117,453 research outputs found

    Simultaneous nitrification - denitrification process in extended aeration plants: pilot and real scale experiences

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    This work deals with the study of technologies aimed to upgrade the existing waste water treatment plants, paying attention to high process efficiencies and low costs. We verified the possibility to reach high N removal efficiencies in extended aeration activated sludge plants which are not equipped with specific denitrification steps. The experimented process is based on particular conditions, kept in the biological reactor, which allow simultaneous nitrification and denitrification, even without alternating (in time or in space) of anoxic and aerobic phases: aeration system is controlled by means of dissolved oxygen and redox potential measurements. Our research was carried out, for about three years, on a laboratory plant (V = 40 L) fed with synthetic waste water, a pilot scale plant (V = 1,400 L) fed with waste water coming from a real plant, and two full-scale plants (1,500-2,000 p.e.). The main advantages of the studied process are the following: high total N removal efficiencies (up to 90%) without the realization of new specific basins for the denitrification process; decreasing of operating costs (savings in Electric Energy consumption) due to the low oxygen concentration required in the biological reactor.</jats:p

    Energy saving for air supply in a real WWTP: Application of a fuzzy logic controller

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    An unconventional cascade control system, for the regulation of air supply in activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), was tested. The dissolved oxygen (DO) set point in the aeration tank was dynamically calculated based on effluent ammonia concentration, following a fuzzy logic based approach. First, simulations were conducted, according to the BSM2 protocol, for a general comparison with more conventional control strategies. It turned out that the effluent quality could be improved by 7-8%, based on the EQI parameter. Moreover, the aeration energy requirement could be reduced up to 13%. Subsequently, the system was installed in a full-scale WWTP. While stably complying with the ammonia effluent standard (10 mg/L), excess air supply was prevented, and a reduction of the specific power consumption (kWh/kgCODremoved) of 40-50% was recorded with respect to the previously installed PID controller (fixed DO set point)

    Bio-P release in the final clarifiers of a large WWTP with co-precipitation: Key factors and troubleshooting

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    Phosphorus removal by chemical precipitation is a well-established and widely used technique in municipal waste water treatment plants (WWTPs). Very low effluent concentrations can be achieved in order to comply with standards for discharge in sensitive areas, in force in the EU; nevertheless, failures of this system are occasionally recorded. In this work, a 330,000 people equivalent (p.e.) WWTP was studied, where co-precipitation was not effective to guarantee an effluent concentration stably below 1. mg. P/L, despite the great expenditure for chemicals (around 260,000. €/y) and additional sludge disposal (around 160,000. €/y). Based on results of laboratory tests and mathematical simulations, it was shown that bio-P release occurs in final clarifiers under special conditions, related to Sludge Retention Time (SRT) in the settling tanks, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) in nitrification basins and nitrates concentration in the effluent. Therefore, complying with effluent standards should require keeping process conditions as follows: DO. >. 1. mg/L, N-NO3->5mg/L and SRT. <. 3. h. As additional measure, a post-precipitation (required dosage: 4-5. mg. Al/mg. P) could be applied

    Evaluating the potential impact of energy-efficient ammonia control on the carbon footprint of a full-scale wastewater treatment plant

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    An assessment was performed for elucidating the possible impact of different aeration strategies on the carbon footprint of a full-scale wastewater treatment plant. Using a calibrated model, the impact of different aeration strategies was simulated. The ammonia controller tested showed its ability in ensuring effluent ammonia concentrations compliant with regulation along with significant savings on aeration energy, compared to fixed oxygen set point (DOsp) control strategies. At the same time, nitrous oxide emissions increased due to accumulation of nitrification intermediates. Nevertheless, when coupled with the carbon dioxide emissions due to electrical energy consumption for aeration, the overall carbon footprint was only marginally affected. Using the local average CO2 emission factor, ammonia control slightly reduced the carbon footprint with respect to the scenario where DOsp was fixed at 2 mg center dot L-1. Conversely, no significant change could be detected when compared against the scenarios where the DOsp was fixed. Overall, the actual impact of ammonia control on the carbon footprint compared to other aeration strategies was found to be strictly connected to the sources of energy employed, where the larger amount of low CO2-emitting energy is, the higher the relative increase in the carbon footprint will be
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