Analysis of the Potential of an Increase in Yeast Output Resulting from the Application of Additional Process Wastewater in the Evaporator Station

Abstract

This paper reports the results of an analysis of process wastewater streams in the context of an increase in yeast production. This research is based on the analysis of data from the biggest yeast factory in Europe. The research presented in this paper involves the analysis of the influence of direction of additional wastewater into the evaporator station on yeast production. In the process wastewater, nitrogen is mainly present in organic forms. The analysis reported in this paper involves the concentration of total nitrogen in wastewater streams, as it is the main parameter applied to determine the amount of wastewater that can be applied in agricultural fields. Directing additional wastewater into the evaporator station can offer a simultaneous increase in the volume of its use in the field of agriculture and will ultimately yield an increase in productivity (under conditions where additional pressure on the natural environment is not exerted). The results obtained in this analysis were an increase in production of ηYp = 0.1027, corresponding to about 6500 Mg of yeast per year. This is a feasible value, which can be derived from the existing agricultural field area and the properties of the evaporator station in the factory. At the same time, the same increase in the volume of organic fertilizer is obtained. This fertilizer is generated as a byproduct of the pre-treatment of wastewater at the evaporator station. Thus, the increase in the production of the fertilizer can have a positive effect on fields in local farms, which are typically the recipients of this fertilizer.

Keywords

• environmental engineering
• production increase
• yeast wastewater
• sustainability