The aim of this design is to develop a device for efficient filtration of sewage, the core of which is a cylindrical porous container containing small particles capable of adsorbing heavy metal ions. These particles are made of a combination of proteins and microcrystalline cellulose and have a high adsorption capacity. The device is able to monitor the state of the effluent in real-time by means of sensors for temperature, pH, and heavy metal ion concentration, thus enabling precise effluent treatment. In addition, the device is equipped with a temperature control device to maintain the optimal temperature for protein adsorption.
Preliminary device construction design drawing of hardware that can be used to adsorb heavy metal ions. The fusion protein SUMO-MSmtA4-CBM-sfGFP, which adsorbs heavy metal ions, will be placed in the light green device gap, allowing water flow to pass through the middle. During this period, the sewage comes into contact with the protein and undergoes adsorption.
Figure 1: A preliminary design of a device for adsorbing heavy metal ions, with sewage water flowing through the middle.
However, this device faces a problem, that is, it cannot ensure full contact between protein and sewage. Therefore, the following hardware was designed.
The principle of this device is opposite to that of Device 1. It allows water to pass through from the outside. Inside the red device are proteins that can absorb heavy metal ions. When sewage enters from the yellow inlet, the sewage in the device can fully contact with the proteins.
Figure 2: This is the design of the second version of the device for adsorbing heavy metal proteins. The red part is used to carry proteins. This is an anatomy of the second device for adsorbing heavy metal ions to protein. Shown are the parameters for building the device.
However, after discussions with members of the experimental and modeling groups. We thought the installation needed to be a fluid model. Therefore, we designed a third version of the device and added a pump to ensure the flow of water.
In this device, the protein that adsorbs heavy metals will be placed in the middle of the device. The sewage flow will follow the path of the blue arrow. In this device, the sewage will fully come into contact with the protein, forming an internal circulation within the device. An additional water pump can be used to pump out the heavy metal ion-removed sewage after sufficient reaction.
Figure 3: Heavy metal ion sewage will have an internal circulation in the device to ensure that the protein is fully in contact with it.
Figure 4: This diagram shows the internal model of a protein device that adsorbs heavy
metal ions. Due to time issues, we did not 3D print the complete external structure. We plan to
complete the external installation in the future.
In addition, we also designed a model for proteins that adsorb precious metal silver ions. Since the protein
that adsorbs precious metals is an insoluble protein and can form a unique membrane, we designed the device as
follows.
Based on the preliminary design blueprint, we further planned some functions of the device. We added a waterproof motor and fan blades to the device to drive the internal circulation of sewage. The temperature and humidity sensor is installed at the bottom of the device. In addition, ion-selective electrodes are used to measure the concentration of silver ions.
Figure 4: We designed some unique features on the device that adsorb silver ions to the protein, including temperature and humidity sensors, ion-selective electrodes, and waterproof motors.
The unique design allows this device to be easily assembled. We designed a platform that could host our fusion protein membrane. When the wastewater passes through the device, we allow the protein to fully come into contact with the wastewater.
Figure 5: The unit has built-in temperature, pH, and heavy metal ion concentration sensors. These sensors monitor the state of the effluent in real-time, providing data for intelligent control of the unit. As well as a waterproof motor to keep the liquid moving to increase the reaction rate.
Figure 6: Porous adsorption particles: Insoluble particles are prepared using a combination of proteins and microcrystalline cellulose with a high surface area and adsorption capacity to efficiently capture heavy metal ions.
The water in the device we designed can perform forward and reverse circulation, so that the sewage can fully contact the proteins in the device.
Figure 7: Noble metal ion sewage hardware. This model represents that a waterproof motor is added to the hardware and can ensure the water to circulate clockwise and counterclockwise. The protein is sandwiched between two discs, with multiple discs placed inside the device's core, and sensors and displays are added to monitor conditions within the device in real-time.
Figure 8: Application of protein membranes in hardware. As shown in the figure, place the prepared protein membrane with CsgA+AG4 fusion protein in the place where the protein membrane is placed, add 25 degrees 4 micromolar silver nitrate solution to the device, and monitor its concentration, temperature, and pH changes in real-time. We use the internal circulation system to circulate the water alternately clockwise and counterclockwise in the device and incubate for 8 hours to mimic the real wastewater adsorption condition.
Sensor data is analyzed by the control system, which is able to automatically adjust the unit's operating parameters to achieve optimal wastewater treatment. For example, the surface charge state of the particles is adjusted according to the pH value to optimize the adsorption effect.
The unit is equipped with a temperature control device that ensures that the protein particles always operate within the optimum temperature range, thereby improving adsorption efficiency and stability.
After adsorption of the particles, clean water is discharged from the unit. The design of the device makes the adsorbed particles less likely to overflow, ensuring the quality of the purified water.