UASB AerationFundamentals
HomeFundamentalsApplicationsLibraryCaseStudiesDownloadsLinksContactUsCredits

 

 

Aeration Fundamentals

Primer

Need to know more? Send us an email or feel free to search our online series with our give away search engine:

www.PocketGoogle.com

 

SAMPLE AERATion CASE STUDY: citrus processing plant

Sample calculation for citrus processing plant estimating quantity and size of aerators required to meet the oxygen demand and provide complete mix conditions.

Design Flow = 2.54 MGD

Temperature = 25 oC (given)

Influent BOD = 4750 mg/l

Basin Dimensions
Water Depth = unknown ft

Volume = 38.36 MG

Elevation = 100 ft

Hydraulic Retention Time
HRT = 38.36 MG / 2.536 MGD x 24 hr / 1 day = 363 hrs

Actual Oxygen Requirement
The oxygen demand is based on 1.25 lb O2 / lb BOD applied.
AOR (BOD) = 1.25 lb/lb x 4750 mg/l x 2.536 MGD x 8.34 / 24 hr = 5232.48 lb O2 / hr

Field Oxygen Transfer Efficiency
FTE = SOTE x [(Cs x ) - Cr] x 1.024(T-20) x 9.09

where:

SOTE = 2.8 lb O2 / BHP-hr T = 25oC

Cs = 8.23 mg/l (at 25oC and 100 ft) = 0.95 (typical, assumed) = 0.85 (typical, assumed)

Cr = 2.0 mg/l

FTE = 1.72 lb O2 / BHP-hr

Power Requirement
Power (aeration) = 5232.48 lb/hr

1.72 lb/BHP-hr x 0.92 = 3306.7 HP

A mixing level of approximately 80 HP/MG is recommended to provide complete mix conditions.

Power (mixing) = 80 HP/MG x 38.36 MG = 3068.8 HP
This leads to a recommendation of forty four (44) - 75 HP surface aerators.

Need to have basin geometry and dimensions to verify this and to make recommendation for mooring and electrical arrangement.

This is simply quite straight-forward number crunching to illustrate oxygen and mixing requirements. One would probably consider prior anaerobic pretreatment to deal with this so precariously characterized stream. For the sake of sample calc it's OK.

SAMPLE AERAted lagoon CASE STUDY: paper plant

Sample calculation for paper mill, id est aeration required to meet the oxygen demand/mix conditions.

 

Excerpt from project files (a trickling filter was originally requested):

The four lagoons would have an organic loading rate of 0.055 kg/cu m/d and a hydraulic retention time of 7.27 d.   Because paper mill wastewaters generally have a low rate of biodegradation and little suspended solids, I don't think a trickling filter would work well.   Also, there is more risk of odors with a trickling filter.   The aerated lagoon approach should work well if the lagoons are arranged in stages so that the bulk of the biodegradation takes place in the first stage (one or two lagoons) and the other lagoons are used for polishing.   DAF units work well to removed solids from lagoons, but will require the use of an coagulant aid (usually ferric chloride or alum) and a polymer (usually a cationic polyelectrolyte). 

The COD/BOD ratio for paper mill wastewaters often if very high so that the measured BOD often underestimates the organic loading significantly.   If the COD/BOD ratio is less than 3, then there should be no problems using measured BOD values for sizing aeration equipment.  But if the COD/BOD ratio is greater than 3 ( I have seen ratios as high as 10:1), then the aerators based on measured BOD values may be too small.   The same problem would occur when sizing TFs, that is, they would be too small if sized on measured BOD values alone. 

 

aeration sizing for slurry-phase bioremediation treatment

Sample Assignment: Select suitable aeration equipment for a 50m * 50m * 2.5m basin to be used for a slurry-phase bioremediation treatment.

Consulting engineer provided a basic "mini" SARA (Saturates, Aromatics, Resins and Asphaltenes) analysis, a chemical characterization method used in the petroleum industry to fractionate heavy crude oilsIt separates the sample into four main groups based on solubility and polarity, essential for optimizing refining, assessing crude quality, and predicting colloidal stability.

It's not that easy to settle on a given MLSS typical of wastewater projects, as well as most other parameters. Annotations from archives:
Power densities range from 20 to 50 kW per 1,000 m3 for moderately thick suspensions and 100 to 250 kW per 1,000 m3 for thick suspensions. Operation is typically batch. Solids content of between 5 and 20 percent is typical (US EPA, 1993) - still solids content can range between 10 and 40 percent. Dissolved oyxgen 2 mg/L desirable.

Preliminary setting and selection was as follows:

Basin dimensions: 50m x 50m x 2.5m water level
8-10% slurry
four (4) 150 HP high speed surface aerators
four (4) 15 HP submersible mixers

System was to operate for about twelve (12) months.

Feel free to work out the proposed power density and compare with regular wwtp values. Rationale behind not that oxygen requirement were that large but the need to sustain mixing throughout said period.

 

aeration sizing for oxidation ditch project

Given Actual Oxygen Requirement (AOR) determine the size and number of low speed aerators for a to-be-built oxidation ditch.

AOR = 300 kg O2/hr = 300 * 2.2046 lb O2/hr = 661 lb O2/hr

Using Alpha = 0.55, Beta = 0.95 and 12 °C and residual D.O. = 1.5 mg/L Standard Oxygen Requirement turns out to be about 1,515 lb O2/hr.

Each aerator is designed to transfer 3.5 lb oxygen pero HP hour.

Therefore, required HP is 15153/5 = 432 HP. Preliminary recommendation would then be three (3) 150 HP low speed surface aerators in a single oxidation ditch with a volume of approximately 1.5 million gallons enough to provide a 24 hour retention time at design flow.

 

SAMPLE AERATION CASE STUDIES: BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL (BNR)

Let's calculate an estimate of the solids retention time for a number of aerobic installations using the iterative formula - all data self-explanatory. Please be aware that these calculations are a simplification of the actual project data. For example, actual solids inventories could be smaller or larger and all other derived magnitudes adjusted accordingly. SRT is thus about ballpark.

SRT Sludge Age Sizer Dairy Biological Nutrient Removal
T 20 °C T 20 °C T 20 °C
Yoc 0.5 Yon 0.31 Ydn 2.28
Kd 0.200 Kd 0.200 Kd 0.200
flow in 2000 m3/d 0.528 mgd
CODin 483 mg/L 2126 lbCOD/day 964 kgCOD/day TKNin 44 mg/L
TKNin 44 mg/L (for nitrif!) 194 lbTKN/day 88 kgTKN/day
Nitrates 44 mg/L 194 lbCOD/day 88 kgNO3/day 0 used up for COD removal/growth
nVSS 0 mg/L 0 lbSS/day 0 kgSS/day TKNin used for growth 0 mg/L
Percent 100 % Treated 964 kgCOD/day TKNin avail for nitrification 44 mg/L
Percent 95 % COD removed 916 kgCOD/day
Vreactor 899300 gallon 3404 m3 (from order of magnitude sizing)
0.8993 mg 0.28 kgCOD/day per m3
Target MLVSS ballpark bug mix
1086 mg/L heterotrophs 3690 kg heterotrophs 1086 mg/L 68 % of Target MLVSS
61.5 mg/L nitrifiers 209 kg nitrifiers 62 mg/L 4 % of Target MLVSS
450 mg/L denitrifiers 1529 kg denitrifiers 450 mg/L 28 % of Target MLVSS
0 mg/L other solids 0 kg other 0 mg/L 0 % other (this entry's not used)
1598 mg/L
1598 mg/L 11967 lb bugs 5428 kg bugs
Heterotrophic Calcs
SRT     30.04 days (iterates automatically)
Yn = 0.134
biomass yield = 123 kg/day bugs
Global Sludge Age
Nitrifiers 30.01414 181 kg/day
SRT     30.16 days (iterates automatically) synthesis
Yn = 0.083
biomass yield = 7 kg/day bugs
Denitrifiers
SRT     29.93 days (iterates automatically)
Yn = 0.612
biomass yield = 51 kg/day bugs
HRT = V / Q = 1.7 days
41 hours

 

SAMPLE AERATION CASE STUDIES: petroleum refinery stream containing benzene:

Let's calculate an estimate of the required solids retention time for a small petroleum refinery stream containing benzene (1850 ppm -> COD = 1850* 3.08 = 5700 mg/L). Please be aware that these calculations are a simplification of the actual project data. For example, actual solids inventories could be smaller or larger and all other derived magnitudes adjusted accordingly. SRT is thus about ballpark.

SRT Sludge Age Sizer
T 25 °C
Yoc 0.5 Petroleum Refinery Stream
Kd 0.250 (also called b) Stream containing about 1850 ppm benzene
Carbonaceous Removal Sludge Age
flow in 240 m3/d 0.063 mgd
CODin 5700 mg/L 3011 lbCOD/day 1366 kgCOD/day applied
0 kgCOD/day via denitrif
1366
Percent 100 % Treated 1366 kgCOD/day
Percent 98 % COD removed
Vreactor 190440 gallon 721 m3 (from order of magnitude sizing)
0.19044 mg 1.89 kg applied COD/day per m3 (Residual OK)
Target MLVSS 1.89 kg applied + from denitri COD d/m3
5320 mg/L 8439.463 lb bugs 3828 kg bugs total bugs in tank but say only 100.0 % heterotrophs
5320 mg/L 8439.463 lb bugs 3828 kg bugs (heterotrophic biomass)
SRT     20.04 days (iterates automatically)
Ync 0.143 ok f/m 0.357 kg AppliedCOD d per total kg bugs (Residual OK)
f/m 0.357 kg Applied + From Dentir / total kg bugs
biomass yield = 191 kg/day bugs due to appliedCOD
HRT = V / Q = 3.0 days
72 hours ok

 

 

 

          Sample keywords:  hydrogen sulfide EGSB tannery  (no commas!) 

ASB

Willie

Need Some Help? answers@engineeringfundamentals.com - James C. Young Environmental - Balestie, Irwin & Balestie