Water for industry
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Sewage sludge
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Energy recovery
The use of sludge hydrolysis installation before the designated fermentation chamber serves to intensify the anaerobic stabilization process. By breaking down cellular material and changing the molecular structure, wastewater sludge fed to the fermentation chamber is more easily decomposed. The result is an increased biogas production (by 30% or more), increased organic substance reduction, improved dewatering capability of the sludge, and shortened fermentation time. Shortening the fermentation time enables the increase in the capacity of existing WKF chambers (without the need for building new chambers) or allows for the utilization of the resulting reserve for introducing other substrates and conducting co-fermentation. An additional benefit of using disintegration is the increase in the load in the effluents after dewatering the fermented sludge. The effluent load can increase several times, which should be taken into account in the overall wastewater treatment plant balance.
For increased loads in the effluents, a good solution is the application of deammonification and phosphorus recovery. Currently, the most commonly used sludge hydrolysis solutions are based on thermal, low-parameter, and high-parameter hydrolysis technologies. Additionally, with this solution, the obtained sludge is hygienized, which allows for savings on additional treatments, such as liming.
Sewage sludge stabilization aims to reduce the amount of produced sludge and change its properties to prevent harmful impact on the environment. Municipal sewage sludge that has not been stabilized contains pathogenic organisms and tends to rot, which causes odors.
Stabilization methods include biological - anaerobic fermentation and aerobic, chemical - such as the popular methods of liming and thermal treatment. Among thermal methods, incineration - see section: Thermal Transformation of Sludge, and sludge drying - see section: Sun Drying and Thermal Drying are distinguished. A method that combines the properties of aerobic and thermal stabilization processes is autotermophilic thermophilic stabilization technology.
This technology is based on the exothermic processes of aerobic decomposition of organic matter. The product is sanitized sludge, which after dewatering can be used for agricultural or natural purposes. A large amount of heat is released during the process, eliminating the need for external heat input, with air being the only medium used in the process. This technology is suitable for municipal treatment plants above 1000 PE.
In small settlements, to reduce the amount of sludge and stabilize it, solar dryers are sometimes used. A solar dryer is a type of greenhouse with a sludge turning device installed, as well as fans that ventilate the hall and facilitate the removal of evaporated water from the sludge. The solar drying process uses the thermal energy of sunlight to evaporate water from the sludge. To ensure rapid evaporation of water, the sludge is spread on the concrete floor of the dryer in a thin layer using an automatic turning device. To maintain high temperatures in the sludge layer, a heated floor system powered by a heat pump is sometimes used. Solar drying is a low-temperature process and in Poland it occurs only seasonally. Therefore, significant areas of drying halls are needed to dry the sludge. It is also important to control the bacteriological parameters of the dried sludge, as the temperatures achieved in the sludge layer may not always ensure full hygienization throughout the year.
Our team of technologists analyzes data obtained from the client regarding the quantity and parameters of the produced sludge, selects the optimal method for processing and final utilization of the sludge.
Sewage sludge from sewage treatment plants is classified as waste. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to employ methods to reduce the amount of sludge produced in order to decrease the costs of its disposal. One method of reducing the amount of sludge is the process of thermal drying, in which the sludge is subjected to high temperatures to evaporate the water content. The evaporated water is then directed back to the wastewater treatment process, while the dried sludge with a solids content of 95-98% is ready for disposal. In addition to reducing the volume of sludge, the thermal drying process also ensures complete sanitation of the biological sludge, as the process temperatures typically exceed 80 degrees Celsius, with an appropriate residence time inside the dryer.
Various types of thermal dryers are used for drying sludge, including belt dryers, disc dryers, and drum dryers. The type of dryer and its complexity are selected based on the type of sludge being dried.
The fermentation of sludge is a basic process of anaerobic stabilization of sewage sludge in medium and large municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants where biological sludge is produced. The fermentation process not only allows the reduction of organic matter in the sludge, thereby reducing the amount of generated sludge, but also enables the recovery of biogas from decomposed organic matter. The energy contained in biogas is used for the production of electrical and thermal energy in cogeneration units, significantly improving the energy balance of the treatment plant. The fermentation process takes place in closed, isolated fermentation chambers operating at a temperature of approximately 36-38 degrees Celsius (mesophilic fermentation) or at a temperature of approximately 50-55 degrees Celsius (thermophilic fermentation). The fermentation chambers are equipped with mixing systems: mechanical agitators; mixing with biogas to keep the sludge in suspension, homogenize the sludge composition throughout the volume, and remove biogas from the sludge to the gas space above the sludge surface. To intensify biogas production, valuable energy source, co-fermentation processes of organic waste together with sewage sludge, or hydrolysis processes of sewage sludge increasing their susceptibility to anaerobic decomposition inside the fermentation chambers are often used. With the increasing energy prices, the fermentation process is gaining more interest, and the produced sludge is no longer treated as waste but as a source of energy.
Our team of technologists analyzes data obtained from the Client regarding the quantity and parameters of the sludge produced for fermentation, and selects the optimal processing method, complementary technologies, and final method of sludge management.
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