TECHNICAL PAPERS
Aug 1, 2006

Modeling Ventilation Phenomenon in Sanitary Sewer Systems: A System Theoretic Approach

This article has a reply.
VIEW THE REPLY
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 132, Issue 8

Abstract

Municipal wastewater collection systems, due to the nature of their functions, carry varying concentrations of odorous gases. The production rate and transport of these gases within and out of sewer systems depend on air flow rate in the system piping. However, municipal sewers are generally designed to only transport sewage flow without giving consideration to the air flow field. As a consequence, the movement of air into, along, and out of collection systems is for the most part uncontrolled. The purpose of this paper therefore is to provide a new design protocol based on system theoretic techniques to be used by municipal engineers and environmentalists involved in odor control and sewer foul air transport studies. The modeling formulation accounts for combined wastewater drag and pressure-induced air flows, and manhole pressurization. The developed framework is applied to both hypothetical and real sewer systems to only illustrate the applicability of the modeling formulation.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

Acknowledgments

The writers gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through a research grant to the second writer andthe University of Alberta Research Assistantship to the first writer. Thanks also go to the City of Edmonton Drainage Services for providing them with their system and data for illustration.

References

Bell, J. P., Monteith, H. D., Parker, W. J., Melcer, H., Corsi, R. L., and Zytner, R. G. (1998). “Modeling the stripping and volatilization of VOC in wastewater collection and treatment systems.” Project No. 91-TFT-1, Water Environment Research Foundation.
Davidson, S., Green, J., Mann, J., and Lamb, E. (2004). “Design challenges in sewer foul air extraction and treatment.” Proc., WEF/A and WMA Odors and Air Emission Conf., Bellevue, Seattle.
Edwini-Bonsu, S. (2004). “Air flow in sanitary sewer systems: A physically based approach.” Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of Alberta, Alta., Canada.
Edwini-Bonsu, S., and Steffler, P. M. (2004a). “A physically-based model for computing natural ventilation rate in sanitary sewer atmosphere.” Proc., WEF/A and WMA Odors and Air Emission Conf., Bellevue, Seattle.
Edwini-Bonsu, S., and Steffler, P. M. (2004b). “Air flow in sanitary sewer conduits due to wastewater drag: A CFD approach.” J. Environ. Eng. Sci., 3, 331–342.
Edwini-Bonsu, S., and Steffler, P. M. (2006). “Dynamics of air flow in sewer conduit headspace.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 132(8), 791–799.
Haecker, S., Cheatham, J. B., and Gaudes, R. J. (2004). “Biological treatment of collection system odors is the most cost effective solution.” Proc., WEF/A and WMA Odors and Air Emission Conf., Bellevue, Seattle.
Odor and Corrosion Technology Consultants, Inc. (1999a). “Air movement and odour transport characteristics within the Ritchie neighborhood and Mill Creek Ravine areas.” TM No. 5, City of Edmonton Odour Control Project, Alta., Canada.
Odor and Corrosion Technology Consultants, Inc. (1999b). “Analysis and evaluation of dropstructure ventilation phenomena in deep sewer tunnels.” TM No. 2, City of Edmonton Odour Control Project, Alta., Canada.
Olson, D. (1996). “Gas exchange rates between industrial process drains and the ambient atmosphere.” MSc thesis, Univ. of Texas, Tex.
Olson, D., Rajagopalan, S., and Corsi, R. L. (1997). “Ventilation of industrial process drains: Mechanisms and effects on VOC emissions.” J. Environ. Eng., 123(9), 939–947.
Pescod, M. B., and Price, A. C. (1978). “A study of sewer ventilation for the Tyneside sewerage scheme.” Final Research Rep., Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K.
Pescod, M. B., and Price, A. C. (1981). “Fundamentals of sewer ventilation as applied to the Tyneside sewerage scheme.” Water Pollut. Control, 80(1), 17–33.
Pescod, M. B., and Price, A. C. (1982). “Major factors in sewer ventilation.” J. Water Pollut. Control Fed., 54(4), 385–397.
Pomeroy, R. (1945). “Pros and cons of sewer ventilation.” Sewage Works J., 17(2), 203–208.
Thistlethwayte, D. K. B., ed. (1972), The control of sulfides in sewerage systems, Butterworths, Sydney, Australia.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). (1994). “Air emission models for waste and wastewater.” EPA-453/R-94-080A-Part 1, Washington, D.C.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 132Issue 8August 2006
Pages: 778 - 790

History

Received: Oct 20, 2004
Accepted: Nov 9, 2005
Published online: Aug 1, 2006
Published in print: Aug 2006

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

S. Edwini-Bonsu, A.M.ASCE [email protected]
Sanitary Engineer, Wastewater Enterprise, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 84124 (corresponding author). E-mail: [email protected]; formerly, Graduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada T6E 5L9.
P. M. Steffler, A.M.ASCE [email protected]
Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada T6G 2W2. E-mail: [email protected]

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Download citation

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share