Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2017NE292B

Utilizing biotrickling filters to reduce water consumption at fermentation and dryer stacks in ethanol plants

Institute: Nebraska
Year Established: 2017 Start Date: 2017-03-01 End Date: 2018-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $20,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $40,065

Principal Investigators: Ashraf AlyHassan

Project Summary: The overall goal of this study is to minimize water and energy utilization as part of emissions control at ethanol plant by studying the feasibility of biotrickling filters (BTF) as a green biological alternative. BTF utilization has the potential of water quantity reduction to 1/20 of that of the scrubber. The overall goal addresses at least two of the top 10 water challenges in Nebraska as cited by the Nebraska Water Center. On one hand the project addresses a water quantity challenge represented in the effect of water consumption and conservation (including ethanol production) and water institutions challenge, where real-time water monitoring is a goal.