ULTRASONIC TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE BIOSOLIDS TREATMENT

Using ultrasonic technology for sludge treatment is a new application in the biosolids treatment. The development of ultrasound technology is based on the principle of using high-intensity ultrasound, at a frequency of 20 kHz. The origin of the power of Ultrasound in a liquid is primarily cavitation. The physical cavitations caused by the ultrasonic probe disintegrate cellular material in sludge within short period of time. Similar cell lysis step can take up to 8 days in a conventional mesophilic anaerobic digester. Another desirable advantage of ultrasonic technology is that it does not require chemicals or extreme environmental conditions such as pressure or temperature.This paper reviews benefits for biosolids treatment by application of ultrasonic technology. Ultrasonic technology is used to increase solids hydrolysis by lysing WAS organisms resulting in enhances Anaerobic Digestion. Other applications of this technology include control of filamentous growth in wastewater treatment plants, BNR enhancement and sludge reduction, and increase digester gas production. Recent applications of this technology are presented. Available types of ultrasonic technology by different vendors and their systems are discussed.