• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.61-71
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• 1999

For a high-rate fermentation and recovery of organic acid, we have developed a new organic acid fermentation reactor with membrane filter, which is the most important part in the new advanced wastewater treatment system. The recovered organic acid is to be reused as an organic carbon source at denitrification process. Some experiments were conducted to compare the performance of acid fermentation at different SRTs, such as 5, 10, and 20 days. The total organic acid concentration produced during the runs was in the range of 2,100-2,900 (mgC/L). The conversion efficiency from substrate to organic acid reached to from 43% to 59%. The recovery rate of organic acid from substrate based on TOC was from 26% to 53%. Regardless of operational conditions, it has been able to maintain the membrane flux constantly, in the range of 0.4-0.46 ($m^3/m^2/day$). The transmembrane pressure drop was 0.2-0.3 (kg/cm) for 100 day's operation. The result of simulation is as follows. Organic removal efficiency of the new advanced treatment system is 95%. 73% of Nitrogen is removed. The removal efficiency of Phosphorus is 93%. By coqulation, soluble phosphorus is able to remove from the water treatment lines, which is impossible at conventional activated sludge system. The unit construction cost is 65000 (yen/m3) and it was 1.4 times than that of the standard activated sludge system. The unit operation cast is 7.7 ($yen/m^3/day$) and it was 1.3 times than that of the standard activated sludge system.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.554-561
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• 2013

In this paper, we introduce a modeling and a process simulator developed with the aid of pRBFNNs for activated sludge process in the sewage treatment system. Activated sludge process(ASP) of sewage treatment system facilities is a process that handles biological treatment reaction and is a very complex system with non-linear characteristics. In this paper, we carry out modeling by using essential ASP factors such as water effluent quality, the manipulated value of various pumps, and water inflow quality, and so on. Intelligent algorithms used for constructing process simulator are developed by considering multi-output polynomial radial basis function Neural Networks(pRBFNNs) as well as Fuzzy C-Means clustering and Particle Swarm Optimization. Here, the apexes of the antecedent gaussian functions of fuzzy rules are decided by C-means clustering algorithm and the apexes of the consequent part of fuzzy rules are learned by using back-propagation based on gradient decent method. Also, the parameters related to the fuzzy model are optimized by means of particle swarm optimization. The coefficients of the consequent polynomial of fuzzy rules and performance index are considered by the Least Square Estimation and Mean Squared Error. The descriptions of developed process simulator architecture and ensuing operation method are handled.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.200-205
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• 2005

We have prepared the porous carrier that has high capacity for immobilization of microorganisms and adsorption capacity for cation using fly ash in the previous work. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of piggery wastewater treatment in comparison with commercial carrier and conventional activated sludge process by continuous-flow fixed biofilm process in laboratory scale at the same experimental conditions to develop the biofilm process using porous fly ash carrier for wastewater treatment. As a result, the prepared fly ash carrier showed that removal efficiency of COD, TN and $NH_4{^+}-N$ items were 80%, 77% and 65%, respectively, which were higher efficiency than the commercial carrier and conventional activated sludge process. And the result of measurement for immobilized microorganisms after treatment showed higher capacity than the commercial carrier, and it was confirmed by SEM observation on fly ash carrier that the colony of microorganisms was stably formed.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.16-25
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• 1998

Laboratory-scale experiment using anaerobic fluidized bed reactor was carried out to investigate the prehydrolysis step with caustic soda on the treatment efficiency of anaerobic sludge treatment, since the overall rate-limiting step for the complete anaerobic digestion of sludge was the hydrolysis step by extracellular bacterial enzymes of insoluble polymeric molecules. Reactors received a sludge which had not been pretreated, a 50-50 mixture of pretreated and untreated sludge, and the fully pretreated sludge. Hydraulic retention time of 10, 5, 2.5 days and 1 day were applied with an respective equivalent organic loading rate of 1.17, 2.23, 4.17, 11.24 gCOD/L/d. Reactor with the untreated sludge did not archieve adequate digestion even at the HRT of 5 days, and reactor, which received the 50-50 mixture, operated well at the HRT of 5 days, but began to show signs of unstable digestion at the HRT of 2.5 days. While, reactor, which was fed the hydrolyzed sludge, operated reasonably well at the 2.5 days, but was showing somewhat decrease in removal efficiencies. Results, therefore, have substantiated that the limiting reaction in the anaerobic treatment process is hydrolysis. The soluble COD did not significantly accumulate in the reactor as organic acid form, even when they were highly stressed. It was believed that this resistance to a build-up of organic acids and soluble COD behavior was mainly due to the maintenance of the methane bacteria in the fixed-film system which prevents washout as the organic loading increased. The anaerobic fluidized bed reactor was therefore effective for the digestion of waste activated sludge at short HRT.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.190-195
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• 2004

A new technology for advanced wastewater treatment was developed using a modified Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC) process, named as Rotating Activated Bacillus Contactor (RABC) process that utilizes Bacillus sp., the facultatively anaerobic or activated microaerophilic bacteria on multiple-stage reticular rotating carriers, as a predominant species. The RABC process for a municipal wastewater with relatively low concentrations of organics, nitrogen, and phosphorus showed stable and high removal efficiencies, less than $BOD_5$ 10 mg/L, T-N 15 mg/L, and T-P 1.5 mg/L in final effluent. The performance load of RABC process was shown to be $1.23kg{\cdot}BOD/m^2{\cdot}day$ for the first stage (average $0.31kg{\cdot}BOD/m^2{\cdot}day$ for the total stages) based on both removed BOD and converted disc area corresponding to the reticular one. The sludge produced in the RABC process is characterized by low generation rate (about $0.18kg{\cdot}MLSS/kg{\cdot}BOD$) and excellent settleability. The number ratio of Bacillus ($2.4{\times}10^6CFU/ml$) to heterotrophic bacteria ($3.6{\times}10^7CFU/ml$) inhabiting in the biofilms of the RABC process was 6.7 %, indicating that Bacillus sp. was a predominant species in the biofilms. The RABC process with reticular rotating carriers showed its excellent performance for the advanced wastewater treatment without any offensive odor problem due to organic overloading.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.945-949
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• 2006

For a membrane bio-reactor, it is possible to fillet and separate activated sludge and effluent by head loss of centimeters, if non-woven fabric material is used as titration media. However, if non-woven fabric material is used to thicken high-concentration sludge, excessive sludge attachment causes the rapid decrease of flux. Mesh with fore sizes of $100{\mu}m,\;150{\mu}m,\;and\;200{\mu}m$ allows for easy separation of attached sludge. This study examined the possibility of mesh as filtration media. Existing close-flow filtration process, which requires maintaining sludge movement, makes It difficult to obtain high thickening rate. With a view of complementing this weakness, this study has made an experimental examination on how high-concentration sludge (about 3,000mg/L to 10,000mg/L) will be filtered and thickened when mesh module is submersed in the bio-reactor. Effluent flowed from the bottom of the bio-reactor by head loss of 65cm. In case of pore size of $100{\mu}m$, SS showed high recovery of 80% to 96%; therefore, it has been decided that mesh can be used as filtration media. Filtration lasted for more than 9 hours, until sludge with 9,000mg/L in MLSS concentration was thickened 9 times as dense. In the range from 3,610mg/L to 9,060mg/L in MLSS concentration, it was possible to obtain effluent with less than 2mg/L in MLSS concentration within 10 minutes.

• Water for future
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.61-66
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• 1992

This study was to determine the static acute toxicity on Daphnia magna for the Electric cable Factory Wastewater. Activated sludge process was used to treat the wastewater with three different F/M ratios, 0.36, 0.2, 0.1 mg COD/day.mg MLSS. The results of laboratory bioassay with Daphnia magna were as follows. 1)24hr, 48hr-LC$ of the influent were 17.33% and 11.73%. 2)24hr-LC $ of effluents treated with F/M ratio 0.36,0.26 and 0.1mg COD/day.mg MLSS were 26.69% 32.70% and 38.36% respectively, 48-LC$ of these effluents were 14.48% 27.88% and 31.58% respectively. 3)According to various F/M ratios, the ratios of dffluent 48hr-LC$ to filtrated 48hr-LC$ were 1.58, 1.83 and 1.47respectively 4)Activated sludge process effluents treated with activated carbon had little toxicity on Daphnia magna.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.579-589
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• 2012

To reduce extensive energy costs of the internal recycling for the purpose of denitrification in the advanced wastewater treatment, a post-treatment process using an electro-coagulation to treat nitrate in the secondary effluents is evaluated in this study. Removals of phosphorus and organics in the secondary effluents by the electro-coagulation were also evaluated to propose an alternative advanced wastewatert treatment process. A series of experiments of the electro-coagulation were carried out with the following 4 different samples: synthetic solution containing nitrate only, synthetic solution containing nitrate as well as phosphorus, secondary effluents from activated sludge cultivated in laboratory, and secondary effluents from real wastewater treatment plants. Removals of nitrate and phosphorus in the synthetic solution were 30 and 97 % respectively, which verified the feasibility of the process. Removals of nitrate, phosphorus and COD in the secondary effluents from the cultivated sludge in laboratory were 49, 90 and 19 % respectively. Removal efficiency of the total nitrogen, nitrrate, phosphorus and COD in the secondary effluent from real wastewater treatment plant were 50, 61, 98 and 80 % respectively. The removal of the total nitrogen was less than the nitrate as expected, which is due to the formation of ammonia nitrogen in the cathode. But the proposed scheme could be an energy saving and alternative process for the advanced wastewater treatment if further studies for the process optimization are carried out.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.815-826
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• 2013

Using a developed mathematical model and calibrated kinetic constants, numerical experiments for a aerobic digestion of wastewater sludge by SBR aerobic digestion process combined with ultrasonication (USSBR) were performed in this study. It simulated well the phenomena of the decomposition of particulate organics and the release of organic nitrogen and transformation. To achieve 40 % of particulate organics removal, USSBR process requires only 6 days of SRT and 14 W/L of ultrasonic power whereas SBR aerobic digestion process requires 12 days of SRT. Based on the model simulation results, an empirical equation was presented here. This equation will be used to predict digestion efficiency for the given variables of SRT and ultrasonic power dose. USSBR aerobic digestion process can reduce the nitrogen concentration. The optimal operation strategy for the simultaneous removal of solids and soluble nitrogen in this process is estimated to 7 days of SRT with 14 W/L of ultrasonic power dose while anoxic period was 6 hours out of 24 hours of cycle time. In this condition, 40 % of particulate organics as well as 36 % of total nitrogen will be removed and the soluble nitrogen concentration of the centrate will be lower less then 40 mg/L.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.393-400
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• 2008

1,4-Dioxane($C_4H_8O_2$), which is used as a solvent stabilizer, could make harmful effects on ecosystem because of its higher solubility, toxicity and carcinogenic by US EPA. From 2011, its discharge limit to waterbody will be regulated at 5 mg/L by Ministry of Environment Republic of Korea. It was thus to investigate that the currently operating activated sludge in polyester manufacturing processes in Gumi can properly treat it to meet with the regulation standard. For that purpose, the removal rate of 1,4-dioxane and its microbial properties were assessed for a few companies(i.e. K, H and T). Its removal efficiency was the most highly recorded in H as 98% and then 77% for K, which met with the regulation standard. However, concentration of 1,4-dioxane of T was 23 mg/L in the effluent, which is more than the regulation standard. Aside from, microbial degradation test was done for 100 ppm of 1,4-dioxane in BSM (Basal salt medium) inoculated with each of activated sludge. After 7 days, 1,4-dioxane was completely removed in the test bottle inoculated with H sludge, 67% in T and 52% in K, which could confirm that the given activated sludge might have different biodegradability against the amount of 1,4-dioxane. Therefore, microbial diversity in each company was investigated by 16s rDNA cloning methods where a species, e.g. Methylibium petroleiphilum PM1, was the greatest observed from H and in lesser from K, but it was not detected from T. Methylibium petroleiphilum PM1 is known to efficiently degrade ether like methyl tertiary-butyl ether(MTBE). It is concluded that the activated sludge in H can be most effectively adopted for a biodegradation of 1,4-dioxane in the concern of industrial sector.