Companies O3R and Coróh Brasil accepted the challenge of working on a new concept of sewage treatment for small and medium sized boats, proposed by Captain Vilfredo Schurmann.

As a result, they came up with the “Pan System”, which processes odorless and pollutant-free liquid residue. It is a compact system that treats sewage through an aeration and prolonged oxidation process.

“We seek for complete treatment and processing of contaminant substances, energetic sufficiency and simplified operation. The process must be automatic and avoid constant intervetions of the crew.”

The Pan System was tested in soil and later installed on SY Kat. The data concerning quality of treatment will be monitored during the Orient Expedition and will help researches in the fields of environmental sustainability and sanitation.

TECHNOLOGICAL BASIS
The system is based on the biological digestion of components. The process happens in aerobic phase and the final phase is a prolonged ozonization. The system uses biological reactions (biotic niches) in all phases of the process of digestion of pollutants, controlling the multiplication of microorganisms present in the treatment, consuming the water residues and providing its nitrification and denitrification naturally, without the addition of chemical elements. For such, only the water flow and the pressure differences are used in the system, without any interference of pumps or mechanisms.

The knowledge concerning ozone application is not recent. After all, a gas that can be safely generated in loco, instantly reacting by eliminating unwanted odors and also reducing the microbian level, disappearing without residues, is a great ally.

OZONE
Ozone is a trioxygen inorganic molecule. That means it’s made of three atomic molecules of oxygen. It’s highly active, reactive and has great oxidant power. However, due to the state of its molecular configuration after reacting with substratum, ozone later converts again to oxygen, making the use of ozone safe and clean, without any chemical traces or toxic byproducts. It exists as a gas at ambient temperature, ranging from colorless to blueish, with a pugent smell and quickly detectable in low concentrations such as 0.01 ppm, the limit for longterm exposition by OSHA being 0.1 ppm. As such, it’s easily dectetable before it becomes toxic.

Ozone – Properties
Based on the oxidant properties, ozone has been used extensively in discoloration, deodorization, disinfection and microbial control. Additionally, microbiocidal performance is not related to the formation of toxic byproducts as observed when using chemical oxidants such as chlorine.

Ozone – How it’s obtained
Ozone, being reactive, cannot be stored or transported. It must always be generated locally. It generally lasts for about 20 minutes in in pure water at 68 °F. In order to use this technology, an ozone generator system should be installed.

This system uses oxygen from atmospheric air as input. An industrial ozone generation system captures dry atmospheric air, concentrates the oxygen content and then converts some of the oxygen into ozone.

TECHNOLOGICAL ALTERNATIVE
- The technology behind ozone is a natural, safe, clean and economically viable process.
- Interest in ozone as a technological alternative to chlorine and other microbicidal chemicals for disinfection operations is based on:
- High-powered microbicide (low concentrations and small contact time)
- Broad spectrum of action (bacteria, fungi, algae, viruses)
- Absence of toxic byproducts
- Local production, without need for storage
- Environmentally appropriate

GOALS
The system’s primary goal will be to follow the regulations by US Coast Guard (33 CFR part 15) like MSD (marine sanitation device) type II, meaning a free flow system that uses biological treatment and disinfection. The final count of coliforms cannot exceed 200 UFC for each 100 ml of water, and solids in suspension cannot exceed 150 mg by water liter. The complementary goal will be to follow the guidelines by annex IV of the MARPOL convention for vessels of 400 tons or less, certified for more than 15 crewmen, which states: count of coliforms at 100 UFC for each 100 ml of water, 35 mg/l of solids in suspension and final DBO of 25 mg/l and final pH ranging from 6 to 8,5.

Our system and all the mechanisms aboard SY Kat were implanted by Solví, our sponsor and partner in the commitment of not polluting the sea and the environment.

Orlando França JR – O3R
www.o3r.com.br

Rafael Ferreti – COROH Brasil
www.corohbrasil.com.br