Anaerobic digestate into bioChar/Char for URban storm WATer management ( ACCURWAT)

2 May 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

IMT Atlantique

Department

Doctoral division

Research Field

Engineering » Chemical engineering
Engineering » Other

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

France

Application Deadline

15 May 2024 - 23:00 (Europe/Paris)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Offer Starting Date

1 Oct 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Context

This work is at the crossroads of several issues related to urban sustainable development:

• the recovery of biodegradable waste (domestic or industrial, animal manure ……) by anaerobic digestion leads into a methane rich gas and a solid residue (digestate). After epuration, the biogas produced can be used as a substitute for natural gas or as transport fuel, while the digestate due to its chemical composition, currently poses an environmental and economic problem. A promising solution is the pyrolysis/gasification of this digestate in order to produce biochar/char, and syngas. The syngas is then recycled in the anaerobic digestion process to increase its methane content
• the circular economy of the so called biochar/char is today driven by the carbon market but one the targeted applications as carbon sequestration in soils still needs to be investigated in terms of real benefit to the environment (safety, water retention, nutrients sink
• the urban stormwater management : due to the climate change combined with the increasing waterproofing of urban surfaces, heavy rain management at urban scale are more and more complex, rainfalls being more variable and sometimes very high. In addition, to face to water scarcity is concerned and not only confined to the dry climate areas, it would be beneficial to assess if biochar/char exhibit the expected properties of water storage and water treatment. This would also contribute to the development or urban green areas essential to combat heat islands, to contribute to the development of biodiversity and to improve the well being of urban life.

Thesis objectives

The challenges to be raised are the followings:

• To optimize the anaerobic digestion in order to keep enough lignin content in the digestate for further biochar/char production, to identify the fate of N and P and to identify the optimum humidity required in the biodegradable waste
• To investigate in what extent, the syngas recycled in the anaerobic digestion process can increase the methane fraction of the biogas
• To increase the know ledge of biochar/char and identify the ir benefit in terms of adequacy for urban water runoff treatment and water storage
• To investigate the feasibility to use biochar/char in urban green areas or Stockholm trenches combined with their properties required to allow the plant growth (retention of water, nutrients sink…)
• To develop as much as possible the circularity of products and streams at urban scale

Thesis offer : https://www.imt-atlantique.fr/sites/default/files/recherche/Offres%20de%20th%C3%A8ses/2024/2024_Anaerobic%20digestate%20into%20bio%20Char-Char%20for%20URban%20storm%20WATer%20m%20anagement%20(ACCURWAT).pdf

Requirements

Research Field

Engineering » Chemical engineering

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• Scientific knowledge in chemical engineering or environmental engineering , combined with energy engineering , skills in scientific writing
• Practical knowledge: experimental work in laboratory, data analysis and modelling
• Intrapersonal competence: analytical and synthetic skills, rigour
• Fluent in English

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Internal Application form(s) needed
2024_Anaerobic digestate into bio Char-Char for URban storm WATer m anagement (ACCURWAT).pdf
English
(294.73 KB - PDF)
Download
Additional Information

Website for additional job details

https://www.imt-atlantique.fr/sites/default/files/recherche/Offres%20de%20th%C3…

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

IMT Atlantique Bretagne - Pays de la Loire

Country

France

City

Nantes

Geofield

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

City

Nantes

Website

https://www.imt-atlantique.fr/en

STATUS: EXPIRED