Methodology
The project research will undergo through five stages under a total duration of 60 months.
- Stage I: Completing the research group, organizing the laboratory and analysing water samples
- Stage II: Laboratory study of process (electrocoagulation and ultrasonic) parameters of the batch reactor and the characterization of settling properties
- Stage III: Modeling and optimization of the batch reactor and modeling the continuous flow reactor
- Stage IV: Designing, building, testing and optimizing the continuous flow reactor
- Stage V: phase: Modeling, designing and building the settling tank
The research is an extension of recently published papers with the emphasis on exploring the addressed shortcomings of previously published research. The above refers to the comparison of efficiency and optimal configuration of process parameters for individual use of EC and US with the corresponding operative costs, the possible comparison of the results in cases of batch and continuous flow reactors, optimization and mathematical modelling of individual processes, sedimentation properties, as well as all stated in case of the join application of EC and US. Methodological consistency will be considered to ensure that all obtained results are comparable. Additionally, mathematical modelling of mentioned processes will be studied, which wasn’t considered in most of the previous research. Generally, there are not many scientific papers about modelling, and most of them are published in last five years. Also, there are no published papers about the modelling of join operation of EC and US for water purification, to the best of our knowledge. Therefore, this project is focused on the improvement of drinking water disinfection. As in conventional purification process, this final phase is carried out using additional substances, mostly chlorine or chlorine derivatives (compounds), which efficiently remove microbiological contamination, but not chemical contamination, thereby generating other cancerous substances as by-products. The possibility of ultrasound application for the removal of microbial contamination, which does not add other substances to the water, will be investigated in this project. Considering the previously published results on ultrasonic application for microbiological contamination removal, the successful implementation, the confirmation of previous research results and the construction of functional batch and continuous flow reactor for water purification, are expected. As it is seen from the current state of the knowledge, the inability to compare different researches is the result of the different methodological approaches since the research of these processes in water purification or are still in experimental (laboratory) phase. Thus, it is essential to conduct systematic research and consider the possibility of comparing results. Also, the importance of research group is particularly pronounced in order to ensure the continuity of the research. As the project is based on the implementation of new water purification technologies, it is expected that their application will result in long-term research with the potential to publish a large number of quality scientific papers and submitting new research on other funding sources. Therefore, in order to realize these long-term objectives, it is necessary to have research capacities. The relevance of this project stems from the need for quality water management in water supply systems. According to the pre-accession agreement with the European Union, Croatia had committed itself to include all local water supply systems (241 remaining ones) that supply 50 or more inhabitants or deliver more than 10 m3/day of water (defined by “The act on water for human consumption” (NN 56/13, 64/15, 104/17, 115/18)), in the public water supply systems with the beginning of 2019. The main characteristic of these water supply systems is poor quality of water that is unsafe to drink. According to the Croatian Institute of Public Health (2017 Report), the monitoring of local water supply systems showed that 54.6 % of water samples were unsafe to drink due to the microbiological contamination and elevated concentrations of heavy metals. Thus, some public water supply providers, who are obliged to take under control large number of these local water systems, emphasized the relevance of this research through the letters of support. Finally, due to the water quality issue of local, but also individual water supply systems, the aim of the project is to develop a purification process (primarily disinfection and heavy metals removal) that will be economically competitive to most common used method (chlorine / chlorine derivatives), but which will not generate unwanted cancerous chlorination by-products. Ultimately, the objective is to construct a small capacity device that will use the developed water conditioning process.