Component #1 Prepare a 200- to 300-word history about the National Critical Technology’s technical application the team has selected. Sewage treatment plants have experienced an evolution in their design and purpose throughout the past few decades. They have developed from unstable processors of human waste to high-tech waste treatment centers with methane conversion devices. This new technology greatly contributes to the earth’s ecological stability. From the onset of the industrial revolution and the mass influx of people to the cities, there has been an ever-growing need for waste management. In the beginning, waste was left to decay and fester in the streets, where it developed into a serious health hazard. As time went on, however, new systems of dealing with human waste arose. Over 4,000 year ago, humans created one of the first known systems to process waste. Residents of the island of Crete built a palace that included a fresh water supply, a complete sewage system, and wooden-seated flushing toilets. (Roto Rooter Plumbers) Over time, civilizations slowly advanced the process of dealing with municipal waste. In the past, many sewage plants have had problems complying with environmental standards with regard to capacity and the need for expansion. When the flow of raw sewage exceeds the plant's capacity, partially treated or raw sewage has been dumped into bodies of water as a means of disposal (Deer Island). Even when a sewage plant is running under optimal conditions, it is often acceptable to bury the treated sludge in landfills or use it as a component in organic fertilizers. Both of these actions can lead to nitrogen runoff when it rains, or surplus effluent can be released back into the environment through Class I (classes) injection wells. (injection wells) Today, humans have created a very sophisticated system to deal with municipal waste. As a result of more thorough processing, the amount of remaining sludge and the concentration of nitrogen in it are greatly reduced. In fact, the effluent that is discharged from modern local treatment plants is often cleaner than the water already there (Brad Taylor). Substances formerly viewed as simple dross have now become prospective resources. There is available technology which can use sludge that comes from the primary and secondary clarifiers to create methane, a very useful fuel. What was once considered useless is now a valuable resource. Cite three detailed examples of research done in the past 3 to 5 years which focused on the NCT application the team selected. Include: the funding agency, the principal investigator, the institution where the research is or was being conducted, the amount of the dollar award granted for the research, and the duration of the research grant. One example of a grant exists in Portland Oregon, where the Department of Defense paid $200,000 to implement fuel cell technology. The money provided by the state will be used as part of a 1.3 million dollar project that uses methane gas captured from digesters. The project managers were senior engineer Garry Ott, principal engineer Gene Appel, construction manager Hollie Berry, and electrical maintenance manager Duane Sanger. The Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant, in Portland processes an average of 80 million gallons of Portland’s sewage per day. From this, approximately one million cubic feet of gas is produced daily by the digestion of organic compounds in various treatment processes. Five percent of this gas will be used in the fuel cell. This applied research, installing and testing the fuel cell technology, will provide power and protect the environment. The Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act which provided another grant, was issued on September 28, 1998. This $20 million grant to Onondaga County, endorsed by Governor Pataki of New York, will be used to improve the water quality of Onondaga Lake. This grant will support six projects aimed at improving the performance of the county's Metropolitan Sewage Treatment Plant and its combined sewer overflow system, and stopping sewage from contaminating the lake. One of these projects will provide between $4.8-$5.6 million to modify and clean waste sludge digesters at the Metro plant. In addition, the plant will upgrade its dewatering and methane compression systems. Money will also be used to construct a new chemical storage and feed system for chemicals to improve phosphorus removal. This project will enhance the plant's ability to handle the increasing solid waste generated by the growing population while reducing phosphorous loading to the lake. This will help eliminate algae blooms and the offensive odors they cause. Overall, the goal of this project is to research the efficiency and viability of new technology while simultaneously raising the water quality. In 1997, the Ontario government, established a $200 million grant to address environmental issues involving sewage treatment. This followed a 1994 meeting of Canada's 13 Environmental Ministers, who were preparing an action plan to address waster usage. Canada's water usage is the second highest per capita in the world, yet their wastewater treatment facilities lag behind other developed countries. Furthermore, a "water audit" showed a $5 cost per cubic liter to the government. Inefficiencies result from poor consumer pricing policies and, more importantly, aging waste treatment infrastructure. Based upon research conducted, explain how the NCT application your team chose has advanced scientific knowledge. Our team chose the National Critical technology of Pollution Control with an emphasis on wastewater treatment. Biomass: A Vertical Solution offers a design that increases the efficiency of land use and creates a new paradigm for waste treatment plants. This vertical waste treatment plant employs innovative new processes to maximize the collection of methane without compromising the level of safety within the plant. It has a clarification system through which the wastewater is purified to such an extent that quite often the effluent is cleaner than the water into which it flows (Brad Taylor). Although places around the world like Onondago County, Ontario, and Portland are developing and using this technology, problems arise from the sheer quantity of sewage that must be processed. Our project provides innovative combinations of technology that can be used to provide an answer to these problems. Our adaptation of the wastewater plant has not only exhibited advanced technology resulting in higher standards of safety and protection for the environment, but also a productive use for otherwise deleterious materials that will replace our ever dwindling of fossil fuels. |