Systems and methods for nutrient recovery and use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019276334-A1
Application number	US-201716319728-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 21, 2017
Priority date	Jul 22, 2016
Publication date	Sep 12, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system includes at least one reusable nutrient cartridge including an outer housing having an inlet and an outlet, and nutrient-adsorbing material contained within the housing, the material being configured to adsorb nutrients, wherein the cartridge is configured to be charged with nutrients by flowing a nutrient stream through the inlet, through the nutrient-adsorbing material, and through the outlet to enable the nutrient-adsorbing material to adsorb the nutrients, wherein the cartridge is also configured to be later discharged of the nutrients by flowing water through the inlet, through the nutrient-adsorbing material, and through the outlet so as to transfer the nutrients to the water to generate a dilute nutrient solution suitable for use as a fertilizer.

First claim

Claimed are:

1 . A reusable nutrient cartridge comprising:
an outer housing having an inlet and an outlet; and nutrient-adsorbing material contained within the housing, the material being configured to adsorb nutrients; wherein the cartridge is configured to be charged with nutrients by flowing a nutrient stream through the inlet, through the nutrient-adsorbing material, and through the outlet to enable the nutrient-adsorbing material to adsorb the nutrients, wherein the cartridge is also configured to be later discharged of the nutrients by flowing water through the inlet, through the nutrient-adsorbing material, and through the outlet so as to transfer the nutrients to the water to generate a dilute nutrient solution suitable for use as a fertilizer.

2 . The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the housing has volumetric capacity of approximately 1 to 5 liters.

3 . The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the nutrient-adsorbing material is configured to adsorb nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

4 . The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the nutrient-adsorbing material comprises a zeolitic material.

5 . The cartridge of claim 4 , wherein the nutrient-adsorbing material further comprises a material configured to remove organic compounds from the nutrient stream.

6 . The cartridge of claim 5 , wherein the material configured to remove organic compounds comprises carbon, charcoal, or both.

7 . The cartridge of claim 4 , wherein the nutrient-adsorbing material further comprises mineral rock.

8 . The cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising a mesh at the inlet, outlet, or both that is configured to retain the nutrient-adsorbing material within the outer housing.

9 . The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the nutrient-adsorbing material is contained within a removable and replaceable module contained within the outer housing.

10 . The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the housing contains multiple individually removable and replacement modules that each contain different materials.

11 . The cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising means for measuring a level of nutrient charge of the cartridge and an indicator configured to provide an indication of the level of nutrient charge to a user.

12 . The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the level of nutrient charge is proportional to the concentration of nutrients within the cartridge.

13 . The cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising means for aerating the nutrient stream within the cartridge.

14 . A system for recovering and providing nutrients, the system comprising:
a plurality of reusable nutrient cartridges, each cartridge comprising:
an outer housing having an inlet and an outlet, and
nutrient-adsorbing material contained within the housing, the material being configured to adsorb nutrients,
wherein the cartridge is configured to be charged with nutrients by flowing a nutrient stream through the inlet, through the nutrient-adsorbing material, and through the outlet to enable the nutrient-adsorbing material to adsorb the nutrients, wherein the cartridge is also configured to be discharged of the adsorbed nutrients by flowing water through the inlet, through the nutrient-adsorbing material, and through the outlet so as transfer the adsorbed nutrients to the water to generate a dilute nutrient solution suitable for use as a fertilizer.

15 . A method for recovering nutrients from a nutrient stream and facilitating use of the nutrients as fertilizer, the method comprising:
charging a reusable nutrient cartridge with nutrients by flowing a nutrient stream through the cartridge and adsorbing the nutrients with a nutrient-adsorbing material contained within the cartridge; later discharging the reusable nutrient cartridge by flowing water through cartridge to transfer the adsorbed nutrients from the nutrient-adsorbing material to the water to generate a dilute nutrient solution suitable for use as a fertilizer; and later still recharging the reusable nutrient cartridge with nutrients so that the cartridge can again be used to provide generate a dilute nutrient solution.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising delivering the charged reusable nutrient cartridge to an end use site prior to discharging.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the housing has volumetric capacity of approximately 1 to 5 liters.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the nutrient-adsorbing material is configured to adsorb nitrogen and phosphorus.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the nutrient-adsorbing material comprises a zeolitic material.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the nutrient-adsorbing material further comprises a material configured to remove organic compounds from the nutrient stream.

Assignees

• Univ South Florida

Inventors

• Yeh Daniel H
• Calabria Jorge Luis
• Ozcan Onur Y
• Bair Robert A

Classifications

• B01J20/3433

  of sorbents or filter aids other than those covered by B01J20/3408 - B01J20/3425 · CPC title

• B01J20/043

  Carbonates or bicarbonates, e.g. limestone, dolomite, aragonite · CPC title

• B01J20/165

  Natural alumino-silicates, e.g. zeolites · CPC title

• B01J2220/62

  In a cartridge · CPC title

• B01J20/20

  comprising free carbon; comprising carbon obtained by carbonising processes · CPC title