• 상하수도학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.155-160
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• 2005

Gravity thickening process has been widely used in WTP sludge thickening at domestic water treatment plant. The operation method of the process is very simple, however, the process requires long detention time about 24~48 hours for sludge thickening, uses polymer, and low total solids of thickened sludge to increase sludge thickening efficiency. To solve there problems, we studied about flotation process, especially, electro-flotation (EF) process in WTP sludge thickening. Electro-flotation process is simpler than dissolved-air-flotation(DAF) process because EF needs only electrode and current to generate micro-bubbles and the operation is easy. This study was performed at two batch columns to compare interface height, total solids, effluent turbidity between an electro-flotation thickening and a gravity thickening. According to the result, an electro-flotation thickening was that interface height was decreasing, total solids had high concentration, and effluent turbidity was low in comparison with a gravity thickening. Also, it will make the high efficiency of following process, such as a dehydrating process and digestive process. because of high total solids and low moisture content in the sludge.

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.340-344
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• 2008

Electro-flotation (EF) was applied to a sequencing batch reactor process (SBR) in order to enhance solids-liquid separation. Solids-liquid separation was good enough in the SBR coupled with EF (EF-SBR) and it was possible to maintain the concentration of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) high in the EF-SBR. Under moderate organic loading condition (COD loading rate: 6 g/day), control SBR (C-SBR) showed similar treatment efficiencies with the EF-SBR. Under high organic loading condition (COD loading rate: 9.6 g/day), the solids-liquid separation in the C-SBR was deteriorated due to proliferation of filamentous bulking organisms at high F/M ratio. However, the EF-SBR was operated stably and with the high MLSS concentration (above 4,000 mg/L) regardless of the organic loading conditions during overall operating period leading to the satisfactory effluent quality. Gas production rate of the electrodes was gradually decreased because of anodic corrosion and scale build-up at the surface of cathode. However it could be partially overcome by use of corrosion-proof electrode material (SUS-316 L) and by periodic current switching between the electrodes.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.395-399
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• 2014

Operation characteristics of the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) process with electro-flotation (EF) as a solid liquid separation method (EF-SBR) were investigated. EF-SBR process showed excellent solid-liquid separation performance which enabled to separate biosolids from liquid phase within 30 min and to extend cyclic reaction time. Although influent organic loading rate was increased stepwise from 5 to 15 g COD/day, food to microorganisms (F/M) ratio could be maintained about 0.3 g COD/g VSS/day in EF-SBR because biomass concentration could be easily controlled at desired level by EF. However, it was impossible to increase biomass concentration at the same level in control SBR (C-SBR) process because solid-liquid separation by gravity settling showed a limitation at higher mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration with 60 min of settling time. Total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removal efficiency of EF-SBR process was not decreased although influent organic loading rate became 3 times higher than initial value. However, it was seriously deteriorated in C-SBR process after increasing the rate over 10 g COD/day, which was accounted for insufficient organic removal by relatively higher food to microorganisms (F/M) ratio as well as biosolids wash-out by a limitation of gravity sedimentation.

• 상하수도학회지
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• 제20권5호
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• pp.677-684
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• 2006

Electro-flotation(EF), a novel sludge thickening method, could improve the dewaterability of activated sludge. The gas(microbubbles) generated during EF decreased the solid-liquid separation time below 1/5 of the time required for gravity sedimentation. In addition, over 90% of the sludge volume reduction could be achieved by EF although the settling characteristics of the sludge was very poor. The SRF(specific resistance to filtration) of the thickened sludge by EF was much lower than that of the sludge thickened by gravity sedimentation. The SRF of the thickened sludge decreased exponentially with increase of gas generation rate of the EF system. Gas generation rate could be controlled by varying the current density of the electrode. Degasing of the microbubbles by vigorous mixing of the thickened sludge layer deteriorated the dewaterability of the sludge. Therefore, it is obvious that the gas bubbles entrapped in the thickened sludge play a key role in the observed dewaterability improvement.

• 상하수도학회지
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• 제16권6호
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• pp.663-669
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• 2002

Electro-flotation (EF) has shown advantages, such as a high removal efficiency and easy control of bubble generation, over dissolved air flotation. However, the fundamental characteristics of the process have not been investigated in detail. According to recent modeling results from trajectory analysis, the size of the bubble is one of the most important factors that affect the efficiency of collision between bubble and particle. In this paper, the size characteristics of bubbles generated from EF under various conditions are measured using a new method for bubble size measurement, the Particle Counter Method (PCM). The size of the generated bubbles was found to be constant with respect to applied voltage but to vary with the electrode materials. These results and their implications are discussed.