THE TREATMENT PLANT OF THE FUTURE INTEGRATED CO_2 CAPTURE FOR ENHANCED PLANT GROWTH

摘要

At over 800 commercial greenhouse facilities in western Europe, and now one facility in the USA, carbon dioxide (CO_2) gas is now captured and beneficially used to very substantially enhance plant growth in advanced and sophisticated commercial hydroponic greenhouses. The CO_2 at these sites is obtained directly from the carefully purified exhaust of large internal combustion engines in combined heat and power (CHP) systems. Engine exhaust gases from a typical low emissions lean-burn engine fueled by natural gas contain about 6% CO_2, and in this manner the CO_2 is captured and productively reused. With CO_2 comprising 58 to 62% of anaerobic digester gas by weight, integrating this atmospheric CO_2 enhancement with a CHP system fueled by digester gas can achieve multiple benefits. Ultimately, combining the municipal wastewater treatment and greenhouse process, including anaerobic digestion for biosolids stabilization, might be a natural fit for progressive communities.