An industry-verified white paper that validates the transfer efficiency of a gas infusion technology for water and wastewater treatment has been released.
The trademarked Dissolved Gas Infusion (DGI) technology, was developed by Fuel Tech, a US engineering company, to provide an alternative to existing aeration technologies for use in utility and industrial applications. Validation testing shows DGI delivers greater than 99% transfer of oxygen when applied to a treated body of water.
Two patent-pending technologies were used in combination to ensure “optimal and precise” gas delivery to target water and wastewater processes. These include a pressurised saturator for gas transfer of the oxygen solution to a slipstream of water; and a nozzle delivery system to distribute oxygenated water that mitigates gas loss from a targeted body of water.
The DGI technology was tested using validation methodologies published by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and its Environmental & Waters Research Institute (EWRI). The results of the tests, which were “peer-reviewed and endorsed by industry experts”, have determined that 99+% of the oxygen supplied to the DGI system was delivered to a treatment reservoir as dissolved oxygen with no loss to the atmosphere, within described measurements of uncertainties. The DGI channel injector also transferred the oxygen-infused water stream to reservoir water, while located only 24 inches below the water surface. There was also no measurable loss of oxygen to the environment, visible bubbles, or delay in the availability of the supplied oxygen to react in the aqueous phase.
DGI combines oxygen transfer efficiency with “accuracy” to deliver an energy-efficient and cost-effective water and wastewater treatment system. The technology achieves its 99+% gas transfer rate by pre-dissolving high purity gas in a separate pressurised slipstream.
The oxygen infused slipstream can reach up to 900mg/l oxygen concentration, which is then added to the main body of water and diluted to meet precise customer specifications. To ensure high oxygen saturation rates, DGI is fitted with high-velocity channel injectors that help retain gas and optimise distribution.
DGI can potentially work as a rapid response option or augment underperforming legacy technologies in a wide range of water and wastewater treatment applications across different sectors, including municipal utilities, agriculture, environment, pulp & paper, food & beverage, upstream oil & gas, and landfill management.
The technology could also potentially help address a range of issues, including regulatory compliance, water preservation, biological treatment, odor reduction, chemical replacement in wastewater treatment, and improving overall water quality for humans and the environment.
Fuel Tech president and chief executive officer Vincent Arnone said: “This validation study is a foundational component of the ongoing DGI business development strategy. Fuel Tech is on track to achieve the goal of product commercialization in 2023 and has also begun recruitment for an experienced water and wastewater treatment executive to take DGI to the next stage.”
The full white paper titled, Validation Testing of the Fuel Tech, Inc. Dissolved Gas Infusion Technology for Oxygen Transfer Efficiency in Clean Water, can be found on the Fuel Tech DGI product page for parties interested in more information.
