ELECTROLYSIS OF AMMONIA EFFLUENTS A REMEDIATION PROCESS WITH ENERGY COGENERATION. FARM OF THE FUTURE
This Project is funded by the Vice President for Research at Ohio University

BACKGROUND

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers ammonia a threat to environmental quality because of its contribution to impaired air quality, surface water eutrophication, and nitrate contamination of ground water. Ammonia emissions to the atmosphere play a significant role in the formation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). These fine particulates have been shown to cause respiratory problems in humans and contribute to haze and poor visibility. Furthermore, the deposition of ammonia and chemical compounds resulting from atmospheric chemical reactions with ammonia contributes to acidification and eutrophication of water and soil.
The objective of this team is to assess the feasibility of using an ammonia electrolytic cell as a remediation process for the treatment of waste waters containing ammonia with power cogeneration. The figure below (Farm of the Future) illustrates the use of the Ammonia Electrolysis Technology for that purpose.

“Farm of the Future”. Preliminary conceptual design for the complete ammonia remediation process with cogeneration of electricity. The Bench-scale shows the generation of power from ammonia at the concentrations found in livestock.