Abstract:
A method of treating a mixture of microorganisms with readily biodegradable carbon compounds (RBCs) in the form of one or more volatile fatty acids (VFAs), by first inducing the mixture microorganisms to release phosphorus and magnesium which is then tapped o as the mixture is thickened, to produce a phosphorus/magnesium-nch liquid and a phosphorus/magnesium-reduced treated mixture This treated mixture is placed in an anaerobic digester where ammonia is formed, but combines very little with phosphorus or magnesium Next the high-ammonia mixture is dewatered to produce an ammonia-rich liquid, which is combined with the phosphorus and magnesium-rich liquid and reacted to form struvite In one preferred embodiment, VFAs are formed in situ via an upstream unified fermentation and thickening (UFAT) process and added to the waste sidestream to strip phosphorus and magnesium found therein In another preferred embodiment a usable struvite product is harvested.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 12/012,362 filed on Feb. 1, 2008 and entitled WASTE ACTIVATED SLUDGE STRIPPING TO REMOVE INTERNAL PHOSPHORUS, the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates generally to the field of “waste-activated sludge” (WAS) stripping. More particularly, the invention relates to adding readily biodegradable carbon compounds (RBCs) to biological sludge to reduce downstream struvite build-up in a digester and to produce a usable struvite product therefrom. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    As part of secondary sewage treatment, primary treated sewage is treated with air or pure oxygen. In what is termed the “activated sludge” process, microorganisms utilize the oxygen to metabolize the incoming waste sewage, forming a mixture of microorganisms and sewage known as “mixed liquor.” This mixture is moved to settling tanks for concentration, thereby forming concentrated activated sludge. A majority of this sludge is returned to the activated sludge process tankage. A separate portion of this sludge, termed waste-activated sludge (WAS), is removed from the activated sludge process and sent to a sludge handling system for further treatment and disposal. In a stable system, the daily WAS is equal to the daily conversion of sewage into microorganisms so no net increase in mixed liquor bio-mass occurs. By manipulating the activated sludge process, phosphorus and magnesium are removed from the liquid stream and concentrated in the mixed liquor. The process is known as Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR). 
         [0004]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , in one typical scheme  10 , the WAS is sent to a centrifuge (or other thickening apparatus)  14  for thickening, the liquids are tapped off and returned to the wastewater plant for treatment, whereas the resultant thickened sludge is sent to an anaerobic digester  16  with other sludges, where it remains for 15 days or more before being sent to a second centrifuge (or other dewatering apparatus)  18  for dewatering. 
         [0005]    Unfortunately, struvite tends to form in digester  16 , and other equipment downstream because of the ammonia, magnesium and phosphorus that are present can precipitate as struvite. This struvite is impractical to harvest and also has the deleterious effect of being deposited on surfaces in the reactor  16  and plugging pipes and equipment leading from the reactor. 
         [0006]    A further centrifuge (or other dewatering apparatus)  18  produces further dewatered sludge  20 , which is either beneficially reused or disposed of, and liquids  22 , which are rich in ammonia and phosphorus. It has been learned that prilled struvite can be harvested from liquids  22 , by a struvite reactor  24 . This prilled struvite is a marketable product that can be used as a timed release fertilizer, thereby defraying some of the costs of sewage treatment. Unfortunately, the struvite harvest requires the addition of magnesium into the process, which forms a large part of the costs of the process and reduces the profitability. 
         [0007]    In  A Feasible Approach of Integrating Phosphate Recovery as Struvite at Waste Water Treatment Plants , Proceedings, Institute Of Environmental Engineering, pp. 551-558 (2007), D. Montag, et al. describe a phosphate recovery system that effectively teaches away from the addition of one or more volatile fatty acids (VFAs) for phosphorous removal. They do so by teaching long retention times instead of the addition of external organic or inorganic acids. In  The Modified Renphosystem: A High Biological Nutrient Removal System , Wat. Sci. Tech., Vol. 35, No. 10, pp. 137-146 (1997), J. H. Rensink, et al. describe a so-called modified Renpho system. They fail to teach the addition of VFAs as dosing agents to WAS, fail to teach magnesium as well as phosphate release/removal, fail to teach fermentation, fail to teach pH adjustment prior to mixing w/centrate, and fail to teach the use of a dewaterer in connection with a digester. 
         [0008]    Neither of these articles nor any other known prior art publication teaches separation of a VFA-enabled reagent into a phosphorus-rich and magnesium-rich liquid stream to a struvite reactor for pelletized struvite production nor into a phosphorus-poor and magnesium-poor sludge stream to a digester to reduce nuisance struvite build-up therein. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    The present invention may take the form of a method of treating a first mixture of waste solids and microorganisms containing phosphorus and magnesium, by first inducing the mixture microorganisms to release phosphorus and magnesium which is then tapped off as the mixture is thickened, to produce phosphorus and magnesium-rich liquid and phosphorus and magnesium-reduced treated mixture. This treated mixture is placed in an anaerobic digester where ammonia is formed but combines very little with phosphorus or magnesium as these elements have been greatly reduced in concentration. Next the high-ammonia mixture is dewatered, to produce an ammonia-rich liquid, which is combined with the phosphorus and magnesium-rich liquid. In one preferred embodiment a useable struvite product is harvested from this combination. 
         [0010]    Additionally, the production of nuisance struvite in the anaerobic digester is greatly reduced, in comparison with prior art waste treatment methods. 
         [0011]    Systems and methods of practicing the present invention are shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  2 A and are described in the accompanying text, which should help to clarify the invention in its various embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a prior art waste treatment system. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a waste treatment system according to the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of a waste treatment system according to the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2A  is a block diagram of yet another embodiment of a waste treatment system according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , in a preferred embodiment of a waste activated sludge (WAS) treatment method  110 , phosphorus and magnesium are released by microorganism action in an anaerobic reactor  112 , where the WAS is held, for a minimum time of 0.5 hours. One method for effecting this release is by adding one or more readily biodegradable carbon compounds (RBCs), such as one or more volatile fatty acids (VFAs) to the sludge in the anaerobic reactor, with 3 to 8 grams (and preferably 4-6 grams) of the one or more VFAs added per gram of planned phosphorus release. In another technique, the activated sludge is held for 36 to 96 hours, without the addition of VFAs, for endogenous respiration and fermentation to release phosphorus and magnesium. 
         [0017]    The resultant WAS is sent to a thickening device  114 , such as a centrifuge, thickening belt or rotating screens and the resultant liquids  115 , having enhanced phosphorus and magnesium levels, are sent to a struvite reactor  124 , which will be discussed further below. There is only very minimal struvite production in the liquids  115 , because they have a very low ammonia level. VFAs or other forms of RBCs can be generated by fermentation as in the unified fermentation and thickening (UFAT) process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,387,264 B1. Other methods of obtaining VFAs, include various fermentation methods, harvesting from various waste products and purchase as industrial chemicals, such as acetic acid. 
         [0018]    The thickened WAS with reduced phosphorus and magnesium levels is sent to an anaerobic digester  116  with other sludges and is typically held there for a minimum of fifteen days, where it further treated by anaerobic bacteria which generate high concentrations of ammonia. The production of struvite in digester  116 , is however, greatly reduced in comparison with the amount of struvite produced in digester  16  of the prior art system (which could be identical to digester  116 ) because of the reduction in phosphorus and magnesium in the thickened WAS, both of which are necessary for the formation of struvite. This reduction in struvite formation greatly reduces the formation of struvite deposits in the digester and pipes and equipment downstream from anaerobic digester  116 . 
         [0019]    The treated sludge from digester  116  is dewatered  118 , by use of a centrifuge, dewatering belt, screen, plate and frame presses, etc. with the resultant dewatered solids being beneficially reused or disposed. The ammonia-rich liquids  122 , which are less able to make struvite in the associated pipes and equipment because of the reduced phosphorus and magnesium, are sent to struvite reactor  124 , where the abundant ammonia combines with the phosphorus and magnesium of the liquids  115  to form struvite. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , in a second preferred embodiment, input to the system  210  is in the form of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS)  214  taken from the anaerobic zone  212  of the aeration basin, in an enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) system. The majority of the MLSS progresses to a further portion of the aeration basin  218 . RBCs are added to the added to the MLSS in a standard EBPR system, thereby causing phosphorus and magnesium to be released from the microorganisms. Other than this difference the processing is largely the same, although some variation is necessary to accommodate the larger flow  214  into the thickener  216 , as MLSS is typically three times as dilute as WAS. To handle the dilute flow, thickener  216  may utilize gravity thickening that is optionally followed by a belt or centrifuge or other thickening device. The anaerobic reactor  112  and supplemental addition of RBCs, shown in  FIG. 2 , can be eliminated. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2A  shows yet another embodiment of the invented system similar to that of  FIG. 2  (and having identical reference designators for identical elements). System  220  may be seen to include a mainstream flow  220   a  and a sidestream flow  220   b , as illustrated, respectively above and below the dashed horizontal line. System  220  is referred to herein as providing for the in situ, i.e. closed or contained, production of usable struvite byproduct (e.g. marketable products such as regularly or irregularly shaped and sized pellets or particles, non-marketable products such as struvite sludge, etc.) from WAS, without external inputs being required to realize the production process. 
         [0022]    As will be understood, primary sludge contained in a primary clarifier  222  is processed through an UFAT  224  in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 6,387,264 or an equivalent process that includes a fermenter  226  and a thickener  228  or combined fermenter/thickener that collectively process primary sludge into VFAs and a thickened sludge. The VFAs from UFAT  224  are inputted to an EBPR aeration basin  112   a  and to a separator/thickener  114  including, for example, an anaerobic release tank  114   a  and a second thickener such as a thickening centrifuge  114   b . (Anaerobic reactor  112  of  FIG. 2  in this alternative embodiment of the invention thus takes the form of an EBPR aeration basin  112   a  and a secondary clarifier  112   b , as illustrated in  FIG. 2A .) 
         [0023]    The thickened sludge is fed to a digester  116 , as shown in  FIG. 2A . Either downstream from digester  116  at the struvite reactor (as described above by reference to  FIG. 2 ) or upstream from digester  116 , the pH of the P-rich and Mg-rich liquids is adjusted by a pH adjuster  117  (shown in dashed outline since it is optionally located in this upstream location instead of in struvite reactor  124 ). Those of skill in the art will appreciate that, despite adjusting the pH of the P-rich and Mg-rich liquids before they reach the struvite reactor nevertheless struvite does not form in the upstream pipe because no ammonia is present). Moreover, peak concentrations of the fluids in the downstream struvite reactor are reduced. In this way, optionally upstream-located pH adjuster  117  produces a pH-adjusted phosphorus-rich and magnesium-rich liquids stream  115 ′ as an input to struvite reactor  124 . (Thus, upstream pH adjuster  117  provides a system  220  topology that is more cost-effective and straightforward than the system  110  topology described above by reference to  FIG. 2  wherein pH adjustment is performed in the struvite reactor.) 
         [0024]    A separator/thickener  114  acts to separate the WAS input from a secondary clarifier  112   b  downstream from EBPR aeration basin  112   a  and the VFA input from UFAT  224  into two distinct output streams. A first relatively phosphorus-rich and magnesium-rich (P- &amp; Mg-Rich) liquids stream  115  (or, preferably, pH-adjusted liquids stream  115 ′) is fed into struvite reactor  124 , as described above. A second relatively phosphorus-reduced and magnesium-reduced (P- &amp; Mg-Poor) mixture  230  is fed into a digester  116  followed by a dewaterer or dewatering centrifuge  118  to produce an ammonia-rich liquids stream  122  that is also fed to struvite reactor  124 . Phosphorus-reduced (P-reduced) biosolids are produced as another byproduct of the dewatering step. By separating the WAS into two separate, differentially concentrated streams containing phosphorus and magnesium, downstream so-called nuisance struvite production within digester  116  is minimized while concurrent struvite production within struvite reactor  124  is maximized. 
         [0025]    Those of skill in the art will appreciate that further downstream treatment  232  within mainstream process  220   a  can be accomplished via precipitation, filtration, and disinfection (e.g. chlorination followed by de-chlorination) of the output of secondary clarifier  112   b  (some of which is returned to the input of EBPR aeration basin  112   a , and some of which is detoured to the sidestream process  220   b , as illustrated). Thus, the output of downstream treatment  232  is suitable for return to a river or other body of water is the mainstream output of the invented process and system while usable and potentially sellable struvite product, e.g. pelletized fertilizer, is the sidestream output of the invented process and system. Those of skill also will appreciate that other output of struvite reactor  124  can be recycled as shown to the plant influent stream in what may be thought of as a substantially “closed-loop” system  220 . 
         [0026]    For the embodiments, the struvite reactor can take any form that permits the combination of the phosphorus and magnesium with the ammonium, to form struvite, including a simple settling tank, where spontaneously precipitated struvite would form and settle for reuse as a raw material, a usable product such as fertilizer, or a waste product. In one preferred embodiment prilled struvite is formed by a method disclosed in International Publication Number WO 2005/077834 A1. 
         [0027]    In a first preferred variant of either the MLSS or the WAS embodiment the diversion of magnesium from the anaerobic digester and the resulting reduced nuisance struvite formation protects process equipment and reduces operational costs. In a second preferred variant, magnesium is added to capture additional phosphorus, thereby causing the system to produce additional struvite and a waste stream with less phosphorus and ammonia to be recycled back to the wastewater plant for re-treatment. In addition, phosphorus and magnesium can be added to increase struvite production and reduce the amount of ammonia sent back for re-treatment. 
         [0028]    The above description is intended to provide an example of one method and system that falls within the scope of the invention. Skilled persons will recognize that other methods and systems will also fall within the scope of the invention. 
         [0029]    It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the method or detail of construction, fabrication, material, application or use described and illustrated herein. Indeed, any suitable variation of fabrication, use, or application is contemplated as an alternative embodiment, and thus is within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
         [0030]    It is further intended that any other embodiments of the present invention that result from any changes in application or method of use or operation, configuration, method of manufacture, shape, size, or material, which are not specified within the detailed written description or illustrations contained herein yet would be understood by one skilled in the art, are within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0031]    Accordingly, while the present invention has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing embodiments of the invented process and system, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.