Optimisation and Uprating of Activated Sludge Plants by Efficient Process Design

Abstract

Requirements to improve effluent quality and reduce operating costs at existing activated sludge plants in the UK have led to the development of an accurate mathematical model of the process which can be used for full-scale design. The WRc Activated Sludge Model has been developed over a number of years and is based on the concept of describing the kinetics of BOD removal by including a Monod term for growth and a Michaelis-Menten term for enzymatic activity. Since the first formulation of the model, further equations have been added which describe the use of oxygen and nitrate as electron acceptors for the conversion of BOD. The model equations can be used to predict the performance of most configurations of the activated sludge process by using the ‘tanks in series' concept to describe aeration tank mixing characteristics. Solutions to the equations are easily obtained by standard numerical integration techniques using a computer. The software has been written in such a way that the model can be used interactively by a plant designer. Results obtained using the mathematical model have been used to redesign several full-scale activated sludge plants in the UK. In some cases, it has been possible to reduce the energy costs for aeration by 40% whilst maintaining effluent quality by accurately matching the supply of oxygen to the spatially-varying oxygen demand in plug-flow aeration tanks. Bulking sludge problems have also been solved by the conversion of completely-mixed aeration tanks to plug-flow aeration tanks with complementary redesign of the aeration system.