scholarly journals Thermographic Monitoring of Scum Accumulation beneath Floating Covers

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 4857
Author(s):  
Yue Ma ◽  
Francis Rose ◽  
Leslie Wong ◽  
Benjamin Steven Vien ◽  
Thomas Kuen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Thermal Response ◽  
Contact Method ◽  
Fe Model ◽  
Thermal Transients ◽  
Quantitative Basis ◽  
Solar Intensity ◽  
Exponential Decay Law ◽  
Set Up

Large sheets of high-density polyethene geomembrane are used as floating covers on some of the wastewater treatment lagoons at the Melbourne Water Corporation’s Western Treatment Plant. These covers provide an airtight seal for the anaerobic digestion of sewage and allow for harvesting the methane-rich biogas, which is then used to generate electricity. There is a potential for scum to develop under the covers during the anaerobic digestion of the raw sewage by microorganisms. Due to the nature of the operating environment of the lagoons and the vast size (450 m × 170 m) of these covers, a safe non-contact method to monitor the development and movement of the scum is preferred. This paper explores the potential of using a new thermographic approach to identify and monitor the scum under the covers. The approach exploits naturally occurring variations in solar intensity as a trigger for generating a transient thermal response that is then fitted to an exponential decay law to determine a cooling constant. This approach is investigated experimentally using a laboratory-scale test rig. A finite element (FE) model is constructed and shown to reliably predict the experimentally observed thermal transients and cooling constants. This FE model is then set up to simulate progressive scum accumulation with time, using a specified scumberg geometry and a stepwise change in thermal properties. The results indicate a detectable change in the cooling constant at different locations on the cover, thereby providing a quantitative basis for characterising the scum accumulation beneath the cover. The practical application and limitations of these results are briefly discussed.

Sludge minimization by disintegration at different wastewater treatment plants

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luchien Luning ◽  
Paul Roeleveld ◽  
Victor W.M. Claessen
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Biological Degradation ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Sludge Minimization

In recent years new technologies have been developed to improve the biological degradation of sewage sludge by anaerobic digestion. The paper describes the results of a demonstration of ultrasonic disintegration on the Dutch Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Land van Cuijk. The effect on the degradation of organic matter is presented, together with the effect on the dewatering characteristics. Recommendations are presented for establishing research conditions in which the effect of sludge disintegration can be determined in a more direct way that is less sensitive to changing conditions in the operation of the WWTP. These recommendations have been implemented in the ongoing research in the Netherlands supported by the National Institute for wastewater research (STOWA).

Simulation of the Impact of Higher Ammonia Recycle Loads Caused by Upgrading Anaerobic Sludge Digesters

2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 491-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy T. Kraemer ◽  
David M. Bagley
Keyword(s):  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Anaerobic Sludge ◽  
Content Increase ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Dynamic Simulations ◽  
Treatment Train ◽  
Temperature Liquid ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Upgrading conventional single-stage mesophilic anaerobic digestion to an advanced digestion technology can increase sludge stability, reduce pathogen content, increase biogas production, and also increase ammonia concentrations recycled back to the liquid treatment train. Limited information is available to assess whether the higher ammonia recycle loads from an anaerobic sludge digestion upgrade would lead to higher discharge effluent ammonia concentrations. Biowin, a commercially available wastewater treatment plant simulation package, was used to predict the effects of anaerobic digestion upgrades on the liquid train performance, especially effluent ammonia concentrations. A factorial analysis indicated that the influent total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and influent alkalinity each had a 50-fold larger influence on the effluent NH3 concentration than either the ambient temperature, liquid train SRT or anaerobic digestion efficiency. Dynamic simulations indicated that the diurnal variation in effluent NH3 concentration was 9 times higher than the increase due to higher digester VSR. Higher recycle NH3 loads caused by upgrades to advanced digestion techniques can likely be adequately managed by scheduling dewatering to coincide with periods of low influent TKN load and ensuring sufficient alkalinity for nitrification.

scholarly journals Innovative passive reinforcements for the gradual stabilization of a landslide according with the observational method

Landslides ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Brezzi ◽  
Alberto Bisson ◽  
Davide Pasa ◽  
Simonetta Cola
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Fe Model ◽  
Site Conditions ◽  
Observational Method ◽  
Rainy Period ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Set Up

AbstractA large number of landslides occur in North-Eastern Italy during every rainy period due to the particular hydrogeological conditions of this area. Even if there are no casualties, the economic losses are often significant, and municipalities frequently do not have sufficient financial resources to repair the damage and stabilize all the unstable slopes. In this regard, the research for more economically sustainable solutions is a crucial challenge. Floating composite anchors are an innovative and low-cost technique set up for slope stabilization: it consists in the use of passive sub-horizontal reinforcements, obtained by coupling a traditional self-drilling bar with some tendons cemented inside it. This work concerns the application of this technique according to the observational method described within the Italian and European technical codes and mainly recommended for the design of geotechnical works, especially when performed in highly uncertain site conditions. The observational method prescribes designing an intervention and, at the same time, using a monitoring system in order to correct and adapt the project during realization of the works on the basis of new data acquired while on site. The case study is the landslide of Cischele, a medium landslide which occurred in 2010 after an exceptional heavy rainy period. In 2015, some floating composite anchors were installed to slow down the movement, even if, due to a limited budget, they were not enough to ensure the complete stabilization of the slope. Thanks to a monitoring system installed in the meantime, it is now possible to have a comparison between the site conditions before and after the intervention. This allows the evaluation of benefits achieved with the reinforcements and, at the same time, the assessment of additional improvements. Two stabilization scenarios are studied through an FE model: the first includes the stabilization system built in 2015, while the second evaluates a new solution proposed to further increase the slope stability.

scholarly journals Biochemical Methane Potential of Cork Boiling Wastewater at Different Inoculum to Substrate Ratios

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 3064
Author(s):  
Roberta Mota-Panizio ◽  
Manuel Jesús Hermoso-Orzáez ◽  
Luis Carmo-Calado ◽  
Gonçalo Lourinho ◽  
Paulo Sérgio Duque de Brito
Keyword(s):  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Organic Substrates ◽  
Biochemical Methane Potential ◽  
Volatile Solids ◽  
Working Volume ◽  
Methane Potential ◽  
Bmp Test ◽  
Cork Industry

The present study evaluates the digestion of cork boiling wastewater (CBW) through a biochemical methane potential (BMP) test. BMP assays were carried out with a working volume of 600 mL at a constant mesophilic temperature (35 °C). The experiment bottles contained CBW and inoculum (digested sludge from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)), with a ratio of inoculum/substrate (Ino/CBW) of 1:1 and 2:1 on the basis of volatile solids (VSs); the codigestion with food waste (FW) had a ratio of 2/0.7:0.3 (Ino/CBW:FW) and the codigestion with cow manure (CM) had a ratio of 2/0.5:0.5 (Ino/CBW:CM). Biogas and methane production was proportional to the inoculum substrate ratio (ISR) used. BMP tests have proved to be valuable for inferring the adequacy of anaerobic digestion to treat wastewater from the cork industry. The results indicate that the biomethane potential of CBWs for Ino/CBW ratios 1:1 and 2:1 is very low compared to other organic substrates. For the codigestion tests, the test with the Ino/CBW:CM ratio of 2/0.7:0.3 showed better biomethane yields, being in the expected values. This demonstrated that it is possible to perform the anaerobic digestion (AD) of CBW using a cosubstrate to increase biogas production and biomethane and to improve the quality of the final digestate.

Finite Element Model of Human Cochlea Considering of the Helicotrema Size

2013 ◽  
Vol 456 ◽  
pp. 576-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Fu Xu ◽  
Na Ta ◽  
Zhu Shi Rao ◽  
Jia Bin Tian
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Finite Element Model ◽  
Basilar Membrane ◽  
Round Window ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Oval Window ◽  
Fe Model ◽  
Cochlear Duct ◽  
Human Cochlea ◽  
Set Up

A 2-D finite element model of human cochlea is established in this paper. This model includes the structure of oval window, round window, basilar membrane and cochlear duct which is filled with fluid. The basilar membrane responses are calculated with sound input on the oval window membrane. In order to study the effects of helicotrema on basilar membrane response, three different helicotrema dimensions are set up in the FE model. A two-way fluid-structure interaction numerical method is used to compute the responses in the cochlea. The influence of the helicotrema is acquired and the frequency selectivity of the basilar membrane motion along the cochlear duct is predicted. These results agree with the experiments and indicate much better results are obtained with appropriate helicotrema size.

Model-based evaluation of a new upgrading concept for N-removal

2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 169-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Salem ◽  
D. Berends ◽  
J.J. Heijnen ◽  
M.C.M. van Loosdrecht
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Modelling ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Ammonia Concentration ◽  
Pilot Scale ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Model Based ◽  
N Removal ◽  
Quantitative Basis ◽  
Treatment Concepts

Mathematical modelling is considered a time and cost-saving tool for evaluation of new wastewater treatment concepts. Modelling can help to bridge the gap between lab and full-scale application. Bio-augmentation can be used to obtain nitrification in activated sludge systems with a limited aerobic sludge retention time. In the present study the potential for augmenting the endogenous nitrifying population is evaluated. Implementing a nitrification reactor in the sludge return line fed with sludge liquor with a high ammonia concentration leads to augmentation of the native nitrifying population. Since the behaviour of nitrifiers is relatively well known, a choice was made to evaluate this new concept mainly based on mathematical modelling. As an example an existing treatment plant (wwtp Walcheren, The Netherlands) that needed to be upgraded was used. A mathematical model, based on the TUDP model and implemented in AQUASIM was developed and used to evaluate the potential of this bioaugmentation in the return sludge line. A comparison was made between bio-augmentation and extending the existing aeration basins and anoxic tanks. The results of both modified systems were compared to give a quantitative basis for evaluation of benefits gained from such a system. If the plant is upgraded by conventional extension it needs an increase in volume of about 225%; using a bioaugmentation in the return sludge line the total volume of the tanks needs to be expanded by only 75% (including the side stream tanks). Based on the modelling results a decision was made to implement the bioaugmentation concept at full scale without further pilot scale testing, thereby strongly decreasing the scale-up period for this process.

Mesophilic and Thermophilic Digestion of Thickened Waste Activated Sludge: A Comparative Study

2010 ◽  
Vol 113-116 ◽  
pp. 450-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Zhi Chi ◽  
Yu You Li ◽  
Min Ji ◽  
Hong Qiang ◽  
Heng Wei Deng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Methane Content ◽  
Waste Activated Sludge ◽  
Digested Sludge ◽  
Anaerobic Digestion Process ◽  
Digestion Process ◽  
Significant Difference

This paper presents an experimental study over 204 days on anaerobic degradation of thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The experiments were conducted under thermophilic (55°C) and mesophilic (35°C) condition, respectively, by using the semi-continuous flow completely mixed reactors. The influent total solids (TS), hydraulic retention time (HRT) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading levels were around 4%, 30 days and 1.67 kg-CODCr•m-3•d-1 , respectively. During the opration period, the thermophilic anaerobic digestion process (TADP) and the mesophilic anaerobic digestion process (MADP) were stable and well-functioned without ammonia inhibition. Particulate organic matters reduction of TADP was superior to that of MADP. This result implies that TADP has higher sludge reduction efficiency than MADP. According to the simulated chemical formula of TWAS, C5.85H9.75O3.96N, and the stoichiometric equation, the methane content and the ammonia yield in the anaerobic process could be calculated, which were consistent with the experimental results. The methane yield of TADP was a little higher than that of MADP. The statistical mean values of methane content for TADP and MADP were 60.97% and 62.38%, respectively.According to paired t-test, there was a significant difference in methane content between TADP and MADP(α=0.01, n=62). Compared with the mesophilic digested sludge, the dewaterability of thermophilic digested sludge was lower.

Anaerobic Digestion Process for the Production of Biogas from Cassava and Sewage Treatment Plant Sludge in Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Peres ◽  
Marina Rebeca Monteiro ◽  
Micheline Lima Ferreira ◽  
Adalberto Freire do Nascimento Junior ◽  
Maria de Los Angeles Perez Fernandez Palh
Keyword(s):  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plant ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Anaerobic Digestion Process ◽  
Digestion Process

Finite Element Simulation and Experimental Study on Blow Forming of Plastic Cups

2011 ◽  
Vol 148-149 ◽  
pp. 1319-1322
Author(s):  
Xiao Hu ◽  
Yi Sheng Zhang ◽  
Hong Qing Li ◽  
De Qun Li
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Thickness Distribution ◽  
Viscoelastic Model ◽  
Engineering Practice ◽  
Fe Model ◽  
Thin Wall ◽  
Forming Process ◽  
Element Simulation ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Set Up

Blow forming process of plastic sheets is simple and easy to realize, thus, it is widely used for plastic thin-wall parts. In the practical production, an effective method is needed for the preliminary set-up of process parameters in order to achieve accurate control of thickness distribution. Thus, a finite element method (FEM) code is used to simulate blow forming process. For better description of complex material theological characteristics, a physically based viscoelastic model (VUMAT forms Buckley model) to model the complex constitutive behavior is used. Nonlinear FE analyses using ABAQUS were carried out to simulate the blow forming process of plastic cups. The actual values at different locations show a satisfactory agreement with the simulation results: as a matter of fact the error along the cell mid-section did not exceed 0.02 mm on average, corresponding to 5% of the initial thickness, thus the FE model this paper can meet the requirements of the engineering practice.

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