WST-052

Activated Sludge Calculations

Activated Sludge Calculations
MCRT (SRT)
F/M Ratio
Targeting a F/M Ratio by setting the WAS Flow
Rate
Targeting a SRT or Sludge Age by setting the
WAS Flow Rate


Activated Sludge Flows
Flow Abbreviations
PE = Primary Effluent
SE = Secondary Effluent
RAS = Return Activated Sludge
WAS = Waste Activated Sludge
Concentration Abbreviations
MLSS = Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids
CCSS = Clarifier Core Suspended Solids
PESS = Primary Effluent Suspended Solids
SESS = Secondary Effluent Suspended Solids
WAS SS =Waste Activated Sludge Suspended Solids
MLSS
CCSS
PESS
SESS
WAS SS
Flow Nomenclature
PE
PE
RAS
RAS
SE
WAS
MLSS
CCSS
MCRT
MCRT
MCRT = Mean Cell Retention Time
SRT = Solids Retention Time
Means same thing (MCRT = SRT)
MCRT
lbs/day System, Leaving Solids Suspended
lbs System, in Solids Suspended
days Time, Retension Solids =
Flow Nomenclature
PE
PE
RAS
RAS
SE
WAS
MLSS
CCSS
MCRT
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( )( )( ) ( )( )( ) l 8.34lbs /ga MGD Flow, Plant mg/L SESS, l 8.34lbs /ga MGD Flow, WAS mg/L SS, WAS
l 8.34lbs /ga MG Vol, Clar mg/L CCSS, MG , Aer ation mg/L MLSS,
day s ns ionTime, Solids Rete
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Clarifier Solids Concentration Issues
CCSS = Clarifier Core Suspended Solids
Could be inaccurate measurement of solids in
clarifier
Concentration is different along column
Average of Solids concentration in Clarifier can
be estimated:
Average SS concentration of sludge blanket
(MLSS, mg/L + RAS SS mg/L)/2
Or you could ignore minor difference in
concentration and just use MLSS throughout.


MCRT
( )( )( )
( )( )( ) ( )( )( ) l 8.34lbs /ga MGD Flow, Plant mg/L SESS, l 8.34lbs /ga MGD Flow, WAS mg/L SS, WAS
l 8.34lbs /ga MG Vol, Clar Aer ation mg/L MLSS,
day s ns ionTime, Solids Rete
+
+
=
Food/Microorganisms Ratio
Food/Microorganisms Ratio
F/M Ratio = Food/Microorganisms Ratio
Measurement of the balance of Food (Nutrients)
and the microorganisms (mostly bacteria) that eat
the food
Too little food and the bacteria start to die off
Too much food and nutrients will slip by uneaten
Food/Microorganisms Ratio
F/M Ratio=BOD/MLVSS
BOD = Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Indirect measurement of how much food (nutrients) there
is available
How much O
2
used up in 5 days
Some might have been used by chemical reactions
MLVSS =Mixed Liquor Volatile
Suspended Solids
Indirect measurement of how many
microorganisms are present
How much of solids burned off
Some might have been organic compounds but not living


Food/Microorganisms Ratio
lbs MLVSS,
lbs/day BOD,
Ratio F/M =
Food/Microorganisms Ratio
( )( )( )
( )( )( ) l 8.34lbs /ga MG Bas in, Aer ation Volume mg/L MLVSS,
l 8.34lbs /ga MGD Flow, mg/L BOD,
Ratio F/M =