• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.483-490
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• 2014

The design procedures for a biological reactor and a secondary settling tank (SST) of an activated sludge system are based on the steady state design method (Ekama et al., 1986; WRC, 1984) and the 1-D flux theory design method (Ekama et al., 1997), respectively. This study combined both of the design procedures, to determine the optimum sludge concentration in the reactor and the best design with the lowest cost. The best design of the reactor volume and the SST diameter at the optimum sludge concentration were specified with varying wastewater and sludge characteristics, temperature, sludge retention time (SRT) and peak flow rate. The effects of the influent wastewater characteristics, such as substrate concentration and unbiodegradable particulate fraction, were found to be considerable, but the effect of unbiodegradable soluble fraction was to be negligible. The effects of sludge settling characteristics, were also significant. SRT, as an operating parameter, was found to be an important factor for determining the optimum sludge concentration. However, the effect of temperature was found to be small. Furthermore, for designing a large scale wastewater treatment plant, the number of reactors or SSTs could be estimated, by dividing the total reactor volume or SST area. The new combined design procedure, proposed in this research, will be able to allow engineers to provide the best design of an activated sludge system with the lowest cost.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.561-570
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• 2013

There are two types of rectangular secondary clarifier at biological nutrient removal (BNR) facility to settle MLSS; conventional activated sludge secondary clarifier and Gould Type I clarifier. In this study, the performances of two types at respective biological nutrient removal facility are compared using weekly operational data. Surface Overflow Rate (SOR), Surface Loading Rate (SLR), Sludge Volume Index (SVI), secondary effluent SS concentration are studied. It has found that Gould Type I has 3.5 times less average secondary effluent SS concentration that is 2.4 mg/L than that of conventional activated sludge secondary clarifier. Both SOR and SLR have shown little effect on secondary effluent SS concentrations at Gould Type I clarifier in contrary that SOR affects the secondary effluent SS concentrations at conventional activated sludge rectangular secondary clarifier. From this study, it is recommended that Gould Type I must be considered for secondary clarifier when BNR plant is designed.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.607-615
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to biological treatment of high salinity wastewater using Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS). In laboratory scale's experiments research was performed using a sequencing batch reactor, and evaluation of the denitrification reaction in accordance with the injection condition of salinity concentration, surface properties of microorganisms, and sludge precipitability was performed. The results showed that the salinity concentration increased up to 1.5%, and there was no significant difference in the nitrogen removal efficiency; however, it showed a tendency to decrease gradually from 2.0% onward. The specific denitrification rate (SDNR) was 0.052 - 0.134 mg $NO_3{^-}-N/mg$ MLVSS (mixed liquor volatile suspended solid)${\cdot}day$. The MLVSS/MLSS (mixed liquor suspended solid) ratio decreased to 76.2%, and sludge volume index ($SVI_{30}$) was finally lowered to 57 mL/g. Using an optical microscope, it was also observed that the initial size of the sludge was 0.2 mm, and finally it was formed to 0.8-1.0 mm. Therefore, salinity injection provides favorable conditions for the formation of an AGS, and it was possible to maintain stable granular sludge during long-term operation of the biological treatment system.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.460-464
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• 2000

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are believed to play a role in the binding and formation of microbial flocs. However, the precise role is not well known. Sludge settling characteristics and the carbohydrate to protein ratio in EPS were tested with various airflow rates in this study. Sludge was collected from three modified sequencing batch reactors (SBRs), which were operated at 16$\^{C}$ with an airflow rate of 0.8L/min, 3L/min and 6L/min, respectively. During the operation, the reactor operated at an airflow rate of 0.8L/min showed sludge volume index (SVI) of 80 to 90ml/g and a constant ratio of carbohydrate to protein in the EPS, while a significant increase in the SVI was seen in the other reactors. Sludge bulking increased the amount of carbohydrate in the EPS, while kept protein almost constant in the airflow rate of 3L/min ad 6L/min. Surface charge also increased with increases in the carbohydrate to protein ratio in the EPS, which weakens the attraction between the EPS and multivalent cations. The ratio of carbohydrate to protein in the EPS was tween the EPS and multivalent cations. The ratio of carbohydrate to protein in the EPS was inferred to be essential for bioflocculation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.219-225
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• 2008

Evaluating and designing secondary clarifier require to define characteristics of influent MLSS (Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids). In this study, bioflocculation and settling characteristics for MLSS from a Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) plant located in near Seoul were measured. MLSS concentrations in bioreactor were about 2,500mg/L in summer and about 4,000mg/L in winter, respectively. Tests showed that there was not much bioflocculation occurred in secondary clarifier. Average ESS/DSS (Effluent Suspended Solids/Dispersed Suspended Solids) was 100%. From the settling tests, ZSV (Zone Settling Velocity) and settling constant (n) in Vesilind equation were estimated at different MLSS temperatures. SVI (Sludge Volume Index) and SSVI (Stirred Sludge Volume Index) were also measured at different temperatures. It was found that ZSV was positively correlated with temperature and n was inversely proportional to temperature. SVI and SSVI had very similar values at about $25^{\circ}C$ of MLSS, However, SVI had more than 2 times higher values than SSVI at below $20^{\circ}C$ of MLSS. Temperature effect must be considered to design and evaluate secondary clarifier.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.551-559
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• 2008

An experimental study was carried out to evaluate the potential of flotation process for the secondary clarifier of an activated sludge process. Flotation techniques, applied in this study, include electrofloation (EF) which generated fine bubbles smaller than $35{\mu}m$ in average and diffuser flotation (DF) which generated fine bubbles smaller than $55{\mu}m$ in average. The batch experiments were done with activated sludge displaying various characteristics. It was shown that the efficiency of solids/liquid separation was reduced as the diluted sludge volume index ($DSVI_{30}$) of activated sludge increased. The dependency, however, gradually decreased as the gas to solids (G/S) ratio increased. Thickening efficiency of EF was more than 2~10 times and DF process was more than 1.5~5 times as compared with gravity sedimentation (GS). Stable sludge blanket was maintained regardless of sludge settleability when the G/S ratio was 0.019 in the EF. On the other hand, Serious deterioration in the sludge blanket was observed in the DF depends on G/S ratio and sludge settleability. And For EF and DF, the suspended solids concentration of effluent was not nearly influenced on settleability of activated sludge and more clear than GS. A biological nutrient removal (BNR) process, combined with EF as a secondary clarifier was operated for three months. The mean MLSS (mixed liquid suspended solids) concentration in the reactor and mean solids concentration of return sludge were estimated to be 5,340 mg/L and 16,770 mg/L, respectively. The water quality of effluent was considerably stable and low value was accomplished, that was, standard suspended solids concentration $0.07{\pm}0.51mg/L$ and standard turbidity $1.44{\pm}0.56NTU$. The EF could be applicable for enhancement of efficiency of activated sludge system as well as improvement of the water quality of effluent.

• Clean Technology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.398-403
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• 2012

Selective nitrification and granulation have been carried out in a pilot scale air-lift sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for stable and economical nitrogen removal from wastewater. The SBR showed about 100% nitrification efficiency up to 1.0 kg ${NH_4}^+-N/m^3{\cdot}d$, about 90% efficiency at 1.0-2.0 kg ${NH_4}^+-N/m^3{\cdot}d$, and it was less than 90% when the load was higher than 2.0 kg ${NH_4}^+-N/m^3{\cdot}d$. Nitrite accumulation was induced by selective inhibition of nitrite oxidizing bacteria by free ammonia inhibition and dissolved oxygen limitation. For the purpose, high nitrite ratio (> 0.95) was obtained by keeping the pH higher than 8.0 and dissolved oxygen lower than 1.5 mg/L. In addition, sludge granulation was achieved by keeping reactor settling time to 5 minutes to wash out poor settling sludge and to promote the growth of granulation sludge. The operation accelerated sludge granulation and the sludge volume index (SVI) decreased and stably maintained to less than 75 in 60 days.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.629-637
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of high-salinity wastewater on the microbial activity of Aerobic Granule Sludge (AGS). Laboratory-scale experiments were performed using a sequencing batch reactor, and the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), nitrogen removal efficiency, sludge precipitability, and microbial activity were evaluated under various salinity injection. The COD removal efficiency was found to decrease gradually to 3.0% salinity injection, and it tended to recover slightly from 4.0%. The specific nitrification rate was 0.043 - 0.139 mg $NH_4{^+}-N/mg$ $MLVSS{\cdot}day$. The specific denitrification rate was 0.069 - 0.108 mg $NO_3{^-}-N/mg$ $MLVSS{\cdot}day$. The sludge volume index ($SVI_{30}$) ultimately decreased to 46 mL/g. The specific oxygen uptake rate decreased from an initial value 120.3 to a final value 70.7 mg $O_2/g$ $MLVSS{\cdot}hr$. Therefore, salinity injection affects the activity of AGS, causing degradation of the COD and nitrogen removal efficiency. It can be used as an indicator to objectively determine the effect of salinity on microbial activity.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1081-1092
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• 2021

In this study, the effect on the stability of Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) caused by an AGS separator was investigated. The AGS separator was a hydrocyclone. The main factors of the AGS separator were filter pore size (0.125~0.600 mm), conical-to-cylindrical ratio (1.5~3.0), and operating time (1~20 min). The AGS/mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) ratio gradually increased to 0.500 mm (AGS/MLSS: 84.3±3.0%). AGS was best separated at the conical-to-cylindrical ratio of 2.5 (AGS/MLSS: 84.7±3.3%). As the operating time increased, the AGS separation performance also tended to increase. The shortest AGS separator run time, but the highest AGS separation performance was 10 min (87.0±2.5%). AGS stability was evaluated by operating the selected AGS separator and sequencing batch reactor. The average removal efficiencies of TOC, TCOD_Cr, SS, TN, and TP were 95.7%, 96.9%, 93.0%, 89.0%, and 96.2%, respectively, which met the effluent standards in Korea. In addition, the AGS/MLSS ratio tended to remain constant, and the sludge volume index demonstrated a tendency to decrease from 140 mL/g to 70 mL/g. During the operation, the particles of AGS in optical microscope observations gradually increased.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.277-284
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• 2021

The ballasted flocculation effects of the mill scale and magnetite on activated sludge were investigated. Both ballasted flocculants (BF) could remarkably improve the sludge settleability in terms of zone settling velocity (ZSV) and sludge volume index (SVI). With the BF dosage of 0.2 to 2.0 g-BF/g-SS, the magnetite particles showed better efficiency on improving settling behavior of activated sludge than the mill scale due to higher surface area and hydrophobic property. The efficiency of SVI₃₀ with magnetite injection was 2.5 to 11.3% higher than mill scale injection and that of the ZSV appreciated from 23.7% to 44.4% for magnetite injection. Averaged floc size of the BF sludge with magnetite dosage (0.5 g-BF/g-SS) was 2.3 times higher than that of the control sludge. Dewaterability of the sludge was also greatly improved by addition of the BF. The specific resistance to filtration (SRF) was reduced exponentially with increasing the dosage of BF. However, the BF's particle size effect on the SRF looks to be marginal. Consequently, for improving the dewaterability, the BF played a physical role to remove the pore water of the biological flocs by intrusive attachment and a chemical role to induce aggregation of the flocs by charge neutralization.