Performance Evaluation &

Operational Optimisation
Wah Yuen Long

Operation of Water Reclamation Plant

While the water reclamation plant can treat
the used water as designedis it performing
optimally i.e. with minimal use of resources ?

Energy is the main variable resource used

Energy

Where are we ?
Whos best ?
Whats comparison ?
What can be done ?

Mass Flow and Balance of

UPWRP

Ulu Pandan Water Reclamation Plant

Treatment capacity : 360 000 m3/d

NEWater production : 130 000 m3/d

Power produced : 48 MWh/d

Data/information Collection
Regular sampling program: Jan-June 2009
Daily, weekly and monthly

Additional sampling program

Verification by mass balance calculation
Principle equation: FIN = RIN + FOUT
A simplification

Table 1.1 Three phases, design capacity and processes of Ulu Pandan WRP
3

Phase

Design capacity, m /d

Process

South stream

200 000

Modified Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE)

North stream

61 000 (MLE) +25 000 (MBR)

Liquid Treatment
Module (LTM)

75 000

Conventional activated sludge and a MLE

MBR
two stage (A-B) activated sludge process
without primary settling tanks

Hydraulic and solids mass flow

Mass flow and balance: carbonaceous matters

Influent

52.8%

Effluent

100%

7.0%
Activated Sludge
Tanks

PST

FST

Return Activated Sludge

3.5%

Thickening centrate

PST sludge 30.2%

Biogas

COD distributions at the plant level

Thickener
methane
18%

WAS sludge 14.7%

sludge cake
22%

Dewatering

Digester

22.3%
Sludge cake

4.8%
Dewatering centrate

efflunet
7%
Dissimilation
in ASTs 53%

44.9%

17.9%

The true COD

removal efficiency of
the PST : 39.3%.

Mass flow: solids

Influent

37.7%
Effluent

100%

6.7%

Activated
Sludge Tanks

PST

FST

Solid COD distributions at the plant

level

Return Activated Sludge

8.6%

Thickening centrate
PST sludge 39.7%
Biogas

The true SS removal

efficiency of the PST :
51.2%.

Thickener

WAS sludge 22.8%

efflunet
7%
methane
25%

62.5%

24.9%

Dewatering
Digester
30.0%
Sludge cake

6.0%
Dewatering centrate

sludge cake
30%

Dissimilation
in ASTS 38%

Mass flow and balance: nitrogen

48.0%

Influent

Effluent

100%

40.3%

Activated
Sludge Tanks

PST

FST

Nitrogen distributions at the plant

level

Return Activated Sludge

1.0%

Thickening centrate
PST sludge 11.2%
Biogas

The true removal

efficiency of PST:
13.2%.

Thickener

Sludge
cake
13%

WAS sludge 11.4%

22.6%

(?)

Effluent
40%

Dewatering
Digester
12.7%
Sludge cake

10.9%
Dewatering centrate

Denitrified
in AST
47%

Mass flow and balance: phosphorus

Influent
100%
Activated
Sludge Tanks

PST

Effluent
56.5%
FST

The true removal

efficiency of the
PST: 30%

Return Activated Sludge

19.0%

Thickening centrate
PST sludge 23.1%

Thickener

Sludge
cake
44%

WAS sludge 40.8%

63.9%

Effluent
56%

Dewatering
Digester
43.5%
Sludge cake

20.4%
Dewatering centrate

Phosphorus distributions at the plant

level

Energy efficiency
Specific energy
consumption: 0.52
KWH/m3, excluding extra
lifting , EQ and MBR etc.
for benchmarking: 0.46
KWH/m3.

Electricity generation:
0.15 KWH/m3.
Energy efficiency: 30%
Table Perform indicators of Ulu Pandan WRP

Biogas production

Solids generation

Energy efficiency

l/m3 influent
sewage

m3/kg solids in
influent sewage

kg solids (dry)/m3
raw sewage

kg solids (dry)/kg
solids in raw
sewage

kWh generated/
m3 raw sewage

kWh/m3 raw
sewage

65

1.88

0.11

0.34

0.15

0.52/0.46

Strass wastewater treatment plant, Austria

A model of energy self-sufficient: reached 108% of
energy efficiency at 2005, currently 200% with codigestion

Strass WWTP, Austria (cont)

COD mass flow and balance in
mass flow and balance

Wett B. (2011) Strategies towards improved

energy balances of activated sludge systems Austrian case studies, 8 Jan 2011, Miami .

A-B stage activated sludge process

Wett B., Buchauer K. and Fimml C. (2007) Energy self-sufficiency as a feasible concept for wastewater treatment systems. IWA Leading-Edge
Conference. 4 - 6 June, 2007, Singapore.

Strass waste water treatment plant, Austria (cont)

B-stage: SRT, 10 d. NH4-N online sensor based dynamic
aeration control

A-stage: DO, 0.3 mg/L; HRT, 0.5 h; SRT, 0.5 d.

Wett B. (2011) Strategies towards improved energy balances of activated sludge systems -Austrian
case studies, 8 Jan 2011, Miami .

Strass wastewater treatment plant, Austria (cont)

Deammonification treating ammonia of dewatering contrate
Mesophilic
anaerobic
digesters (at
370C)

Wett B. (2011) Strategies towards improved energy balances of activated sludge systems Austrian case studies, 8 Jan 2011, Miami .

Strass wastewater treatment plant, Austria (cont)

Energy consumption and distributions
Building
Mechanic 4%

Anammox
2%

4%

A-stage
9%

Pumping station
9%
Sludge treatment
12%

Off gas treatment

13%
Wett B., Buchauer K. and Fimml C. (2007) Energy self-sufficiency as a feasible concept for wastewater treatment
systems. IWA Leading-Edge Conference. 4 - 6 June, 2007, Singapor.

Specific energy consumption: 0.31 KWH/m3, Electricity generation: 0.34

KWH/m3. Energy efficiency: 108% in 2005.
With co-digestion, the current energy efficiency: 200% .

B-stage
47%

Benchmarking with Strass WWTP: COD mass distributions

80
74.3

70
60.7b

60

Percentage, %

52.9

50
40

44.9
39.2

37.6
35.9

30
21.8

22.3

17.9

20
10

4.7

0
Removed by PST Feed to digesters

CH4-COD

UPWRP
a

Dissimilated in
ASTs

Dewatering sludge

Final effluent

Strass

Wett B., Buchauer K. and Fimml C. (2007) Energy self-sufficiency as a feasible concept for wastewater treatment systems. IWA Leading-Edge
Conference. 4 - 6 June, 2007, Singapore,b Wasted sludge from the A-stage activated sludge process.

Benchmarking with Strass WWTP : nitrogen mass distributions

60

50

56.6 (41.9 +14.7b)

48
43.4

40.3

Percentage, %

40

30
20.6
17.9

20

16.3
12

10

0
Dissimilation by
denitrification

Feed to digesters

UPWRP
a

Dewatering sludge

Final effluent

Strass

Wett B., Buchauer K. and Fimml C. (2007) Energy self-sufficiency as a feasible concept for wastewater treatment systems. IWA Leading-Edge
Conference. 4 - 6 June, 2007, Singapore,b Due to denitrification by using anammox in the side line.

Benchmarking with Strass WWTP: Energy efficiencies

120

108 %
0.5

100

0.46
0.4

80

0.31

0.34

0.3

60

0.2

40

0.15

30 %

0.1

20

UPWRP
Energy consumption (kwh/m3)

STRASS WTP
Energy recovery (kwh/m3)

Energy efficiency (%)

Energy efficiency (%)

Energy consumption and recovery (kwh/m3)

0.6

Low energy consumption

On line sensor based
aeration control
Short aerobic SRT based on
aeration control
Anammox in side line
High energy recovery
Pre-concentrating COD to
AD (74.3% vs 44.9%)
Optimal operation of AD
(370C vs 300C; CH4-COD:
35.9% vs 17.9%)
High efficiency engine (38%
vs 28%)

Wett B., Buchauer K. and Fimml C. (2007) Energy selfsufficiency as a feasible concept for wastewater treatment
systems. IWA Leading-Edge Conference 4 - 6 June, 2007,
Singapore.

Gap of energy saving: 30% (0.46 KWH/M3 verse 0.31 KWH/m3);

Gap of energy recovery: 220% (0.15 KWH/m3 verse 0.34 KWH/M3)

Roadmaps towards energy self-sufficient: energy

saving
Optimization of activated sludge process
operation
On line sensor based aeration control
Reduce aeration according to optimal aerobic SRT

Improvement of reject operation

Maintain consistent operation of thickening and
dewatering
Anammox in side stream

Aeration energy: effect of DO and MLSS concentrations

Effects of DO on nitrifier
activity and aeration

E &H (2011) Biological waste water treatment

optimization in WWTP with analyzers, 15th March,
PUB.

Effect of MLSS concentration on aeration

Aeration energy (cont): effect of aerobic SRT in Singapore conditions

Aerobic SRT: 3 ~4 days
Anoxic SRT: 3 ~ 5 days
HRT: 6-8 h

The aerobic reactor volume can be cut by 40-50% !

Changi

Water Reclamation Plant

Ulu Pandan

Seletar

Kranji

Jurong

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

Energy of aeration (kWh/m 3 )

The aeration energy of 0.14 kWh/m3 sewage :54% of 0.26 kWh/m3 sewage of the average of
the other four WRPs
The specific aerobic volume: 0.13 m3/m3 sewage, 40% of the average of the other four WRPs.

Aeration energy: effect of aerobic SRT

Rosenwinkel et al. (2011) Energy saving with Deammonification - process for nitrogen removal - full scale
experiences, Istanbul 04.05.2011

Roadmaps towards energy self-sufficient: increase

energy recovery
Pre-concentrating: maximize retention of COD
prior to AST
To optimize design and operation of PSTs
Chemical addition
To use A - stage activated sludge instead PSTs

Enhancing anaerobic digester performance

Optimal temperature control
Optimal feed pattern
Optimal mixing

Sludge pre-treatment
Additional substrate

Energy-balance (demand and yield)

Rosenwinkel et al. (2011) Energy saving with Deammonification - process for nitrogen removal - full scale experiences,
Istanbul 04.05.2011.

fats, oils and greases (FOG) and sludge co-digestion

250 m3/d of fats, oils and greases (FOG) waste
into the anaerobic digesters. About 4.2 GWh of
energy is generated annually from the biogas of
FOG digestion and meets about 15% of the total
energy consumption.
700,000

Biogas production (m3 /month)

600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
Jan-07 Apr-07 Jul-07 Oct-07 Jan-08 Apr-08 Jul-08 Oct-08 Jan-09 Apr-09
Month

Conclusions
A water reclamation plant can be designed to treat the
used water to the required standards. But it has to be
operated optimally with minimal use of resources.
Energy is a main variable resource used;
Mass flow and balance studies can identify areas of
shortcomings that affect process energy efficiency of
the water reclamation plant;
Comparison with and benchmarking against plants
with best practices can then be made and
improvements identified;
Mass flow and balance is an useful and powerful tool
to improve the process energy efficiency of
wastewater treatment plant.

Thank You