Plant Enhancements and Upgrades
- 1. Increase Current Design Capacity
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The process enhancement and low-cost retrofit capabilities of MBBR /IFAS technologies enables our customers
to either improve conventional processes or improve the performance of biological treatment systems to meet more demanding influent
characteristics, or more stringent regulatory discharge requirements at reduced costs.
Dramatic treatment performance improvements, economic alternatives to conventional upgrade options,
and ongoing support form the basis of each of the performance enhancement and MBBR
plant upgrade packages Headworks Bio offers new and existing customers.
- 2. MBBR / IFAS Upgrades
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2-1 Moving Bed Bio-Reactor (MBBR) Technology
Whether for new wastwater treatment plants or for existing system upgrades or retrofits,
the MBBR Technology offers highly compact and effective treatment solutions.
Retrofitting an existing AS plant into an MBBR system, often requires changing the aeration
system and partitioning of the former AS basin as well as installing biological carriers and screens.
This type of upgrade / retrofit solution is somewhat more costly and labor intensive
but the resulting increase of the plant`s capacity can easily be several fold.
Upgrading with MBBR Technology as stand-alone units can be performed as both pre- and post-treatment
units for roughing or polishing functions on the existing plant. On a very small extra footprint,
an existing plant can be upgraded significantly in capacity with minimal increased operational costs and unchanged maintenance/labor requirements.
Benefits are;
· Highly compact upgrade solutions
· Increased operational stability through capacity to absorb sudden peak loadings
· Low energy consumption
· Negligible headloss
· Virtually maintenance free - self-cleaning technology
· Eliminates the need for solids separation and RAS for performance
2-2 Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) Technology
A cost-effective upgrade solution for existing wastewater treatment plants, the IFAS technology combines
the operational characteristics of conventional Activated Sludge (AS) plants with fixed-film technology.
In essence, upgrading an AS-WWTP to an IFAS system consists of installing a retention screen (8mm hole size)
and adding a certain volume of bio-elements to provide a high surface area within the AS basin.
The carriers present a large surface area, that will predominantly be inhabited
by autotrophic bacteria that co-exist with the biomass flocs of the AS system.
Benefits are;
· Easy and simple upgrade solution with very little alteration to the existing plant.
· Operational routines and operational costs remain virtually the same.
· BOD oxidation capacity can be increased by up to 100%.
· Nitrification/Denitrification capacity added within the same treatment plant footprint, often able to meet
· the most stringent discharge limits on total N and P, provided Anoxic/Aerobic operation is already in place.
- 3. MBBR Performance Enhancements
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MBBR processes designed for today's wastewater flows can be easily expanded to meet tomorrow's increased flow or concentration levels.
This is accomplished by simply adding more biofilm carriers to the process - supplementing the existing
process with increased active surface area, yielding increased biodegradation
capacity in the existing system with minimal process adjustments.
An MBBR plant upgrade or expansion can supersize your capacity within a small footprint!
- 4. The major components of the project consist of:
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· General site works
· Screening and de-gritting upgrades
· Chemical system improvements
· Primary clarifier upgrades
· Aeration tank upgrades
· New secondary treatment (Biological Aerated Filter (BAF) technology)
· New ultraviolet disinfection system
· Solids train upgrades
· Existing digester and dewatering facility improvements
· New standby power system
· Automation of entire facility
· Electrical system upgrades
· Pumping station upgrades
- 5. Some of the key features of MBBR / IFAS processes
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· Robust ? It is stable under load variations, insensitive to temporary limitation and provides consistent treatment results
· Efficient ? It generates low solids and requires no or minimum polymer for solid/liquid separation
· Compact ? It requires a small footprint. Typically it requires 1/3rd the space required for Activated Sludge Process.
· Cost ? It requires a low capital cost and is comparable to cost of Activated Sludge Process. It is cheaper than the MBR process.
· Flexible ? Existing plants can be upgraded easily with MBBR. New MBBR plants
can be upgraded to handle higher loads with no or minimum cost and construction.
· Trouble Free - It is easy to operate, has automatic sludge wasting,
has no sludge Return and no MLSS, and there no issue of media clogging.