• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.783-789
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• 2011

Recently, auto-thermal thermophilic aerobic digestion (ATAD) has a great attention for destruction of wasted sludge biomass in wastewater treatment plant. Reduction of sludge concentration has been successfully achieved with pilot scale ATAD and ceramic filtration process in field condition. However, high concentration of COD, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) was observed in filtrate, which should be treated before recirculation of filtrate to biological wastewater treatment plant. This study was focused on removal of nitrogen and phosphorus contained in the filtrate of ATAD, using struvite crystallization method. The effect of operational and environmental parameters (such as, N, P and Mg ion concentration and molar ratio, pH, reaction time, agitation strength, seed dosage, and reaction temperature) on the treatment of TN and TP with struvite crystallization were evaluated. Magnesium (as $MgCl_26H_2O$) and phosphorus (as $K_2HPO_4$) ions were, if necessary, added to increase nitrogen removal efficiency by the crystal formation. Average concentration of $NH_4^+-N$ and $PO_4^{3-}-P$ of the filtrate were 1716.5 mg/L and 325.5 mg/L, respectively. Relationship between removal efficiencies of nitrogen and phosphorus and molar ratios of $Mg^{2+}$ and $PO_4^{3-}-P$ to $NH_4^+-N$ was examined. Crystal formation and nitrogen removal efficiencies were significantly increased as increasing molar ratios of magnesium and phosphorus to nitrogen. As molar ratio of $Mg^{2+}:PO_4^{3-}-P:NH_4^+-N$ were maintained to 2 : 1 : 1 and 2 : 2 : 1, removal efficiencies of nitrogen and phosphorus were 71.6% and 99.9%, and 93.8% and 98.6%, respectively. However, the effect of reaction time, mixing intensity, seed dose and temperature on the struvite crystallization reaction was not significant, comparing to those of molar ratios. Settled sludge volume after struvite crystallization was observed to be reduced with increase of seed dose and to be increased at high temperature.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 2003

$TAO^{TM}$ System is an auto-heated thermophilic aerated digestion process using a proprietary microbe called as a Phototropic Bacteria (PTB). High metabolic activity results in heat generation, which enables to produce a pathogen-free and digested liquid fertilizer at short retention times. TAO$^{TM}$ system has been developed to reduce a manure volume and convert into the liquid fertilizer using swine manure since 1992. About 100 units have been installed and operated in Korean swine farms so far. TAO$^{TM}$ system consists of a reactor vessel and ejector-type aeration pumps and foam removers. The swine slurry manure enters into vessel with PTB and is mixed and aerated. The process is operated at detention times from 2 to 4 days and temperature of 55 to $65^{\circ}C$. Foams are occurred and broken down by foam removers to evaporate water contents. Generally, at least 30% of water content is evaporated, 99% of volatile fatty acids caused an odor are removed and pathogen destruction is excellent with fecal coliform, rotavirus and salmonella below detection limits. The effluent from TAO$^{TM}$ system, called as the "TAO EFFLUX", is screened and has superb properties as a fertilizer. Normally N-P-K contents of screened TAO Efflux are 4.7 g/L, 0.375 g/L and 2.8 g/L respectively. The fertilizer effect of TAO EFFLUX compared to chemical fertilizer has been demonstrated and studied with various crops such as rice, potato, cabbage, pumpkin, green pepper, parsley, cucumber and apple. Generally it has better fertilizer effects and excellent soil fertility improvement effects. Moreover, the TAO EFFLUX is concentrated through membrane technology without fouling problems for a cost saving of long distance transportation and a commercialization (crop nutrient commodity) to a gardening market, for example.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.129-137
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• 2000

In this study, biological treatment process of MWWT(Municipal wet-waste Treatment) has been developed through a moduling of the containerized closed ATAD(Auto thermal aerobic digestion) system & closed vertical dynamic acerator, which were used for food waste and cattle manure, respectively. Though biological process has several advantages such as low concentrations of heavy metals and salts, proper and stable C/N ratio and constant reaction rate against the process treating two wastes separately, it has a obstacles of salt concentration and much usage of bulking agent such as wood chip. After rapid oxidation in the boxed tower reactor for 5 days, the content of sewage sludge would be reduced 65% on around, might be mixed with the food waste that had been treated in the static closed reactor during 6 days and put in the secondary static reactor for curing. During composting process, the odor contained in the gas generated from the reactor was removed by passing it through a biofilter as well as the leachate was treated in the wastewater treatment facility. Consequently, it seemed to be possible to compost sewage sludge at mild and stable operating condition and at low cost through the biological ATAD process resulting in the production of organic compost satisfying the specifications regulated by itself.