Water Science & Technology · 1989 · 11 citations · 0 references
EngineeringEnvironmental EngineeringProcess ControlProcess Systems EngineeringWastewater TreatmentSludge DewateringSludge DisposalSludge HandlingSludge ManagementSludge Resource RecoverySludge TreatmentPolymer ConditioningSewage Sludge TreatmentSludge ConditioningSludge Dewatering PerformanceSludge Handling EquipmentSludge StabilizationSludge TransportWastewater Sludge Management
The need for automatic control of sludge conditioning systems resulted in the development of the sludge conditioning controller (SCC). The fundamental concept behind the SCC and the development of the commercial prototype are described in the paper. The final phase of the program involved demonstrating the operation of the SCC at a full-scale dewatering plant. The SCC was installed on a two metre belt press, dewatering anaerobically digested sludge. The evaluation was conducted by comparing the results of historical manual operation with those achieved on the same press under automatic SCC control. Analysis of the data indicated that an average 24% polymer saving could be achieved by the automated system. The paper also describes the practical problems that were encountered during the installation of the control system.