• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.231-239
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• 2022

In this study, we applied ENERWATER to evaluate the energy consumption labeling of wastewater treatment plants in Korea using the Korea sewerage statistics data. The results showed that the energy label status was excellent in the SBR process for small and medium-scale wastewater treatment plants and the A2O process for large-scale wastewater treatment plants. The energy labeling of wastewater treatment plants of 50,000 tons capacity was excellent. The statuses of metropolitan cities and Jeollanam-do province were excellent. We analyzed the effects of renewable energy on wastewater treatment plants' energy consumption and found out that digestion gas for large-scale plants and photovoltaic energy for small-scale plants were effective in improving energy labeling. In addition, we compared the energy labels of four wastewater treatment plants in "Z" city and wastewater treatment plant "X" had the best energy label, and the wastewater treatment plants "V" and "Y" had to be selected as priorities for the energy diagnosis and improvement project. In a comprehensive conclusion, the applicability of ENERWATER was confirmed based on sewage statistics data and labeling can be used to set priorities for the energy diagnosis and improvement project.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.127-137
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• 2013

Reuse of wastewater will intensify in the coming decades due to water shortage, the change of climatic conditions, the need for industrial and agricultural use and the necessity of improving health and environmental conditions for the growing population. This paper considers (a) the status and trends of wastewater reuse and reclamation in the world, (b) case studies of wastewater reuse projects, (c) analysis of technology level, (d) forecast of global market, and (e) the future views and directions in development of wastewater reuse technologies. Based on the available documented literature, this paper provides a review assessment of the current status of the wastewater treatment processes including potential applications for reuse. Key challenges for both wastewater treatment and reuse are also discussed in the paper and include recommendations, e.g. cost, effluent water quality, energy use and technical solutions, for future developments.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.305-314
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• 2014

A pilot plant (Q=5 $m^3/d$) study was implemented for small and medium sized personal wastewater treatment plant effluent to evaluate MBR and A/O processes utilizing self-sufficient energy composed of wind and solar energy. The removal efficiencies of BOD, SS, turbidity and color were sufficient for legal water quality standards for gray water. However, those of nitrogen and phosphorus could not meet legal regulations which suggested that further removal of those contaminants were needed for reuse of the treated water. Self-sufficient energy rate was 100 % for the pilot plant due to excessive design capacity. In this research, wind and solar energy system was applied considering geological characteristics, which significantly improved energy self-sufficiency. Substantial improvement on energy self-sufficiency can be obtained by optimized investment and operation at a full scale wastewater treatment plant.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.539-549
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• 2007

To establish effective and prompt measures for energy conservation in public wastewater treatment plants in Korea, energy consumption rates in 233 utilities in 9 provinces and 7 metropolitan cities are investigated and compared to the rest of the world. Mean load factor for wastewater treatment utilities is 74.9% and those for influent pumps and aeration blowers are 56.2% and 61.0%, respectively. Mean electrical energy usages as the key performance indicators are $0.243kWh/m^3$ for overall sewage treatments and 2.07 kWh per unit kg BOD removal. Digester gas as one of major byproducts in the process amounts to $382,000m^3/day$ nationwide. While major part of the digester gas is used for sludge heating, only 7.3% of the gas is utilized for electricity generation. Both efficiencies for BOD removal and digestion gas generation are considerably lower than those in USA and EU utilities due to low concentration of organic material in influent wastewater. Such low energy regeneration, in turn, results in significantly higher energy consumption in Korean plants, compared to that in USA and EU ones.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.319-332
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• 2010

In general, wastewater treatment systems consume high-energy consumption depending on operation characteristics of the facilities. Therefore, greenhouse gas(GHG) reduction activities that are application of digestion gas, induction of renewable energy etc. are conducted to reduce energy consumption and to increase energy independence ratio. In this study, GHG reduction in wastewater treatment system identified, searched application of Clean Development mechanism(CDM) approved methodology. If the methodologies apply to GHG reduction activities such as application of digestion gas, heat pump system using the wastewater as heat source, hydropower using the methodology determined CDM applicability, otherwise through several assumptions calculated expectable GHG reduction emissions and determined CDM applicability. As a result, the order of calculated GHG reduction emission showed that collected and energy generation of digestion gas is 66,775 $tCO_2$/yr, gas engine cogeneration system is 8,182 $tCO_2$/yr, heat pump system using the wastewater as a heat source is 72,715 $tCO_2$/yr, and hydropower is 561 $tCO_2$/yr. Consequently, the order of calculated Certified Emission Reductions(CERs) benefit showed that heat pump system using the wastewater, as a heat source is 1,381 million won/yr was estimated as the highest, followed by a collected and energy generation of digestion gas is 1,268 million won/yr.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.29-41
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• 2000

Anaerobic fermentation using Clostridium butyricum NCIB 9576, and photo-fermentation using Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides E15-1 were studied for the production of hydrogen from Makkoli, fruits (orange & apple, watermelon & melon) and Tofu wastewaters. From the Makkoli wastewater, which contained $0.94g/{\ell}$ sugars and $2.74g/{\ell}$ soluble starch, approximately $49mM\;H_2/{\ell}$ wastewater was produced during the initial 18h of the anaerobic fermentation with pH control between 6.5-7.0. Several organic acids such as butyric acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, lactic acid and ethanol were also produced. From Watemlelon and melon wastewater, which contained $43g/{\ell}$ sugars, generated about approximately $71mM\;H_2/{\ell}$ wastewater was produced during the initial 24 h of the anaerobic fermentation. Tofu wastewater, pH 6.5, containing $12.6g/{\ell}$ soluble starch and $0.74g/{\ell}$ sugars, generated about $30mM\;H_2/{\ell}$ wastewater, along with some organic acids, during the initial 24 h of anaerobic fermentation. Makkoli and Tofu wastewaters as substrates for the photo-fermentation by Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides E15-1 produced approximately 37.9 and $22.2{\mu}M\;H_2/m{\ell}$ wastewaters, respectively for 9 days of incubation under the average of 9,000-10,000 lux illumination at the surface of reactor using tungsten halogen lamps. Orange and apple wastewater, which contained 93.4 g/l, produced approximately $13.1{\mu}M\;H_2/m{\ell}$ wastewater only for 2 days of photo-fermentation and the growth of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides E15-1 and hydrogen production were stopped.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.85-105
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• 2012

In this paper, the energy efficiency of wastewater utilities was evaluated to explore ways to save energy via operational measures. The correlation of each wastewater characteristic parameter to energy was assessed to find a set of parameters that explained most of the variations in energy use among utilities. The results show that increases in inflow, influent COD concentration, and ratio of advanced treatment generally increased the energy use. On the other hand, increases in load factor (influentaverage flow/design flow) reduced the energy use. In the regression analysis, the energy efficiency was highest in the A2O advanced process. On the other hand, the membrane process (among the advanced processes) and the contacted aeration process (among the secondary processes) require more efforts in saving energy. However, the data base system related to energy use must be supplemented in order for more accurate analysis of energy consumption in wastewater treatment facilities. In particular, i) electricity consumption of relay pumps and, ii) energy usage per unit process, iii) pump power usage to discharge treated wastewater in a long distance, if necessary, and iv) alternative energy production and utilization status must be recorded. By utilizing the results of the analysis conducted in this study, it is possible to quantify a level of energy savings needed and establish customized energy saving measures to achieve a certain target level for benchmarking a successful case of wastewater utilities.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.197-200
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• 2007

Advanced control is getting increasingly demanded in water and wastewater treatment systems. Various case studies have shown significant savings in operating costs, including energy costs, and remarkably short payback times. It has been demonstrated that instrumentation, control and automation (ICA) may increase the capacity of biological nutrient removing wastewater treatment plants by 10-30% today. With further understanding and exploitation of the mechanisms involved in biological nutrient removal the improvements due to ICA may reach another 20-50% of the total system investments within the next 10-20 years. Disturbances are the reason for control of any system. In a wastewater treatment system they are mostly related to the load variations, but many disturbances are created also within the plant. In water supply systems some of the major disturbances are related the customer demand as well as to leakages or bursts in the pipelines or the distribution networks. Hardly any system operates in steady state but is more or less in a transient state all the time. Water and energy are closely related. The role of energy in water and wastewater operations is discussed. With increasing energy costs and the threatening climate changes this issue will grow in importance.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.191-196
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• 2016

This study aimed to evaluate SBR operation cycle for removing the high-concentration organic matter of distillery wastewater in the ginseng processing plant. The experiment was conducted with the use of a laboratory scale SBR reactor and distillery wastewater as the influent. The results indicated an increase in pH from 4.08 to 7.59 of distillery wastewater after aeration for 2 hours. Also, the optimum SBR operation cycle for the removal of organic matter and nitrogen was 2 hr of aeration and 6 hr of anaerobic conditions. Adjustment of proper pH through aeration time is most critical in the SBR operation for distillery wastewater treatment. In this study, we presented an efficient method for distillery wastewater treatment.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 2012

Swine wastewater was treated using a unique sequence of ion exchange membrane bed system (IEBR). Organic matter and nutrient in swine wastewater was pre-treated by electron beam irradiation. The optimal dose for solubilization of organic matter in swine wastewater ranged from 20 kGy to 75 kGy. The carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids were investigated as the solubilized organic fraction of swine wastewater and proteins and lipids mainly contained of the solubilized organic matter. The solubilization of organic matter in swine wastewater was affected by the combination effect of temperature and a dose. The average chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency under room temperature conditions was 67.1%, while that under psychrophilic conditions was 54.6%. For removal of ammonia, the removal efficiency decreased from 63.6% at $23^{\circ}C$ to 33.5% $16.8^{\circ}C$. On the other hand, the removal of phosphorus was not a function of temperature. Struvite was one of main mechanisms in anaerobic condition.