Maintaining the proper concentration of dissolved oxygen in
an aeration basin is necessary to keep microorganisms alive for breakdown of
the organic waste. This can only be efficiently accomplished by using an
accurate, continuously measuring system. When the measured dissolved oxygen
decreases below a desired concentration, the plant control system automatically
adds air to the aeration basin, providing life-sustaining oxygen for the
microorganisms. This also helps to thoroughly mix the organic waste. Without
enough dissolved oxygen concentration, the beneficial microorganisms will die
while troublesome filamentous microbes proliferate, causing sludge settling
problems. When the dissolved oxygen content becomes too high, costly energy is
wasted, and expensive aeration equipment endures unneeded wear.
A small
Midwestern city is a case in point, illustrating the benefits of continuous
dissolved oxygen monitoring and control. The city decided to investigate ways
to improve the efficiency of their waste treatment plant. The plant operator
wanted to pursue further aeration system improvements after hearing from
another plant operator of a nearby treatment facility. He learned that their
experience in continuously measuring process dissolved oxygen helped them respond
to rapid increases in plant load. The operator wanted to apply this strategy to
achieve automatic control of blower speed and further reduce energy costs.
The city consulting engineer and plant operator completed a
simple study, evaluating the cost-effectiveness of continuous dissolved oxygen
measurement and automatic aeration control.
During a five-month period, the following data was
collected:
- Dissolved oxygen concentration in contact tank
- Dissolved oxygen concentration in re-aeration tank
- Time of day dissolved oxygen measurement was taken
- Energy consumption (in kWh) for preceding day
- Percent speed at which variable frequency drive
(VFD) had been operating during preceding day.
A portable dissolved oxygen meter was used to obtain dissolved
oxygen measurements in the process tanks. The variable frequency drive unit was
manually controlled to operate the blower motor at 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90%
of full speed (1750 rpm). A second blower motor was also operating at 1750 rpm.
The operator collected 91 sets of data. Seventy-six percent of the data sets
involved readings at about 8:00 a.m. when dissolved oxygen concentrations
tended to be high due to the lower nighttime loading. Twenty-four percent of
the data sets involved afternoon dissolved oxygen readings taken during higher
loading conditions. With higher blower speeds, early morning dissolved oxygen
values were as high as 8 mg/l. Even with lower blower speeds, the afternoon
dissolved oxygen values were never unacceptably low.
Analysis of the data disclosed that each 10% reduction of
blower speed decreased the daily energy use by about 40 kWh. These results
confirmed that using an automatic controller to regulate blower speed would
significantly reduce energy use. Subsequently, the plant operator installed an
automatic dissolved oxygen monitoring/control system for a six-month trial. A
control set point of 2 mg/l dissolved oxygen concentration was established for
the trial. During part of this trial a single blower was used. When two blowers
were used, they were operated simultaneously under the control of the automatic
system. Both variable frequency drives were set to operate at a minimum speed
of 50%. Over the course of this trial period, total plant energy consumption
was reduced by about 8%.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Design Manual on
Fine Pore Aeration Systems (EPA/625/1-89-023) states: "Energy saving
achievable by automatic aeration on dissolved oxygen control is 25% to 40%, but
can be as high as 50%." Realistically, a waste treatment plant can expect
energy savings of anywhere from 0% up to 50%. Many factors influence the
magnitude of energy savings, including:
- Plant size
- Mixing limitations
- Type of aeration equipment used
- Plant loading
It is recommended that a feasibility study be conducted to
determine the potential cost savings.
