Lecture 8

Aerobic Treatment
Activated Sludge Process

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 ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS :

The most common suspended growth process used for

municipal wastewater treatment
Activated sludge plant involves:
a. Wastewater aeration in the presence of a microbial
suspension,
b. Solid-liquid separation following aeration,
c. Discharge of clarified effluent,
d. Wasting of excess biomass, and
e. Return of remaining biomass to the aeration tank.
 Primary Effluent Aeration Tank SST Effluent

Sludge to digester Return Sludge

System boundary

The most common suspended growth process used for municipal wastewater treatment is the activated sludge process
In activated sludge process wastewater containing organic matter is aerated in an aeration basin in which micro-
organisms metabolize the suspended and soluble organic matter.
Part of organic matter is synthesized into new cells and part is oxidized to CO2 and water to derive energy.

In activated sludge systems the new cells formed in the reaction are removed from the liquid stream in the form of a
flocculent sludge in settling tanks.
A part of this settled biomass, described as activated sludge is returned to the aeration tank and the remaining forms
waste or excess sludge
Primary Effluent • Coming after Primary Sedimentation Tank
• Contains the organic matter which acts as substrate (S) for the reactor, which is quantified by
the BOD concentration of wastewater
• MLSS- Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (X)
MLSS
Mixed Liquor Fixed Suspended Solids (MLFSS):
Mixed Liquor Volatile Suspended Solids (MLVSS): Contains Inert Suspended Solids or Non organic Solids or
Represents microorganisms in the in the wastewater Fixed Suspended Solids
MLFSS MLVSS

Typical Breakdown of Raw Wastewater Aeration Tank

Influent Total Suspended Solids (TSS)-220 mg/L MLSS -2500 mg/L……….ranges (1500-4000 mg/L)
MLVSS- 2000 mg/L
Influent VSS- 200 mg/L
Influent FSS- 20 mg/L
Non biodegradable VSS- 90 mg/L
 Q + Qr Treated Effluent
Influent Aeration Tank
SST Q - Qw
Q, S0, X0=0 V, X, S
X, S X e , Se

Activated sludge
Qr , Xr , Se Excess sludge
Q= Inlet flow rate (m3/d)
V= volume of aeration tank, m3 Qw , Xr , Se

S0 = Inlet soluble substrate concentration (BOD g/m3 )

X0 =Inlet biomass concentration (g MLSS/ 𝑚3 ) Qr = Returned Activated Sludge flow rate (m3/d)
Se = Effluent soluble substrate concentration (BOD g/m3 )
X𝑟 =Return Sludge biomass concentration (g MLSS/ 𝑚3 )
S= Soluble substrate concentration in aeration tank(BOD g/m3 )
X=Biomass concentration in Aeration Tank (g MLSS/ 𝑚3 ) Q𝑤 = Waste Activated Sludge flow rate (m3/d)

Qr = Returned Activated Sludge flow rate (m3/d)

Activated Sludge Process Variables :

Mixing Regime Flow Scheme

Loading Rate

Mixing Regime : The type of mixing regime is very

important as it affects
• Orderly flow of mixed liquor through the
Plug flow aeration tank with no element of mixed liquor
 oxygen transfer requirements in the
overtaking or mixing with any other element.
aeration tank,
• There may be lateral mixing of mixed liquor
 susceptibility of biomass to shock
but there must be no mixing along the path of
loads,
flow.
• The contents of aeration tank are well  local environmental conditions in the
stirred and uniform throughout. Thus, at aeration tank, and
Complete mixing steady state, the effluent from the
aeration tank has the same composition  the kinetics governing the treatment
as the aeration tank contents. process.
 Loading Rate :
A loading parameter that has been developed over the years is the hydraulic retention time (HRT), θ in days
𝐕
𝜽=
𝐐

• Another empirical loading parameter is volumetric organic loading which

is defined as the BOD applied per unit volume of aeration tank, per day.

• A rational loading parameter which has found wider acceptance and is

Where, S0 and Se are influent and
preferred is specific substrate utilization rate, q, per day.
effluent organic matter concentration
𝑄(𝑆𝑜 − 𝑆𝑒)
𝑞= respectively, measured as BOD5 (g/ m3)
𝑉𝑋
X, Xe and Xr are MLSS concentration
A similar loading parameter is mean cell residence time or sludge
in aeration tank, effluent and return
retention time (SRT), qc in days
sludge respectively
VX
θ c= Qw is the waste activated sludge rate
QwXr+(Q−QwXe)
Under steady state operation the mass Where, Y= maximum yield coefficient
of waste activated sludge is given by Qw Xr = YQ (S0-Se)-Kd XV (microbial mass synthesized / mass of
1 1 substrate utilized)
And substrate concentration, 𝑆 = ( +Kd) Kd = endogenous decay rate (d-1)
𝑞𝑌 𝜃𝑐
If the value of Se is small as compared SO, q may also be expressed as Food to Microorganism ratio, F/M

𝐹 𝑄(𝑆𝑜−𝑆𝑒) 𝑄𝑆𝑜
= =
𝑀 𝑋𝑉 𝑋𝑉

The θc value adopted for design controls the effluent quality, and settleability and drainability of biomass, oxygen
requirement and quantity of waste activated sludge.
Flow Scheme :
The flow scheme involves:
the pattern of sewage addition
the pattern of sludge return to the aeration tank and
the pattern of aeration.
Sewage addition may be at a single point at the inlet end or it may be at several points along the aeration tank.
The sludge return may be directly from the settling tank to the aeration tank or through a sludge reaeration tank.
Aeration may be at a uniform rate or it may be varied from the head of the aeration tank to its end.
 AERATION METHODS

Diffused Aeration
Sewage liquor is run into deep tanks with diffuser
blocks attached to the floor
These are like the diffuser blocks used in tropical fish
tanks but on a much larger scale
Air is pumped through the blocks and the curtain of
bubbles formed both oxygenates the liquor and also
provide the necessary stirring action
Where capacity is limited or the sewage is unusually
strong or difficult to treat, oxygen may be used instead
of air
Typically, the air is generated by some type of blower or
compressor
Surface aerators
Vertically mounted tubes of up to 1 m diameter
extending from just above the base of a deep concrete
tank to just below the surface of the sewage liquor.

A typical shaft might be 10 m high.

At the surface end the tube is formed into a cone with
helical vanes attached to the inner surface.
When the tube is rotated, the vanes spin liquor up and out
of the cones drawing new sewage liquor from the base of
the tank.
In many works each cone is located in a separate cell that
can be isolated from the remaining cells if required for
maintenance.
Some works may have two cones to a cell and some
large works may have 4 cones per cell.
Design Consideration :
The items for consideration in the design of activated sludge plant are
I. Aeration tank capacity and dimensions
II. Oxygen Requirements
III. Aeration facilities
IV. Secondary Sludge Settling
V. Sludge Recycle
VI. Excess Sludge Wasting.

I. Aeration Tank :
The volume of aeration tank is calculated for the selected value of qc by assuming a suitable value of MLSS
concentration, X.
𝑌𝑄𝜃𝑐(𝑆𝑜−𝑆)
𝑉𝑋 = where, Y= maximum yield coefficient
1+Kd𝜽𝒄
𝑭 𝑸𝑺𝒐
Alternately, the tank capacity may be designed from 𝑴 = 𝑿𝑽
Hence, the first step in designing is to choose a suitable value of qc (or F/M) which depends on
 The expected winter temperature of mixed liquor
 The type of reactor
 Expected settling characteristics of the sludge and
 The nitrification required.
The choice generally lies between 5 days in warmer climates to 10 days in temperate ones where nitrification is
desired along with good BOD removal, and complete mixing systems are employed.
The second step is to select two interrelated parameters
HRT, θ and
MLSS concentration
It is seen that economy in reactor volume can be achieved by assuming a large value of X.
However, it is seldom taken to be more than 5000 g/m3.
For typical domestic sewage, the MLSS value of 2000-3000 mg/l if conventional plug flow type aeration system is
provided, or 3000-5000 mg/l for completely mixed type.
The length of the tank depends upon the type of activated sludge plant.

The width and depth of the aeration tank depends on the type of aeration equipment employed.

The depth control the aeration efficiency and usually ranges from 3 to 4.5 m.

The width controls the mixing and is usually kept between 5 to 10 m.

Width-depth ratio should be adjusted to be between 1.2 to 2.2.

The length should not be less than 30m or not ordinarily longer than 100 m.
II. Oxygen Requirements :
Oxygen is required in the activated sludge process for the oxidation of a part of the influent organic matter and
also for the endogenous respiration of the micro-organisms in the system.
The total oxygen requirement of the process may be formulated as follows:
Where, f = (BOD5 / Ultimate BOD)
1.42 = oxygen demand of biomass (g/g)
𝑄(𝑆𝑜 − 𝑆𝑒) BOD5 = BODt (1- e-kt)
O 2 required (g/d) = − 1.42 𝑄𝑤𝑋𝑟
𝑓 t = time (days)
K = degradation rate

The formula does not allow for nitrification but allows only for carbonaceous BOD removal.

III. Aeration Facilities :

The aeration facilities of the activated sludge plant are designed to provide the calculated oxygen demand of the
wastewater against a specific level of dissolved oxygen in the wastewater.
Theory of Aeration :
Aeration is a gas-liquid mass transfer process in which the driving force in the liquid phase is the concentration gradient
(Cs-C) for slightly soluble gases.

Where, KL = Liquid film coefficient

Mass transfer per unit time = KL . a (Cs-C) a = Interfacial area per unit volume
Cs=Saturation concentration at the gas- liquid interface
C = some lower value in the body if the liquid

The value of a increases as finer and finer droplets are formed, thus increasing the gas transfer. However, in practice, it
is not possible to measure this area and hence the overall coefficient (KL . a ) per unit time, is determined by
experimentation.
Aeration Facilities :
•Oxygen may be supplied either by surface aerators or diffused aerators employing fine or coarse diffusers.
•The aeration device apart from supplying the required oxygen shall also provide adequate mixing in order that the
entire MLSS present in the aeration tank will be available for biological activity.
•Aerators are rated based on the amount of oxygen they can transfer to tap water under standard conditions of 200 C,
760 mm Hg barometric pressure and zero DO.
IV. Secondary Settling :
Secondary settling tanks, which receive the biologically treated flow undergo zone or compression settling.
Zone settling occurs beyond a certain concentration when the particles are close enough together that
interparticulate forces may hold the particles fixed relative to one another so that the whole mass tends to settle
as a single layer or "blanket" of sludge.
The rate at which a sludge blanket settles can be determined by timing its position in a settling column test.
Compression settling may occur at the bottom of a tank if particles are in such a concentration as to be in
physical contact with one another.
The weight of particles is partly supported by the lower layers of particles, leading to progressively greater
compression with depth and thickening of sludge.
From the settling column test, the limiting solids flux required to reach any desired underflow concentration
can be estimated, from which the required tank area can be computed.
V. Sludge Recycle :
The MLSS concentration in the aeration tank is controlled by the sludge recirculation rate and the sludge settleability
and thickening in the secondary sedimentation tank.

Qr X
= where, Qr = Sludge recirculation rate, m3/d
Q Xr−X

The sludge settleability is determined by sludge volume index (SVI) defined as volume occupied in mL by one
gram of solids in the mixed liquor after settling for 30 min.
If it is assumed that sedimentation of suspended solids in the laboratory is similar to that in sedimentation tank, then
Xr = 106/SVI.
Values of SVI between 100 and 150 ml/g indicate good settling of suspended solids.
The Xr value may not be taken more than 10,000 g/m3 unless separate thickeners are provided to concentrate the
settled solids or secondary sedimentation tank is designed to yield a higher value.
VI. Excess Sludge Wasting :
 The excess sludge quantity will increase with increasing F/M and decrease with increasing temperature.
 Excess sludge may be wasted either from the sludge return line or directly from the aeration tank as mixed liquor.
 The excess sludge generated under steady state operation may be estimated by

𝑉𝑋
𝜃𝑐 =
𝑄𝑤𝑋𝑟

or QwXr = YQ (So-Se)-KdXV
Design of Completely Mixed Activated Sludge System
Design a completely mixed activated sludge system to serve 60000 people that will give a final effluent that is nitrified
and has 5-day BOD not exceeding 25 mg/l. The following design data is available.
Sewage flow = 150 l/person-day = 9000 m3/day
Assume 30% raw BOD5 is removed in primary sedimentation,
BOD5 = 54 g/person-day = 360 mg/l ; BODu = 1.47 BOD5 and BOD5 going to aeration is, therefore, 252 mg/l (0.7 x 360
mg/l).
Total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) = 8 g/person-day = 53 mg/l
Phosphorus = 2 g/person-day = 13.3 mg/l
Winter temperature in aeration tank = 18°C
Yield coefficient Y = 0.6 ; Decay constant Kd = 0.07 per day
Specific substrate utilization rate = (0.038 mg/l)-1 (h)-1 at 18°C
Design :
(a) Selection of θc, θ and MLSS concentration:
Considering the operating temperature and the desire to have nitrification and good sludge settling characteristics,
adopt θc = 5d.
As there is no special fear of toxic inflows, the HRT, θ may be kept between 3-4 h, and MLSS = 4000 mg/l.
(b) Effluent BOD5:
1 1
Effluent Substrate concentration, S e = ( +Kd)
𝑞𝑌 𝜃𝑐
1 1
= ( +0.07)
(0.038)(0.6) 5

= 12 mg/l
Assume suspended solids (SS) in effluent = 20 mg/l and VSS/SS =0.8
If degradable fraction of volatile suspended solids (VSS) =0.7 (check later),
BOD5 of VSS in effluent = 0.7(0.8 × 20) = 11mg/l.
Thus, total effluent BOD5 = 12 + 11 = 23 mg/l (acceptable)

(c) Aeration Tank:

𝑌𝑄𝜃𝑐(𝑆𝑜−𝑆)
𝑉𝑋 = where Xo = 0.8 (4000) = 3200 mg/l
1+𝐾𝑑 𝜽𝒄
(0.6)(9000)(5)(252−12)
3200 V =
(1+(0.07)(𝟓))

= 1500 m3
 𝑉
Detention time, 𝜃 =
𝑄
1500 x 24
9000
=4h
𝐹 𝑄(𝑆𝑜−𝑆𝑒)
=
𝑀 𝑋𝑉
(9000)(252−12)
=
(3200)(1500)
= 0.45 kg/BOD5 per kg MLSS per day
Let the aeration tank be in the form of four square shaped compartments operated in two parallel rows, each with two cells
measuring (11m x 11m x 3.1m) x 4 = 1500 m3
(d) Return Sludge Pumping:
𝑄𝑟 𝑋
= If suspended solids concentration of return flow is 1% = 10,000 mg/l
𝑄 𝑋𝑟−𝑋
𝑄𝑟 4000
=
9000 10000−4000
Qr = 6000 m3/d
(e) Surplus Sludge Production:

𝑉𝑋
𝜃𝑐 =
𝑄𝑤𝑋𝑟
Surplus Sludge = Qw.Xr =VX/θc
= {((4000)(1500))/5}×{(103 /106)}
= 1200 kg/d
If SS are removed as underflow with solids concentration 1% and assuming specific gravity of sludge as 1.0,
Liquid sludge to be removed = 1200 x 100/1
= 120,000 kg/d
= 120 m3/d
(f) Oxygen Requirement:
◦ For carbonaceous demand, oxygen required = (BODu removed)- (BODu of solids leaving)
◦ = 1.47(252-12) × 9000 – 1.42 × 1200

=3175.2 – 1704

= 1471.2 Kg/d
Topics to be covered in the next lecture

Trickling Filter

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