Treatment Technology
Different technologies abound with numerous iterations of each. The aim is to flush out the underlying technology to understand its applications.
Dissolved Air/Gas Flotation
First installed on a municipal scale in the 1960’s, DAF systems are used across treatment segments. Characterized as a clarifying process ideal for removing TSS, oils/grease, BOD, or thickening sludge in municipal and industrial wastewater streams. Gases utilized (e.g. nitrogen, oxygen, etc.) determined by raw water volatility.
Scum generated between 2-5% solids before polymer additions
Typically more effective at turbidity removal than sedimentation, less temp sensitive, with surface load rates of ~20 gpm/ft2 for high flow applications.
Electro-Chemical
Introducing a current into solution provides the electromotive resources necessary to mimic wet chemistry.
Electrocoagulation/flocculation
An electrochemical method where coagulants are produced in-situ by passing D.C. current through aqueous media. Sacrificial anodes are dissolved in order to produce the coagulants. In addition, hydrogen gas is evolved from cathode and oxygen or chlorine gas may evolve from anodes. The electrodes are generally made of aluminum or iron.
A dry explainer video from Suez. Might as well get to know their systems.
Aeration
Utilized so often it’s 2% of the total electrical demand in the U.S.
Buckle up for this 1 hour 30 min presentation on aeration in lagoons.
Aeration is the number 1 technology for treatment. You need to understand the application and product to ensure optimum outcomes.
Frac Ponds
Waste lagoons have a variety of purposes and requirements: holding for disposal, evaporation (reduction), sludge management, and primary treatment to name a few.
If you’re going to spend the money to create a holding tank this big, you should definitely capture the efficiencies present and use it as a primary treatment process.
TSS, VOC, BOD, & COD can be most efficiently addressed here compared to in situ on the pad.
Over 50% of municipal water systems in the U.S. utilize waste lagoons in their treatment process.
Improperly designed and operated lagoons are a waste of money in the best case scenario.
If there was a more cost effective solution to wastewater treatment in large volumes, we’d already be using it.
Separators
Removing oil and gas from formation water.
Oil/gas separator is a pressure vessel used for separating a well stream into gaseous and liquid components. Based on the vessel configurations, the oil/gas separators can be divided into horizontal, vertical, or spherical separators.
In terms of fluids to be separated, the oil/gas separators can be grouped into gas/liquid two-phase separator or oil/gas/water three-phase separator. Based on separation function, the oil/gas separators can also classified into primary phase separator, test separator, high-pressure separator, low-pressure separator, de-liquidizer, degasser, etc.