Design of a frame/structure for a large wastewater treatment pond

Abstract

[Abstract]: The aim of this project is to develop a conceptual structural solution to support the Churchill Abattoirs waste water pond cover. The wastewater treatment pond is anaerobic and the waste it collects is from an abattoir source. Churchill Abattoirs engaged in a study of covering their ponds with a thin flexible membrane to control odour and to allow for the future capture of produced methane for electricity generation. This study identified a suitable membrane cover but also concluded that an effective support for the cover would be required to realise the full potential of the cover. This project aims to: 1. Research existing commercially available frames/structures to support a large waste water treatment pond cover. 2. Critically evaluate existing designs including material use. 3. Analyse existing pond cover application and use. 4. Establish performance criteria for the structure. 5. Develop improvements/innovations to available proven designs and resolve whether suggested developments are applicable to the Churchill Abattoir situation. 6. Develop a conceptual structural design for the cover support at Churchill Abattoir waste water treatment pond. The research methodology will consist of a literature review of available pond cover concepts and a critique of existing pond covers structures as well as any potential improvements. Finally conceptual designs will be developed and evaluated against a developed set of performance criteria. The performance criteria will be developed from knowledge established during the literature review as well as documented suggestions from Churchill Abattoirs that were discovered during their field trials of the cover membrane.