Now, a system to extract water from manure
A technology for extracting drinkable water from manure is on its way to commercial application this year, a U.S. university said on Thursday.
The technology is particularly useful for animal operations in dry regions where water is at a premium, according to Michigan State University.
The McLanahan Nutrient Separation System is an add-on to an anaerobic digester, which extracts energy and chemicals from manure. The system adds ultrafiltration, air stripping and a reverse osmosis system to produce water that’s clean enough for cattle to drink.
Gyaan :
Anaerobic Digestion
Anaerobic digestion is a biological process that produces a gas principally composed of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) otherwise known as biogas. These gases are produced from organic wastes such as livestock manure, food processing waste, etc.
Anaerobic processes could either occur naturally or in a controlled environment such as a biogas plant. Organic waste such as livestock manure and various types of bacteria are put in an airtight container called digester so the process could occur.
The process of anaerobic digestion consists of three steps:
- The first step is the decomposition (hydrolysis) of plant or animal matter. This step breaks down the organic material to usable-sized molecules such as sugar.
- The second step is the conversion of decomposed matter to organic acids.
- Finally, the acids are converted to methane gas.
Process temperature affects the rate of digestion and should be maintained in the mesophillic range (95 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit) with an optimum of 100 degrees F. It is possible to operate in the thermophillic range (135 to 145 degrees F), but the digestion process is subject to upset if not closely monitored.
Ultrafiltration
Ultrafiltration (UF) is a variety of membrane filtration in which forces like pressure or concentration gradients leads to a separation through a semipermeable membrane. Suspended solids and solutes of high molecular weight are retained in the so-called retentate, while water and low molecular weight solutes pass through the membrane in the permeate. This separation process is used in industry and research for purifying and concentrating macromolecular (103 - 106 Da) solutions, especially protein solutions. Ultrafiltration is not fundamentally different from microfiltration, nanofiltration or membrane gas separation, except in terms of the size of the molecules it retains - it is defined by the Molecular Weight Cut Off (MWCO) of the membrane used.
Air Stripping
Air stripping is the transferring of volatile components of a liquid into an air stream. It is a chemical engineering technology used for the purification of groundwaters and wastewaters containing volatile compounds.
Volatile compounds have relatively high vapor pressure and low aqueous solubility characterized by the compound’s dimensionless Henry's law coefficient, which is the ratio of the concentration in air that is in equilibrium with its concentration in water. Pollutants with relatively high Henry’s Law coefficients can be economically stripped from water. These include BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene found in gasoline, and solvents including trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene. Ammonia can also be stripped from wastewaters (often requiring pH adjustment prior to stripping). Since Henry’s law coefficient increases with temperature, stripping is easier at warmer temperatures.
SpaceX unveils capsule to ferry astronauts
A sleek, white gumdrop-shaped space capsule that aims to carry up to seven astronauts to the International Space Station and return to land anywhere on Earth was unveiled Thursday by SpaceX.
The Dragon V2, short for version two, is the first attempt by a private company to restore Americans’ ability to send people to the orbiting space station in the wake of the space shuttle program's retirement in 2011.
After pushing vultures to the verge of extinction in the country, the veterinary painkiller and anti-inflammatory drug, Diclofenac, is turning out to be a serious threat to eagles as well.
A research paper published in Bird Conservation International , a Cambridge University journal, says other raptor species such as hawks, kites and harriers that feed on carcasses of animals, will possibly fall prey to the drug too.
Gyaan:
Bird of Prey
Birds of prey, also known as raptors, hunt and feed on other animals.
Taken literally, the term "bird of prey" has a wide meaning that includes many birds that hunt and feed on animals and also birds that eat very small insects. In ornithology, the definition for "bird of prey" has a narrower meaning:
- birds that have very good eyesight for finding food,
- strong feet for holding food, and
- a strong curved beak for tearing flesh.
Birds of prey are divided into two main groups, the diurnal (day flying) birds of prey and the nocturnal (night flying) birds of prey, better known as the owls.
Trauma of dividing healthcare
Preparing for June 2, when the new States of Telangana and the successor State of Andhra Pradesh will come into being, is akin to being on a razor edge for officials in charge of dividing the healthcare assets.
The biggest fear here is the possibility of a collapse of the State-run tertiary hospitals in Hyderabad, which attract the largest number of patients and also have the highest number of MBBS and super-specialty seats as 50-60 per cent of professors and associate professors in the tertiary teaching hospitals, Gandhi Hospital and Osmania General Hospital, in Hyderabad are from the Seemandhra region.
While reallocating the administrative staff and other lower cadre healthcare workers, including assistant professors, is not a problem, shifting professors and associate professors to Andhra Pradesh could lead to State-run teaching hospitals losing Medical Council of India recognition .
MCI restrictions
Direct recruitment of associate professors and professors is also not possible since MCI guidelines make it mandatory that an assistant professor must have five years’ teaching experience to become an associate professor.
No comments:
Post a Comment