Frontier Environmental Technology Receives Grand Challenges Explorations Funding

Rolla, MO – Frontier Environmental Technology (Frontier) announced today that it will receive funding through Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative created by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that enables researchers worldwide to test unorthodox ideas that address persistent health and development challenges. Frontier will pursue an innovative global health research project, titled “Biogas Generator Powered by Self-Sustaining Mixing Mechanism”.

 Grand Challenges Explorations funds scientists and researchers worldwide to explore ideas that can break the mold in how we solve persistent global health and development challenges.  Frontier’s project is 1 of 110 Grand Challenges Explorations grants announced today. “We believe in the power of innovation—that a single bold idea can pioneer solutions to our greatest health and development challenges,” said Chris Wilson, Director of Global Health Discovery for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Grand Challenges Explorations seeks to identify and fund these new ideas wherever they come from, allowing scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs to pursue the kinds of creative ideas and novel approaches that could help to accelerate the end of polio, cure HIV infection or improve sanitation.”

 Projects that are receiving funding show promise in tackling priority global health issues where solutions do not yet exist.  This includes finding effective methods to eliminate or control infectious diseases such as polio and HIV as well as discovering new sanitation technologies.  To learn more about Grand Challenges Explorations, visit www.grandchallenges.org.

 There are many factors that determine the efficiency of a biogas generator. The amount of mixing within the reactor is one of those factors. A well-mixed reactor supplies the organisms in the reactor with food as quickly as possible, resulting in faster generation of methane. However, greater mixing means more energy input, thereby reducing net energy gain from the generator. This project will test a new biogas generator that will use the buoyant force of large gas bubbles formed from small bubbles to drive convective mixing in the reactor.

 Frontier is an emerging technology company that begun with the development of the Baffled Bioreactor (BBR). Since its founding Frontier has developed a variety of innovative technologies for low-maintenance wastewater treatment and biological nutrient removal. Advanced solids treatment and energy recovery was an easy transition from their specialty niche. Visit www.FrontierET.com to learn more.

About Grand Challenges Explorations

Grand Challenges Explorations is a $100 million initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  Launched in 2008, Grand Challenge Explorations grants have already been awarded to nearly 500 researchers from over 40 countries.  The grant program is open to anyone from any discipline and from any organization.  The initiative uses an agile, accelerated grant-making process with short, two-page online applications and no preliminary data required.  Initial grants of $100,000 are awarded two times a year. Successful projects have an opportunity to receive a follow-on grant of up to $1 million.

Frontier Environmental Technology Successfully
Demonstrates Alternating Baffled Bioreactor (aBBR)
For Advanced Nitrogen Removal

Rolla, Missouri – On September 25, 2011, Frontier Environmental Technology wrapped up a three-month technology demonstration project for the aBBR at the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Facility outside of Rolla, MO. The aBBR is an application of BBR technology that operates in alternating anoxic/aerobic modes to remove >70% of total nitrogen in wastewater, along with superior BOD and TSS reduction. Total nitrogen in wastewater is a composition of several different forms of nitrogen – all of which can be harmful to aquatic life and toxic to humans in high concentrations.

State regulatory agencies are beginning to require wastewater treatment plants to remove some or all forms of total nitrogen. The capital upgrade, operational, and maintenance costs for plants to remove total nitrogen can be significant. The aBBR is extremely efficient thanks to the simplicity of its operation. Air from blowers is used to drive the functions of the reactor, including a newly developed anoxic mixing system.

Frontier is pursuing similar technologies for permanent installations in small- to medium-sized communities throughout North America. For more information and updates about Frontier Environmental Technologies and their projects visit www.FrontierET.com.

Frontier Environmental Technology Begins Third-Party Testing on Deployable Baffled Bioreactor (dBBR); Missouri DNR Pays Visit

Rolla, Missouri – On August 16, 2010, Frontier Environmental Technology began its official third party testing of their Deployable Baffled Bioreactor (dBBR) at the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Facility outside of Rolla, MO. The dBBR is a portable, energy efficient wastewater treatment unit whose technology has the potential to provide safer and healthier conditions for the American troops, as well as a rapidly deployable water treatment optoin at home or abroad in times of disaster such as Hurricane Katrina or the Haitian earthquake.

Testing will be carried out by personnel of the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Facility for five-day biological oxygen demand (BOD₅), ammonia-nitrogen (NH₃-N) and total suspended solids (TSS) using resources purchased by Frontier Environmental Technology.

The dBBR being tested represents a nearly complete reactor designed for small flows, energy efficiency and deploy ability to forward operating bases of the U.S. Army. Effluent results to date suggest advanced wastewater treatment capability (~10 mg/L BOD₅ & TSS, <2 mg/L NH₃-N and disinfection) for 75-100 people by a unit housed within a 20' shipping container at an energy consumption rate of approximately 2.4 kW.

Frontier is pursuing similar technologies for permanent installations in small- to medium-sized communities throughout North America.  For more information and updates about Frontier Environmental Technologies and their projects visit www.FrontierET.com.