[Start of Page 4 of the discussion]


I will start with suspended biomass and ensure the biomass isn't washed out and recycling just incase.
Thanks a lot.

Elisabeth:
The urine processor is very useful. I need it.
best regards
Sott

Dear Susana Forum members

We are happy to announce that the final report of the VUNA Project is now accessible on www.vuna.ch

The final report gives a concise and quick overview of all activities within the VUNA Project:

Urine treatment processes

• Complete nutrient recovery
• Nitrification
• Distillation
• Electrolysis
• Struvite precipitation
• Process control

Risks of using urine

• Removing pharmaceuticals
• Inactivating pathogens

Agriculture

• Fertiliser trials

Urine collection networks

• Optimising urine collection
• Performance modelling

Social and economic aspects

• Social acceptance
• Campaigning for health and hygiene
• Incentives for urine production
• Business model

We thank all sponsors for the financial support and guidance. The VUNA Project was initiated by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which also provided most of the funding. Additional funding was provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation, the United States National Science Foundation, and the project partners. We also thank all researchers, field workers, laboratory and administrative staff for their great commitment to the project.

Best regards
Teddy Gounden, Bastian Etter and Kai Udert

Congratulation to all the team !

This project is a great reference. This is an amazing seed that you just shared with us, I have no doubt that a lot of practicioners will start growing trees out of this research all around the world.

Looking forward to be in 10 years time, when there will be nitrification reactors just everywhere !

Best,

Ben

We have a new publication from my group, the Pollution Research Group, and co-workers which came out of the VUNA project:
Evaluation of an automated struvite reactor to recover phosphorus from source-separated urine collected at urine diversion toilets in eThekwini

The details are below and the journal Water SA provides free access to the papers, so no paywall to worry about:

Grau, MGP, Rhoton, SL, Brouckaert, CJ and Buckley, CA. (2015) Evaluation of an automated struvite reactor to recover phosphorus from source-separated urine collected at urine diversion toilets in eThekwini. Water SA Vol 41 No 3, pp383 - 389. dx.doi.org/10.4314/wsa.v41i3.10


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Note by moderator:

You can see the e-view version of the paper here:
www.wrc.org.za/Pages/Preview.aspx?ItemID...2015%2526start%253d1

To download the pdf file you need to login here:
www.wrc.org.za/Pages/DisplayItem.aspx?It...ril+2015%26start%3d1

The first page of the paper is available here (without having to log in):
www.wrc.org.za/Lists/Knowledge%20Hub%20I...33%20%20abstract.pdf

ABSTRACT

In the present study we attempted to develop a reactor system to recover phosphorus by struvite precipitation, and which can be installed anywhere in the field without access to a laboratory. A reactor was developed that can run fully automated and recover up to 93% of total phosphorus (total P). Turbidity and conductivity signals were investigated as automation proxies for magnesium dosage, thus making laboratory phosphate measurements to determine the exact magnesium dosage unnecessary. Conductivity is highly influenced by the dosing parameters (molarity and pump speed) and turbidity is affected by particle size distribution issues. Algorithms based on both conductivity and turbidity signals were not able to detect the precipitation endpoint in real time. However it proved possible to identify the endpoint retrospectively from the conductivity signal, and thereafter to dose an algorithm-calculated volume of urine to use up the excess magnesium dosed.

Keywords: struvite precipitation, human urine, turbidity, conductivity, automation, magnesium dose, VUNA

Another note by moderator (EvM):
Proud to see my paper from 2001 about struvite crystallisation cited in this paper - look for Munch and Barr (2001).

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Note by moderators: This post was made by a former user with the login name ChrisBuckley who is no longer a member of this discussion forum.