Aquacycl Test Centre

Are you passionate about making a global impact through innovative technologies? Then join Aquacycl and help us achieve our mission: universally accessible wastewater treatment and sanitation, reduced energy consumption, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

As an intern on this project you will help improve our advanced wastewater treatment technology by to evaluate new wastewater flows and the operational to optimize conditions to watch as to increase the efficiency of purification.

You'll play a crucial role in conducting experiments and collecting essential data. We're looking for someone who learns quickly, has a deep interest in climate technology solutions, and is creative and driven to excel in a dynamic, rapidly changing environment.

You will be involved in the daily maintenance of bio-electrochemical reactors, the start-up and shutdown of reactors and tests, the collection and processing of data and the communication of this data to our project partner.

Join our mission to pioneer technological innovation for a sustainable and accessible future for all!

About the project

The BioElectrochemical Treatment Technology (BETT®) developed by Aquacycl is a sustainable alternative or complementary technology to traditional industrial wastewater treatment solutions. This technology is designed for treating highly contaminated sidestreams (COD concentrations up to 300.000 mg/l) from industries such as the food and beverage or cosmetics industries and can be used, for example, as a pretreatment step prior to anaerobic and/or aerobic technologies.

BETT® uses electroactive bacteria to break down carbon-based organic matter (COD). As the electroactive bacteria "eat" the organic material, they use conductive surfaces to breathe, releasing electrons in the process.

By increasing the rate at which electrons are removed, the treatment speed can be significantly increased, reducing the process time to hours instead of days or weeks. The added benefit of effectively "starving" the microbes, preventing their overgrowth, results in minimal sludge production.

A BETT® reactor is the size of a standard car battery. Large-scale reactors are installed in parallel within hydraulic treatment plants housed in shipping containers, creating a modular and flexible approach to wastewater management. Multiple reactors are placed in hydraulic series to remove carbon, and multiple reactor treatment plants can be used to accommodate the wastewater volume.

This is what your day could look like!

You arrive at the office in the morning and check your email to see if there are any special details. The client will email you to let you know what activities they want you to perform.

Then it's time to check the reactor! You measure the water level, pH, OCP (Open Circuit Potential), and voltage. To stabilize these, add demineralized water and neutralize the reactor by adding a base to the feeder tank.

It's not yet necessary to perform the weekly COD and VFA measurements with a Hach Lange kit, so you can proceed directly to processing your results in Excel. You can then email these to the client.

At 12 o'clock it's time for a break! Grab a delicious free cup of soup in the canteen and chat with your fellow interns while you quietly eat your lunch.

In the afternoon, there's time to work on your internship report. Today, there's also a workshop session on table design by one of the researchers. It's super interesting and will give you some additional insights for your next report.

Then the day is over and you go home, ready to rest for the next day!

About CEW

Center of Expertise Water Technology (CEW) is the one innovative work and learning center for applied research into issues from the entire water chainTogether with students, businesses, and educational institutions, we conduct research on water-related issues directly arising from the field and society. In this way, we work together on answers to the consequences of climate change and lead the way. future generation of problem solvers us. 

We believe that water is both the unifying factor and the greatest challenge of the next century. Water is everywhere. Clean drinking water is becoming scarcer, and businesses are no longer able to connect to water sources. Something needs to change in how we deal with waterAnd that's where CEW can help. We conduct applied research on issues across the entire water cycle. For example, consider a company that wants to reduce its water consumption or simply wants to gain insight into its actual water consumption. We then collaborate with you to develop smart solutions. This requires expertise from various disciplines, including the natural sciences, the arts, and the social sciences.

Interested? Send your CV and motivation to students@cew.nl with the subject 'Stage Aquacycl Test Centre'. You can call Maarten Trilsbeek on +31 58 210 09 19 for more information.