Activated Sludge Process

Suspended growth reactor

In this type of reactor , reaction between organic matter and bacteria takes
place in suspension on the surface of the suspended solids ( suspended
returned sludge particles).

Purpose:
Stabilize organic matter and make it satiable.

















A microscopic photo of the reaction between organic matter and bacteria
which takes place in suspension solids on the surface of the suspended

Types of activated sludge process:
1- Conventional aeration.
2- Contact stabilization.
3- Step aeration.
4- Extended aeration.
5- Oxidation ditch (orbital aeration).

Conventional aeration
Advantages of aeration tanks :
1- It does not need large land areas.
2- It is more efficient than trickling filters.
3- No fly and odor problems occurs around the trickling filter.

Disadvantages of aeration tanks:
1- It can not take shock loads and sudden increase in discharge.
2- Needs a supervisor since it is the most complicated systems.
3- High cost of construction , operation and maintenance.






P.S.T A.T
X
F.S.T Q Q+QR.S
QR.S , Xr
Excess sludge
Qw
Xr
Effluent
Se
Xe
Set
Q - Qw
pump
Q
So
Xo
Flow line diagram of activated sludge process
Diffused air system of aeration tank


sedimentation tank
From primary
compression
(94.18)
air compressed pipes
To FINAL SETTELING TANK
( 94.00 )
Air diffiusers
To F.S.T
7
.
7
COMPRESSED AIR
( 93.42 )
x
section x-x
5
m
Aeration tank

Factors affecting design of aeration tank:
1- Temperature: the biological reaction increase with the increase of
temperature.
2- MLSS: ( mixed liqueur suspended solids ) 2000 - 4000 mg/L
MLVSS: ( mixed liqueur volatile suspended solids )
MLVSS = 0.8 MLSS
3- Sludge retention time = T = 4 - 8 hrs
4- Sludge return rate (R) = 0.2 0.3
R = QR / Qd
Return sludge QR.s = 0.2 - 0.3 Qd
Surface aerators of aeration tank
Types of aeration :
1- Diffused air system
2- Surface aerators





X: total number of microorganisms responsible for the stabilization of
organic matter.
X = MLVSS
MLVSS = 0.8 MLSS
c = sludge age =5 - 15 days
y: cell yield coefficient
y = gm MLVSS/gm BOD5
Y observed = y / ( 1+ kd c ) = 0.31
Kd = decay coefficient = 0.05 day-1
A = V / d
Depth = 3 - 5 m
n 2
b = 1.5 2 d
L 50 m
Checks :







Design criteria :


Q = discharge influent to the aeration tank (A.T).
= 1.5 x Q
ave sewage
(Q = 0.8 x 1.5 x pop x q
ave
)
S
o
= dissolved BOD
5
influent to the A.T.

S
e
= dissolved effluent BOD
5
Set = effluent total BOD
5

Xe = suspended solids concentration (S.S)
BOD
5
suspended = S.S x 0.7
BOD
5
dissolved = total BOD
5
- BOD
5
suspended
S
e
= Set Xe x 0.7



) 1 (
) (
0
c d
e c
K X
S S Q y
V
u
u
+

=
suspended
dissolved
organic 70%
inorganic 30%
4 . 0 2 . 0 /
) (
/ =

= M F
V MLVSS
S S Q
M F
e o
hrs T
Q
V
T 8 4 = =
1000
. .

=
=
V
Q S
L
L
L O T
V
o

Allowable organic load (L) = 0.3 - 2 kg BOD5 /m/ day









Qw = sludge withdrawal rate
Xr =MLVSS in return sludge
Xe = effluent S.S

Example:
Determine the volume and dimensions of aeration tank and the required
air flow for an activated sludge process treatment plant. Which is
designed to treat the flow Q = 12000 m3/d and fined overall efficiency,
F/M ratio, allowable organic load and the diffused air system. Given the
following data:
- BOD5 of primary effluent (So) = 200 mg/l
- Required effluent BOD5 = 30 mg/l (Set)
- Required effluent suspended solids (Xe) = 20 mg/l
- MLVSS in aeration tank (X) = 2500 mg/l
- MLSS in return sludge = 10000 mg/l
- Cell residence time (uc) = 6 days
- Coefficient of decay (kd) = 0.06 day-1
- Cell yield coefficient (y) = 0.65 gm MLVSS/gm BOD5
- Efficiency of aeration = 8%
) (
.
.
w e r w
c
r w
C
S R
Q Q X X Q
V X
X Q
V X
MLSS S TSSinR
MLSS
Q
Q
R
+

= =
u
u

BOD5 dissolved = BOD5 eff. S.Seff x 0.7
Se =Set Xe x 0.7
= 30 -20 x 0.7 = 17.45 ~ 17.5 mg/l



Assume d = 4m d= 3 5 m





Number of tanks n =2

Area of one tank =

b = 1.5 2 d take b = 8m



P.S.T A.T
X=2500
F.S.
T
Q+QR.
S
QR.S , Xr
Excess
sludge
Qw
Xr
Effluent
Se
Xe=20mg/l
Set=
30mg/l
Q
pump
Q
So=200mg/l
Xo
Solution:
100 %

=
o
et o
S
S S
iciencyE Overalleff
% 85 100
200
30 200
=

=
) 1 (
) (
0
c d
e c
K X
S S Q y
V
u
u
+

=
Set

Dissolved suspended
Xe

70% organic 30% inorganic
Q=12000
3
2512
) 6 06 . 0 1 ( 2500
) 5 . 17 200 ( 12000 6 65 . 0
m V =
+

=
2
015 . 638
4
5 . 2512
m area
d
V
area
= =
=
2
314
2
015 . 628
m =
m m
b
A
L 50 25 . 39
8
314
s = = =













Checks :













Allowable organic load (L) = 0.3 - 2 kg BOD
5
/m/ day


day gmMLVSS
gmBOD
M F
.
346 . 0
06 . 2512 2500
) 5 . 17 200 ( 12000
/
5
=

=
Q
V
T =
T = 4 - 8 hrs
V MLVSS
S S Q
M F
e o

=
) (
/
F/M = 0.2 - 0.4
hrs T 03 . 5 24
12000
06 . 2512
= =
day m
kgBOD
L
V
Q S
L
o
.
955 . 0
1000 5 . 2512
12000 200
1000
3
5
=

=
The design of the return sludge pipe:

m
v
Q
d m Q
Q
Q
MLSS S TSSinR
MLSS
Q
Q
R
S R
S R
S R
S R
3 . 0 28 . 0
1
4 60 60 24
5 . 5454
4 60 60 24
/ 5 . 5454 12000 45 . 0
45 . 0
)
8 . 0
2500
( 10000
)
8 . 0
2500
(
.
2
2
.
3
.
.
.
~ =
=

=

= =
=

= =
|
t|
t|
MLVSS = 0.8 MLSS
Determination of excess sludge:
d m Q
Q Q
Q Q X X Q
V X
d m Q
Q
X Q
V X
w
w w
w e r w
c
w
w
r w
C
/ 6 . 126
) 12000 ( 20 ) 8 . 0 10000 (
06 . 2512 2500
6
) (
/ 83 . 130
) 8 . 0 10000 (
06 . 2512 2500
6
3
3
=
+

=
+

=
=


=

=
u
u

Design of air pipe in aeration tank:










Design of surface aerators:

blower each of cpacity design
capacity blowers
blowers of No
m blowers of Head
T waterinA of depth blowers of Head
d m capacity Blowers
air actual capacity Blowers
d m required air Actual
oxygen of effeciency
demand air l theoritica
required air Actual
=
= =
=
= =
=
= =
=
.
2 . 5 4 3 . 1
. 3 . 1
/ 3 . 233810 54 . 155873 5 . 1
5 . 1
/ 54 . 155873
08 . 0
88 . 12469
3
3
s m v v capacity Blower / 15
4
2
= =
t|
Design of diffused air system:


3
2
2
2
2
3
2
5
3
2
/ 88 . 12469
232 . 0 2 . 1
61 . 3471
) ( 232 . 0 2 . 1
/ 61 . 3471
65 . 0
55 . 2256
) ( tan
65 . 0
) (
) ( tan
/ 55 . 2256 9 . 678 42 . 1
) 68 . 0 (
10 12000 ) 5 . 17 200 (
) (
42 . 1
) (
10 ) (
) (
/ 9 . 678
1000
) 5 . 17 200 ( 12000 31 . 0
1000
) (
m kg demand air l Theoritica
ratio O
SOR
demand air l Theoritica
d kgO SOR required oxygen dard S
O oygen pure l Theoritica
SOR required oxygen dard S
d kgO O oygen pure l Theoritica
P
BOD
BOD
Q S S
O oygen pure l Theoritica
d kg P
S S Q y
P
x
U
e o
x
e o obs
x
=

=
= =
=
=

=

=
=

=

=

aerator O
SOR
aerators of NO
d O kg capacity aerators Total
SOR capacity aerators Total
d O kg SOR required oxygen dard S
O oygen pure l Theoritica
SOR required oxygen dard S
d kgO O oygen pure l Theoritica
P
BOD
BOD
Q S S
O oygen pure l Theoritica
d kg P
S S Q y
P
x
U
e o
x
e o obs
x
/
2
.
/ 22 . 6943 61 . 3471 2
2
/ 61 . 3471
65 . 0
55 . 2256
) ( tan
65 . 0
) (
) ( tan
/ 55 . 2256 9 . 678 42 . 1
) 68 . 0 (
10 12000 ) 5 . 17 200 (
) (
42 . 1
) (
10 ) (
) (
/ 9 . 678
1000
) 5 . 17 200 ( 12000 31 . 0
1000
) (
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
5
3
2

=
= =
=
= =
=
=

=

=
=

=

=

3
2
2
2
2
3
2
5
3
2
/ 88 . 12469
232 . 0 2 . 1
61 . 3471
) ( 232 . 0 2 . 1
/ 61 . 3471
65 . 0
55 . 2256
) ( tan
65 . 0
) (
) ( tan
/ 55 . 2256 9 . 678 42 . 1
) 68 . 0 (
10 12000 ) 5 . 17 200 (
) (
42 . 1
) (
10 ) (
) (
/ 9 . 678
1000
) 5 . 17 200 ( 12000 31 . 0
1000
) (
m kg demand air l Theoritica
ratio O
SOR
demand air l Theoritica
d kgO SOR required oxygen dard S
O oygen pure l Theoritica
SOR required oxygen dard S
d kgO O oygen pure l Theoritica
P
BOD
BOD
Q S S
O oygen pure l Theoritica
d kg P
S S Q y
P
x
U
e o
x
e o obs
x
=

=
= =
=
=

=

=
=

=

=

Des
ig
n
of
di
ff
u
s
e
d
ai
r
s
y
st
e
m
: