• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.343-348
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of starvation periods with aerobic or non-aerobic conditions on the organic removal efficiencies and physical characteristics of activated sludge for treating saline and non-saline wastewater. During the experiment, MLSS, MLVSS, sludge volume index (SVI), floc size and fractal dimension, $COD_{Mn}$ removal efficiencies were monitored. The reductions of MLSS, MLVSS and SVI with maintaining the sludge under a non-aerobic condition during starvation periods were smaller than those under a aerobic condition. Floc size, fractal dimension and $COD_{Mn}$ removal efficiencies were less decreased under non-aerobic condition than under aerobic condition. And SVI were strongly correlated with floc size and fractal dimension. Consequently, the result showed that maintaining the activated sludge under non-aerobic starvation conditions was better strategy than that under aerobic starvation conditions as it adapted and resisted to starvation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.531-540
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• 2008

The main advantage of dissolved air flotation (DAF) in water treatment process is the small dimension compared with conventional gravity sedimentation and it can be basically reduced by the separation zone performed with the short solid-liquid separation time. Fine bubbles make such a short time possible to carry out solid from liquid separation as a collector on the course of water treatment. Therefore, the dimension of separation zone in DAF process is practically determined by the rise velocity of the bubble-floc agglomerates, which is a floc attached with several bubbles. To improve flotation velocity and particle removal efficiency in DAF process, many researchers have tried to attach bubbles as much as possible to flocs. Therefore, the maximum number of attached bubble on a floc and the rise velocity of bubble-floc agglomerates considered as the most important factor to design the separation zone of flotation tank in DAF process was simulated based on the population balance theory. According to the simulation results of this study, the size and volume concentration of bubble influenced on the possible number of attached bubble on a floc. The agglomerates attached with smaller bubble was more sensitive to hydraulic loading rate in the separation zone of DAF process. For the design of a high rate DAF process applied over surface loading 40 m/hr. it is required a precise further study on the variation of bubble property and behavior including in terms of bubble size distribution.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.527-536
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• 2010

Although the bubble-floc agglomerate floated and formed the float layer on the surface of the water in the DAF process, after inducing in the thickening tank a part of the bubble-floc agglomerate come up again to the surface and the other is settled at the bottom of the tank. The bubble-floc agglomerate divided into two group as the scum on the surface and the sludge of the bottom gives rise to operational troubles for the thickening process. In order to find out the cause of break-up and the effective thickening method for sludge from the DAF process, the composition of the bubble-floc agglomerate was investigated and a series of flotation experiments carried out. There was no difference of composition between the scum on the surface and the sludge of the bottom in the thickening tank. The coagulation was not effective to improve the trouble that the bubble-floc agglomerate divided into the scum and the sludge. It was estimated that for the bubble-floc agglomerate of thickening tank the trouble was caused by not the change or the difference of chemical composition but whether the bubble-floc agglomerate hold bubbles. Furthermore, for the effective thickening of sludge from the DAF process, it is required an additional flotation applied the AS ratio depending upon the solid concentration of sludge as the operation parameter.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.122-130
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• 2013

To examine floc characteristics of cohesive bed sediment of the Yeongsan River estuary, a floc camera system has been developed and utilized to observe flocs under varying conditions. In order to validate the floc camera system, sand particles were passed through 88-125 and $63-88{\mu}m$ sieves and observed within the laboratory. Mean grain size and settling velocities were found to be 102 and $56.2{\mu}m$ and 6.7 and 5.9 mm/s, respectively. Artifacts of particles estimated outside of the sieve range are attributed to being imaged out of the depth of focus. However, as mean grain size and settling velocity of each size class were within the confidence interval, the floc camera system was confidently used to examine cohesive bed sediments of Yeongsan River estuary. The bed sediment sample was prepared with a concentration of 0.1 g/L in 0 psu deionized water. The mean grain size, settling velocity and fractal dimension of flocs were $40.6{\pm}0.66{\mu}m$, 14 mm/s, and 2.86, respectively. Experiments were also conducted using different salinities (10 and 34 psu) and sediment concentrations (0.1 and 0.3 g/L). Despite changing these parameters, the mean observed grain size and settling velocities were found to be the same within the error range of the system. The relatively higher values of settling velocity and fractal dimension are considered a result of the sediment containing relatively small concentrations of organic matter. Moreover, consistent floc size over various grain sizes and concentrations may be the result of insufficient turbulence to aggregate flocs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.323-329
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• 2000

The coupling of an activated sludge reactor with a membrane unit, i.e., Membrane Coupled Activated Sludge (MCAS) system offers several advantages over conventional process. But the major hurdle in the extensive use of this process is the continuous reduction of permeation flux caused by membrane fouling. The aim of this study is to investigate membrane fouling characteristics in the MCAS process. During crossflow ultrafiltration(CFUF) of activated sludge, floc size decreased abruptly at the beginning of operation and thereafter decreased continuously and gradually. The floc size changed from 100~200 to $6{\sim}8{\mu}m$ depending on recirculation velocity. This floc breakage played a key role in rapid increase of $R_c$(cake layer resistance), which led to flux decline. The floc breakage stimulated biomass to release EPS(Extracellular Polymeric Substance) which has been known to be one of the major membrane foul-ants. The amounts of EPS before and after CFUF were 266 and 405(VS mg/MLSS g), respectively. The rise up of EPS concentration was another factor affecting flux decline in MCAS system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.267-276
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• 2010

Many plants have been improved to adapt the target of the biological treatment processes changed from organics to nutrients since the water quality criteria of effluent was reinforced and included T-N and T-P for the municipal wastewater treatment plant. To meet the criteria of T-N and T-P, the conventional biological reactor such as aeration tank in activated sludge system is changed to the BNR (biological nutrient removal) processes, which are typically divided into three units as anaerobic, anoxic and oxic tank. Therefore, the solid separation process should be redesigned to fit the BNR processes in case of the application of the DAF (dissolved air flotation) process as an alternatives because the solid-liquid separation characteristics of microbial flocs produced in the BNR processes are also different from that of activated sludge system as well. The results of this study revealed that the microbial floc of the anaerobic tank was the hardest to be separated among the three steps of the unit tanks for the BNR processes. On the contrary, the oxic tank was best for the removal efficiency of nutrients as well as suspended solid. In addition, the removal efficiency of nutrients was much improved under the chemical coagulation treatment though coagulation was not indispensable with a respect to the solid separation. On the other hand, in spited that the separation time for the microbial floc from the BNR processes were similar to the typical particles like clay flocs, over $2.32{\times}10^3$ ppm of air volume concentration was required to keep back the break-up of the bubble-floc agglomerates.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.715-722
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• 2014

Effects of coagulation types on flocculation were investigated by using a photometric dispersion analyzer (PDA) as an on-line monitoring technique in this study. Nakdong River water were used and alum and ferric chloride were used as coagulants. The aim of this study is to compare the coagulation characteristics of alum and ferric chloride by a photometric dispersion analyzer (PDA). Floc growing rates ($R_v$) in three different water temperatures ($4^{\circ}C$, $16^{\circ}C$ and $30^{\circ}C$) and coagulants doses (0.15 mM, 0.20 mM and 0.25 mM as Al, Fe) were measured. The floc growing rate ($R_v$) by alum was 1.8~2.8 times higher than that of ferric chloride during rapid mixing period, however, for 0.15 mM~0.25 mM coagulant doses the floc growing rate ($R_v$) by ferric chloride was 1.1~2.3 times higher than that of alum in the slow mixing period at $16^{\circ}C$ water temperature. Reasonable coagulant doses of alum and ferric chloride for turbidity removal were 0.1 mM (as Al) and 0.2 mM (as Fe), respectively, and the removal efficiency of those coagulant doses showed 94% for alum and 97% for ferric chloride. The appropriate coagulant dose of alum and ferric chloride for removing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) showed about 0.3 mM (as Al, Fe) and at this dosage, DOC removal efficiencies were 36% and 44%, and ferric chloride was superior to the alum for removal of the DOC in water.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.27-31
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• 2006

Sedimentation characteristics such as SS, COD removal efficiency of wastewater in the toilet paper mill using recycled paper were examined by zeta potential. Optimum dosage of coagulant were determined by turbidity, SS, COD and then equation for treatment efficiency was suggested. Mechanical strength of floc was determined by turbidity.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.231-240
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• 2011

The objectives of this research are to investigate coagulation efficiencies of two coagulants l.e., alum and polyaluminum chloride and to understand effects of the coagulants on membrane fouling in microfiltration. The turbidity of supernatant from alum coagulation was increased with increasing doses whereas the turbidity from PACl coagulation was maintained at the low values. The observed injection volume of PACl for the same removal was approximately 30 percent less than alum, which produced a low sludge volume. The settling velocity of PACl flocs was greater than alum flocs. The results corresponded well with floc size measurements. Flux decline from alum coagulation was significant due in part to small sizes of flocs. At the low dose, alum floc had less specific cake resistance than PACl floc. However, as the dosage was increased, the increases in specific cake resistances of alum was substantial. Alum coagulation pretreatment needs careful operation to reduce membrane fouling by flocs. In general, PACl coagulants were more effective than alum coagulants for pretreatment of membrane processes because PACl showed the better performance in coagulation and membrane fouling.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.337-344
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• 2006

Characteristics of flocculent aggregates have great effects on membrane fouling. Floc from kaolin particles gave higher permeate throughputs than floc from natural particles at the same conditions. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to thoroughly analyze characteristics of flocculated aggregates and to investigate effects of flocculated aggregates on membrane fouling. Image analysis, specific rake resistance and cake compressibility were used for characterization of flocs. Different flocculent aggregates formed with natural and kaolin particles were employed in this study. The fractal dimensions from the image analysis were $D_2=1.79{\pm}0.07$ for floc from natural particles and $D_2=1.84{\pm}0.06$ for floc from kaolin particles. The lower fractal dimension($D_2$) of floc from natural particles indicated that the aggregates were more porous and less compact than floe from kaolin particles. In addition, both the specific cake resistances and compressible degrees of flocs from natural particles showed greater values than those of flocs from kaolin particles. The results implied that the porous and loose flocs from natural particles were more easily compressed on membrane surface than the dense and compact flocs from kaolin particles. The compressed flocs yielded the great hydraulic resistances by hindering the water flow through the cake layer.