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Assessing the impact of Solids Retention Time

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the State Point Analysis

Article in KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering December 2014

DOI: 10.1007/s12205-014-0106-1

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KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering (2015) 19(5):1265-1270 Environmental Engineering
Copyright 2015 Korean Society of Civil Engineers
DOI 10.1007/s12205-014-0106-1 pISSN 1226-7988, eISSN 1976-3808
www.springer.com/12205
TECHNICAL NOTE

Assessing the Impact of Solids Retention Time (SRT) on the Secondary Clarifier
Capacity using the State Point Analysis
Oleyiblo Oloche James*, Jia-Shun Cao**, Amos T Kabo-Bah***, and Gan Wang****
Received November 14, 2013/Revised May 26, 2014/Accepted September 2, 2014/Published Online December 1, 2014

Abstract

The State Point Analysis (SPA) tool implemented in BioWin software was used to study the impact of Solids Retention Time
(SRT) on the secondary clarifier as it relate to effluent quality in a full-scale treatment plant. SRT is the operating parameter which
replaces loading factor as the key design parameter in the activated sludge design. It influences a number of factors, such as; growth
rate of microorganisms, nitrification, biomass stabilization, degradation of slowly biodegradable organics, selection of microbial
composition of the mixed liquor and its settling and treatment characteristics. SRT is the most difficult parameter to manipulate, its
control is paramount to ensure effective waste water treatment. Studies have shown best operating SRTs, nevertheless, the clarifier
working conditions in those studies were not considered. SPA is a practical tool developed for the purposes of assessing clarifier
performance under different operating scenarios. This study shows the usefulness of SPA in determining optimum operating SRT
while maintaining clarification and thickening without compromising clarifier operation. The SPA results revealed that the clarifier is
overloaded at the present operating SRT (16 days). However, it was found that the treatment plant performs better at 12 days SRT
without violating effluent concentrations and without being critically loaded.
Keywords: activated sludge, oxidation ditch, secondary clarifier, SPA, SRT

1. Introduction to the upstream changes in the biological process. SPA is an

The secondary clarifier is an essential component of the activated
sludge processes, as it serves two major purposes; solids liquid
separation and thickening (Wahlberg, 1996). Clarifier failure in
either of these functions is very disastrous, because it leads to
effluent violation as a result of solids carryover, thereby reducing
the Solids Retention Time (SRT) of the system, and a rise in
sludge blanket depth, respectively (Smollen and Ekama, 1984;
Wahlberg and Thomas, 1995; Wahlberg, 1996). A reduction in
SRT to below that which is required to sustain nitrification will
affect nitrogen removal by denitrification (Liwarska et al., 2013;
Keinath, 1985).
SPA is a practical tool developed for the purposes of evaluating
clarifier behaviour under different operating scenarios. This
evaluation is done at the design stage for site specific data in
order to reduce the safety factors, optimize clarifier size, and to
enhance confidence in the design procedure (Jeyanayagam et al.,
2006). Similarly, operators can use SPA approach to envisage
imminent problems, and implement timely corrective measures
extension of solids flux theory, which describes the movement of
solids through a clarifier. Solids flux is the mass of solids passing
through a unit area in a unit time. It entails settling of flocculated
particles as a zone by means of which particles maintains their
relative positions to each other. Zone Settling Velocity (ZSV) is a
function of Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS) concentration
(X) and is usually expressed by the Vesilind equation given as
Eq. (1):
ZSV = Vo ekX (1)
where, Vo and k are settling constants obtained from a series of
settling tests.
The solids-flux theory has been elucidated (Ozinsky et al.,
1994; Chancelier et al., 1997). Flux theory is a practical method
to incorporate the settling and compression characteristics of
sludge with the physical characteristics of settler operation. It is
an established theory for sludge thickener which can be applied
via SPA to activated sludge settlers which has other functions
besides thickening. SPA is a graphical analysis that uses the

*Research Assistant, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China (Corresponding Author, E-mail: evangjamesa1@gmail.com,
evangjamesa1@ yahoo.com)
**Professor, National Engineering Research Center of Water Resource Efficient Utilization and Engineering Safety, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098,
China (E-mail: caojiashun@163.com); College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China (E-mail: evangjamesa1@gmail.com,
evangjamesa1@yahoo.com)
****Research Assistant,College of Water Resources and Hydrology, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China (E-mail: kabobah@uenr.edu.gh)
*****Vice President, Anhui Guozhen Environmental Protection Sci. and Tech. Co. Ltd, Hefei 230088, Anhui China (E-mail: wanggan@vip.163.com)

1265
 Oleyiblo Oloche James, Jia-Shun Cao, Amos T Kabo-Bah, and Gan Wang
settling rates of various concentrations of the mixed liquor to
assess the capacity of a clarifier ability to separate and thickened
the sludge. It can be used to visualize the solids loading, Figs. 5(a
and b), at which the clarifier may or may not satisfy its functions.
This graphical approach uses a curve which is developed by
performing settling test at various concentrations of mixed liquor
on site to represent the gravitational settling characteristics. The
operating condition of the clarifier is defined by two feasible
operating lines (overflow rate line and underflow rate line). These
operating lines form a graphical material balance on solids,
controlled by the settling characteristics which is defined by the
flux curve, Fig. 4. The term State Point, Fig. 4, denotes the
State of the solids balance in the clarifier at a given point in
time, or the clarifier operating point.
Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS) concentration in the
aeration tank is one of the important operating parameters in the
activated sludge plants, it does directly determine the solids
loading rate to the final clarifier. The MLSS concentration is
controlled by the SRT of the system. SRT is considered the most
vital design parameter and the most difficult parameter to
manipulate (Maharajh, 2010). It influences a number of factors
in the activated sludge process, such as; nitrification, biomass
stabilization, degradation of slowly biodegradable organics, sludge
dewaterability, etc, (Feng et al., 2009; Grady et al., 2009).
SRT is the operating parameter which replaces loading factor
as the key design parameter in the activated sludge design.
Therefore, knowing the SRT of the Waste Water Treatment Plant
(WWTP) with certainty is paramount to successful operation of
any WWTP. In some cases, mass balance calculations are
employed in determining the SRT of the activated sludge plants
(Puig et al., 2008). Mass balance calculations uses the principles
of whatever goes into the system must come out, be it the solid
mass balance, the liquid mass balance, and the Total Phosphorus
(TP) mass balance (Puig et al., 2008). However, this method
does not reveal the clarifier operating condition graphically at the
determined operating SRT. Incorporating SPA in determining the
activated sludge plants SRT will help in revealing the clarifier
operating condition at a specified SRT.
The use of SPA to evaluate the effect of SRT on the clarifier
has not been studied. This article presents a typical case where
Fig. 1. Activated Sludge Process Incorporating the Secondary Clarifier: Qi = Influent Flow, Xo = Operating Concentration, Qr = Return
Sludge Flow, Uo = Overflow Rate, Uu = Underflow Rate, Qw = Waste Activated Sludge
1266
SPA was used to determine, from amongst SRTs, the best
operating SRT that keeps the clarifier in safe operation while
fulfilling its functions. The Activated Sludge Process incorporating
the Secondary Clarifier is given in Fig. 1.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1 Description of WWTP
The Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is located in Hefei
Anhui Province, Peoples Republic of China. It is operated and
maintained by Anhui Guozhen Environmental Protection Science
and Technology Company Limited. (GZEP). The system consists
of four-train Oxidation Ditches (OD) with each ditch preceded
by an anaerobic and anoxic zone. The volumes of the anaerobic
and the anoxic tanks are; 4150 m3 and 7922 m3, whereas, the
total volume of the OD is 27498 m3. The OD operates in
alternating anoxic-aerobic modes. Two secondary clarifiers are
connected to each OD train. The surface area of each clarifier is
1657m2, which comes from a 46-m diameter, excluding the area
occupied by the centre well, and a 4.6-m depth. One of the
treatment trains was configured and modelled in BioWin software
version v.3.0. This is because, the four treatment trains receives
the same influent wastewater, both in quantity and concentrations,
and all the clarifiers are of the same size. The schematic flow
diagram of the WWTP is shown in Fig. 2 whereas the BioWin
configuration of the WWTP is shown in Fig. 3.
2.2 Methodology
The operational and performance data were evaluated via the
application of mass balances (Meijer et al., 2002; Langergraber
et al., 2004; Thomann, 2008; Puig et al., 2008), in order to
confirm the operating SRT. The gravity flux curve in Fig. 4 was
generated with the real data from the wastewater treatment plant
under study. The clarifier was modeled using the actual Return
Activated Sludge (RAS) flow, Waste Activated Sludge (WAS)
flow and the Sludge Volume Index (SVI) measurements given in
Table 1. The BioWin software was used to further confirm the
correctness of the SRT with its inbuilt mass balance calculation
tools. The BioWin software is made for the configuration of the
activated sludge system and mass balances for each species
KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering
 Assessing the Impact of Solids Retention Time (SRT) on the Secondary Clarifier Capacity using the State Point Analysis

Fig. 2. Schematic Flow Diagram of One Lane of the WWTP

Fig. 3. BioWin Schematic Flow Diagram of the WWTP Biological Reactor

Table 1. Operational Data

Influent flow, Q (m3/d) 195018
RAS flow (m3/d) 97509
MLSS concentration (mg/L) 5003
Number of clarifiers 8
Clarifier diameter (m) 47
Clarifier surface area (A) 1657
SVI (mg/L) 96
SRT (d) 16

(COD, TP, etc.). For detailed discussions on mass balances,

readers are referred to (Puig et al., 2008).
Fig. 4. Real Flux Curve of the WWTP under Study and other SPA
2.3 Components of the SPA Components
The two flux components responsible for conveying the sludge
entering the clarifier to the bottom of the clarifier are the gravity
Similarly, from Fig. 1(b), Uo is expressed as Eq. (4):
flux (Gs) and the bulk flux (Gb).
From Fig. 4, Gs is expressed as Eq. (2): Uo = Qi /A (4)
where,
Gs = Vs X (2)
A = Clarifier area
where,
Gs = Solids flux (kg/m2/d) Bulk flux (Gb) is the product of X and Uu. Thus, Gb is given as
Vs = Settling velocity (m/d) Eq. (5):
X = Sludge concentration (kgMLSS/m3)
Gb = Uu X (5)
From Fig. 1(b), Uu is expressed as Eq. (3):
The vertical line in Fig. 4 represents the operating sludge
Uu = Qr /A (3) concentration (Xo), showing its value. The point of intersection

Vol. 19, No. 5 / July 2015 1267

 Oleyiblo Oloche James, Jia-Shun Cao, Amos T Kabo-Bah, and Gan Wang

Fig. 5. Operating Conditions of the Final Clarifier on the Gravity Flux Curves

between the overflow rate and Xo is the state point. The outside the flux curve. At this point, the clarifier is failing.
intersection of the underflow line with the horizontal axis gives
the underflow concentration (Xr). 3. Discussions

2.3.1 Settling Flux Curve Series of simulations were performed with different SRTs,
The flux curve is developed by performing settling test at and the position of SPA components were observed and compared
various concentrations of mixed liquor. with Figs. 4, 5(a) and 5(b). The effluent concentrations of some
important constituents and the MLSS concentration in the
2.3.2 Overflow Rate Line aeration tank were evaluated Table 2, Figs. 6 and 7, respec-
The surface overflow rate represents the upward flow through tively. Figure 6 shows the SPA components and their positions
the clarifier as shown in Eq. (4). The flux increases with increasing on the flux curve. It is very obvious from Fig. 6 that the clarifier
mixed liquor and vice versa. is overloaded and is failing in clarification when the WWTP is
operated at 16 days SRT. On the other hand, the clarifier is
2.3.3 Underflow Rate Line critically loaded when the WWTP is operated at 14 days SRT
The underflow rate represents the RAS downward flow through (SPA result not shown). Increasing the RAS rate to prevent
the clarifier as shown in Eq. (3). clarifier failure under such condition as recommended in most
The state point defines the operating condition of the clarifier cases will rather worsen the situation because, the RAS rate will
and its operating variations on the flux curve. The clarifier is said be added to the incoming Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and
to be in critical condition with respect to clarification when the consequently, their sum will be returned to the clarifier resulting
state point is on the flux curve, and is said to be failing when the in higher solids loads to the clarifier.
state point is outside the envelope of the flux curve. Figs. 5(a) The MLSS concentration in the aeration tank is controlled by
and 5(b) are explained thus; the SRT of the system, therefore reducing the SRT will reduce
The clarifier is said to be in safe operating condition when the the MLSS concentration. However, care must be taken in order
underflow rate line cuts the flux curve at one point only, near to prevent the washout of nitrifying bacteria. SRT is the average
A, Figs. 5(a) and 5(b), and the state point is within the retention time of biomass in the system. Underestimating SRT
envelope of the flux curve Figs. 4 and 7.
The clarifier is said to be in a critically loaded condition when
the underflow rate line cuts the flux Figs, 5(a) and 5(b) curve Table 2. Results of the WWTP Performance at Different SRT
at one point and tangential to the flux curve, near B, Figs. SRT 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
5(a) and 5(b), and the state point is on the flux curve Figure TP 0.28 0.3 0.33 0.51 0.57 0.75 0.85 0.92
6. Any additional load to the clarifier will result in clarifier TN 8 8 8.3 8.8 9.4 9.5 10.2 10.7
failure. NH3-N 1.69 1.5 1.02 0.78 0.62 0.4 0.33 0.3
The clarifier is said to be overloaded when the underflow rate TSS 7.9 9.3 12 16.4 19.2 23 28 34
line cuts the flux curve at three different points; once near A, COD 24.3 25 25.7 29.2 32.3 32.8 33.1 33.5
and twice near B, Figs. 5(a) and (b), and the state point is MLSS 4011 4519 4902 5550 5770 6109 6313 6713

1268 KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering

 Assessing the Impact of Solids Retention Time (SRT) on the Secondary Clarifier Capacity using the State Point Analysis
Fig. 6. Clarifier SPA Analysis for 16 Days Operating SRT: K =
Vesilind Hindered Zone Settling Parameter, Vo = Maximum
Vesilind Settling Velocity, respectively, for Velsilind Equa-
tion used in the BioWin software
Fig. 7. Clarifier SPA Analysis for 12 Days Operating SRT
will result in cessation of nitrogen removal by denitrification,
whereas, overestimation of SRT will increase MLSS concentration
of the system (Keinath, 1985; Kobylinski et al., 2008). Moreover,
the overall oxygen demand of the process increases with a longer
SRT (result not shown) because of further endogenous respiration
and thus resulting in increasing the clarifier solids loading rates
from the higher than necessary MLSS concentration as shown in
Fig. 6. Besides, a longer SRT will produce less sludge containing
phosphorus-storing biomass (Kobylinski et al., 2008) and hence
less phosphorus removal, Table 2.
A good understanding of the use of SPA especially, as imple-
mented in BioWin software is important in determining the best
working SRT while keeping clarifier in good working condition.
From Fig. 7, the position of the SPA components revealed the
best operating SRT of the WWTP, which is 12 days. Apart from
the ammonia nitrogen, the effluent concentrations of all the other
constituents are better at 12 days operating SRT as shown in
Table 2.
Previous studies (Chang and Hao, 1996; Choi et al., 1996), have
shown best operating SRTs, nevertheless, the clarifier working
conditions in those studies were not considered. From Table 2,
the model results revealed, from amongst operating SRTs that
the WWTP could be operated at three different SRTs (12, 14,
and 16), respectively, without violating the effluent concentrations.
However, it takes the SPA result as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 to
understand the clarifier anatomy which revealed 12 days, as the
Vol. 19, No. 5 / July 2015
safest operating SRT of the system.
4. Conclusions
The article showed how SPA as implemented in the BioWin
software can be used to identify the best operating SRT of the
WWTP while keeping the clarifier in safe operating conditions.
Additionally, the impact of MLSS concentration in the bioreactor
on the clarifier safety and the overall performance of the WWTP
was demonstrated. This study is helpful in overcoming difficulties
in selecting the best SRT of the full-scale WWPT.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the College Scientific Innovation
Significant Cultivation Fund Financing projects (708047) and
the Key Special Program for the Pollution Control (2012ZX07101-
003). The authors are grateful to Hohai University for supporting
this work through the university scholarship scheme. Also
included in the acknowledgment; is the staff of Anhui Guozhen
Environmental Protection Sci. and Tech. Co., Ltd. (GZEP). The
authors are grateful to the Editors and the anonymous reviewers
whose valuable comments greatly improved this work.
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