Controlling the Settling of Activated Sludge in Pulp and Paper Wastewater Treatment Plants

1999 ◽  
Vol 40 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 223-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Clauss ◽  
Christel Balavoine ◽  
Delphine Hélaine ◽  
Gaëtan Martin
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Organic Load ◽  
Forest Industry ◽  
Filamentous Bulking ◽  
Mineral Particles ◽  
Mineral Powder

Forest industry wastewaters are difficult to clean: hydraulic and organic load variations, filamentous bulking or pin-point flocs negatively impact depollution processes. The addition of a fine, mineral, talc-based powder, Aquatal, into the aeration tanks of wastewater treatment plants connected to pulp and paper factories has been successfully tested since end of '97. The first case-study presents full results obtained over a period of 18 months in a 20,000 p.e. plant connected to a paper factory. The mineral powder was regularly added to control sludge volume index, thereby ensuring low suspended solids concentration in the outfluent. Plant operators could easily adapt biomass concentration to match organic load variation, thereby maintaining pollution micro-organisms ratio constant. In a second case study, a trouble-shooting strategy was implemented to counteract filamentous bulking. A one-off, large dosage enabled the plant operator to deal effectively with poor settleability sludge and rapidly control sludge blanket expansion. In both cases, the main common characteristics observed were an increase in floc aggregation and the production of heavier and well-structured flocs. The sludge settling velocity increased and an efficient solid/liquid separation was obtained. After a few days, the mineral particles of Aquatal were progressively integrated into the sludge floc structure. When the mineral powder was added to the activated sludge in the aeration basin, chemical interactions frequently encountered with other wastewater treatment additives did not pose a problem. Moreover, with this mineral additive, the biological excess sludge displayed good thickening properties and dewatering was improved. Despite the addition of the insoluble mineral particles, the amount of wet sludge expelled did not increase. Aquatal offers a rapid solution to floc settleability problems which so frequently arise when physical or biological disorders appear in forest industry wastewater treatment plants.

Energy saving on wastewater treatment plants through improved online control: case study wastewater treatment plant Antwerp-South

2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1074-1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kris De Gussem ◽  
Alessio Fenu ◽  
Tom Wambecq ◽  
Marjoleine Weemaes
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plant ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Advanced Control ◽  
Nutrient Removal Efficiency ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd

This work provides a case study on how activated sludge modelling and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can help to optimize the energy consumption of a treatment plant that is already equipped with an advanced control based on online nutrient measurements. Currently, aeration basins on wastewater treatment plant Antwerp-South are operated sequentially while flow direction and point of inflow and outflow vary as a function of time. Activated sludge modelling shows that switching from the existing alternating flow based control to a simultaneous parallel feeding of all aeration tanks saves 1.3% energy. CFD calculations also illustrate that the water velocity is still sufficient if some impellers in the aeration basins are shutdown. The simulations of the Activated Sludge Model No. 2d indicate that the coupling of the aeration control with the impeller control, and automatically switching off some impellers when the aeration is inactive, can save 2.2 to 3.3% of energy without affecting the nutrient removal efficiency. On the other hand, all impellers are needed when the aeration is active to distribute the oxygen.

Activated sludge wastewater treatment plants optimisation to face pollution overloads during grape harvest periods

2005 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Beck ◽  
G. Prades ◽  
A.-G. Sadowski
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Organic Load ◽  
Process Line ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Load Conditions

The principal objective of our study was to optimise a municipal activated sludge wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to face high organic flows due to viticulture effluents inputs. Treatment file optimization consisted in testing different treatment lines, changing the number and volume of biological basins and clarifiers, with or without a buffer basin upstream, with a view to achieving a better reduction of COD. The actual WWTP biological stage is composed of two aerated basins whose total volume is 1365 m3. The studied cases are successively, the installation of a single basin of 1365 m3, then of several basins whose total volume remains constant and equal to 1365 m3. Another case was also considered, that of an aerated basin followed by a first clarifier and then, by another aerated basin and a second clarifier. All scenarios presented below were evaluated, for standard dry weather conditions and for high organic load conditions, as encountered during the grape harvest period. The method used was to carry out various simulations, using numerical modelling, and to compare the impact of different process line scenarios and management strategies on the activated sludge WWTP efficiencies.

Operating space diagrams: a tool for designers of wastewater treatment plants

2001 ◽  
Vol 44 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 69-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. N. Hopkins ◽  
P. A. Lant ◽  
R. B. Newell
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Operating Space

Recent years have seen the introduction of new and varied designs of activated sludge plants. With increasing needs for higher efficiencies and lower costs, the possibility of a plant that operates more effectively has created the need for tools that can be used to evaluate and compare designs at the design stage. One such tool is the operating space diagram. It is the aim of this paper to present this tool and demonstrate its application and relevance to design using a simple case study. In the case study, use of the operating space diagram suggested changes in design that would improve the flexibility of the process. It also was useful for designing suitable control strategies.

Variation in Sludge Settleability with Temperature

1980 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.G. Henry ◽  
E.E. Salenieks
Keyword(s):  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Organic Load ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Appreciable Effect ◽  
Loading Rates ◽  
Bench Scale ◽  
Filamentous Bulking ◽  
Filamentous Microorganisms ◽  
Sludge Settleability

Abstract This study examined the effect of temperature on the settleabi1ity of activated sludge at various organic loading rates. Five completely mixed, bench-scale, activated sludge plants, operating under similar conditions at 5, 10 and 19°C, were continuously fed diluted, settled sewage supplemented with carbohydrate (sucrose). Hydraulic loading rates, MLSS and pH were maintained at constant levels during the experiments to eliminate these factors are variables. Dissolved oxygen was kept in excess of 3 mg/1 so that it would not be a limiting factor. Sludge Volume Indices (SVI ) and zone settling velocities were used to indicate changes in sludge settleability. Microscopic examination of the activated sludge indicated significant differences in the morphological features of filamentous microorganisms present at the two temperature extremes. At 19°C, the predominant forms were characterized by long curving trichomes, occasionally falsely branching, containing short cylindrical cells. At 5 °C, much smaller straight filaments, composed of long, narrow, rod-shaped cells appeared to be the principal microorganisms responsible for bulking. Various other filamentous forms were always present at each of the temperatures studied. Stirred sludge settling tests of moderately bulking sludges generally exhibited much higher settling velocities and lower SVI's than unstirred bulking samples. However, extremely filamentous bulking sludge exhibited comparable stirred and unstirred settling velocity and SVI values. The standard SVI test was found to be an inadequate indicator of the extent of bulking when trying to correlate the SVI failures from bench-scale performance with the results from continuous units. Lower temperature had no appreciable effect on COD removal efficiency as long as bulking did not cause a loss of solids in the effluent. However, results suggested that less than half the organic load could be accepted at 5°C, that could be handled at 19°C, before filamentous bulking occurred. A plot of loading versus temperature for various SVI's provided a visual indication of the safe loading limit below which bulking was unlikely to occur. The study clearly demonstrated that temperature can have a significant effect on sludge settleability.

Management of toxicity effects in a large wastewater treatment plant

1997 ◽  
Vol 36 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Grau ◽  
B. P. Da-Rin
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plant ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Severe Case ◽  
Treatment Efficiency ◽  
Filamentous Bulking ◽  
Biological Phenomena ◽  
Inhibition Of Nitrification ◽  
Toxicity Effects

An unusually severe case of toxicity accompanied by activated sludge filamentous bulking was observed at the wastewater treatment plant Sao Paulo-Barueri. Treatment efficiency of the plant, operated without major problems for more than five years before, was significantly hindered for almost six months. Occurrence of toxic shocks was confirmed partly directly but mostly indirectly by inhibition of nitrification and biological phenomena related to toxicity. Several measures adopted, including the recycled activated sludge chlorination, are described in the paper.

scholarly journals The capacity of wastewater treatment plants drives bacterial community structure and its assembly

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Kyung Kim ◽  
Keunje Yoo ◽  
Min Sung Kim ◽  
Il Han ◽  
Minjoo Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Rrna Gene

Abstract Bacterial communities in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) affect plant functionality through their role in the removal of pollutants from wastewater. Bacterial communities vary extensively based on plant operating conditions and influent characteristics. The capacity of WWTPs can also affect the bacterial community via variations in the organic or nutrient composition of the influent. Despite the importance considering capacity, the characteristics that control bacterial community assembly are largely unknown. In this study, we discovered that bacterial communities in WWTPs in Korea and Vietnam, which differ remarkably in capacity, exhibit unique structures and interactions that are governed mainly by the capacity of WWTPs. Bacterial communities were analysed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and exhibited clear differences between the two regions, with these differences being most pronounced in activated sludge. We found that capacity contributed the most to bacterial interactions and community structure, whereas other factors had less impact. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that microorganisms from high-capacity WWTPs are more interrelated than those from low-capacity WWTPs, which corresponds to the tighter clustering of bacterial communities in Korea. These results will contribute to the understanding of bacterial community assembly in activated sludge processing.

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