Microsoft PowerPoint - 3-18-10 IFAS Webcast Final - Revised

BUILDING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
Process and Practical Design

Considerations for the IFAS
and MBBR Technologies
Mark Steichen, P.E.
Heather M. Phillips, P.E.
IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010
Agenda
Overview of IFAS/MBBR
Process Design Considerations
Practical Design Considerations
Applications in North America
Questions & Answers
Slide - 2 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

IFAS and MBBR - Whats the difference?
IFAS (Integrated Fixed MBBR (Moving Bed
Film Activated Sludge) Bioreactor)
Includes Return Activated No RAS - Once through
Sludge (RAS) process
Fixed film & Suspended Fixed film Only
growth
Return Activated Sludge

Waste Sludge
Waste Activated Sludge

The IFAS Advantage
(Comparative Nitrification Upgrade Example)
Conventional IFAS
Expanded Modified
Existing
Aeration Aeration Existing
Aeration
Suspended and
Suspended Growth Only
Attached Growth

Equipment Components
Aeration equipment
Media
Media retention Anoxic

sieves Zone
Mixers

Free-Floating Media Manufacturers
Headworks (Hydroxyl) Kruger / AnoxKaldnes
Lotepro Linpor Siemens / AGAR

Life Cycle Cost Analysis
(Activated sludge Nit/Denit Upgrade)
$80
Millions
$70
$60
$50
NPV Cost
O&M
$40 Construction
Equipment
$30
$20
$10
$0
Conventional IFAS Step-Feed MBR BAF
Process Option

Drivers for use of IFAS and MBBR
IFAS MBBR
Site constraints or restriction Severe site constraints or restrictions
requiring footprint advantage of the
Upgrade of existing activated MBBR/HRC process configuration
sludge for N&P removal
Post nitrification and denitrification
FC are designed for high SLR MBBR applications
Volume limitations require both Client preference some clients
suspended and fixed film inventory have a preference for fixed film and
are concerned with operational
Must meet stringent NH3-N limit complexity of activated sludge, or
IFAS
Can integrate with Bio-P
Upgrade of trickling filter or RBC
Resiliency to peak wet weather plants that have poor final clarifiers
flows due to lower MLSS and SLR
Resiliency to peak wet weather flows
IFAS - very low MLSS of 200 to 300 mg/L
MBBR HRC/DAF
Return Activated Sludge
Waste Activated Sludge

Slide - 8 IFAS and MBBR Webcast Waste Sludge
March 18, 2010
Process Design
Considerations

IFAS Process Configurations
2 or 3 OX cells in series
OX OX OX Higher kinetic rates
Media Media Media
Optimum DO control
RAS Avoid media migration
Nitrification
MLR
OX OX OX
AX
Media Media Media
RAS
IFAS is Compatible Two-Stage Nitrogen Removal

with Bio-P Carbon
MLR Supplementation
OX OX
OX OX 2nd AX
AN AX OX
Media Media
Media Media Media
RAS
Four-Stage Nitrogen Removal

Optimized IFAS MLE Configuration
Three oxic cells in series to increase efficiency
Ox1 - suspended growth zone for BOD removal
DO of 2.0 mg/L
Ox2 media zone for nitrification
DO of 4.0 mg/L to increase biofilm nitrification rate
best bang-for-media $
Ox3 suspended growth polishing zone
DO of 1.0 mg/L
Deplete oxygen for internal recycle
MLR
Ox1 Ox2 Ox3

BOD Rem. Media Nitr. Polish
AX DO=
DO=2.0mg/L DO=4.0mg/L
1.0mg/L
RAS

MBBR Process Configurations
AB
Industrial Pretreatment
OX RAS
Reduce COD load Media
Remove toxic compounds that
could inhibit nitrification Industrial Pretreatment MBBR
Industrial
Load
Nitrification
OX OX
Activated sludge upgrade Media Media
Post nitrification and/or

denitrification Nitrification MBBR
HRC
OX DAF
Media Actiflo/
AB Densadeg
Cloth filter
RAS
Post Nitrification MBBR
High Rate AS
MBBR Process Configurations (Cont.)
Denitrification Internal Recycle
Two-stage AX OX OX OX
Media Media Media Media
Four-stage
Not compatible with Bio-p Two-Stage MBBR Waste
Sludge
Carbon
Supplementation
Internal Recycle
AX OX 2nd AX
AN OX
Media Media Media
Waste
Sludge
Four-Stage MBBR

Nutrient Removal Check List
BOD Removal Nitrification Denitrification
Biomass Biomass Biomass
Air Air No Air
Time More Time Time
Alkalinity Soluble BOD
Biological Phosphorus Removal
Biomass (Phosphorus Accumulating Biomass)
Time
Soluble BOD (as VFA)
Cycles of Air, No Air IFAS ONLY (currently)

Broomfield WWRF (Colorado)
Mixed Liquor Recycle
Primary Oxic with Media

Effluent
Anaerobic Anoxic
To Secondary
Clarifiers
FEQ
Return Mixed Liquor Recycle
RAS from
Clarifiers
Phase 1 (8 mgd) - online in 2003, exceeded design expectations
Phase 2 (12 mgd) under construction
Reduced media fill fraction from 48% to 30%
Reduced number of blowers from 3 to 2
Biomass Quantification
(gTSS/m2 media surface area)
2nd Oxic
1st Oxic
2nd Anoxic
1st Anoxic
13 g/m2
28 g/m2
6 g/m2
9 g/m2
South Adams
County MBBR

Broomfield Seasonal Attached Biomass
6,000 30
Attached Biomass, Attached Biomass,
First Zone in Series Second Zone in Series (Oxic)
Attached Biomass (gTSS/m2)

Effluent Ammonia (mgN/L)
5,000 (Oxic) 25
Temperature (C)
MLSS (mgTSS/L)
4,000 Temperature 20
3,000 15
2,000 MLSS 10
1,000 5
Effluent Ammonia
0 0
1/1/04
4/1/04
7/1/04
9/30/04
12/30/04
3/31/05
6/30/05
9/29/05
12/29/05
3/30/06
6/29/06
9/28/06
12/28/06
Basic Design Parameters
Activated Sludge
Hydraulic Retention Time Biofilms
Solids Retention Time Hydraulic Retention Time

Surface Area Loading Rate
Integrated Fixed Film Activated BOD
Sludge
Nitrogen
Combination of both

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors
Just like trickling filters, ammonia removal is a function

of the BOD loading rate.
Ammonia concentrations at South Adams County:
To
Anoxic 1: Anoxic 2: Oxic 1: Oxic 2: Clarifiers
~12 mg/L ~11 mg/L ~11 mg/L < 5 mg/L
Nitrate Recycle
Oxic
Oxic Oxic
Anoxic Oxic
Anoxic Anoxic
Anoxic
Primary
Effluent Media in the Basins
~30 mg/L
Surface Area Loading Rate vs. Removal Rate
1.50
100%
Specific Ammonia Removal Rate (gN/m /day)
1.25
2
80%
1.00
0.75
0.50
0.25
0.00
0.00 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50
2
Specific Ammonia Loading Rate (gN/m /day)

Slide - 23
Plant Effluent Ammonia (mg-N/L)
MBBR Temperature (C)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
12/19/03 40
03/18/04
with
MBBR
06/16/04
in Series
Biotower
09/14/04
12/13/04 Biotower Parallel
Temperature
03/13/05 to MBBR
06/11/05
09/09/05
12/08/05
03/08/06
06/06/06
Biotower Offline
09/04/06
(All Flow to MBBR)
Approx Specific BOD Loading Rate

12/03/06
03/03/07
06/01/07
IFAS and MBBR Webcast

08/30/07
11/28/07
02/26/08
05/26/08
08/24/08
Effluent Ammonia (7-d avg) 11/22/08
02/20/09
05/21/09
Seasonal ammonia limits: 10 24 mg/L, or Report
Specific Ammonia Loading Rate
08/19/09
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
2
Specific Ammonia Loading Rate (gN/m /d)
2
Approx. Specific BOD Loading Rate (gO /m2/d)
The Effect of BOD Loading on Effluent Ammonia
March 18, 2010

The Effect of Dissolved Oxygen Concentration
Biofilm Boundary Layer
Layers 2,5
2,0
Ammonia removal rate (g NH4/m2/d)

Bulk Gas
Liquid Layer
Media Surface
d
2
1,5 /m
D
BO
g
0
0, 1
=
d
oa
1,0 icl 2
an 3
rg
O
Streamer 4
5
0,5
6
7
0,0
0 2 4 6 8 10
Oxygen concentration (mg 02/l)
Source: 2007 IWA/WEF Nutrient Removal Specialty Conference,

Worskhop B (AnoxKaldnes)

Residual DO vs. biofilm nitrification
Fort Myers, FL MBBR
DO Sensitivity
Process Model Simulation
12.0
11.0 y = 60.222x-2.4082
R2 = 0.9715
10.0
Effluent Ammonia, mg/L
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
DO, mg/L

Modeling a Biofilm System
Maximum biofilm
Biofilm Boundary Layer
thickness
Layers
Biomass per unit surface
Gas bubbles
area
Media Surface
Inert content of biofilm

Solids attaching
and detaching Nitrification and
Bulk Liquid denitrification rates
Streamer Attachment and
detachment rates
How do these vary in
each zone?
Commercial GPS-X (Hydromantis)
Simulators
BioWin
GPS-X
West
Aquifas BioWin (Envirosim)
Others
But models must be

calibrated to site-specific
conditions.
Demonstration, Pilot and Bench Studies
Demonstration
Configure one or more
treatment trains and monitor
full-scale performance.
Pilot
Design a small-scale system
to mimic full-scale
performance, using plant
wastewater.
Bench
Smaller, lab-scale
Designing a Pilot System
Allow adequate startup time biofilm systems can take

several weeks to reach steady state.
Mimic design conditions:
Coldest temperature (nitrification, denitrification).
Warmest temperature (if oxygen transfer is a concern).
Flow and loading conditions.
Dissolved oxygen concentrations.
Chemical doses.
Mixing intensities, hydraulics be aware of scale-down.
Mamaroneck WWTP, Westchester County, NY
How do you expand this constrained site and meet ~ 4 mg/L TN?
Screening
Grit Removal
Primary Sedimentation
Stacked Final Settling Tanks

Sodium Hypochlorite Disinfection
Activated Sludge

6+ Month Pilots of IFAS and MBBR
Aeration System
Sodium Dissolved Air Flotation

Bicarbonate M
Primary Effluent Feed FM

From WWTP Intermediate
Wet Well
Feed Pump
No. 1
R1 R2 R3
MBBR PROCESS (TRAIN NO. 1)
Aeration System
Clarifier Unit
M
Sodium
Methanol
Bicarbonate M
Feed Tank
With Screen
FM
To Drain
Feed Pump
No. 2
Post
R4 R5 R6 Aeration
FM
Waste Sludge
IFAS PROCESS (TRAIN NO. 2)
MBBR with Post-Denitrification during the
Last Month
Primary Effluent Feed

From WWTP Intermediate
Wet Well
Aeration System
Sodium
Bicarbonate Methanol M
Feed Tank
With Screen
To Drain Feed Pump

No. 1
Post
R1 R2 R3 R6 Aeration
Clarifier Unit

Major Findings
Both IFAS and MBBR pilots achieved < 4 mg/L TN.
Temperature = 11C
Hydraulic retention time = 3 hours
First pilot study to test media in the anoxic zone of an IFAS system.
Presence of media effectively doubled the denitrification rate using
methanol.
Phased implementation design complete.
Phase 1: IFAS using existing clarifiers.
Phase 2: MBBR using some of the existing clarifier volume as
MBBR; dissolved air floatation

Summary of Process Design Considerations
Surface area is the key.

Specific loading rates:
BOD IFAS & MBBR Media
Design criteria depends (152 ft2/ft3)
on desired removal rate
NH3N (permit limits)
NO3N
Plastic Trickling Filter Media
(30 ft2/ft3)
Rock Trickling Filter Media

(15 ft2/ft3)

Practical Design
Considerations

Practical Design Considerations
Screening requirements
Aeration system design
Media retention sieves
Approach velocities
Foam and scum removal
Maintenance provisions

Screening Requirements
Purpose
Remove materials that
could entangle media or
plug media retention
sieves
Design guideline
6 mm with primary
treatment
3 mm without primary
treatment
Media size and shape should
be considered
Aeration system design
Multiple Functions
Process air
Mixing
Sieve cleaning
Fine or coarse bubble can be used
Low maintenance requirements
High structural integrity
Oxygen transfer efficiency (OTE) is affected by:
Diffuser type and arrangement (diffuser
density, lateral spacing, airflow/diffuser, etc.)
Media fill fraction
Design for higher DO residual

Aeration System Optimization
Consider summer versus
winter operation
DO Sensitivity
Winter 12.0
11.0 y = 60.
2
R =
Biofilm nitrification rates are low 10.0
Effluent Ammonia, mg/L

9.0
Consider higher DOs (4 to 5 mg/L) 8.0
7.0
6.0
to reduce media requirements 5.0
4.0
Summer 3.0
2.0
Biofilm nitrification rates are high 1.0
0.0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Consider lower DOs (2 to 3 mg/L) DO, mg/L
to reduce airflow and energy

requirements

Media Retention Sieves
Types
Cylindrical
Wall
Cylindrical sieves preferred for oxic zone
Self cleaning
Cylindrical sieve design criteria
2 inch headloss at peak flow
HLR = 24 gpm/sf
1.5 fps recommended max velocity
through wall orifice to control headloss
Typical diameters (12 & 16 inch)
Typical lengths (5, 10, & 12 feet )

Media retention sieves (Cont.)
Media retention sieves also

required for
Dewatering ports
Basin overflows
Control media creep
Basin overflow sieve at Broomfield

Media creep
at SAC

Anoxic media zones
Use wall sieves, not cylindrical
cylindrical sieves can disrupt mixing pattern
Air knife is required
Operates only a few minute per day
Mixers
Slow speed submersible (Landia, EMU, ABS)
Impeller designed to protect media
Mixing energy 0.75 to 0.95 bhp/kcf
Locate to create spiral roll
Other possible mixer types
Vertical bridge mounted
Hyperclassic Invent
Enersave mixer

Sieve Approach Velocity
Approach velocity
Flow (Q+RAS+MLR)/Basin
Cross-Sectional Area
Leads to Media stack-up around
sieves
Potential problems
Stack-Up
Increased sieve headloss
Erratic OURs due to poor media
distribution
Suggested maximum design criteria
30 to 35 m/hr typical maximum

Strategies to Reduce Approach Velocity and
Avoid Media Stack-Up
Reduce basin length to width ratio
< 4:1 if possible
Increase mixing energy under
sieves
Reduce MLR during peak flows
Use longer sieves, in multiple rows
Include media return airlift pump
Spiral roll aeration design
More cells in series

Example of How to Minimize Approach Velocity to Avoid
Media Stack-up in a Plug Flow Reactor (Oxford, UK)
Media Zone Inlet Channel
Gate to pass scum
AX Ox1 BOD Rem.
Ox1
Ox2 - Media
Ox3 - polishing
Ox3 - polishing
Ox2 - Media
Ox1
AX Ox1 BOD Rem.

Foam and Scum Control Chlorinated sprays are
controlling foam in
Design/operate to reduce Broomfield and Cheyenne
foaming potential
Avoid excessively long
SRTs and over aeration
Eliminate low DO areas
Balance sidestream Foam suppression spray
loads system
Avoid low alkalinity and

pH
Provide 2 to 3 ft of basin
freeboard
Chlorinated surface sprays
Maintenance Provisions
Design hydraulics for one

train out-of-service
Media shuffle plan for taking
basin off-line
Media storage
Media transfer pumps
Biofilm integrity during
storage?
Odors during storage?

Applications of
IFAS/MBBR in North
America

Background
Yucaipa, California Original plant
Primary clarifiers
Trickling filter activated sludge
(TF/AS) process
IFAS upgrade
Expansion from 4 mgd to 8 mgd
TIN of 6 mg/L
4-stage nit/denit configuration
Slide - 49 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18,10-14,

October 2010 2009
Primary Clarifiers and Converted Trickling Filters
Converted
Rock TF to
Primary Anoxic
Clarifiers Volume

October 2010 2009
IFAS Basins and Secondary Clarifiers
New Secondary
Post
Clarifiers
IFAS Anoxic
Basins

October 2010 2009
Moorhead, Minnesota
Background
First MBBR facility in North
America using buoyant
plastic media
MBBR for tertiary
nitrification following
HPOAS
4.7 mgd ave. design flow
Nitrification
MBBR
Chlorination
Dechlorination
Anaerobic
Digesters
Final Clarifiers
HPOAS
Primary
Clarifiers

Construction of Moorhead MBBR
Low cost
construction
Media retention
sieves

Headworks (Hydroxyl)

-31F
-35C

Fort Myers, Florida
Background
Green field water reclamation
facility
12 mgd design average flow
Irrigation and deep well
injection
Nit/Denite MBBR
TN < 10 mg/L
BOD < 10 mg/L
TSS < 5 mg/L
MBBR/DAF Process Configuration
(Fort Myers East WRF)
IR Pumping Sludge
Dewatering
Influent Dissolved Disk

AX AX OX OX OX Air Flotation Filter
MBBR Process

Bundamba Advanced WTP Flow Schematic
Disinfection (NH4 + Sodium Bisulfite and Lime, Carbon

NaOCl) Antiscalant Dioxide, NaOCl
Ferric Diurnal Flow

Pre-Treatment EQ/storage MF RO UV/H2O2
Secondary
Effluent
Treated Water
Storage
Polymer
RO Brine Power Plants

Gravity
Thickener Wivenhoe Dam

Questions and Discussion

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BUILDING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

Process and Practical Design

Slide - 2 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Return Activated Sludge

Slide - 3 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Slide - 4 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Media retention Anoxic

Slide - 5 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Headworks (Hydroxyl) Kruger / AnoxKaldnes

Lotepro Linpor Siemens / AGAR

Slide - 7 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Return Activated Sludge

Waste Activated Sludge

Slide - 11 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

IFAS is Compatible Two-Stage Nitrogen Removal

Four-Stage Nitrogen Removal

Ox1 Ox2 Ox3

Slide - 13 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Post nitrification and/or

Slide - 15 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Cycles of Air, No Air IFAS ONLY (currently)

Primary Oxic with Media

Slide - 18 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Attached Biomass (gTSS/m2)

Solids Retention Time Hydraulic Retention Time

Slide - 20 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Just like trickling filters, ammonia removal is a function

Slide - 22 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Approx Specific BOD Loading Rate

IFAS and MBBR Webcast

Specific Ammonia Loading Rate

March 18, 2010

Ammonia removal rate (g NH4/m2/d)

Oxygen concentration (mg 02/l)

Source: 2007 IWA/WEF Nutrient Removal Specialty Conference,

Slide - 24 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Slide - 25 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Inert content of biofilm

But models must be

Allow adequate startup time biofilm systems can take

Stacked Final Settling Tanks

Slide - 30 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Sodium Dissolved Air Flotation

Primary Effluent Feed FM

Primary Effluent Feed

To Drain Feed Pump

Slide - 32 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Slide - 33 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Surface area is the key.

Rock Trickling Filter Media

Slide - 34 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Slide - 35 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Slide - 36 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Slide - 38 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Effluent Ammonia, mg/L

Consider higher DOs (4 to 5 mg/L) 8.0

Biofilm nitrification rates are high 1.0

to reduce airflow and energy

Slide - 39 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Slide - 40 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010

Media retention sieves also

Basin overflow sieve at Broomfield

Slide - 41 IFAS and MBBR Webcast March 18, 2010