TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Materials/Processes

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: NAVSEA (SEA 05P25); Ship R&D Program

OBJECTIVE: Develop sensors to measure or provide accurate predictive capabilities for five-day Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) and/or Fecal Coliform (FC) values of effluent from blackwater and graywater marine sanitation devices (MSDs) in real time.

DESCRIPTION: The need for shipboard wastewater treatment for military vessels is driven by existing and anticipated future regulations. Without treatment, military operations in littoral waters will be restricted by the limited holding volume of the ship. In order to meet regulations, the Navy is beginning to install U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) certified Type II marine sanitation devices (MSDs) onboard its vessels, such as US Navy future carriers and littoral combat ships (CVN 77, CVN 78, LCS 1 and LCS 2), and Military Sealift Command vessels (T-AKR 303, T-AKE 1 and T-AKE 2).

Currently, the performance of MSDs cannot be confirmed by the ship on a real-time basis while underway or in-port. Specifically, the regulations set effluent discharge values for BOD5 and FC levels. The standard laboratory methods to measure BOD5 and FC require a minimum 5 days and 24 hours, respectively, to complete. The delayed reporting of effluent quality prevents the crew from reacting to the results and adjusting the treatment system operation and maintenance to prevent discharge of insufficiently treated wastewater.

Sensors are desired that are capable of quantitatively and accurately measuring or predict BOD5 and FC in real time (preferably on the order of minutes) or within a few hours. Regulations require values of BOD5 and FC in shipboard MSD effluent of 25 to 50 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or less, and 20 to 250 colony forming units per 100 milliliters (cfu/100ml), respectively. Minimum detectable limits required are less than 5 mg/L for BOD5 and 3 cfu/100ml for FC. Other considerations for eventual sensor design and package include the following attributes: robust, simple, compact, fully automated, low cost/maintenance and preferably not requiring any consumables.

PHASE I:
� Perform laboratory studies to confirm the feasibility of proposed technologies and approaches to accurately measure or predict BOD5 and FC at realistic levels with representative effluent samples.
� Obtain data that can be used to model/propose a sensor package design for Phase II consideration that addresses the attributes discussed above.

PHASE II:
� Further refine the approach to measure minimum and maximum BOD5 and FC levels and obtain maximum precision and accuracy.
� Design prototype sensors and construct sensors for testing both in-house and at Navy facilities.
� Work with the Navy to test and evaluate the sensors in a laboratory with simulated MSD effluent and measure performance (accuracy, precision, time required to measure parameters).
� Work with the Navy to test and evaluate the sensors shipboard with MSD effluent and measure performance (accuracy, precision, time required to measure parameters), durability, ease of use and maintenance.
� Any testing and evaluation costs at Naval facilities will be paid for by non-SBIR sources and provided directly to the facility

PHASE III:
� The final sensors will transition to the Naval Sea Systems Command for implementation and further advanced development and integration. Based on the evaluations completed under Phase II, the contractor will make further modifications, improvements, and optimizations to the sensors, as required, and conduct full scale shipboard evaluations on Navy/marine vessels with operating MSDs in conjunction with the Navy customer.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Successful development of sensors to measure effluent BOD5 and FC in real time would be of significant interest to the commercial and military industries. For example, the cruise ship industry is currently under very strict regulations in specific ports of states, such as Alaska and California. Quick detection of high effluent concentrations of BOD5 and FC would help them minimize the discharge and rectify the issue to reduce risk to the environment and reduce financial risk due to fines or business loss. As with the Navy, some military vessels have MSDs installed, such as US Army tugboats (LT 800 series), and USCG buoy tenders (WLB214, WLB216).

REFERENCES:
1. "Federal Water Pollution Control Act," As Amended (33 U.S.C 1251 et seq.).

2. Annex IV of MARPOL 73/78, Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships.

3. 33 CFR 159 Department of Transportation (DoT), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Directives, "Marine Sanitation Devices," 3 February 2003.

4. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 19th Edition 1995, methods 5210B, 9221C/E, 9222D.

KEYWORDS: biochemical oxygen demand; fecal coliform; blackwater; wastewater; sensors; marine sanitation device

TPOC: Stephen McElvany
Phone: (703)696-1449
Fax: 703-696-0934
Email: [email protected]
2nd TPOC: Tina Lerke
Phone: (301)227-5157
Fax: (301)227-3720
Email: [email protected]
3rd TPOC: James Higgins
Phone: (301)227-4928
Fax: (301)227-5557
Email: [email protected]

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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