Researchers receive NSF award to advance cleaner waste-to-energy technologies
In Arkansas, Arkansas State University has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) award totaling $177,108 to support research aimed at making waste-to-energy systems more efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.
The project, “ERI: Alkaline Thermal Pretreatment to Improve Anaerobic Digestion of Sewage Sludge through Mitigating Volatile Sulfur Compounds: Reactor Performance, Pathways, and Mechanisms,” is funded through the NSF ERI program.
The research is led by Chiqian Zhang, assistant professor of civil engineering, whose work focuses on improving anaerobic digestion, which is a process that uses naturally occurring microorganisms to convert organic waste into renewable energy in the form of methane.
Zhang’s research will investigate a new pretreatment method that combines heat and calcium oxide (lime) to reduce sulfur compound formation before anaerobic digestion begins. The approach has the potential to increase renewable methane production while extending the lifespan of treatment infrastructure and reducing environmental impacts.
The project combines laboratory reactor experiments, chemical analyses, microbial studies, and predictive modeling to understand better how sulfur behaves during the waste-to-energy process. The findings will help guide the design of more efficient anaerobic digestion systems for municipal wastewater treatment plants and other organic waste sources.
Category: Research
