Design and Construction of a Pilot Scale Raceway System for Treating Industrial and Domestic Wastewater

This Seed Money project focuses on the design, development, and operation of a pilot-scale algal raceway system intended for the treatment of industrial and domestic wastewater. The project aims to bridge the gap between laboratory-scale algal studies and practical, scalable treatment systems by integrating engineering design, automation, and biological treatment principles.

As part of this work, a 150-litre lab-scale raceway reactor has been designed and constructed with emphasis on controlled operation and continuous monitoring. The system is equipped with automated sensing and data acquisition modules for key environmental and operational parameters such as pH, temperature, turbidity, total dissolved solids, and optical measurements. The reactor layout and control strategy are designed to support long-term cultivation of algal and cyanobacterial consortia directly in wastewater matrices.

The project also explores the operational feasibility of using algal systems for simultaneous wastewater treatment and biomass generation, with scope for downstream utilisation of the generated biomass. Special attention is given to system stability, monitoring reliability, and adaptability to different wastewater sources under controlled laboratory conditions.

Overall, the project serves as a platform for pilot-scale validation of algal wastewater treatment systems, providing a foundation for future scale-up studies, integration with institutional wastewater streams, and potential translation into larger demonstration units.