Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Under prior funding from the USDA, Micronic has developed a prototype engineering design for processing cheese manufacturing wastewater in a controlled manufacturing environment. Anticipated results of the Phase I program effort will build off this core technology and develop a proof-of-concept demonstration for application to federal forest land abandoned mine sites. Given the considerable differences between the controlled environment of a manufacturing facility and the remote, corrosive, field environment of an abandoned mine site, the effort will require not only the demonstration of the technology when run against wastewater streams but also the identification of a system layout which incorporates significant innovations. In the USDA-NIFA-SBIR-009301 funding opportunity Topic Area 8.1, Forests and Related Resources, Subtopic 3. Reducing Ecological Damage by Forest Operations, the USDA identified a need for new and innovative technologies focused on reducing water degradation located on federal lands and reducing impacts to the ecological structure of the operational area. In response to this need, Micronic Technologies will develop a water purification system based on the company's tornadic water purification technology for application to abandoned mines and associated mining-influenced waters and acid mine drainage (MIW/AMD) on federal land. Work to accomplish this goal is structured around four technical objectives; identify abandoned mine sample sites and acquire wastewater samples, process and analyze samples, identify a preliminary Phase II demonstration system layout, and conduct a market study of the technology for MIW/AMD remediation on federal lands.Ultimately, the successful implementation of the system which doesn't use filters, membranes, or chemicals will be transformative for water purification technology. Potential commercial application and market impacts of such a commercialization effort would be significant and can be applied to a broad range of wastewater treatment solutions. The value proposition of the technology is found in an increase in water reuse, a reduction in water treatment costs, and increased responsiveness to environmental regulation. Improvements are realized in a range of areas including water reclamation from non-traditional sources and water reuse. This will lower water usage expenses, provide more clean water, and create potential ancillary revenue from the reuse of recovered clean water, and the monetization of a proactive approach to federal, local, and state environmental regulatory compliance with an associated reduction in regulatory noncompliance.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
50%
Developmental
50%
Goals / Objectives
In the USDA-NIFA-SBIR-009301 funding opportunity Topic Area 8.1, Forests and Related Resources, Subtopic 3. Reducing Ecological Damage by Forest Operations, the USDA identified a need for new and innovative technologies focused on reducing water degradation located on federal lands and reducing impacts to the ecological structure of the operational area. In response to this need, Micronic Technologies is investigating the development of a water purification system based on the company's tornadic evaporation technology with the goal of environmental remediation of mining-influenced water (MIW) and acid mine drainage (AMD) at abandoned mines on federal land.Under prior funding from the USDA, Micronic has developed a prototype engineering design for processing cheese manufacturing wastewater in a controlled manufacturing environment. Anticipated results of the Phase I program effort will build off this core technology with the goal of developing a proof-of-concept demonstration for application to federal forest land operations. Given the considerable differences between the controlled environment of a manufacturing facility and the remote, corrosive, field environment of an abandoned mine site, the effort will require not only the demonstration of the technology when run against wastewater streams but also the identification of a system layout which incorporates significant innovations to the technology.Work to accomplish the program goals is structured around four Technical Objectives (TO's) as follows.TO 1. Identify mine sample sites and acquire wastewater samplesWorking with the USDA, Micronic and TRC, the Consultant to the Program, will identify at least two problematic closed mine sites under USDA stewardship for MIW/AMD sampling. TRC will provide Micronic with samples from the selected sites. Questions to be addressed will focus on developing a sample set which is representative of a range of constituent profiles for abandoned mine sites on federal lands.TO 2. Process and analyze samplesWastewater samples from each of the mine sites identified in TO 1 will be processed by the Micronic laboratory proof-of-concept demonstrator. Questions to be addressed will examine the resulting clean product water and collected waste to provide insight on the system performance in the various identified MIW/AMD wastewater applications.TO 3. Identify a preliminary Phase II demonstration system layoutUtilizing data gathered in TO 1 and TO 2, a preliminary Phase II layout will be identified. The layout will be based on the core tornadic evaporation technology supported by a range of enhancements to assess field installation issues related to abandoned mine site environments. Questions to be addressed will be directed toward layout functionality (e.g., volatile fume mitigation, self-contained heat exchanger cooling, design of a corrosion-resistant process path, etc.) and supporting site structures (e.g., access, power, wastewater, and clean water handling, etc.).TO 4. Conduct market study of the technology for MIW/AMD remediation on federal landsMicronic Technologies in collaboration with the selected Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) vendor, RTI International Research Institute, will develop a market study to assess the commercial viability of the technology for purification of MIW/AMD. In addition, Return-on-Investment analyses will be conducted using operational and capital expenses for each of the mine site scenarios identified in TO 1. Questions to be addressed will consider the economic feasibility of the technology for application to abandoned mine sites on federal land.
Project Methods
It is intended the work to be conducted on the program be based on an overall research approach structured to achieve goals of the technical objectives. To accomplish this, the Phase I Work Plan consists of four main tasking elements with methods directly correlating to the four program technical objectives (TO's).TO 1. Identify mine sample sites and acquire wastewater samplesTo accomplish this objective, working with the USDA Forest Service, Micronic and TRC, the Consultant to the Program, will identify at least two problematic closed mine sites under Forest Service stewardship for mining-influenced water and acid mine drainage (MIW/AMD) sampling. TRC will be the lead on this work and will utilize their mine site expertise to select potential candidate sites based on impaired water profiles and disposal processes. The site reviews will consider a range of physical, economic, and regulatory variables. The reviews will investigate constituent profiles and concentrations, drainage flow volumes, current cost of remediation efforts, regulatory constraints, etc. The goal is to acquire an understanding of the geology, chemistry, management procedures and costs, and regulatory drivers defining the structure and management of each site. Understanding the "inner workings" of a specific site will be key to the successful remediation at that site. Accordingly, the review process will strive to define a top-level conceptual site model (CSM) from existing documentation such as geologic and hydrologic surveys. In many cases, detailed CSM's will already exist. In addition, detailed chemical analyses providing a constituent profile of the sites are probably already available. TRC will collect samples from each of the candidate sites and deliver the samples to Micronic's facility in Bristol, Virginia for processing. TRC will work with Micronic to determine appropriate engineering and safety protocols for handling and treating wastewater samples. TO 2. Processing and analysis of samplesTo accomplish this technical objective, wastewater samples from each of the selected sites identified in TO 1 will be collected by TRC and processed by Micronic in the company's facility in Bristol, Virginia. Micronic will be responsible for sample processing and operation of the laboratory processing equipment while TRC will be responsible for sample transport and the analysis of clean water product and waste concentrate in their laboratories or by third party vendors. Micronic will report processing metrics including, purge times, flow rates, and times of operation while TRC will be responsible for reporting the chemical characteristics of the AMD wastewater influent, clean water product, and concentrate of the testing process. The goal of this effort will be to assess system performance against MIW/AMD waste streams.TO 3. Identify a preliminary Phase II demonstration system layout To accomplish TO 3, data gathered in TO 1 and TO 2 will be used to identify a preliminary Phase II system layout. The system will be based on the core Micronic technology supported by a range of enhancements to assess field installation issues related to abandoned mine site environments. The preliminary layout will include unit-specific details such as volatile fume mitigation, self-contained heat exchanger cooling, and layout of a corrosion-resistant process path. The second part of the preliminary layout will address supporting site-specific structures. To accomplish this, Micronic will collaborate with TRC. Preliminary site layout elements will consider access infrastructure for influent handling (e.g., piping, holding tanks, etc.) and the handling of the clean water product and the wastewater concentrate (e.g., discharge piping, holding tanks, transportation or other disposal methods, transport facilities, etc.). In Phase II of the program, a complete design will be developed including civil and mechanical information for installation at a selected site.TO 4. Market study of the technology for wastewater remediation at MIW/AMD sites on federal landsThe accomplishment of TO 4 will entail conducting a market study to assess commercial viability of the technology for mitigation of water degradation and reduction of environmental impact at MIW/AMD sites on federal lands and the completion of Return-on-Investment (ROI) analyses using operational (OPEX) and capital expenses (CAPEX) for each of the sites identified in TO 1. TRC will provide current and future cost information about each of the selected TO 1 sites. This assessment will be conducted by Micronic Technologies in collaboration with the selected Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) vendor, RTI International Research Institute (RTI), who will develop a market study to assess the commercial viability of the technology for purification of MIW/AMD. Micronic will compare CAPEX and OPEX of current site remediation against CAPEX and OPEX of a Micronic installation at the site and generate a break-even analysis for installation of the technology.The program milestones closely correlate to the program technical objectives.September 2023 - Acquisition of MIW/AMD samples from SAMS'sDecember 2023 - Complete processing/analysis of samplesFebruary 2024 - Complete preliminary system layout and market study