Green algae is a phenomenon in which phytoplankton, such as cyanobacteria, is excessively generated and the color of the water turns green. Cyanobacteria mainly occur and form colonies. At this time, colonies formed by cyanobacteria sometimes make water thick like paint. The main causes of this algae phenomenon are the increase in water temperature and excessive supply of nutrients to the water. When green algae occur, cyanobacteria consume dissolved oxygen in the water, and the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water is rapidly reduced, and because of this, aquatic organisms die and decay, causing environmental destruction that pollutes the water with a bad smell. Green algae not only destroys the ecosystem, but also causes odor and water pollution. If green algae come in contact with the body or absorb components contained in algae through breathing, it adversely affects the liver, lungs, genitals and nervous system. Microsystems, a component related to this, have already been detected in tap water. While the government is coming up with countermeasures to solve the algal bloom phenomenon, there is a company that is attracting attention by developing products to improve algal blooms and water pollution: Korea Environment Technology (Koreaentech). 

Prevention of algae by generating water flow, multifunctional water purification device

Koreaentech provides design, manufacturing, and commissioning technology services required for R&D lab facilities, prototypes, and demonstration plant research at national and public private research institutes in Korea. The company has recently developed a multifunctional water purification device for preventing algae and improving water quality, drawing much attention from industry officials. In order to prevent algal bloom, water from dams is periodically released, and in the case of reservoirs, water flow is deliberately generated to prevent overnutrition and to prevent water temperature from rising. Korea Entec’s multifunctional water purification device also generates water flow to prevent algal bloom. Koreaentech’s multifunctional water purification device also generates water flow to prevent algal bloom. In the case of the low-depth surface water flow generation type, air is introduced into a plurality of baskets on one side of the aberration to generate one-way shaft rotation by the buoyancy of the filling air. The raised buoyancy chamber exhausts air as it rotates and maximizes rotational speed. Through this, water flow is generated and surface and bottom water are mixed to prevent excessive nutrition and increase in water temperature. This has the effect of preventing layering caused by water temperature and supplying oxygen to the water. The principle is the same as for the deep floor installation type. Compressed air is injected from the lower side of the submerged buoyancy wheel to rotate the wheel by buoyancy and generate secondary bubbles in the air dome to prevent algal bloom. 

Contributing to carbon neutrality with low power consumption and prevents secondary pollution caused by sedimentation of dead bodies of algae

The biggest advantage of Koreaentech’s multifunctional water purification device is that it generates a water flow with buoyancy rather than electricity, unlike similar products. Existing products were operated while floating on the surface of the water and rotated the water wheel using only electric power. However, Koreaentech’s multifunctional water purification device operates under the submerged water surface and rotates the aberration with buoyancy. It consumes less power and also reduces carbon dioxide emissions caused by power consumption. According to the test results, when using Koreaentech’s water purification device that consumes 0.75 kW instead of the existing product that consumes 2.2 kW, 9,800 kW per year is saved and carbon dioxide emissions are reduced to 4,100 kg. If the company’s product is compared with the same 1.5kW product, it can handle the area covered by 5 similar products alone.  Above all, this prevents secondary contamination due to the sedimentation of carcasses of algae because water flows up and down and mixes the surface water with the bottom. 

▲ Korea Environment Technology / CEO Ahn Byung-joon

Envex Environmental Exhibition

Contributing to the development of leading technologies in the field of energy technology 

The company’s multifunctional water purification device consumes less power by using the power of buoyancy, and the effect of generating water flow compared to the same power is more than 400m of water flow distance based on 2 horsepower, reaching the highest level among existing products. The effect was confirmed by installing a 1.5kW product in a reservoir with a maximum water storage capacity of 2.97 million tons. As a result of the test operation, it was confirmed that a water current with a distance of 400m and a width of 300m was generated, and the effect of cooling the surface water temperature inside/outside the waterflow affected area by up to 1.8﹎ was also confirmed. It has also been demonstrated that it is effective in preventing the spread of algae after it has occurred. It also has the advantage of requiring no maintenance costs. The company introduced this device at the Envex Environmental Exhibition held at COEX on October 6~8. The device has been installed in various reservoirs in Ilsan and Wonju and proved to be very effective and was approved as an innovative product lat month. The company is currently developing and preparing for commercialization of high-purity hydrogen purification technology, small hydro power generation technology, energy-saving sewage treatment technology, and buoyancy power generation technology. CEO Ahn Byung-joon said, “We hold intellectual property rights in various fields through our company-affiliated research institute, and based on our excellent technology, we will focus on technical support and sales in the environment and energy fields and contribute to the development of leading technologies.”