Small Activated Sludge Performance and Viability Characteristics under Intermittent and Reduced Flows

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 309-316
Author(s):  
Bilsen Beler Baykal

Small activated sludge systems operate in transient states under intermittent and variable flows. Simulations for such a treatment plant in a summer house site operating on a seasonal basis is investigated for system performance and viability using the five component inert soluble substrate generation model. The results have revealed that the viability drops to zero within the first month after the cessation of the feed for intermittently loaded systems that are fed during the summer months, while it never reaches that value for systems operating all year round with reduced flows off season. Restartup is compulsory for the intermittent loadings while the system adapts itself in a stepwise manner for the year round operation. Other factors being comparable, conventional operation with shorter sludge ages may be preferable since viability of the sludge is higher and the effluent COD is comparable.

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 19-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Kaewpipat ◽  
C.P.L. Grady

As a first step in understanding nonlinear dynamics in activated sludge systems, two laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors were operated under identical conditions and changes in their microbial communities were followed through microscopic examination, macroscopic observation, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene segments from the prokaryotic community. Two experiments were performed. The first used activated sludge from a local wastewater treatment plant to start the replicate reactors. The second used the biomass from the first experiment as a source by intermixing the two and equally redistributing the biomass into the two replicate reactors. For both experiments, the two reactors behaved fairly similarly and had similar microbial communities for a period of 60 days following start-up. Beyond that, the microbial communities in the two reactors in the first experiment diverged in composition, while those in the second experiment remained fairly similar. This suggests that the degree of change occurring in replicate reactors depends upon the severity of perturbation to which they are exposed. The DGGE data showed that the bacterial communities in both experiments were highly dynamic, even though the system performance of the replicate reactors were very similar, suggesting that dynamics within the prokaryotic community is not necessarily reflected in system performance. Moreover, a significant finding from this study is that replicate activated sludge systems are not identical, although they can be very similar if started appropriately.


1989 ◽  
Vol 21 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 609-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.-J. Shao ◽  
David Jenkins

Laboratory and pilot plant experiments on anoxic selector activated sludge systems were conducted on two wastewaters in some cases supplemented with nitrate, acetate or glucose. To prevent bulking sufficient anoxic selector detention time and nitrate levels must be available to reduce selector effluent soluble COD to below 100 mg/l and to reduce readily metabolizable organic matter to virtually zero (< 1 mg/l). Soluble COD/NO3-N removal stoichiometry is in the range 6.0-6.7. Selector systems have elevated soluble substrate removal and denitrification rates compared to CSTR systems. These rates are not affected greatly by temperature (20-25°C) for CSTR sludges but are for selector sludges. Upon exhaustion of nitrate in a selector soluble COD leaks out of the activated sludge in significant amounts. Thiothrix sp. and type 021N denitrify only to NO2 and at much slower rates than Zoogloearamigera does to N2. A sequencing batch system provides an optimistic estimate of the SVI that can be obtained by an anoxic selector system.


1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 61-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klangduen Pochana ◽  
Jürg Keller

Experiments have been performed to gain an understanding of the conditions and processes governing the occurrence of SND in activated sludge systems. Sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) have been operated under controlled conditions using the wastewater from the first anaerobic pond in an abattoir wastewater treatment plant. Under specific circumstances, up to 95% of total nitrogen removal through SND has been found in the system. Carbon source and oxygen concentrations were found to be important process parameters. The addition of acetate as an external carbon source resulted in a significant increase of SND activity in the system. Stepwise change of DO concentration has also been observed in this study. Experiments to determine the effect of the floc size on SND have been performed in order to test the hypothesis that SND is a physical phenomenon, governed by the diffusion of oxygen into the activated sludge flocs. Initial results support this hypothesis but further experimental confirmation is still required.


2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 1115-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Haun ◽  
Katharina Ulbricht ◽  
Regina Nogueira ◽  
Karl-Heinz Rosenwinkel

A virus tool based on Activated Sludge Model No. 3 for modeling virus elimination in activated sludge systems was developed and calibrated with the results from laboratory-scale batch tests and from measurements in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The somatic coliphages were used as an indicator for human pathogenic enteric viruses. The extended model was used to simulate the virus concentration in batch tests and in a municipal full-scale WWTP under steady-state and dynamic conditions. The experimental and modeling results suggest that both adsorption and inactivation processes, modeled as reversible first-order reactions, contribute to virus elimination in activated sludge systems. The model should be a useful tool to estimate the number of viruses entering water bodies from the discharge of treated effluents.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-22

In this study two bench scale activated sludge systems were used, a CSTR and an SBR for the treatment of coke – oven wastewater. Both reactors were inoculated with activated sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. At the first stages of operation, reactors were feed by a mixture of municipal wastewater and synthetic wastewater. Full acclimatization of the microorganisms to synthetic wastewater was achieved in 60 days. The operation of the reactors was divided into three distinct periods. The first period was characterized by the treatment of high organic but non-toxic synthetic wastewater. During this period COD and BOD5 removal efficiencies reached 95 and 98% respectively, in both reactors. Nutrient removal was better in the SBR reactor rather than in the CSTR. In the second period phenol was added in concentrations up to 300 mg l-1. Degradation of phenol started about the 20th day after its introduction to the reactors. In this period no effects of phenol to nutrient removal were observed, whereas the removal efficiency of organic matter in both reactors was slightly decreased. During the third period phenol concentrations of the influent were gradually increased to 1000 mg l-1, while cyanide and thiocyanite were added to the influent composition to concentrations reaching concentrations of 20 and 250 mg l-1 respectively. The composition of the influent of this period was a full assimilation of coke oven wastewater. Introduction of increased phenol concentrations along with cyanide compounds initiated irreversible effects on the activated sludge microfauna of the CSTR causing inherent problems to the treatment process, while SBR showed greater capacity to withstand and degrade toxic compounds. The beginning of this period was characterized by decreased settleability of the suspended solids as well as decrease of organic matter and nutrient removal efficiencies. Monitoring of the effluent characteristics during this period reported over 90% for organic load, 85% of nutrient removal and over 90% of phenol and cyanide removal in SBR, while the removal efficiencies for the CSTR were 75, 65 and 80% respectively.


1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willi Gujer ◽  
Tove A. Larsen

The Activated Sludge SIMulation program ASIM is introduced as a didactic tool to be used in design courses for the simulation of the dynamic behaviour of modern nutrient removal activated sludge systems. It allows for free definition of the biokinetic model, the flow scheme, process control strategies and load variation. Its user interface is simple enough to be used in the classroom but powerful enough to support even professional work. The most difficult aspect of ASIM is the preparation of the biokinetic model (transformation processes) to be used. A systematic use of stoichiometric conservation principles simplifies this task and at the same time reduces the number of empirical parameters. The practical application of conservation principles for charge, elements and theoretical COD is presented in detail. Composition equations are introduced as a link to the wastewater treatment plant reality.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-26
Author(s):  
T. Weinpel ◽  
V. Bakos ◽  
A. Jobbágy

Part-time aeration is frequently applied in activated sludge systems in order to decrease treatment costs by achieving nitrification and denitrification in the same basin. However, measurements and mathematical simulations carried out at the North-Budapest Wastewater Treatment Plant (Budapest, Hungary), clearly show that especially in the increasingly characteristic shortage of readily biodegradable carbon-source, this technique may lead to high effluent nitrate and/or ammonia concentrations at decreased temperatures. This situation may be worsened when co-digestion of external wastes with high N-content increase the ammonia concentration of sludge processing return flows. In these cases, denitrification should rather be enhanced in pre-anoxic zones. Pronounced pre-denitrification leads to better usage of the influent carbon-source and to considerably less methanol demand when dosing external carbon-source proves to be necessary.


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