• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.451-460
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• 2006

While sludge settles down in a batch column, sludge concentration becomes high. Sludge concentration change is one of the most critical causes of the sludge settling velocity variation. Therefore, sludge concentration change causes sludge index to change. SVI is more sensitive than other sludge indexes to the change of sludge concentration. And if sludge-water interface has reached final height within 30minutes, SVI is not suitable for prediction of sludge settling characteristic, Therefore, SVIs of each sludge are, in some cases, different although each sludge has the same settling velocity. But SVI has been widely used to interpret sludge settling characteristic by a simple testing method. This work has two purposes. The first purpose is to predict sludge settling velocity by using sludge-water interface settling velocity. And the second purpose is to develop new sludge settling characteristic index to exactly interpret sludge settling characteristic by overcoming the limit of SVI.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.443-450
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• 2006

For understanding sludge concentration profile as a function of time, sludge was sampled at each sampling port. When sludge concentration was 3g/L, the vertical sludge concentration distribution was similar to that of 2g/L of sludge concentration. During the early stage of sludge settling, sludge concentration increased remarkably as the sludge interface height in batch column became lower. The higher sludge concentration became, the worse sludge setteability became. Also, the type of sludge settling was influenced with sludge concentration gradient in batch column. In the same concentration, the greater sludge concentration gradient was, the faster sludge interface settled down. And the changing sludge concentrations in a batch settling or a continuous settling were simulated by using the equation of sludge interface height change model.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.279-290
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• 2004

Sludge quantity has increased at "A"water treatment plant due to deterioration of raw water quality and GAC installation. Increased sludge resulted in overloading on sludge handling facilities. The object of this study is to survey sludge quantity and capacity of sludge handling facilities at "A"water treatment plant. Measured quantity of sedimentation sludge considerably exceeded the design capacity of sludge holding basin. Sludge holding basin was properly designed, but low concentration of sludge discharged from sedimentation basin caused production of large volume of the sludge. Timer operated control system for sludge withdrawal unit and leakage through a control valve were suspected to cause the low concentration. Augmentation of the control system by a turbidity meter and addition of a new control valve successfully reduced the sludge volume enough to satisfy the design capacity of sludge holding basin. Unlike sedimentation sludge, measured quantity of washwater was considerably less than the design capacity of washwater basin because it was over-designed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.147-155
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• 2006

For the further study of the solids flux theory, several researchers have proposed models to predict sludge settling velocity for each different concentration by using sludge indexes, SVI, SSVI and $SSVI_{3.5}$. It is difficult to apply the above models to predict sludge-water interface height in a batch column because sludge settling velocity changes while sludge settle down. While sludge settle down in a batch column, sludge concentration becomes high. The sludge concentration change is one of the most critical causes of the change of sludge settling velocity. Also, sludge concentration change causes of sludge index to change. SVI is more sensitive than SSVI or $SSVI_{3.5}$ to the change of sludge concentration. Each sludge has physical characteristics of its own which makes the settling velocity for each sludge different. The purpose of this study is to establish the correction factors that are able to compensate the errors derived from each different sludge settling characteristic by using sludge indexes, therefore the correction factors are applicable to the model for the change of sludge-water interface height.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.156-163
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• 2006

While sludge is settling in batch column, sludge concentration becomes high. Because the characteristic of sludge settling changes in function of time due to the sludge concentration change, the sludge settling velocity changes too. Also, because the sludge settling characteristic is influenced by a physical characteristic of sludge and a column height etc, it is difficult to exactly measure the sludge settling characteristic. Although the sludge volume indexes, SVI, SSVI and $SSVI_{3.5}$, are used to predict sludge settling characteristic, these indexes are not reliable values. Because the previously established models for sludge settling velocity predict the sludge settling velocity only, it is difficult to predict sluge-water interface height by using those models. The purpose of this experiment is to establish the empirical model which predicts the sludge interface height change with respect to the sludge physical characteristic and the settling condition.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.505-510
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• 2008

Excess sludge and raw sludge were treated by ball mill in order to promote solubilization, and it was known that the level of solubilization was higher in excess sludge rather than raw sludge. About solid concentration, with the increase of TS, the amounts of solubilization was increased. And excess sludge was solubilized more effectively with the increase of ball mill treatment time. Especially, in case of excess sludge, within 5 min of ball mill treatment, 6 times of solubilization was achieved compared with raw sludge. The effect of bead size was also tested and 1 mm bead was most desirable when applied to the TS 4% of excess sludge. Particle size decrease by the ball mill treatment was more effective in raw sludge, nevertheless the level of solubilization was always higher in excess sludge. This means that the results of particle analysis could not be understood as a indicator for sludge solubilization. Generally, excess sludge and raw sludge are mixed at the thicker in the STP, but considering a ball mill pretreatment as an alternative for sludge solubilization, it is desirable to treat not raw sludge but excess sludge alone in the aspect of solubilization yield and economical process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.508-514
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• 2004

Industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants produce large amounts of sludge cakes for final disposal. This problem is an inevitable drawback inherent to the activated sludge process. Both the reduction of the amount of sludge produced and improvement of its dewaterability are presently very important issue also in Korea. So many pre-treatment processes have been developed in order to improve sludge dewatering efficiency. In this study the effects of hydrogen peroxide and paper sludge mixing processes were considered as reasonable alternatives to enhance sludge dewaterability. The CST of sludge was significantly decreased, and dewaterability improved by hydrogen peroxide oxidation treatment. The optimum dosage of hydrogen peroxide was proved to be 10mg/g-TS (when TS of sludge was 2%) with the conditions of pH 4 and only 1~2 minutes of reaction time. The mixing of paper sludge with sewage sludge was turned out to be very effective in reduction of sludge cake; 30% of sludge cake reduction was accomplished. Optimum mixing ratio of paper sludge was about 30%(v/v). This process also could save 25% of polymer to be required. These two alternatives are somewhat realistic, but it was concluded that paper sludge mixing process will be the best choice.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.675-682
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• 2009

Sludge minimization from wastewater treatment plant is becoming more important to save disposal costs and to contribute to sustainable development. For the reduction of sludge production, solubilization and dewaterability of sludge are important factors in sludge processing. Ultrasonic treatment has been used to enhance sludge solubility and dewaterability with anaerobic digestion sludge, primary sludge, and activated sludge. At the ultrasonic power of 0.2 kW/L for 1 hour, anaerobic sludge and activated sludge showed higher solubilization efficiency than the primary sludge in terms of COD, proteins, and suspended solids. Ultrasonic treatment decreased sludge dewaterability and sludge settling characteristics up to 720 kJ/L of ultrasonic energy. In conclusion, ultrasonic treatment was effective for sludge solubilization but it deteriorate dewaterability (specific resistance) and settling characteristics (SVI) of sludge at the experimental conditions.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.497-505
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• 2005

Domestic Sewage Treatment Plants are mostly based on biological treatment, in which large amounts of excess sludge are generated and occupy about 40 ~ 60% of the total sewage treatment costs. Several methods for sludge treatment has been so far reported as upgrading biodegradation of sludge; heat treatment, chemical treatment, including thermo-alkali and ozone, mechanical treatment including ultrasonic pulverization. But, it has a limitation in case of reducing the amount of excess sludge which are already producted. In this study, application of excess sludge reduction process using thermophilic aerobic bacteria for activated sludge was examined. The research was carried out two different stage. one for a biological wastewater treatment and the other for a thermophilic aerobic solubilization of the waste sludge. A portion of excess sludge from the wastewater treatment step was into the thermophilic aerobic sludge solubilization reactor, in which the injected sludge was solubilized by thermophilic aerobic bacteria. The solubilized sludge was returned to the aeration tank in the wastewater treatment step for its further degradation. Sludge solubilization reactor was operated at $63{\pm}2^{\circ}C$ with hydraulic retention time(HRT) of 1.5 ~ 1.7 day. Control group was operated with activated sludge process(AS) and experiment group was operated with three conditions(RUN 1, RUN 2, RUN3). RUN 1 was operated with AS without sludge solubilization reactor. RUN 2 were operated with AS with sludge solubilization reactor to examine correlation between sludge circulation ratio and sludge reduction ratio by setting up sludge circulation ratio to 3. RUN 3 was operated with sludge circulation ratio of 3 and MLSS concentration of 1,700~2,000mg/L to examine optimum operation condition. The quantity of excess sludge production was reduced sharply and in operation of RUN 3, sludge The quantity of excess sludge production was reduced sharply and in operation of RUN 3, sludge solubilization ratio and sludge reduction ratio were 53. 7%, 95.2% respectively. After steady state operation, average concentration of TBOD, SBOD, $TCOD_{Cr}$, $SCOD_{Cr}$, TSS, VSS, T-N, T-P of effluent were 4.5, 1.7, 27 .8, 13.8, 8.1, 6.2, 15.1, 1.8mg/L in the control group and were 5.6, 2.0, 28.6, 19.1, 9.7, 7.2, 16.1, 2.0mg/L in the experimental group respectively. They were appropriate to effluent standard of Sewage Treatment Plants.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.857-865
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• 2006

The submerged barrier, employed in a reactor, divided a reactor into sludge settling zone and mixing zone according to flow type. In spite of mixing in the mixing zone, the lower part of sludge settling zone than the top of barrier was in a steady flow due to the barrier, which prevented the turbulent flow, produced from the mixing zone, from being diffused into the sludge settling zone. Therefore, the sludges in the mixing zone flowed backward over the barrier into the upper part of the sludge settling zone by turbulent flow and settled down in the sludge settling zone by the force of gravity. When barrier/water level ratio was 0.5, most sludges almost did not settle down in tile sludge settling zone because the sludges were directly affected by the turbulent flow, generated from mixer in the mixing zone. At 0.63 of barrier/water level ratio, sludge in the middle part of sludge settling zone rocked from side to side weakly. And sludge in the lower part became piled up on the bottom over this ratio. After 10minutes of sludge settling, the lower part of sludge settling zone was over 5000mg/L of sludge concentration although intial sludge concentration was 2300mg/L. By using the submerged barrier and the flow types, it could transfer sludge from this to that.