Activated Sludge Process – Process Variables
Organic Loading Rate (OLR)
The F:M ratio or sludge loading rate, is expressed as the amount of BOD/mass of sludge:
B ×Q
OLR=
M×V
where B = BOD of settled sewage (mg/L)
Q = flow rate of settled sewage (m3/d)
M = mixed liquor suspended solids (mg/L)
V = aeration tank volume (m3)
The effluent quality will depend on temperature, MLSS and sludge loading rate.
Knowing the effluent quality, the sludge loading rate can be determined.
Sludge age
This is the average solids retention time (SRT). This is important as nitrification bacteria grow slower
than carbon oxidisers. Without a long enough SRT it won’t be possible to maintain an adequate
population of nitrifiers in the mixed liquor.
Often times the cell residence time is used instead, and it is a measure of the average length of time
in days that an organism remains in the secondary treatment system. It is calculated from:
MV
CRT =
Q W SW
where M = mixed liquor suspended solids (mg/L)
V = aeration tank volume (m3)
Qw = volumetric flowrate of wasted sludge (m3/d)
Sw = suspended solids’ concentration of wasted sludge (mg/L)
Hydraulic retention time
Ranges from 8 hrs for conventional plants to > 24 hours for extended aeration systems.
Sludge Volume Index
The sludge volume index (SVI) is the volume in millimetres occupied by one gram of activated sludge
which has settled for 30 minutes.
mLs settled ∈30 mins
SVI=
MLSS Concentration , mg/ L
The typical range for good settling is around 80 – 120. The higher the number, the less compact the
sludge is.
Conservation Equations
Aeration devices
Most commonly used and greatest aeration intensity comes from bubble diffused-air systems.
The change in the D.O. concentration with time is given by:
dC ¿
=(K L a)(C −C )
dt
where KLa = mass transfer coefficient (s-1)
C = D.O. concentration (mg/L)
C* = saturated D.O. concentration (mg/L)
log ( C ¿−C )= ( K L a ) t
This means that if the DO concentration in an aerated vessel is measured with time, starting with an
initial DO concentration of zero(or close to zero), the value of (KLa) can be determined from a plot of
log(C*- C) against time. The DO is lowered by the addition of sodium sulphite, together with a cobalt
chloride catalyst. The value for(KLa)is then corrected to the ‘standard’ temperature of 20C by
( K L a ) T =( K L a )20 (1.024)(T −20)
Knowing the aeration tank volume V and the electrical wattage used during the aerator trials enables
the oxygenation capacity (CO) and the aerator efficiency (E) to be calculated:
¿
OC =( K L a )20 V C 20
( K L a )20 V C ¿20 ×10−3
E= ∈kg O2 /kWh
kW
where 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) = 3.6 MJ. This is clean water efficiency quoted by manufacturers.
However, many of the components in sewage will affect the values of both C* and KLa. Essentially,
the concern is with surface active molecules in the sewage, which can change water from a
coalescing fluid into a non-coalescing one. Two proportionality factors, α and β, are, therefore, used:
K L a∈sewage
α=
K L a∈water
¿
C ∈sewage
β= ¿
C ∈water
Beta is relatively constant with a value of about 0.9. The value of alpha, however, can be very
variable (Table 4.2). For example, experiments with fine bubble diffusors have shown that, with an
essentially plug-flow system, the value of alpha was 0.3 at the start of treatment and was 0.8 at the
end of the aeration tank when a high quality, fully nitrified effluent had been obtained.
Oxygen transferred by aerators
The transfer of oxygen by a mechanical aerator is given by:
¿
β C −C (T −20 )
Oxygen transfer=aerator efficiency × α ×( ) ×1.024
9.2
The electrical size of the aerator can then be derived from:
kg
oxygen requirement (¿)
h
Aerator ¿(¿ kW ¿)=
kg
oxygen transferred (¿ )
kWh
Oxygen requirements
The total oxygen demand (Johnstone et al., 1983) may be calculated from:
R=0.75 Q ( B s−Be )+ ( ( 0.001 r 20 ×1.07 T −20 ) MV )+ 4.3 Q ( A s −A e )−2.83 Q[ ( A s− A e ) −N e ]
( )
Where R = oxygen requirement (g/h)
Q = flow rate of settled sewage (m3/h)
Bs = BOD of settled sewage (mg/L)
Be = BOD of final effluent (mg/L)
As = ammonia content of settled sewage (mg/L)
Ae = ammonia content of final effluent (mg/L)
Ne = nitrate content of final effluent (mg/L)
M = mixed liquor suspended solids (mg/L)
V = aeration tank volume (m3)
r20 = endogenous respiration rate of MLSS = 3.9mg/g h
References
[1] C.F. Forster, (2015) ‘Wastewater treatment and technology’