Biological Process Design

CE 40341
Spring 2022
 Outline
1. Introductions
2. Course overview
3. Overview of wastewater treatment
4. History of wastewater treatment
 CE30338 – Design Tools for
Environmental Engineers

• BioWin
• ArcGIS
• AutoCAD
BioWin Example
1. INTRODUCTIONS
 Introductions
• Dr. Nerenberg, PE, BCEE
– Civil Engineer
– Ann Arbor Wastewater Treatment Plant
– ALNM consulting, Michigan
– Harza Engineering (now Stantec), Chicago
– Notre Dame since 2004
 Some projects…

Oil Refinery Wastewater Management, Venezuela

 Some projects…

Sanitary Infrastructure, Venezuela

 Some projects…

Chicago Water Supply Master Plan

 Research: Biofilm Processes,
Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR)
Cross-sectional view Longitudinal view

Reinforcing Cord
Hollow fiber Membrane Single Module Single Cassette

2m
Fine Bubble
Aeration

Aeration Bioreactor
Blower Zeelung
Cassettes
10
Source: Peeters, J., et al., GE Water Technologies (2015)
COTE Membrane Separation, Inc. (2015)
 TA
• Andrei Badillo
And you?
2. COURSE OVERVIEW
 Syllabus
• Text: Water and Wastewater Engineering, Davis
• Objective: “Learn to analyze and design a
biological treatment process using physical-
chemical and microbiological principles, as well
as modeling software. Learn to prepare a
feasibility study for a wastewater treatment
process.”
 Assessments
• Assignments
– Homework 10%
– Design project 20%
• Midterm I 20%
• Midterm II 20%
• Final exam 25%
• Class Participation 5%
 Class Activities
• Two tracks:
– Process theory
– Process design and modeling
• Homework assignments (weekly at start)
• Individual research project
• Design project – groups of 3 or 4 students
• Guest lectures
 Design Project
• Feasibility of wastewater treatment for
Notre Dame
• Deliverables
– 30% report
– 60% report
– Final report and presentation
Wastewater Modeling Program:
BioWin
• Process model - BioWin
– To help understand theory
– For use in design project
BioWin Example
3. OVERVIEW OF
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
 Wastewater Treatment
What is Wastewater?
• Used potable water
– Domestic
– Commercial and industrial
– Stormwater, groundwater
• May contain
– Pathogens
– Organics (Degradable/non-degradable)
– Nutrients (P, N)
– Inorganic contaminants (heavy metals, NO3-)
– Solids
 Impacts on Environment
• Human pathogens
• Toxicity Lake of Guadalupe, Mexico

• Turbidity
• Eutrophication
By Wateralex - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45828357
Treatment Processes – Separation!
• Large solids
 strainer
• Settleable solids
short settling
• Particulate organics
 longer settling
• Dissolved/colloidal organics
Dissolved organics (blue)

 biodegradation
• Dissolved nutrients
chemical, biological removal Large solids
Settleable Particulate
solids organics
 Biodegradation
• Bacteria can be used to catalyze chemical
reactions
• For example
Add O2 to degrade organic matter:

Organic matter + O2  CO2 + H2O

 Wastewater treatment

Organics CO2 + H2O

Air (O2)
 Wastewater Treatment Process
PRELIMINARY PRIMARY SECONDARY
Removes large and settleable inorganic solids Removes settleable organics Removes dissolved organics

Bar Grit Primary Secondary

Aeration Chlorine
screen chamber clarifier clarifier
tank contact tank
Influent
Effluent

Cl2
O2
Screenings Grit Return sludge Waste
sludge
Pump
(typical)
Supernatant return

Dewatered
sludge
Belt
Anaerobic Belt
press
digester thickener
Wastewater Treatment

(Saskatoon, Canada, www.city.saskatoon.sk.ca)

Screens

South Bend WWTP

Grit Removal

South Bend WWTP

Primary Settling

South Bend WWTP

Activated Sludge

South Bend WWTP

Secondary Settliing

South Bend WWTP

Disinfection and Post-Aeration

K. Kopec, Mishawaka WWTP

Solids Digestion
 Tertiary treatment
• Additional steps to further reduce
organics, turbidity, nitrogen, phosphorus,
metals and pathogens
• Mostly physicochemical treatment
– Coagulation
– Filtration
– Activated carbon adsorption of organics,
– Reverse osmosis
– Further disinfection
 Other biological processes
• Biofilm processes
• Membrane bioreactors
• Biological filtration
• Algal biofuels

www.huber.de

http://www.appropedia.org/images/4/42/Algae_biofuel_tubes.jpg
4. HISTORY OF WASTEWATER
TREATMENT
A Brief History of Wastewater Treatment
in six scenes
(adapted from Prof. Lloyd Ketchum)

0 0

Ground Water
Scene 1

Ground Water
Scene 2

Ground Water
Scene 3

Ground Water
 Scene 4

Civil Engineer
0oo0

Manhole Sewer
River
 Scene 5

Civil Engineer
oo

Manhole Sewer
River
 Scene 6

Environmental Engineer
00

Air
Scum

Sludge
Video from Chicago MWRD
 Explosive Human Population
Growth
10
Population (Billions)

9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 500 1000 1500 2000
Year (AD)

Daigger, Sustainable Practices for the

Wastewater (and Water) Industry
Global Urbanization
Global Urbanization
Global Urbanization
 Changing the Paradigm
Waste Streams  Value Streams
ENERGY
Preliminary Solids Treatment &FACTORY
Raw Treatment Resource Recovery
Wastewater Biosolids Handling & >30% in efficiency
Market Resources
NUTRIENT gained and/or costs
FACTORY saved, with focus on
Tertiary
Treatment
waste reduction
Disinfection
and recovery

WATER
FACTORY
Primary
PRODUCT Treatment

FACTORY
Secondary
Treatment
Outfall
Focus is on
Receiving
Advanced
Treatment
reducing or
Water Body

eliminating risk
Waste Streams Value Streams 51
to public health
Source: Art Umble, MWH
MWRDGC VIDEO
 Next class
• View video on septic systems
• Read article on Granger