Activated Sludge Processes

Suspended Growth
Organisms are suspended in the treatment basin fluid.
This fluid is commonly called the “mixed liquor”.
Suspended Growth:
• Activated sludge
• Oxidation ditches/ponds
• Aerated lagoons, stabilization ponds
 Unit Utama
• Tangki aerasi
– Fungsi: bioreaktor
• Tangki pengendap
– Fungsi: memisahkan air limbah dg biosolid yg
terkandung di dlmnya
• Pompa resirkulasi
 Activated Sludge
• Process in which a mixture of wastewater &
microorganisms is agitated & aerated

• Leads to oxidation of dissolved organics

• After oxidation, sludge is separated from

wastewater

• Detention time = approximately 6 - 8 hours

 Tahapan Proses Biodegradasi

 Kontak Intim Antara Molekul Substrat Dengan

Dinding Sel Mikroba

 Substrat Terlarut Berdifusi Masuk Ke dalam Sel

 Enzim Ekstraselular Bekerja Dan Membawa

Substrat Ke Dalam Sel Secara “Difusi”

 Terjadi Proses Biokimia (Metabolisme) Dalam Sel

Mikroorganisme.
 • Designed based on loading
Activated Sludge (the amount of organic
matter added relative to
the microorganisms
available)
• Commonly called the
food-to-microorganisms
ratio, F/M
• F measured as BOD. M
measured as volatile
suspended solids
concentration
• F/M is the pounds of
BOD/day per pound of
MLSS in the aeration tank
 Activated sludge model

L0 L
L
L

L
Aeration tank
 Settling tanks

Secondary settling tank, Hyperion, Playa del Rey, CA)

Typical steps in modern wastewater treatment
 Type of Activated Sludge
• Activated sludge without cell recycle
• Activated sludge with cell recycle
 Design of Activated Sludge
• Influent organic compounds provide the food for
the microorganisms and is called substrate (S)

• The substrate is used by the microorganisms for

growth, to produce energy and new cell material.

• The rate of new cell production as a result of

the use of substrate may be written
mathematically as:
dX dS
 Y
dt dt
• Y is called the yield and is the mass of cells
produced per mass of substrate used (g SS/g BOD)
Monod Model for Substrate Utilization
S
  m
Ks  S

dX SX
 X   m
dt Ks  S

dX dS
 Y
dt dt

dS dX 1  m SX
so :  . 
dt dt Y Y (Ks  S )
ACTIVATED SLUDGE
WITHOUT CELL RECYCLE
 Mean Cell Residence Time, θc
Mean cell residence time (MCRT, θc) is the mass of cells in
the system divided by the mass of cells wasted per day.
Consider the system:

VX V
c  
QX Q
At steady state, the amount of
solids wasted per day must equal
the amount produced per day:
VX X
c  
dS dS
Y V Y For no recycle systems, θc = θh
dt dt
Mass Balance on Microorganisms:

dX dS
V  QX o  QX  Y V
dt dt

In steady state condition  (dX/dt) V = 0, and QX0 = 0

dS X m S

dt Y Ks  S

1 S
 m
c Ks  S
Ks
S
 m c  1
Example
A CSTR without cell recycle receives an influent with 600
mg/L BOD at a rate of 3 m3/day. The BOD in the effluent
must be 10 mg/L. The kinetic constants are: Ks = 500 mg/L
and μm = 4 days-1. How large should the reactor be?

Ks
S
 m c  1
K s  S 500  10
Solve for θc: c    12.75 days
S m 10 * 4
V
c 
Q
V = θc Q = 12.75 (3) = 38.25 m3
Given the conditions in the previous example, What
would the percent reduction in substrate be if the
reactor volume was 24 m3?
V 24
c    8 days
Q 3

Ks 500
S   16.1 mg/L
 m c  1 4 * 8  1

Reduction = [(600 – 16.1)/600] x 100 = 97.3%

ACTIVATED SLUDGE WITH
CELL RECYCLE
Aerobic suspended systems –
activated sludge
Now consider a CSTR with cell recycle:
VX
c 
Qw X r  ( Q  Qw ) X e
Since Xe = 0:

VX
c 
Qw X r
Removal of substrate often expressed in terms of substrate
removal velocity, q:
mass of substrate removed per time
q
mass of microorganisms under aeration
 So  S 
 V
 h  S S
q  o
VX h X
 Mass balance on microorganisms:
dX
V  QX o  Qw X r  (Q  Qw ) X e  XV
dt
dX
X0 = Xe = 0 V 0
dt
X r Qw 1
 
XV c
The substrate removal velocity, q, can also be expressed as: q = μ/Y
S
since   m
Ks  S

By substitution: q  1  m S
Y Ks  S

But q is also equal to: So  S

q
X h
If we equate these two equations for q and solve for S0 – S:

 m SX h
So  S 
Y (Ks  S )
Since q = μ / Y
1
c 
qY
So  S
and x
hq
 Solids Separation
The success of the activated sludge process depends on the
efficiency of the secondary clarifier, which depends on the settling
characteristics of the sludge (biosolids).

Some system conditions result in sludge that is very difficult to

settle. In this case the return activated sludge becomes thin (low
MLSS) and the concentration of organisms in the aeration tank
goes down. This produces a higher F/M ratio (same food input, but
fewer organisms) and a reduced BOD removal efficiency.

One condition that commonly causes this problem is called bulking

sludge. Bulking sludge occurs when a type of bacteria called
filamentous bacteria grow in large numbers in the system. This
produces a very billowy floc structure with poor settling
characteristics.
 Activated sludge flocs

Note filamentous bacteria

Note Vorticella and

other protozoa
 Sludge Volume Index, SVI

(volume of sludge after 30 min. settling, ml) x 1000

SVI =
mg/L suspended solids

A mixed liquor has 4000 mg/L suspended solids. After 30

minutes of settling in a 1 L cylinder, the sludge occupied 400 ml.

SVI = (400 x 1000)/ 4000 = 100

Good settling if SVI < 100, if SVI > 200 …. problems

 Problem
An activated sludge system operates at a flow rate of 400 m3/day and has an
influent BOD of 300 mg/L. The kinetic constants for the system have been
determined to be: Ks = 200 mg/L, Y = 0.5 kg SS/kg BOD, μm = 2 day-1. The
mixed liquor suspended solids concentration will be 4000 mg/L. IF the system
must produce an effluent with 30 mg/L BOD, determine:
A. The volume of the aeration tank
B. The sludge age (MCRT)
C. The quantity of sludge wasted per day

The hydraulic retention time may be found from the following equation:

 m SX h Y ( S o  S )( K s  S )
So  S  h 
Y (Ks  S )  m SX

θh = [0.5(300 – 30)(200 + 30)] / [2 (30) (4000)] = 0.129 days = 3.1 hr

 V = θh Q = 400 (0.129) = 51.6 m3
θc = 1/ (qY)

q = (S0 – S) / (X θh ) = (300– 30) / [(4000)(0.129)]

= 0.523 (kg BOD removed/day) / (kg SS in the reactor)

θc = 1/ (qY) = 1 / (0.523 x 0.5) = 3.8 days

Also θc = (X V) / (Xr Qw)

Xr Qw = (X V) / θc = [(4000)(51.6)( 103 L/m3)( 1/106 kg/mg)] / 3.8

= 54.3 kg/day
Using the same data what MLSS is necessary to produce an effluent
concentration of 15 mg BOD/L?
q = (μm S) /[Y(Ks + S)]

= [2(15)] / [0.5(200 + 15)] = 0.28 day-1

X = (S0 – S) / ( θh q )
= (300 – 15) / [0.129(0.28)] = 7890 mg/L

θc = 1 / (q Y) = 1 / [0.28(0.5)] = 7.2 days

 Ringkasan
Persamaan-persamaan yang digunakan dalam
proses activated sludge:
1. TANPA RECYCLE:

Y
(So  S ) ( S o  S ) ke 1 1 Y ( So  S )
X h   X
X h Y Y h 1  ke c
1
  ke
h
 h  Ks 1 K s (1  ke c )
  S   S S
  m
S  1  k e h  m m  c (  m  ke )  1
Ks  S

V 1 m S
F 
QS o
c  h    ke
M V .X Q c Ks  S
• Mencari ke dan Y dari percobaan lab.:
( S o  S ) ke 1 1
  slope 
1
X h Y Y h (So  S ) Y
X h

ke
TANPA intercept 
RECYCLE Y
1
h
• Mencari Ks dan μm dari percobaan lab.:
 h  Ks 1
  S   S Slope 
1
 1  k e h  m m  h 
  S
m

 1  k 
e h 

Ks
intercept 
m
S
 2. DENGAN RECYCLE:
Qw X  (Q  Qw ) X e
  ke
VX
Y
 (So  S )  c Y (So  S ) ( S o  S ) ke 1 1
X h h   
X 1  ke c X h Y Y c
1
  ke
c
1 m S K s (1  ke c )
  ke
S c Ks  S S
  m  c (  m  ke )  1
Ks  S
 c  K 1
  S  s  S
 1  k e c  m m
QS o V
F  h 
M V .X Q
• Mencari ke danY dari percobaan lab.:
( S o  S ) ke 1 1
  slope 
1
X h Y Y c (So  S ) Y
X h

RECYCLE ke
intercept 
Y
1
c
• Mencari Ks dan μm dari percobaan lab.:
 c  Ks 1
  S   S Slope 
1

 1  k e c  m m  c 
  S
m

 1  k 
e c 

Ks
intercept 
m
S
• Sludge Production

X w  YSr  keVX Sr = (So - S).Q

• Oxygen Requirement
Y’ = oxygen coeff, mass
Or  Y ' Sr  k 'e VX  On oxygen/mass substrate
utilized = 1 – 1,42 Y
ke‘ = endogenous respiration
coeff, mass oxygen/ mass
cell-day = 1,42 ke
On = oxygen for nitrification =
mass N x 3.84