

Final deliverable of proposed final year project will be a lab scale High Voltage Marx generator capable of producing 180 KV to 220KV voltage working on single phase, 220V AC supply of utility. The output of high voltage Marx generator will be connected to hybrid reactor made of acrylic material for the treatment of wastewater and high voltage measuring instrument. The Hybrid Reactor will be developed using acrylic material of optimized dimensions for the treatment process includes intake and exhaust waterway, point-plate electrodes for the passage of high voltage pulsating corona and enough space for the formation of ozone which can take part in the annihilation of cells. High voltage measuring instrument will include high voltage probes which then calibrated with the specify multi-meter by finding its internal resistance.        

The outlook of proposed lab scale High Voltage Marx generator is shown in Fig.

Fig. Outlook of proposed lab scale high voltage waste water treatment unit.

Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry Energy Other Industries Manufacturing , Health Core Technology Clean TechOther Technologies OthersSustainable Development Goals Good Health and Well-Being for People, Clean Water and Sanitation, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on LandRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	79880
High voltage Capacitors	Equipment	65	150	9750
High Voltage Resistor	Equipment	65	50	3250
Acrylic sheets Chamber for waste water treatment	Equipment	2	12000	24000
Digital Multi-meter for augmentation of high voltage	Equipment	1	4000	4000
Probes for high voltage measurements	Equipment	4	350	1400
PH digital Meter	Equipment	1	2050	2050
Point plate high voltage Electrodes	Equipment	6	1550	9300
Phase to Phase Wires	Equipment	20	50	1000
Capacitor holding Wood model for Marx generator	Equipment	1	5000	5000
High voltage holding Screws	Equipment	50	20	1000
Bridge Rectifier	Equipment	4	170	680
Fly back transformer	Equipment	2	4000	8000
Resistors	Equipment	15	30	450
Miscellaneous	Miscellaneous	1	10000	10000