Te-Tech Process Solutions has installed and integrated te-ion™ advanced oxidation technology to suppress sludge bulking at Severn Trent Water’s Chipping Campden Sewage Treatment Works.
Two te-ion units are mounted within the RAS chamber and connected to a local control panel installed nearby. The te-ion units, wall fixings, and surrounding floor grating were all manufactured and assembled offsite in the workshop to reduce the duration and complexity of onsite installation.
The high levels of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) in the tourist season results in the proliferation of filamentous bacteria, principally Nocardia spp, which cause poor sludge settling. This phenomenon, called “sludge bulking”, can lead to difficulty in meeting the total suspended solids (TSS) consent.
Filamentous bacteria are particularly susceptible to reactive oxygen species (ROS) like peroxide, ozone and free hydroxyl radicals. A single te-ion unit consists of an ionisation cell connected to a submersible turbine. As the turbine spins, air from the atmosphere is drawn through the ionisation cell where it passes over electrodes that generate a number of ROS in the form of a non-thermal plasma. This plasma is then distributed into the liquid in the aeration tank as fine bubbles via the turbine, where it then reacts with the pollutants to be removed. The non-thermal plasma removes the filaments in a similar way to the conventional chlorine dosing, but without the ongoing chemical costs and health and safety concerns. In addition, the energy consumption of the te-ion™ process is low.
