Biological Sludge Digestion

Handling of solids and bio-solids

Solid wastes are two types: primary and secondary
Our concern is of secondary solid waste generated by STPs
and ETPs, specially primary and secondary sludge
• Screenings, grit, scum/oil and grease, primary sludge, chemical
sludge, and secondary sludge
Handling of ETP and STP sludge includes collection,
treatment, storage, transportation and disposal
Biological treatment units are used in the solids and bio-
solids treatment and disposal activities
Solids and bio-solids have
• substances responsible for offensive character of untreated
wastewater
• substances that can decompose & become offensive
• Very low solids fraction (actually are liquids or semi-solid liquids
and solid content varies from 0.25 to 12%)
 Handling of solids and bio-solids
Treatment of solids and bio-solids is mostly concerned with
• Removal of moisture/water - thickening, conditioning,
dewatering and drying
• Stabilization of putrifiable/ degradable/ decomposable
constituents
– Physico-chemical – chemical treatment (alkaline
stabilization), incineration, heat treatment, etc.
– Biological – aerobic and anaerobic digestion; composting
and vermi-composting, landfarming, etc.
Bio-solids are organic products and can be beneficially used
after processes such as stabilization and composting
Only aerobic and anaerobic digestion will be covered
Composting, vermicomposting and landfarming not covered
(may be included in solid waste management paper)
 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
• Stabilization of concentrated sludges produced by ETPs & STPs
• Mesophilic anaerobic digestion (30-38C) is most common –
thermophilic digestion (50-57C) and phased digestion
(mesophilic and thermophilic in separate stages) are also used
• 3 types of reactions occurring in the anaerobic digester are
hydrolysis, fermentation/acidogenesis and methanogenesis
• Environmental factors influencing the digestion process are
SRT, HRT, temperature, alkalinity, pH, presence of inhibitory
substances, and availability of nutrients and trace metals
• Temperature affects digestion rates (particularly hydrolysis and
methanogenesis), gas transfer rates & sludge settling properties
• Maintaining stable operating temperature is important
(methanogens are sensitive - affected by changes >1C/day )
• Anaerobic digestion produces ammonium carbonate (alkalinity)
– a well established digester has 2000 to 5000 mg/l of alkalinity
• Dissolved CO2 (carbonic acid) consumes alkalinity (not volatile
fatty acids) – CO2 level in biogas indicates alkalinity required
• Addition of sodium bicarbonate, lime, or sodium carbonate can
supplement alkalinity of digester
 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
Mesophilic high rate anaerobic digestion
Single stage high rate digestion
• Digesters have floating or fixed covers for biogas
collection
• Removal of supernatant is not practiced (SRT=HRT)
• Feed stream is thickened and fed uniformly (continuously
or on a 30 min to 2 hour cycles)
– for longer cycles (8 or 24 hours) withdrawal of sludge prior to
feeding can result in better pathogen kill
• Mixing is done by gas circulation/pumping/draft-tube
mixers and sludge is heated to achieve optimum digestion
rates
• Solids reduction of 45-50% is achieved
 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
Mesophilic high rate anaerobic digestion
Two stage digestion (now-a-days not much used)
• First stage is heated and equipped with mixing facilities
• Second stage is unheated and principally used for storage
– Can be an open tank or a lagoon (<10% of total gas is
generated)
– Supernatant withdrawal can increase solids concentration
Separate sludge digestion
• Separate digesters for primary and secondary sludges
• Addition of biological sludge to primary sludge
downgrades the solid-liquid separation process
• If biological phosphorus removal is practiced, biological
sludge is aerobically digested (not anaerobically)
 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
Design of single stage high rate digester is based on
• SRT, volumetric loading, volatile solids destruction, and
observed volume reduction
Solids retention time (SRT)
• Quantity of methane gas generated can be calculated by
VCH 4 = 0.35[ Q( S 0 − S e ) − 1.42 Px ]
YQ( S 0 − S e )
Px =
1 + k d .SRT
– Vmethane is volume of methane in m3 at 0C and 1 atmos
– I kg of bCOD theoretically generates 0.35 m3 of methane
– S0 and Se are expressed as bCOD
– Px is net mass of cell biomass produced
• For a complete mix anaerobic digester SRT=HRT
• Typical Y and kd values are 0.05 to 0.1 and 0.02 to 0.04
respectively - (SRT increase above typical value don’t increase
performance much)
• Typical SRT values are 10 to 20 days for 40 to 24C - SRT may
be decided while considering the peak HRT
 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
Loading factors for design of anaerobic digester
• Typical TSS in the feed is 4.7±1.6% - volatile fraction of the
sludge is 70% - sludge has 1.02 specific gravity
• Volatile solids loading rate per unit digester volume or per unit
volatile solids present in the digester is used as the basis
• Typical solids loading rate is 1.6 to 4.8/m3.day –
– loading rate can be higher for the primary sludge if it is mixed with
secondary sludge
• Maximum sustained loading over 2-week (or one month) period
is considered in the design
• Within the digester typical volatile suspended solids is 1.6%
• Upper limit for loading is determined by rate of accumulation of
toxic materials (like ammonia) or washout of methanogens
Estimating volatile solids destruction
• Estimated by Vd = 13.7 ln(SRTdes ) + 18.9
– Vd is percent volatile solids destructed
– Alkalinity and volatile acids content are usually checked as a
measure of stability of the digestion process
 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
Digester shapes commonly used include:
1. Cylindrical tanks (shallow vertical cylindrical)
2. Conventional German design (deep cylindrical vessel with
steeply sloped top and bottom cones)
3. Egg shaped (vertical) tanks
Cylindrical and egg shaped tanks are most commonly used
Cylindrical tanks
• Diameter is 6-38 m, liquid depth is >7.5 to 15 m, and bottom
slope in 1 in 6 (some use waffle bottom)
• Has low profile and allows relatively large gas storage
• Mixing is inefficient and leaves dead spaces and grit and silt
accumulation can occur
• Large surface area facilitate scum accumulation and foaming
Mixing (which is important for optimal process performance)
is achieved by Gas injection systems, Mechanical mixing
systems and Mechanical pumping systems
Combination systems (gas mixing & pumping) are also used
 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
Gas injection systems (2 types: confined or unconfined)
• Unconfined systems: collect gas at top, compress and then
discharge at the bottom may be through diffusers
• Confined gas systems: collects gas at top, compresses and
discharges through confined tubes - 3 types: gas lifter, gas
lances and gas piston types
– Gas lifter type: has submerged gas pipes inserted into an eductor
tube or gas lifter - gas is released through the tubes for creating
lifting effect on sludge
– Cover mounted lances (gas is released at the bottom for creating
lifting effect on the sludge
– Gas piston: gas bubbles are intermittently released at the bottom of
cylindrical tube – rising bubbles act as piston and push up sludge
Mechanical mixing systems - use single top mounted low
speed turbine or mixer
– turbine usually has two turbine impellers at different depths
Mechanical pumping systems
• Propeller type pumps mounted in internal/external draft tubes
• Axial flow centrifugal pumps and piping installed externally
 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
Egg shaped (vertical) tanks
• High profile structure - height can be as high as 40 m
• Enhanced mixing, elimination of the need for cleaning, smaller
foot print and less land area requirement are advantages
• Digester mixing systems include unconfined gas mixing,
mechanical draft tube mixing or pumped recirculation mixing
– Mechanical draft-tube mixers can be operated either an up or a down-
pumping mode and can be good for controlling scum and foam
– Recirculation mixing involves taking sludge from bottom and discharging
near gas-liquid interface (helps in scum breaking and foam control in case
of gas mixing digesters)
– Gas mixing is considered as relatively inefficient
• Disadvantages include very little gas storage volume and, in
gas-mixed digesters, foaming associated difficulties in gas
collection
 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
Thickening the digester feed sludge or the digesting sludge can
increase the SRT and enhance the digester performance
• Recirculating a portion of the digested sludge and cothickening
with the primary sludge to be digested
• Sludge pumping and mixing systems and sludge handling
equipment need proper evaluation
Principal types of covers used for gas collection include floating,
fixed and membrane covers
• Foam generation can create problems (clogging the gas outlet)
• Mixing of gas and air can result in explosive mixture - gas
piping and pressure-relief valves must include adequate flame
traps – air entry is avoided during liquid volume changes
Biogas production rate is 0.75 to 1.12 m3/kg of volatile solids
destroyed (high rate digesters produce about 2 volumes of gas)
• Biogas contains 65-70% CH4, 25-30% CO2, and small amounts
of N2, H2, H2S, H2O and other gases – its SG is 0.86 of air
• Biogas often need cleaning in dry or wet scrubbers – if H2S is
>100 ppm installation of H2S removal equipment is needed
• Lower calorific value (LCV) of methane gas at STP (20C and 1
atm) is 35,800 kJ/m3 (for biogas with 65% methane it is 22,440
kJ/m3 and for natural gas it is 37,300 kJ/m3)
 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
Digester heating
To raise temperature of incoming sludge and to compensate heat
losses from digester
Heat loss from walls, top, and bottom of digester is computed by
q = UA∆ T
U is coefficient of heat transfer
A is surface area through which heat loss occurs
∆ T temperature drop across
Heat transfer coefficient (HTC)
• Depends on the characteristics of the heat transfer surface
• Aboveground plain concrete 300 mm walls thickness have 4.7-
5.1 W/m2.C HTC (insulation decreases it to 0.6–0.8; air space
and brick facing decreases it to 1.8 – 2.4)
• Belowground plain concrete walls with dry earth surrounding
have 0.57–0.68 W/m2.C HTC (moist earth increases it to 1.1–
1.4)
• 300 mm thick plain concrete floors have 1.7 W/m2.C HTC (with
moist earth it increases to 2.85)
• 100 mm thick fixed concrete cover has 4-5 W/m2.C HTC
(increase of thickness to 225 mm decreases it to 3-3.6; 25 mm
thick insulation board insulation decreases it to 1.2-1.6)
 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
External or internal heating systems can be used
External heating systems
• Tube-in-tube, spiral plate or water bath heat exchangers are
used
• Sludge and/or supernatant is pumped at high velocity through
tubes and hot water is circulated around on the outer side
• Hot water with temperature below 68C is used and counter
current flow is maintained in the heat exchangers
• Heat transfer coefficient for external heat exchanger is taken as
0.9 to 1.6 kJ/m2.C
Internal heating systems
• Usually have mixing tubes equipped with hot water jackets
• Because of operational and maintenance problems internal
systems are not recommended
Biogas generated can be burnt to supply the heat
• Can be burnt in internal combustion engines for cogenerating
electricity as well
• Natural gas or fuel oil may be used as auxillary fuel
 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
Thermophilic anaerobic digestion
• Occurs at temperature 50-57C
• Digestion process is faster (generally 4 times faster)
• Advantages include increased solids destruction capability,
improved dewatering and increased pathogen destruction
• Disadvantages include higher energy requirement for heating,
poorer quality supernatant and less process stability
• As single stage very less used – mainly used as a first stage
(second phase is mesophilic digester)
Two-phased anaerobic digestion (4 basic methods)
Staged mesophilic digestion:
• Not much beneficial in volatile solids reduction or in gas
production
• May produce more stable, less odorous biosolids that are easier
to dewater
Staged thermophilic digestion (all stages are thermophilic)
• Involves use of a larger reactor followed by one or more smaller
reactors specially to reduce pathogen count
 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion
Temperature phased digestion:
• Operates in either of the two modes: thermophilic-mesophilic
and mesophilic-thermophilic (former more common)
• T-stage has 3 to 5 day HRT and M-stage has about 10 day HRT
• Incorporates advantages and mitigates disadvantages of
thermophilic digestion
– Improved stability and greater capability to absorb shock loads
– Foaming is reduced and odorous compounds from T-stage are
destructed in M-stage
• Volatile suspended solids destruction efficiencies are 15-25%
greater than signle stage mesophilic digestion
Acid/gas phased digestion (Two stage process)
• Stage-1: solubilization of particulate matter and formation of
volatile acids (>6000 mg/l) occur (hydrolysis and acidogenesis)
– Conducted at ≤ 6 pH and shorter SRT
• Stage-2: conducted at neutral pH and longer SRT at conditions
suitable for methanogenesis and maximum gas production
• Either of the stages can be mesophilic or thermophilic
• Advantages: greater VSS reduction (50-60%); foaming control
 Aerobic sludge digestion
Preferred primarily by small STPs and ETPs (<0.2 m3/sec.)
Advantages of aerobic sludge digestion are
• Lower BOD in the supernatant liquor
• Odorless, humus like biologically stable end product is produced
• Stabilized sludge has more fertilizer value
• Suitable for nutrient rich biosolids
• Lower capital cost and operational ease
Disadvantages include
• Higher power costs and recovery of no useful byproduct like
methane
• Produce sludge with poorer mechanical dewatering
characteristics
The process should satisfy the following requirements
• Pathogen reduction (SRT should be > 40 days at 20C and > 60
days at 15C - a thickener can increase the SRT)
• Volatile solids reduction
 Aerobic sludge digestion
Similar to activated sludge process and can be operated as
batch or continuous flow reactors
Microbial biomass gets auto-oxidized – only 75-80% of the
biomass is auto-oxidized and the rest is left behind as
residual suspended organic matter
Biodegradable organic matter of the primary sludge is
hydrolyzed and bio-oxidized into inorganic end products
Ammonia released from the bio-oxidation process is
subsequently nitrified and even denitrified
– Nitrification is associated with increase of acidity and
decrease of pH (7 kg per kg ammonia)
– About 50% of it is neutralized by the alkalinity generated by
denitrification
Aerobic digestion can be run as a) conventional aerobic
digestion, b) high purity oxygen aerobic digestion and c)
autothermal aerobic digestion
C5 H 7 NO2 + 5O2 → 4CO2 + H 2O + NH 4 HCO3
+
NH 4 + 2O2 → NO3 + 2 H + + H 2O
OM + 6 NO3 → N 2 + CO2 + H 2O + 6OH −
C5 H 7 NO2 + 11.5O2 → 10CO2 + 7 H 2O + 2 N 2
 Aerobic sludge digestion
Factors considered in the design of conventional aerobic sludge
digesters
Temperature
• Operating temperature of the liquid depends on the ambient
temperature and fluctuates extensively
• Higher operating temperature is maintained through minimizing
the heat losses – concrete (not steel) tanks, below grade (not
above grade) tanks, subsurface (not surface) aeration, use of
insulated tanks, heating of the influent sludge, covering the
tanks, etc.
• Digester should be designed for the necessary degree of sludge
stabilization at the lowest expected liquid operating temperature
• Air supply system should cater to maximum O2 requirements at
the maximum expected liquid operating temperature
Solids reduction
• Main objective is to reduce the mass of solids to be disposed
• Only biodegradable content of the sludge is reduced
• Volatile solids reduction to the tune of 35 to 50% can be
achieved
 Aerobic sludge digestion
Minimum reduction to be achieved may be 38% (US EPA), or
oxygen demand of stabilized sludge should be 1.5 mg/h/g at
20C
Biodegradable volatile solids removal can be represented by a first
order biochemical reaction
dM
= −k d M
dt
M is mass of biodegradable volatile solids
The reaction time is SRT and this may be equal or greater than the
HRT
20-35% of the waste activated sludge from STPs with primary
treatment is not biodegradable – in case of contact stabilization
process it may be 25-35%
Kd is function of sludge type, temperature and solids concentration
– for waste activated sludge its value may be 0.05/day at 15C
and 0.14/day at 25C
Temperature and SRT are combined together and expressed as
degree-days – its value should be at least 550
 Aerobic sludge digestion
Qi ( xi + YSi )
Digester volume can be calculated by V=
x(k d Pv + 1 / SRT )
– xi is feed suspended solid level &x is digester solids level
– Si is feed BOD level (negligible if no primary sludge is
added)
– Pv is volatile solids fraction in the digester suspended solids
Staged aerobic digestion (can include ≥ 2 digesters in series)
Higher feed solids levels are preferred – results in higher
oxygen requirement, longer SRT, smaller digesters, and
greater reduction of volatile solids.
– Prior thickening can increase feed solids level
– Feed solids level >3.5 to 4% can limit ability of
mixing/aeration system
Oxygen requirement is due to the digestion of cell tissue, and
biooxidation of BOD of primary sludge (2.3 kg/kg for cell
tissue and 1.6 to 1.9 kg/kg for primary sludge)
 Aerobic sludge digestion
In the process of meeting the oxygen requirement, necessary
mixing requirement is also met
Greater feed solids level and use of polymers in the sludge
thickening process can affect the mixing requirements
– For achieving higher SRT aerobic digesters without prior thickening
decanting facilities are needed
Depending on the buffering capacity pH can drop to lower value
(<5.5) at higher HRTs
– Air stripping (removes ammonia) and higher nitrate levels in the
sludge have potential to drop the pH

Design criteria for aerobic sludge digesters

SRT 40 at 15C and 60 at 20C
Volatile solids loading 1.6 to 4.8 kg/m3.day
Energy requirement of mixing (mechanical) 20-40 kW/1000.m3
Energy requirement of mixing (diffused air) 0.02 to 0.04 m3/m3.min
Reduction of volatile suspended solids 38-50%
 Aerobic sludge digestion
Duel digestion
Aerobic thermophilic digestion is used as first stage and
mesophilic anaerobic digestion is used as second stage
Aerobic thermophilic digester
• HRT and temperature are 18 to 24 hours and 55 to 65C
respectively
• 10 to 20% of volatile solids are liquefied and COD is reduced by
about 5% in the in the first stage aerobic thermophilic digestion
• Foaming and odours are problems with this digester
HRT of anaerobic mesophilic digestion stage is 10 days
Advantages of duel process are
• Increased pathogen reduction, improved overall volatile solids
reduction and increased methane generation
• Stabilized sludge has less organic content & produce less odors
• Tank volume of digesters is reduced by 1/3rd
 Aerobic sludge digestion
Autothermal thermophilic aerobic digestion (ATAD)
• Usually 2 or more reactors (operated in series) are used
• Digesters are insulated (temperature upto 55C is achieved
conserving internal metabolic heat)
• The digesters are operated to minimize heat loss
– Feed sludge is usually pre-thickened
– Oxygen transfer is achieved without loosing much heat
– Withdrawal and feeding of sludge is performed on a batch
basis (daily an hour or less time)
• Foam generation and a foam layer helps in insulating the
digester and in improving oxygen utilization
• ATAD systems are operate under microaerobic conditions
• Ammonia released, because of lack of nitrification
increases alkalinity and raises pH to 8-9
• Advantages of ATAD include reduced HRT (5 or 6 days)
and greater reduction of pathogens
• Disadvantages include objectionable odours, poorly
dewatering stabilized sludge and lack of nitrification
 Aerobic sludge digestion
High purity oxygen digestion
• High purity oxygen is used in lieu of air
• Digesters are usually closed tanks (one variant however
uses open tanks) with high purity oxygen atmosphere
above
• Because of closed tanks operating temperature is usually
higher and hence have higher rates of volatile suspended
solids destruction
• Good for cold weather climates - digesters insensitivity to
changes in ambient air temperatures (higher metabolic
activity)
• Disadvantages include increased cost (generation of pure
oxygen) and need for neutralization (inhibited nitrification)