Sludge Bio-drying Process at Low Ambient Temperature: Effect of Bulking Agent Particle Size and Controlled Temperature

Abstract

Sludge bio-drying is an aeration process for the removal of water. The drying process utilizes the bio-heat generated from aerobic degradation of organic matter in sludge. In this study, four trials were run in the winter season at ambient temperatures of between 3°C and 9°C. The physical and chemical changes that occurred during the process were investigated and the impacts of the particle sizes of bulking agents and the controlled-matrix temperature were assessed. Results indicated that the process can start up in winter with a three-day lag, while the total duration was only seven days. The highest water removal rate (of 31.0%) with the least organic matter loss (of 12.2%) was obtained at a lower controlled matrix temperature (of 43°C) with a bulking agent of mixed particle size. As a common bulking agent, straw, which has a small particle size of 2–5 mm, was beneficial for organic matter degradation, while it had a negative effect on water removal. The use of different types of straw (with larger particle size of 20–30 mm) as the bulking agent gave poor performance, in which the organic matter degradation rate was 9.75% and the water removal rate was 25.9%. Higher controlled temperature (53°C) resulted in less aeration but degradation rates were enhanced to 16.8%. The using of lower temperatures (43°C) resulted in lower water removal rate (of 29.2%) and relatively lower biodegradation rate.