Characteristics of Wastewater

Treatment Sludge
By
Ricardo B. Jacquez
Professor
CAGE Department
NMSU
Assistant: Maung Myint
Important Relations for Sludge Calculations

Ws = weight of the dry solids
Wf = weight of the fixed solids
Wv = weight of the volatile solids
Ss = specific gravity of dry solids
Sf = specific gravity of fixed solids (2.5)
Sv = specific gravity of volatile solids (1.2)
v
v
f
f
s
s
S
W
S
W
S
W
+ =
Sludge volume = V






Ws= weight of dry solid [lb or gm]
r = unit weight of water = 62.4 lb/ft
3
= 1000 kg/m
3
S
wet.sludge
= specific gravity of wet sludge
sludge wet
S r
solid
Ws
V
.
100
%
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
Sources of wastewater sludge
Primary clarifier
Secondary clarifiers:
activated sludge
bio-towers


Typical domestic wastewater sludge,
Ws=1
Wf=0.3 Wv=0.7
Sf=2.5 Sv=1.2





42 . 1
2 . 1
7 . 0
5 . 2
3 . 0 1
= + =
+ =
s
s
v
v
f
f
s
s
S
S
S
W
S
W
S
W
Typical sludge has 96.5% water, 3.5% solid,
and specific gravity of solid=1.42.
Determine the specific gravity of typical wet
sludge?

( ) ( )
( ) ( )
0 . 1 01 . 1
42 . 1 / 5 . 3 1 / 5 . 96
5 . 3 5 . 96
/ % / %
% %
.
.
= =
+
+
=
+
+
=
sludge wet
sludge wet
S
Ss sludge in solid Sw water
sludge in solid water
S
Primary clarifier solids
Mp=E Q [MGD] SS [mg/L] 8.34 [lb/MG(mg/L)]

Mp = mass of primary solids, [lb/day]
E = efficiency of primary clarifier (see Fig)
SS = suspended solid concentration in influent
[mg/L]
Q = flow rate [MGD]
(from Peavy, Rowe, and Tchobanoglous, 1985, p. 228)
Secondary clarifier solids
Ms=YQ[MGD] BOD
R
[mg/L] 8.34[lb/MG mg/L]

Ms=mass of secondary solids [lb/day]
Y =yield coefficient (see Fig. 5-37)
BOD
R
=BOD removed [mg/L]
Q = flow rate [MGD]

Volume of sludge
sludge wet of gravity specif ic S
gal lb water of weight unit r
day gal sludge of volume V
S r water
M M
V
S r solid
M M
V
sludge wet
sludge wet
S P
sludge wet
S P
=
=
=

+
=
+
=
.
.
.
] / 34 . 8 [
] / [
) 100 / % 100 (
) 100 / (%
Typical solids content of sludge

Type of sludge Sludge concentration %
Un-thickened Thickened
Separate
Primary sludge 2.5 - 5.5 8 - 10
Trickling-filter sludge 4 - 7 7 - 9
Activated sludge 0.5 - 1.2 2.5 - 3.3
Pure O
2
sludge 0.8 - 3 2.5 - 9
Combined
Primary and trickling-
filter sludge 3 - 6 7 - 9
Primary and modified-
aeration 3 - 4 8.3 - 11.6
Primary and air-
activated sludge 2.6 - 4.8 4.6 - 9
Ex. Reduction of volume by sludge thickening
A wastewater-treatment plant consists of
primary treatment units followed by an
activated-sludge secondary system. The
primary and secondary sludges are mixed,
thickened in a gravity thickener, and sent to
further treatment. A schematic of the system is
shown in the next slide.
Influent SS=200mg/L Primary sludge =5%
Influent BOD=225mg/L
Effluent BOD=20mg/L Thickened sludge=4%
Flow Q = 5 MGD Secondary sludge=0.75%

Primary clarifier diameter = 82 ft
Aeration volume = 102,400 cft = 766,180 gal

Influent Primary Aeration Secondary
clarifier clarifier

Sludge return
Liquid
Return Thickener Thickened sludge
to sludge-treatment facilities

MLSS in aerator 3,500 mg/L
1. Mass and volume of primary sludge
a) area of primary clarifier = A = 3.14 D
2
/4
A = 3.14 (82 ft)
2
/ 4 = 5,283 ft
2

b) overflow rate = Q/A = 5.0 x 10
6
/5283 ft
2

=950 gpd/ft
2
(42 m/s)
c) from Fig. 5-13, the efficiency of clarifier is
Ess = 58% E
BOD
= 32%
d) mass of primary solids removed is Mp
Mp=Ess Q SS
=0.58(5 MGD)(200 mg/L)(8.34lb/MG mg/L)
Mp=4,840 lb/day
e) volume of primary sludge







( )
day gal V
gal lb
d lb
V
S r solid
M
V
sludge wet
P
/ 600 , 11
) 0 . 1 ( / 34 . 8 ) 100 / 5 (
/ 840 , 4
) 100 / (%
.
=
=
=
2. Mass of secondary solids





b) from Fig. 13.1 (text, pg 651), Y=0.48
c) mass of secondary solid Ms
Ms=Y BOD
5
Q
=0.48(5MGD)133mg/L(8.34lb/MG mg/L)
Ms = 2,660 lb/day
( ) ( )
( )
29 . 0
/ 3500 766 . 0
/ 225 32 . 0 1 5
/
=

=
=
L mg MG
L mg MGD
M
F
mass sludge
day applied BOD
M
F
d) volume of secondary sludge






3a. Total mass of solids M
T
=Mp +Ms
M
T
= 4,840 + 2,660 = 7,500 lb/day
3b. Total volume of sluge V
T
=Vp +Vs
V
T
= 11,600+ 42,600 = 54,200 gal/d
( )
day gal V
gal lb
d lb
V
S r solid
M
V
sludge wet
s
/ 600 , 42
) 0 . 1 ( / 34 . 8 ) 100 / 75 . 0 (
/ 660 , 2
) 100 / (%
.
=
=
=
4a) mass of solids sent to sludge treatment
Neglect the solids in the thickener
supernatant, the mass of solids in the
thickened sludge is equal to 7,500 lb/day.
4b) volume of thickened sludge

( )
day gal V
gal lb
d lb
V
S r solid
M
V
sludge thickened
thickened
/ 500 , 22
) 0 . 1 ( / 34 . 8 ) 100 / 4 (
/ 500 , 7
) 100 / (%
.
=
=
=
5. Volume reduction (%) by thickening

% 58 100
200 , 54
500 , 22 200 , 54
100
=

=
reduction volume
V
V V
reduction volume
T
thickened T