Dielectric elastomer actuators exert strain due to an applied electric field. With advantageous properties such as high efficiency and their light weight, these actuators are attractive for a variety of applications ranging from biomimetic robots, medical prosthetics to conventional pumps and valves. The performance and reliability however, are limited by dielectric breakdown which occurs primarily from localized defects inherently present in the polymer film during actuation. These defects lead to electric arcing, causing a short circuit that shuts down the entire actuator and can lead to actuator failure at fields significantly lower than the intrinsic strength of the material. This limitation is particularly a problem in actuators using large-area films. Our recent studies have shown that the gap between the strength of the intrinsic material and the strength of large-area actuators can be reduced by electrically isolating defects in the dielectric film. As a result, the performance and reliability of dielectric elastomers actuators can be substantially improved.
A one-stage anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) reactor can be quickly started within 40 days by mixing partial nitrifying sludge with ANAMMOX granular sludge with an average temperature of 30 °C. After 70 days of nitrogen load acclimation, Acinetobacter, including Candidatus Kuenenia, became the dominant strain of the system within the reactor, which exhibited high efficiency and a stable nitrogen removal performance. At an influent chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH4+-N content, total nitrogen (TN) content, hydraulic retention time (HRT), temperature, and reactor dissolved oxygen (DO) content of 100, 60, and 70 mg/L, 6 h, 30 ± 1 °C, and below 0.6 mg/L, respectively, the one-stage ANAMMOX reactor could effectively treat domestic sewage on campus. The removal rates of COD, NH4+-N, and TN were approximately 89%, 96.7%, and 70%, respectively.
A sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and a ceramic membrane bioreactor (CMBR) were used in conjunction (SBR+CMBR) to treat high-concentration oil and gas field wastewater (HCOGW) from the China National Offshore Oil Corporation Zhanjiang Branch (Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China). The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and the oil concentrations in the wastewater were 20,000–76,000 and 600–2200 mg/L, respectively. After the SBR+CMBR process, the effluent COD and oil content values were less than 250 mg/L and 2 mg/L, respectively, which met the third level of the Integrated Wastewater Discharge Standards of China (GB8978-1996). Through microbiological analysis, it was found that the CMBR domesticated a previously unreported functional microorganism (JF922467.1) that successfully formed a new microbial ecosystem suitable for HCOGW treatment. In conjunction with the SBR process, the CMBR process effectively reduced pollutant concentrations in HCOGW. Moreover, economic analyses indicated that the total investment required to implement the proposed infrastructure would be approximately 671,776.61 USD, and the per-unit water treatment cost would be 1.04 USD/m3.
High-salinity wastewater discharged from offshore oil rigs (WORS) is harmful to marine environments. Therefore, WORS should be properly treated before discharge. In this study, a full-scale anaerobic baffle reactor (ABR) + sequencing batch reactor (SBR) + sand filter (SF) process was used for the first time to treat WORS at an inshore treatment terminal. After seeding with residual sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment facility, the start-up of the ABR and SBR was accomplished in one month. During a steady running period, the ABR + SBR process showed stable performance in treating WORS. The results of microbial diversity indicated that Rhizobiales, Thermotogales, and Actinomycetales were the most abundant genera in the ABR sample, while Acidobacteria DRC31, Lactobacillales, and Bacillales prevailed in the SBR sample. The results showed that ABR + SBR is a reliable process for WORS treatment, with the treated WORS meeting the National Sewage Comprehensive Emission Standards (GB8978-1996).
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