污泥浓缩脱水投药量优化控制的研究

城市污水处理厂污泥浓缩脱水的药剂消耗是主要的运行费用。通过北京市高碑店污水 处理厂连续两个月的试验,考察了污泥浓缩脱水最佳投配比与污泥浓度之间的关系并建立了优化控 制模型。用该模型进行了一个月的试生产,结果表明,对加药量进行优化控制相对于人工控制不仅 保证了处理效果,同时也有效地降低了运行费用。     

Fate of nonylphenol polyethoxylates and nonylphenoxy acetic acids in an anaerobic digestion process for sewage sludge treatment.

Many environmental problems caused by endocrine disruptors (EDs) have been reported. It is reported that EDs flow into sewage treatment plants, and it has been pointed out that these may be shifted from the wastewater treatment process to the sludge treatment process. Little is known about the fate of EDs accumulated in sewage sludge, so we carried out a study to clarify the fate of EDs in sewage sludge treatment processes, especially in an anaerobic digestion process. In this study, nonylphenol (NP) was selected as a target ED. Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPnEO) or nonylphenoxy acetic acids (NPnEC), which were the precursor of NP, were added to an anaerobic digestion process, and mass balance was investigated. The following results were obtained from the anaerobic digestion experiments. (1) NP1EO was injected to an anaerobic digestion testing apparatus that was operated at a retention time of approximately 28 d and a temperature of 35 degrees C with thickened sludge sampled from an actual wastewater treatment plant. Approximately 40% of the injected NP1EO was converted to NP. (2) NP1EC was injected to an anaerobic digestion testing apparatus with thickened sludge. As a result, almost all injected NP1EC was converted to NP. When NP2EC was injected, NP2EC was not converted to NP until the 20th day.     

Analysing sludge balance in activated sludge systems with a novel mass transport model

In activated sludge systems the mechanically treated wastewater is biologically cleaned by biomass (activated sludge). The basic requirement of an efficient biological wastewater treatment is to have as a high biomass concentration in the biological reactor (BR) as possible. The activated sludge balance in activated sludge systems is controlled by the settling, thickening, scraper mechanism in the secondary settling tank (SST) and sludge returning. These processes aim at keeping maximum sludge mass in the BR and minimum sludge mass in the SST even in peak flow events (storm water flow). It can be, however, only reached by a high SST performance. The main physical processes and boundary conditions such as inhomogeneous turbulent flow, geometrical features of the SST, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) load, return sludge flow, sludge volume index etc. all influence settling thickening and sludge returning. In the paper a novel mass transport model of an activated sludge system is presented which involves a 2-dimensional SST model coupled with a mixed reactor model of the biological reactor. It makes possible to investigate different sludge returning strategies and their influence on the sludge balance of the investigated activated sludge system, furthermore, the processes determining the flow and concentration patterns in the SST. The paper gives an overview on the first promising model results of a prevailing peak flow event investigation at the WWTP of Graz.     

Anammox brings WWTP closer to energy autarky due to increased biogas production and reduced aeration energy for N-removal.

Fifty years ago when only BOD was removed at municipal WWTPs primary clarifiers were designed with 2-3 hours hydraulic retention time (HRT). This changed with the introduction of nitrogen removal in activated sludge treatment that needed more BOD for denitrification. The HRT of primary clarification was reduced to less than one hour for dry weather flow with the consequence that secondary sludge had to be separately thickened and biogas production was reduced. Only recently the ammonia rich digester liquid (15-20% of the inlet ammonia load) could be treated with the very economic autotrophic nitritation/anammox process requiring half of the aeration energy and no organic carbon source compared to nitrification and heterotrophic denitrification. With the introduction of this new innovative digester liquid treatment the situation reverts, allowing us to increase HRT of the primary clarifier to improve biogas production and reduce aeration energy for BOD removal and nitrification at similar overall N-removal.     

基于两相流的氧化沟推流器分布特性研究

针对氧化沟污水处理技术中可能存在的能耗大、污泥淤积的问题,将活性污泥的黏度和沉降速率通过用户自定义函数导入Fluent软件,对某污水处理厂的标准氧化沟进行水-活性污泥两相流数值计算,得到氧化沟中推流器功率、速度分布情况及污泥分布情况,并对其进行分析比较,选出最优电机功率及推流器分布。对氧化沟内流场特性进行深入分析,将数值模拟及试验测得断面流速进行比较,结果表明各测点数据吻合程度较好,因此认为数值模拟能够较好地预测出真实流场中各点的流速,且速度死区率大的区域污泥质量浓度一般较高。     

Sludge as source of energy and revenue.

Sludge is a residue/product from wastewater treatment plants and contains most of the contaminants released during human activities. Some stringent environmental regulations on sludge treatment and disposal exist in many countries. This has resulted in increasing interest in sludge treatment methods that encourage sludge reduction and improvement in biogas production during anaerobic digestion processes. This work demonstrates the first exploitation of valuable energy from homogenised sludge at technical scale with mass reduction. The optimal combination of sludge homogenisation at relatively low pressures using a modified high-pressure homogeniser led to the success of this unique project. Results showed that about 30% more energy could be obtained from thickened and disrupted sludge than from untreated samples. The energy produced was higher than that invested during disruption and digestion processes. About 23% sludge reduction was also observed with no increase in chemical oxygen demand. This new process can produce extra energy for local electrification and heating the digester while the sludge reduction provides economic benefits. Concentration of sludge causes reduction in investment cost on digester as well as reduction in operational time for sludge dewatering.     

Influence of solid retention time on the rheology of MBR sludge.

The rheological characterization is of crucial importance in sludge management both for biomass dewatering and stabilization purposes and for the definition of design parameters for sludge handling operations. The sludge retention time (SRT) has a significant influence on biomass properties in biological wastewater treatment systems and in particular in membrane bioreactors (MBR). The aim of this work is to compare the rheological behaviour of the biomass in a membrane bioreactor operated under different SRT. A bench scale MBR was operated for four years under the same conditions except for the SRT, that ranged from 20 days to complete sludge retention. The rheological properties were measured over time and the apparent viscosity was correlated with the concentration of solid material under equilibrium conditions. The three models most commonly adopted for rheological simulations were evaluated and compared in terms of their parameters. Steady state average values of these parameters were related to the equilibrium biomass concentration (MLSS). The models were tested to select the one better fitting the experimental data in terms of Mean Root Square Error (MRSE). The relationship between the apparent viscosity and the shear rate, as a function of solid concentration, was determined and proposed.     

Improvement of the thickening and dewatering characteristics of activated sludge by electroflotation (EF).

The performances of electroflotation (EF) on the thickening of activated sludge were investigated using laboratory scale batch flotation reactors. Four activated sludges including bulking sludges were tested. After 30 minutes of EF operation, 57-84% of sludge volume reduction could be achieved by EF, while only about 1.5-14% could be obtained by gravity thickening for the same period. After thickening the effluent water quality in terms of TCOD, SS, and turbidity was improved by EF operation for all sludge samples. In addition, the EF thickened sludge showed much better dewaterability both in SRF and cake solid content. It is induced that the air bubbles entrapped in the thickened sludge play a key role in the observed dewaterbility improvement.     

Rapid quantification of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) concentration in activated sludge with the fluorescent dye Nile blue A

The present study was conducted (1) to develop a rapid quantification method of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) concentration in activated sludge by Nile blue A staining and fluorescence measurement and (2) to perform on-line monitoring of PHA concentrations in activated sludge. Activated sludge samples collected from laboratory scale sequencing batch reactors and full-scale wastewater treatment plants were stained with Nile blue A and their fluorescence intensities were determined. There was a high correlation (R2 > 0.97) between the fluorescence intensities of Nile blue A and PHA concentrations in activated sludge determined by gas chromatography. The Nile blue A staining and fluorescence measurement method allows us to determine PHA concentrations in activated sludge within only five minutes and up to 96 samples can be measured at once by using microplate reader. On-line monitoring of PHA concentrations in activated sludge was achieved by using a fluorometer equipped with a flow cell and the time point at which PHA concentration in activated sludge reached the maximum level could be identified. In addition, we examined the influence of pH, floc size and co-existing chemicals in activated sludge suspension on the fluorescence intensities of Nile blue A.     

Model-based evaluation of nitrogen removal in a tannery wastewater treatment plant.

Computer modelling has been used in the last 15 years as a powerful tool for understanding the behaviour of activated sludge wastewater treatment systems. However, computer models are mainly applied for domestic wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Application of these types of models to industrial wastewater treatment plants requires a different model structure and an accurate estimation of the kinetics and stoichiometry of the model parameters, which may be different from the ones used for domestic wastewater. Most of these parameters are strongly dependent on the wastewater composition. In this study a modified version of the activated sludge model No. 1 (ASM 1) was used to describe a tannery WWTP. Several biological tests and complementary physical-chemical analyses were performed to characterise the wastewater and sludge composition in the context of activated sludge modelling. The proposed model was calibrated under steady-state conditions and validated under dynamic flow conditions. The model was successfully used to obtain insight into the existing plant performance, possible extension and options for process optimisation. The model illustrated the potential capacity of the plant to achieve full denitrification and to handle a higher hydraulic load. Moreover, the use of a mathematical model as an effective tool in decision making was demonstrated.     

The role of SSVF and SSHF beds in concentrated wastewater treatment, design recommendation

The return flows of reject water from sewage sludge dewatering alter the activated sludge process in a conventional WWTP and increase TN concentration in the final effluent from WWTP. The objective of the investigation carried out was to consider the application of multistage treatment wetland (MTW) for the treatment of reject water from sewage sludge dewatering in a centrifuge (RWC). This paper aims to present the design and performance of each stage of the treatment as well as the efficiency of total MTW. The full scale pilot plant for RWC, consisting of two vertical flow beds (SS VF) working in series, followed by an horizontal flow bed (SS HF), was built in 2008. The applied configuration ensured a very high removal efficiency of principal pollutant (COD - 76.0% and NH4+-N - 93.6%). In the investigated facilities, the SS VF beds ensured an effective removal of nitrogen compounds, especially NH4+-N, whereas the decomposition of hardly degradable Org-N and COD took place in SS HF. This research illustrates that the MTW could be successfully applied for the treatment of RWC.     

Operation of a new sewage treatment process with technologies of excess sludge reduction and phosphorus recovery.

This paper shows the potential application of a new sewage treatment process with technologies of excess sludge reduction and phosphorus recovery. The process incorporated ozonation for excess sludge reduction and crystallisation process for phosphorus recovery to a conventional anaerobic/oxic (A/O) phosphorus removal process. A lab-scale continuous operation experiment was conducted with the ratio of sludge flow rate to ozonation tank of 1.1% of sewage inflow under 30 to 40 mgO3/gSS of ozone consumption and with sludge wasting ratio of 0.34% (one-fifth of a conventional A/O process). Throughout the operational experiment, a 60% reduction of excess sludge production was achieved in the new process. A biomass concentration of 2300 mg/L was maintained, and the accumulation of inactive biomass was not observed. The new process was estimated to give a phosphorus recovery degree of more than 70% as an advantage of excess sludge reduction. The slight increase in effluent COD was observed, but the process performance was maintained at a satisfactory level. These facts demonstrate an effectiveness of the new process for excess sludge reduction as well as for phosphorus recovery.     

Comparison of different thickening methods for active biomass recycle for anaerobic digestion of wastewater sludge

The effect of returning solids to the digester, after one of three thickening processes, on volatile solids reduction (VSR) and gas production was investigated. Three different thickening methods were compared: centrifugation, flotation and gravitational sedimentation. The amount and activity of retained biomass in thickened recycled sludge affected the efficiency of digestion. Semi-continuous laboratory digesters were used to study the influence of thickening processes on thermophilic sludge digestion efficiency. Centrifugation was the most effective method used and caused an increase of VSR from 43% (control) up to 70% and gas generation from 0.40 to 0.44 L g(-1) VS. Flotation and gravitational sedimentation ways of thickening appeared to be less effective if compared with centrifugation. These methods increased VSR only by up to 65 and 51%, respectively and showed no significant increase of gas production. The dewatering capacity of digested sludge, as measured by its specific resistance to filtration, was essentially better for the sludge digested in the reactors with centrifugated and settled recycle. The VS concentration of recycle (g L(-1)), as reflecting the amount of retained biomass, appeared to be one of the most important factors influencing the efficiency of sludge digestion in the recycling technology.     

Behaviour of arsenic species in batch activated sludge process: biotransformation and removal.

The behaviour of As(III), As(V), MMA(v) and DMA(v) in batch activated sludge process were investigated. Experiments were carried out by using aerobic and anoxic reactors with an initial As concentration of 100 microjg I(-1). Under aerobic condition, As(III) was oxidized to As(V) within 9 hours, some part of MMA(v) was methylated to DMA(v) and some other part was demethylated to As(III), which in turn was immediately oxidized to As(V). Under anoxic condition, As(V) was reduced to As(III) within the same time-course. No significant transformation occurred during experiments conducted with DMA(v). It was found that all reactions were biologically mediated. The overall As removal was low (< 20%) during the experiments. Although a relationship seems to exist between the sludge concentration and As removal, it is concluded, under the conditions of our study, that the activated sludge process cannot remove arsenicals efficiently. However, it can control their transformations well. Thus, if associated with an appropriate technology, the activated sludge can be used for As pre-oxidation to treat As contaminated wastewaters. Finally, care must be taken on possible presence of MMA(v) in the influent of any wastewater treatment plant as it can be easily oxidized by the activated sludge.     

Pilot study of a fluidized-pellet-bed technique for simultaneous solid/liquid separation and sludge thickening in a sewage treatment plant.

A fluidized-pellet-bed separator with movable sludge hoppers was applied in pilot scale for the separation and thickening of activated sludge mixture liquid. Under the condition of suspension SS around 4,000 mg/L, polymer (CJX103, cationic, MW 5 x 10(6)) dose at a dry solid ratio of 0.003 and upward flow rate at 5.4 m/hr, the fluidized pellet bed performed solid/liquid separation and sludge thickening well. The SS concentration of the treated water was about 5 mg/L on average and the moisture content of the sludge after screening for 5 min was less than 94%, which is much lower than that after conventional settling and thickening and easy to be finally disposed. At a higher upward flow rate of 7.2 m/hr, similar results could also be obtained but higher polymer dose (solid ratio of 0.004) was required. The morphological characteristics and density-size relationship of the granular particles formed in the fluidized pellet bed were also investigated by image analysis and settling velocity measurement of individual particles. The two-dimensional fractal dimension was evaluated to be 1.6-1.8, showing a good quasi-spherical morphology of the granular particles with their density much higher than the conventional flocs. The results of the pilot study indicate a possible way to innovate the conventional secondary settling and gravitational thickening processes for solid/liquid separation and sludge handling, especially for small scale wastewater treatment plants to reach the goal of space saving and higher treatment efficiency.     

Toward efficient sludge processing using novel rheological parameters: dynamic rheological testing.

Materials known as complex fluids exhibit a transitional behaviour between their solid and liquid states. Sludges produced at different treatment stages of wastewater treatment are examples of these materials, since they exhibit solid behaviour within shorter time frames and liquid behaviour over longer durations. These sludges can also change from solid-like to liquid-like, or vice versa, when subjected to even a slight deformation; this stems from their complex makeup, which includes both particulate materials and polymeric gels, including both biopolymers and the synthetic polymers used in conditioning them. This paper focuses on two means of quantifying dynamic rheological test results: (1) the linear viscoelastic behaviour (LVE) of sludge samples, as measured by the strain sweep analysis storage (G') and loss moduli (G"); and (2) the flow curve, which presents the relationship between the shear viscosity and shear rate and determines the yield stress values of samples using the strain sweep test mode. With these methods, sludges can be more accurately characterised, allowing better prediction of their behaviour in treatment and transport processes.     

Wastewater flow management to maximise the capacity of sewage treatment plants

Wastewater treatment plants (WwTP) of combined sewer systems are designed to operate satisfactorily for the design case. Often this is a steady-state operation with high influent flow rates and pollutant loads at disadvantageous operating conditions (e.g. low water temperature and/or high sludge volume index). Consequently all plants maintain reserve capacities for most of the time, even during high storm water inflows. This paper reports of the development of an automatic control strategy to manage the wastewater flow to a WwTP according to its actual treatment capacity. The ammonia concentration in the nitrification zone and the sludge blanket level in the secondary clarifier were taken as key control parameters. The benefits of this novel control strategy were evaluated at a full scale plant (18 000pe) in Germany. The new system allowed the plant to process on average a stormwater flow 27% above the previous capacity. The plant could handle a maximum flow 45% above the design value while the effluent quality stayed within limits at all times. Our results show that combined storm water runoffs can significantly be reduced by enhancing the WwTP capacity by better flow management.     

低强度超声提高污泥活性的运行条件优化

为优化超声处理提高污泥活性的运行条件,考察了超声波的频率、强度、作用时间和污泥浓度等因素的影响.结果表明,采用35 kHz和61 kHz两种低频率超声波先后对污泥进行强化处理时,在总处理时间一致的条件下,超声波的顺序和时间分配对污泥活性的提高程度及活性的延续时间无显著差别;采用固定频率的超声波处理时,提高超声波的功率和延长超声作用时间都可以显著提高污泥活性;在功率和作用时间恒定的条件下,增大MLSS对单位质量污泥活性的提高程度影响较小,因此,对污泥先进行浓缩再超声处理可大大提高超声效率.     

载锰污泥活性炭催化臭氧氧化草酸废水的研究

为研究在催化臭氧化过程中,载锰污泥活性炭对草酸废水降解的催化效果,以及为污泥的资源化探索一条新途径,本实验采用连续流臭氧氧化实验,通过单因素实验方法考察了载锰污泥活性炭催化臭氧化反应的主要影响因素及最佳反应条件,同时对催化臭氧化反应机理进行了探讨。结果表明:在臭氧浓度为5.0 mg/L,载锰污泥活性炭投加量为100 mg/L,pH值为3.5的最佳反应条件下,60 min内草酸的去除率最高达91.2%。叔丁醇对草酸降解具有抑制作用,催化臭氧化反应符合羟基自由基的反应机制。该方法的处理效果较为明显,对评价催化臭氧法的效果具有较明显的参考价值。     

Aerobic granular sludge technology: an alternative to activated sludge?

Laboratory experiments have shown that it is possible to cultivate aerobic granular sludge in sequencing batch reactors. In order to direct future research needs and the critical points for successful implementation at large scale, a full detailed design of a potential application was made. The design was based on the laboratory results, and two variants of a full-scale sewage treatment plant based on Granular sludge Sequencing Batch Reactors (GSBRs) were evaluated. As a reference a conventional treatment plant based on activated sludge technology was designed for the same case. Based on total annual costs both GSBR variants proved to be more attractive than the reference alternative (7-17% lower costs). From a sensitivity analysis it appeared that the GSBR technology was less sensitive to the land price and more sensitive to a rain weather flow (RWF). This means that the GSBR technology becomes more attractive at lower permissible RWF/DWF ratios and higher land prices. The footprint of the GSBR variants was only 25% compared to the reference. However, the GSBR with primary treatment only cannot meet the present effluent standards for municipal wastewater in The Netherlands, mainly because of a too high suspended solids concentration in the effluent. A growing number of sewage treatment plants in the Netherlands are going to be faced with more stringent effluent standards. In general, activated sludge plants will have to be extended with a post treatment step (e.g. sand filtration) or be transformed into Membrane Bioreactors. In this case a GSBR variant with primary treatment as well as post treatment can be an attractive alternative.