Energy Audit, Solids Reduction, and Pathogen Inactivation in Secondary Sludges during Batch Thermophilic Aerobic Digestion Process
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 133, Issue 5
Abstract
A typical secondary wastewater treatment sludge was digested aerobically in a batch digester in the temperature range of . Reaction rate constants were determined by measuring the amounts of volatile suspended solids removed at different time intervals during the process. The maximum value of the reaction rate constant occurred in the temperature range of . The specific heat of biological oxidation was determined by energy balance calculations in the thermophilic range. Removal of indicator organisms in the sludge during the batch digestion was also studied. Sludge digestion at resulted in an appreciable reduction of indicator organisms as compared to digestion carried out at . Sludge digestion at resulted in more economic energy consumption, better volatile solids reduction, better sludge dewaterability, and more effective pathogen inactivation as compared to digestion of the sludge at .
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Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 133 • Issue 5 • May 2007
Pages: 477 - 484
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 23, 2004
Accepted: Oct 19, 2006
Published online: May 1, 2007
Published in print: May 2007
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