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WaWaTech - Model DEMON -Deammonification Process for Nitrogen Removal
The DEMON® Deammonification Process is an advanced wastewater treatment technology specializing in efficient nitrogen removal from high-strength ammonia wastewater. It uniquely integrates aerobic and anaerobic conversion of ammonia, reducing energy consumption by approximately 60% compared to conventional methods and eliminating the need for external carbon sources. The process incorporates a pH-controlled intermittent aeration system, facilitating the conversion of half the incoming ammonia to nitrite, which is further oxidized to nitrogen gas by Anammox bacteria. Utilization of micro screens for biomass retention boosts sludge retention to over 50 days. DEMON® has been implemented in over 80 full-scale installations worldwide, addressing nitrogen reject loads in sludge dewatering liquors and facilitating energy-positive wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operations. Notable implementations include integration with phosphorus recovery systems and tackling liquors from thermal-hydrolysis digestion systems, where the organic matrix is challenging and highly concentrated.DEMON® is a world class deammonification process. A technology that partly converts ammonia to nitrate and then converts the remaining ammonia and nitrate into nitrogen gas. Highly energy efficient and without (external) carbon source! It can be implemented as continuous or batch process.
The brand ‚DEMON‘ stands for ‚Deammonification‘. The combination of aerobic and anaerobic ammonia conversion in a single reactor allows energy efficient nitrogen removal from high-strength ammonia wastewater.
The core features of DEMON® are the pH-controlled aeration to maintain the balance between aerobic and anaerobic conditions and the biomass selection and retention using micro screens.
At WWTP’s with anaerobic digestion, DEMON® targets the elimination of the nitrogen reject load from sludge dewatering liquors (ca. 20% of the total N-load). DEMON® facilitates overall energy-positive WWTP concepts with efficient primary carbon removal where low C/N ratios are to be expected.
Main process goals:
- Elimination of side-stream return load from digesters. In small foot-print.
- Low energy demand of about 1.2 kWh/kgN. Without the need of (external) carbon course!
- Process stability due to reliable aeration control and Anammox-retention.
The DEMON® reactor has an intermittent aeration system (pH-controlled) to provide enough oxygen to convert about 50% of the incoming ammonia to nitrite. The produced nitrite is then used by Anammox bacteria to oxidize it together with the remaining ammonia to nitrogen gas.
Since the Anammox bacteria are slowly growing, the Anammox granules are enriched in the system by a micro screen, providing sludge retention over 50 days (vs. ca. 5 d for AOB). The treated effluent is decanted from the reactor via a baffle wall after sedimentation of the biomass.
With over 80 full scale implementations worldwide, DEMON® is the market leader for side stream ammonia removal. With plants operating upto about 12,000 kgN/d!
One specialty of this system is that it has to treat liquors from a thermal-hydrolysis digestion system (THP), which has a difficult and highly concentrated organic matrix. Another special implementation is located in the Netherlands, where DEMON® is combined with a phosphorus recovery system at the same side-stream.
- High nitrogen removal rate
- Cost-effective and sustainable.
- Lowest total-N removal cost in the market!
- No supplemental alkalinity requirements
- No external carbon requirements
- Small space requirements
- High process stability
- Simplicity in retaining the Anammox bacteria in the bioreactor
- Easy to retrofit. Existing reactors can be reused.