For many years after its inception in 1914, engineers and operators
were able to successfully design and operate activated sludge
plants, without a clear understanding of the microbial processes
that underpinned the process. Now however, advances in our understanding
of the microbial ecology of activated sludge microorganisms
allowed us to provide a conceptual basis for treatment plant
operation and control. This in turn has led to the development
of a number of on-line systems for process control, which are
claimed to reduce operating costs and provide safeguards for
guaranteeing effluent quality.
Although there is often a poor understanding of the microbiology
of sludge settlement, the knowledge of sedimentation tank
mechanics is extremely good and there are a large number of
simple techniques to optimise sedimentation tank performance
over a range of values for SSVI3.5 and MLSS. Thus even without
understanding the microbial processes that are responsible
for purifying a wastewater, by using only a small number of
tests and with the application of a few simple models of the
treatment process, it is possible to operate a plant under
optimum conditions and keep it fine tuned in response to variations
in influent composition. In order to simplify this process
further, Aqua Enviro have assembled a toolkit which provides
all the test apparatus necessary to determine values for those
determinands which are essential to achieve plant optimisation.
The toolkit is CD driven with operators prompted to input
key values that have been determined using the apparatus provided.
Assuming that plant flow data is available on-site, the
output is in terms of those operating parameters such as operating
MLSS, underflow velocity and wastage rate, which must be adjusted
to fine tune plant operation. The toolkit is portable and
simplifies plant operation providing all treatment plants
with their own consultant in a suitcase.
For further details on the toolkit please call or e.mail:
enquiries@aquaenviro.co.uk.
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