Remarkable Uses for Sewage Sludge Including Producing Biogas

What could possibly be the use for all that mucky filthy smelly sewage sludge? 

NEVERTHELESS, We found some remarkable uses for Sewage Sludge, Including producing biogas. 

Sewage sludge, which is the by-product of the treatment of our foul sewage in wastewater treatment works on first sight would seem to be a useless material, but is it? We set out to find out, and the result is this article. Scroll down to see that.

1. Hygienize It and Spread It on Land: 

If spread on land it will raise soil-available phosphorous says Wikipedia (see below). That's a good outcome for the growth of crops, but raising soil salinity is not so good, so we guess we had better keep looking. 

Use of sewage sludge has shown an increase in the level of soil-available phosphorus and soil salinity, also heavy metals build-up. The findings of a 20-year field study of air, land, confirmed this ... via Sewage sludge - Wikipedia

2. Use it as Alternative Fuel source in the Cement Industry: 

An attractive disposal method for sewage sludge is to use it as an alternative fuel source in the cement industry. The resultant ash is incorporated in the cement matrix. via Use of Sewage Sludge in Cement Industry - BioEnergy Consult

4. Make Coal: 

Carbonscape out of New Zealand microwaves and compresses organic matter – wood chips, corn stalks and even sewage – into eco-coal. It burns like regular coal, but the carbon doesn't come deep from the ground. Renewable Fuel Technology, meanwhile, has devised a modified version of the Fischer-Tropsch process to convert organic matter into coal. Organic matter gets converted to syngas first.

5. Produce Biogas and Purify that Into Pipeline-Grade Methane: 

BioEnergy Solutions builds, maintains and operates the anaerobic manure digesters that convert manure into methane. The process isn't entirely green – carbon dioxide in the gas from the manure has to be burned off before the methane can be sent down a pipeline – but it does eliminate many of the hazards associated with manure. Revenue can also be generated through carbon credits and selling the solids as cow beds or fodder for, maybe someday, organic flooring or building materials. via 11 Great Things to Do With Sewage | Greentech Media

6. Make a Sludge Compost Using USDA's Method:  

When sewage sludge and woodchips are mixed and composted, as by the Beltsville aerated pile method (Willson et al., 1980),!/ a stabilized product results from the action of aerobic thermophilic microorganisms, which utilize a part of the organic material for their growth and activity. During this decomposition, the composting biomass heats to temperatures in the pasteurization range of 55*^ to 70^C, with the resulting destruction of enteric pathogenic microorganisms. The end result is humus like material useful as a soil conditioner and a source of plant nutrients. It is essentially free of human enteric pathogens and offensive odors. via Sludge Compost as - USDA 

7. Extract Gold from Sewage Sludge! 

In some sites, "concentrations of gold in sewage sludge are sufficiently high for recovery to be ... The USGS has explored ways to remove potentially dangerous metals from treated sewage that is used as fertilizer and also pursued the possibility of ... via There's Gold In Them Thar Sewage Pipes, Swiss Researchers Say

8. Use Sewage Treatment Plants Sludge to Ensure Greenery at 4 Parks: 

Secondary treated sewage will be further treated using chlorine. The settled sludge is sent for recirculation to the equalisation tank. The dry sludge coming out of the system can be used as manure. According to officials, this will be rolled out to other ... via Sewage treatment plants to ensure greenery at 4 parks

9. Extract energy from Sewage Sludge:

A water company says new techniques can help it extract 90% of calorific value from sewage sludge.

Thames Water is planning to greatly increase the amount of energy it can extract from sewage sludge.

The water company can currently only extract half of the calorific value – the energy contained in raw sewage – from the sludge it treats by using anaerobic digestion (AD) to turn it into gas.

However, external affairs and sustainability director Richard Aylard told the London Infrastructure Summit yesterday (October 2017) that the company was developing new AD methods that could nearly double the amount of energy it can use.

“That will get us to 90% and also massively reduce the amount of residue that has to go out to farms,” Aylard told delegates. via Thames Water to increase energy extraction from sewage

10. New Technology Turns Poo Sewage Sludge to Petroleum-Like Biocrude Oil

A team of scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) at the US Department of Energy has found a way to reuse sewage sludge into biocrude oil, turning human waste into reusable fuel.

According to the study published by the PNNL, the researchers has devised a simple technology called hydrothermal processing (HTP). 

During HTP, sewage sludge is pressurized to about 3,000 pounds per square inch and then put into a reactor (a pressurized tube that's extremely hot at 660 degrees Fahrenheit). 

The heat in the reactor enables the cells in the sludge to break down, forming tow by-products: biocrude oil and "an aqueous liquid phase" that can be transformed into other kinds of chemical products.

"HTP converts organic material into biocrude oil, natural gas, or both, with potentially more than 99% conversion of organics. HTP uses the same processes which form fossil fuels, (heat, pressure, time, and water) but amplifies these conditions so the conversion occurs in a much shorter timeframe. 

This technology is specifically designed for wet feed stocks. The byproduct is a clear, sterile water," the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WERF) told Treehugger.

We hope you agree that there are some truly remarkable uses for sewage sludge!
See also www.anaerobic-digestion.com/anaerobic-digestion-basics/anaerobic-sludge-digestion