Evaluation

Evaluation of the F.O.T - process for water treatment from Mr. Friedrich Teufert

The described cleaning process for water treatment is based on an elimination of ammonium by Ozonisation to elementary nitrogen assisted by mechanical and chemical process steps. (lamella separator, precipitation with calcium carbonate ...etc.)

Important qualities of the procedure are:

-       The modular construction simply to be realised, allows an extension of the process at a                later time easily.

-       Low investment costs

-       By far lower place need compared to the procedures used at the moment (plant with   biofilters or aerobic treatment systems) what brings determining advantages in the investment need and in a possible later extension of the arrangement.

-       The process control is highly flexible

-       The procedure gets by without biological process steps

-       The procedure performs better than the water treatment technologies used at the moment and delivers an unambiguously better water quality. (nearly sterile water, high oxygen concentration). Furthermore the process will be able to fulfil future environmental obligations easily.

Main applications are :

-       Drinking water purification

-       Municipal waste water treatment

-       Industrial waste water treatment

The procedure can be used as follows namely as:

-       complete new water treatment system

-       aftertreatment of already cleared sewage to improve around quality

-       upgrade for an overloaded water treatment plant

What does the procedure distinguish?

The procedure distinguishes itself by a very elegant procedure guidance of the used ozonation step which it enables a conversion of ammonium to elementary nitrogen. Formed by-products (mostly radicals) by oxidation are playing hereby an important role.

This was not tried up to now industrially in water applications. Besides, Mr. Teufert has combined known principles from Ozonisation and water treatment with reaction mechanisms which are known from the nitrogen-great chemistry and has supplied evidence of his effectiveness.

Based on his long-standing experiences as a sewage and disposal specialist, Mr. Teufert has complemented his new sewage procedure with easy and effective mechanical components. Is still to be mentioned here that Mr. Teufert has integrated a precipitation based on calcium carbonate into the procedure which although the efficiency is known, is used up to now rather seldom in the water treatment.

Evaluation of the process and analysis of the present state of the project:

Based on my experiences which I have collected with ozone during my doctorate, several years' activity as a developing engineer with Air Liquide and present activity with the company Schmid Environmental technology I am persuaded of the high developing potential of the procedure. The functional principle is functioning, however, must be still optimised. In addition the process must be tested several months under industrial conditions to evaluate his optimal use.

Logical subsequent steps for the development of the process marketability would be:

- theoretical works

A scientific publication should be provided and be published. This serves as a scientific proof of the possibilities of the procedure and should introduce the procedure officially to the professional general public.

Tip: Although ozone is a very simple molecule, his reaction mechanisms are very complex and often not fully understood. As an example I would like to state for this the application of ozone for the paper bleaching. One knows that this procedure functions and it is also already used very successfully for some years to the production by freely of chlorine bleached paper.The exact reaction mechanisms are not cleared in spite of high research expenditure yet completely. For a while even some nameable scientists were mistaken and have stated that ozone can never work for paper bleaching at all.

- Construction of a fully functioning miniature laboratory scaled  pilot plant

This miniplant should serve to test different kinds of waste waters and to determine at a reasonable price the  best operational parameters for the FOT process. This miniarrangement must be serviceable in the laboratory but also onsite by clients

- Construction of a pilot plant

This pilot plant serves for demonstration purposes for potential clients and to receive long term data to further optimise the FOT process.

Yours sincerely

Dr.-Ing Elmar Schmid