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Contents
1. EXTENDED AERATION WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM ................................... 2
1.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 2
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 14
LIST OF FIGURES
Extended aeration agitates all incoming waste in the sludge from a single clarifier. The combined
sludge starts with a higher concentration of inert solids than typical secondary sludge and the
longer mixing time required for digestion of primary solids in addition to dissolved organics
produces aged sludge requiring greater mixing energy input per unit of waste oxidized.
The extended aeration process is one of the modifications of the ASP. It is a complete mix system
and provides biological treatment for the removal of biodegradable organic wastes under aerobic
conditions. Air may be supplied by mechanical or diffused aeration to provide the oxygen required
to sustain the aerobic biological process. Mixing must be provided by aeration to maintain the
microbial organisms in contact with the dissolved organics. Since there is complete stabilization
is occurred in the aeration tank, there is no need for separate sludge digester. Further primary
settling tank is also omitted and settleble organic solids are also allowed to settle in the aeration
tank due to long detention time in the aeration tank. Process flow diagram of extended aeration
system is furnished below
Extended aeration systems are designed to completely stabilize all of the organic material in the
aeration basins. The detention times range from 16-24 hours and MLSS ranges run from 3000-
5000 mg/L. They have the lowest F:M ratios of any of the activated sludge processes, usually in
the 0.15-0.25 range. Extended aeration plants are cheaper to build because they have no primary
clarifiers or anaerobic digester systems. RAS is returned to the head of the aeration basin and waste
sludge is sent to an aerobic digester.
Essentially, the Oxidation Ditch is an application of the extended aeration, complete mix concept
of activated sludge. Utilizing a closed loop trench or racetrack aeration tank configuration, the
Oxidation Ditch represents a substantial design departure from conventional activated sludge
systems. In many smaller Oxidation Ditch plants the aeration tank is simply excavated out of the
ground. By sloping the banks of the ditch and lining the interior with an impermeable substance
(usually clay or asphalt) a large cost savings can be realized in construction. Such a simplistic
approach to waste treatment is very attractive to low volume users.
Wastewater after removal of floating solids and grits and flow equalization in an
equalization tank. In the equalization tank the wastewater is constantly mixed to keep the
solids in suspension with coarse bubble diffusers. The wastewater is withdrawn to a pump
well and pumped at uniform rate to the aeration tank. The equalization tank is provided in
duplicate to facilitate cleaning when needed.
In aeration tank the wastewater is mixed with activated sludge and oxygen is provided to
the microorganisms through diffused aeration. The waste water is retained in the aeration
tank for 15 hours in order to decompose organic matter present in the waste water.
The mixed liquor then flows to a secondary settling tank (SST) where most microorganisms
settle to the bottom of the settling tank along with sludge,
A portion of the sludge (equal to 50% of the wastewater flow) is pumped to the aeration
tank to mix with incoming wastewater and provide sufficient microorganisms as return
activated sludge (RAS).
The clarified wastewater from the SST then flows over V-notches into the effluent launder
and into an effluent storage tank for further treatment and disposal.
The system utilizes a longer sludge age than other aerobic systems. Sludge age, also known as
SRT (Solids Retention Time) or MCRT (Mean Cell Residence Time), defines the operating
characteristics of any aerobic biological treatment system. A longer sludge age dramatically lowers
effluent BOD and ammonia levels, especially in colder climates. The systems long sludge age
process produces BOD levels of less than 10 mg/L and complete nitrification (less than 1 mg/L
ammonia). Minor modifications to the system will extend its capabilities to de nitrification and
biological phosphorus removal.
While most extended aeration systems reach their maximum mixing capability at sludge ages of
approximately 15 to 25 days, the Biolac system efficiently and uniformly mixes the aeration
volumes associated with a 30 to 70 day sludge age.
The large quantity of biomass treats widely fluctuating loads with very few operational changes.
Extreme sludge stability allows sludge wasting to non-aerated sludge ponds or basins and long
storage times.
Extended aeration activated sludge process – Flow sheet for this process is shown in Figure
Below
Extended aeration is typically used in prefabricated "package plants" intended to minimize design
costs for waste disposal from small communities, tourist facilities, or schools. In comparison to
traditional activated sludge, longer mixing time with aged sludge offers a stable biological
ecosystem better adapted for effectively treating waste load fluctuations from variable occupancy
situations. Supplemental feeding with something like sugar is sometimes used to sustain sludge
microbial populations during periods of low occupancy; but population response to variable food
characteristics is unpredictable, and supplemental feeding increases waste sludge volumes. Sludge
may be periodically removed by septic tank pumping trucks as sludge volume approaches storage
capacity.
Plants are easy to operate, as the management of operation is for a maximum of two or
three hours per day.
Extended aeration processes are often better at handling organic loading and flow
fluctuations, as there is a greater detention time for the nutrients to be assimilated by
microbes.
Systems are odor free, can be installed in most locations, have a relatively small footprint,
and can be landscaped to match the surrounding area.
Extended aeration systems have a relatively low sludge yield due to long sludge ages, can
be designed to provide nitrification, and do not require a primary clarifier. .
3. AERATION COMPONENTS
3.1 Simple Process Control & Operation
The control and operation of the process is similar to that of conventional extended
aeration. Additional controls required for DE nitrification, phosphorus removal, dissolved
oxygen control and SCADA communications are also easily implemented.
3.2 Aeration System Components
The ability to mix large basin volumes using minimal energy is a function of the unique
Bio Flex moving aeration chains and the attached Bio Fuser fine bubble diffuser
assemblies. The gentle, controlled, back and forth motion of the chains and diffusers
distributes the oxygen transfer and mixing energy evenly throughout the basin area. No
additional airflow is required to maintain mixing.
Stationary fine-bubble aeration systems require 8-10 CFM of air per 1000 cu. ft. of
aeration basin volume. This system maintains the required mixing of the activated sludge
and suspension of the solids at only 4 CFM per 1000 cu. ft. of aeration basin volume.
Mixing of a Bio lac basin typically requires 35 to 50 percent of the energy of the design
requirement. Therefore, air delivery to the basin can be reduced during periods of low
loading while maintaining effective food to biomass contact and without the risk of solids
settling out of the wastewater.
Carrousel is a proven, cost-effective, reliable and highly efficient method for the biological
treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater.
Its clear advantage is the continuous biological process of BOD removal and simultaneous
nitrification and de-nitrification in a single reactor with only limited equipment required. Over
1,200 systems have already been successfully implemented world-wide, with treatment capacities
ranging from as little as a thousand to as high as ten million population equivalent.
The Carrousel oxidation ditch is a looped channel system with a central dividing wall and a surface
aerator, the Oxyrator at one or both ends of this wall. This low-speed vertical shaft surface aerator
has three main functions:
Adds oxygen to the wastewater
Thoroughly mixes the wastewater and biomass/activated sludge
Creates and boosts flow circulating through the channels
Pasveer type ditch is used to perform the COD removal efficiency of dairy waste.
It consists of an elongated oval channel about 3 ft deep with vertical walls and a center dividing
wall. Horizontal brush rotors are placed across the ditch to provide aeration and circulation. The
screened Sewage enters the ditch, is aerated by the rotors, and circulates at about 1 to 2 ft. /sec.
The operation can be either intermittent or continuous.
REFERENCES
1. A Comparison of Oxidation Ditch Plants to Competing Processes for Secondary and Advanced
Treatment of Municipal Waste, E.P.A.600/2-78-051.
2. Small Wastewater Treatment Facilities, E.P.A.,EP7.2:W28/5. Baller, J. “Waste water treatment
in oxidation Ditches in the Socialist Republic or Czechoslovakia, Inst. Hydro tech. Res. Sci. Sess.
Bucharest Sect. 4 22 (1964).
3. Briscoe, E. R. E.," Development of the oxidation ditch to suit industrial working hours, W. P.A.
41, 1968, 1656, Instn. Publ. Health Eng. - J., 66, 325- 327. (1967)
4. Pasveer, A., A contribution to the development in activated sludge treatment. Journal c1.n ·1
Pr·1c. l n.s t. S. P. 4, 536 (1959).
5. Hudoba, J. P Grau, and Ottova V. (1986) “Control of Activated Sludge Filamented Bulking 2.
Selection of Microorganism by means of Selector, Water Environment Research, vol. 72, pp., 490-
498.
6. Droste, R. L. (1997) Theory and Practice of Water and Wastewater Treatment. John Wiley &
Sons, New York.
7. Kellam, J.G., et al. (1993) Evaluation of Performance of Five Aerated Package Treatment
Systems. Bull. 178. Virginia Water Resources Research Center, Blacksburg, VA.