ENG1012 Engineering Design

Week 3
Wastewater Treatment Process (B)
Process Flowsheet
Report structure

Professor Nicoleta Maynard

The Engineering Design Team
McCahan et al.
Acknowledgement of Country

We wish to acknowledge the people of the

Kulin Nations, on whose land Monash
University operates.

We pay our respects to their Elders, past,

present and emerging.

Online attendees may be based elsewhere,

so we pay our respects to Traditional
Owners of the land from wherever you may
be joining us.
Design Thinking: ‘Double Dimond’ Process Model
Explore the Decide what Explore Decide what
problem needs to be done possibilities to do
Background
• Understand the problem Define the final solution
• Factors that affect the problem • Consider the treatment stages Final Design
Define the Problem
directly and indirectly • Consider appropriate unit operations Create a solution to the
Design Requirements
• Who is involved? Who has a stake in • Possible expansion problem that meets the
• Constraints
the problems (for and against)? • Sustainability issues design requirements
• Criteria
• What do these stakeholders want? • Cost issues
• What factors constrain the project?

Divergent Divergent Convergent

Convergent
thinking thinking thinking
thinking

1.Investigate the problem before investigating the solution (Project Background)

2.Listen to understand, not to reply (Stakeholders)
3.Before you solve it, you must define it (Design Requirements: constraints & criteria)
4.What is the bottom line? (Flowsheet, Unit Operations, Sustainability)
Project 1 Deliverables

1. Project definition: background, needs and impact

2. Design requirements – stakeholders, criteria, constraints and assumptions;
3. Flowchart representing the main units and the streams
4. Clear and concise description of the process proposed and the design process
5. Brief description of the selected unit operations
Water Treatment Process
Part B
Levels of water treatment
Screens Biological reactors
Sedimentation
Grit chambers Sedimentation tanks
tanks (clarifiers)
Oil-grease traps

Suspended solids
Coarse solids Organic matter Tertiary treatment
Floating material
Large materials Suspended solids • Removal of residual
suspended solids
• Disinfection for
pathogen reduction
• Reverse osmosis
• Ultrafiltration

Grit & screenings

Low organic content
Landfills disposal Organic matter Gravity thickener
Further treatment Centrifugation
40-50% total cost Aerobic/anaerobic digestion
Secondary treatment – unit operations

• Removal of soluble organic matter + suspended solids

• Using biological processes
• microbes consume the organic impurities as food – CO2, H2O, energy for own growth
• Unit operations
• Trickling filter
• Activated sludge tank/system
• Oxidation pond
Secondary treatment – unit operations
Trickling Filter • Bed of crushed stones/pebbles covered with slime
• Slime – aerobic bacteria, algae, fungi etc.
• Sewage – degraded by the slime & collected at the bottom

https://www.britannica.com/technology/wastewater-treatment
Secondary treatment – unit operations
Activated Sludge • Aeration tank + secondary clarifier
• Mix: Settled sewage + fresh sludge (from secondary clarifier ~30%)
• Inject compressed air through porous diffusers (tank bottom/top)
• Diffused air provides oxygen + rapid mixing action
• More aeration – added by mechanical mixers
Secondary treatment – unit operations
• Large, shallow ponds
Oxidation Ponds
• Interaction of sunlight, bacteria and algae
• Algae grow (photosynthesis) – release oxygen needed by aerobic bacteria
• Mechanical aerators – increase oxygen supply – smaller ponds
• Sludge deposits – removed by dredging
• Algae in the effluent – removed by filtration/chemical treatment + settling
Tertiary treatment – unit operations

Disinfection – drinking water treatment – destroy pathogenic bacteria

• Chlorination
• Taste/ odour side effects
• Residual – chloroform
• Only after coagulation, flocculation & filtering
• Ozone gas
• Needs to be produced on site – expensive
• Ultraviolet radiation
• Great – no residual, no taste/odour problems
• Very expensive
Other/Additional treatment
Filtration
• After the coagulation and sedimentation steps – if not enough removal of suspended impurities
• Removes water impurities - by percolating it downward through a layer/bed of porous, granular material
such as sand, pebbles etc.

Membrane filtration
Aeration
• Aim: remove particles, microbes, dissolved inorganic • Aim: remove dissolved Fe, Mn
compounds • Taste/odour control
• Microfiltration & Ultrafiltration – low pressure
• Reverse Osmosis – high pressure

Water softening Carbon adsorption

• Aim - remove dissolved Ca and Mg salts • Aim: remove dissolved organic subst.
• Chemical addition – calcium hydroxide, sodium carbonate • Taste/odour control
• Ion exchange – Na ions vs. Ca, Mg ions
Sludge Treatment
What is Sludge (Biosolids)?
The residual material that is produced as a by-product of WWP
• Primary sludge - generated from sedimentation, and other primary processes,
• Secondary sludge - the activated waste biomass resulting from biological treatments

Methods - Unit operations

• Thickening – thickens the thin sludge - Gravity Thickener
• Digestion – Digester tanks, Thermal hydrolysis reactors
• 2 stage digestion: anaerobic then converted to biogas, CO2, methane (fuel)
• Use of hydrolysis reactors – converts 70% in L,G
• Dewatering – Drying beds, Rotary drums vacuum filters, Centrifuges
 Sludge treatment – unit operations

Rotary drum vacuum

Thickener

https://bit.ly/3inNS8w Thermal hydrolysis reactor

https://www.britannica.com/technology/waste
water-treatment
Sludge treatment • Mixed sludge - dissolved-air
flotation tank – solids rise to the
surface & skimmed off
• Thickened sludge
• pulped with steam
• passed to hydrolysis – large
molecules (proteins, lipids)
broken down under heat + P
• Hydrolysed sludge
• flash tank – P drop causes
cells to burst
• anaerobic digester – organic
matter converted to biogas
by bacteria
• Digested sludge – dewatering
stage
• Dried solids – disposed
• Water – back to secondary
treatment
Unit operation/process - Quiz
FLUX Questions 1-12
 What does this unit operation do?
 What is the main principle of this unit operation?
Grit removal Removes dense particles (e.g. sand)

Physical Ion Exchange Removes IONS by transfer to a solid

material in exchange for an equivalent
number of another ion

Chemical
Sedimentation Removes heavier-than-water
tank particles by settlement

Physical
Thickener Increases the solid content of sludges
Physical

Degrades dissolved and suspended

Aerobic reactor organic compounds in presence of
oxygen UV Disinfection Destroys micro-organisms

Biological “UV disinfection is a physical process rather than

a chemical disinfectant. Provides rapid inactivation
of microorganisms through a physical process”
 Unit operations – just for Wastewater Treatment?
https://bit.ly/3fFUNs2
• Screens
• pharmaceuticals, food
• minerals, fertilisers
• Sedimentation tanks
• dairy industry
• pharmaceutical, biotechnology
• Anaerobic digesters https://bit.ly/3fFgFDV
• biological treatment of petrochemical waste
• biogas production https://bit.ly/3a6mjxE

• Thickeners
• Metallurgical, coal, mining
• Pulp and paper
• Dryers
• Pharmaceutical, food
• Mining, fertilisers, chemical https://bit.ly/31tE3PE
Process Flowsheet
Process Flowsheets
A tool for Communication
• Effective plant design, construction and operation – team effort
• Ensuring clear and concise communication – ongoing challenge
• BFD, PFD, P&ID
• different types of flowsheet
• important means of communication
• Advance plant design, support construction, facilitate interactions
• Terminology varies: flow diagrams, process schematics, process sheets
• What is the difference between BFD, PFD and P&ID?
Your BFD of the Monash Pilot Plant
BFD - Monash Student Pilot Plant

FLUX Question 13
What information does a BFD provide?

• Inlet streams and outlet streams identified (no box!)

• Each unit operation or unit process identified (1 box!)
• Clear indication of the overall process
 Block Flow Diagram (BFD)
• Display:
• Unit operations
• Major material & energy flows
• Inputs & outputs
• Omitted:
• Pumps and valves
• Individual vessels
• Used in preliminary design work

Graham Nasby – Eramosa Engineering Inc. / www.aiche.org/cep

Process Flow Diagram (PFD)
FLUX Question 14
What information does a PFD provide?
• Major equipment items
• Connections with other systems
• Recycle streams
• Pumps
• Operational data (T, P, density…)
• Used before plant design was finalised

Does not include:

• Instrumentation details
• Minor bypass lines
• Instrumentation
• Controllers like Level Control or Flow Control
• Isolation and shutoff valves
• Maintenance vents and drains
https://bit.ly/3Jc1Olf • Relief and safety valves
Some drawing rules
Commonly used equipment is represented with simple
line drawings and alpha-numeric labels

More complex equipment is

represented by simple line
drawings

Graham Nasby – Eramosa Engineering Inc. / www.aiche.org/cep

P&ID - Monash Student Pilot Plant

• Additional control elements, including control

valves
• Drains, drain valves
• Is there ANYTHING a P&ID not provide?
Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID)

• The highest level of detail

• Display:
• every pipe, valve, pump, vessel and instrument
within the plant
• all process-connected equipment, input, output
and interfacing details
• Omitted:
• materials of construction, physical layouts, pipe-
wall thickness and wiring connections
 FLUX Question 15
Process Flowsheet The order of increased complexity is…?
1
2

3
In Summary…
BFD – spot the real one! B
FLUX Question 16
 Which one is a true BFD?
A

C
BFD – the KISS principle

RULES:
1. Operations/equipment are represented with blocks
2. Material flows are represented with straight lines with arrows giving the direction of flow
3. Lines are horizontal and/or vertical, with turns at 90 degree angles
4. Flows go from left to right whenever possible
5. If lines cross, the horizontal line is continuous and the vertical line is broken
Please remember…
• For Project 1:
• ONLY a BFD is needed – the simplest diagram!
• YES - you will need to assume:
• The contents of the water/ wastewater you want to treat
• Ex: solids, oils, floating matter, organic matter, pathogens etc.
• The extent/purpose of your treatment is given (50% drinking, 50% back to ocean, land
(agriculture), industry etc.

Marking rubric
Moodle/Assessments/Process Eng. Design Report
 BFD for treatment of wastewater with high
nitrogen concentration
Note: the more unit operations and streams you clearly and
correctly label, the higher the quality of work you produce! Denitrification
agent Disinfectant

Influent Primary Aerobic Secondary Anoxic Effluent

Screens Grit tank Clarifier
clarifier reactor clarifier reactor
Sludge Sludge
Sludge underflow Sludge underflow
Sludge
Screens to Grid to recycle recycle
waste
Landfill Landfill

Sludge to
digestion
High concentration of suspended solids, organic matter,
pathogens and ammonia-nitrogen (this end should be continued with units required
for sludge digestion)
 FLUX Question 17
Treatment options What could be the influent?

PRELIMINARY PRIMARY SECONDARY

Disinfectant

Influent Primary Biological Secondary Effluent

Screens Grit tank
clarifier reactor clarifier

Landfill

Primary Secondary
sludge Gravity sludge
thickener

Recycle to Secondary Anaerobic Biosolids

Biological reactor digester for landfill
 BFDs for treatment options FLUX Questions 18-21
Flowsheet building
Draw a flow diagram for a process to treat a municipal wastewater that has a high concentration of
suspended solids, organic matter and pathogens.

PRELIMINARY PRIMARY SECONDARY

Disinfectant

Influent Primary Biological Secondary Effluent

Screens Grit tank
clarifier reactor clarifier

Landfill

Primary Secondary
sludge sludge
 BFDs for treatment options FLUX Question 22
 Choose the appropriate unit operations for the
Illustrate a sludge treatment option sludge treatment?

PRELIMINARY PRIMARY SECONDARY

Disinfectant

Influent Primary Biological Secondary Effluent

Screens Grit tank
clarifier reactor clarifier

Landfill

Primary Secondary
sludge Gravity sludge
thickener

Recycle to Secondary Biosolids

Biological reactor Anaerobic for landfill
digester
Process Engineering Design
Report structure

• Project definition: background, needs and impact

• Design requirements – stakeholders, criteria, constraints and assumptions;
• Flowchart representing the main units and the streams
• Clear and concise description of the process proposed and the design process
• Brief description of the selected unit operations
Report content
It will answer the following questions using main sections in the report:
1. How does the resources, climate, geography, culture, government, etc. affect the project?
2. Who are the stakeholders and what do they need?
3. What are the design requirements (criteria and constraints) for the project?
4. What is the proposed flowsheet and unit operations for the project?

The structure of the report • Cover page / Title page

• Contents page
1. Introduction
2. Project Background
3. Stakeholders
4. Design Requirements
5. Flowsheet and unit operations
6. Conclusion
7. References
8. Appendix
9. List of Figures/Tables

@Kris McKee
Cover Page, Contents & Introduction
Cover Page/Title Page
Cover Page should contain:
• Monash Logo
• A list of the team members
• A graphic that you believe gives an idea of what your project is about
and encourages the reader to open the document.

Contents page:
• A list of numbered sentences that summarises the body of the project and
points to page numbers.
Contents Page • It should strongly suggest a systematic design process has been followed.
• It is suggested that you use the table of contents generated by Word. You can
number your section and sub-section headings using a multi-level list, utilising
the heading styles in Word.

1.0 Introduction This section should briefly explain the problem statement, the objectives of the
report, and the outcome.

“This report will focus on the Mildura region in Victoria, Australia and their issues with the water quality of the river. The report will
address the current problem of the plant’s inability to provide both drinking water and agricultural water. A solution to this issue is
proposed by creating a dedicated plant for agricultural use only”
Project Background

Influencing factors
2.0 Project Background • This section will outline the situation as it exists.
2.1 Influencing factors • Describe the country and settlement / town / city where the plant is
proposed in terms of anything that is relevant to understanding the
2.1.1 Geography problem.
2.1.2 Climate • Everything that you write must be tied to explaining the problem. If it is
2.1.3 Economics not relevant to explaining the problem, then it should not appear in this
2.1.4 Political section.
• When doing background research, constantly ask “How does this
2.1.5 Cultural
information tie to the problem?”
2.1.6 Technological
2.2 Impact
2.2.1 Impact of Change Impact
• If something is done (your proposed solution), then how would that
2.2.2 Impact of No Change
change the community / society / environment / country?
• If nothing is done about the situation, what is the forecast of how the
community / society / environment / country would be affected?
Project Background
Questions/suggestions on topics to write about:

• What influences this problem - climate, geography, culture, education, technology?

• What resources are around that might be useful in seeking a solution – local materials, skills of the people?
• What resource limitations exist in seeking a solution – the climate, transport, skills of the people, materials, etc?
• Who is affected by the problem?
• What are they saying is the problem or what is affecting them?
• What change does that suggest is needed?
• What happens if nothing changes? What human needs are impacted? What will become worse?
• What previous attempts were made, if any, to resolve these problems?
• Are there other questions that should be answered?

Note: It is not required to answer all of these questions. If your team finds that a question is irrelevant to your problem/situation,
then don’t answer the question in this section.

@Kris McKee
Stakeholders
• This section will identify the stakeholders, and provide an
analysis of their role in the project.
• Stakeholder - anyone that will be affected, in a positive or
negative sense, by the project.
• Your goal is to analyse the situation and explain thoroughly
3.0 Stakeholder Analysis who the stakeholders are, what their needs are, and how they
3.1 Business owners will be affected by this project.
• A complete and concise explanation of all stakeholders is
3.2 City Council required in this section.
3.3 Plant workers • Reference to the Stakeholder Identification and Analysis
3.4 Environmental NGOs worksheet may be included to help explain this section.

3.5 …
Questions/suggestions for this section
• Who has influence? What influence do he/she/they have? How will they use that?
• What are the different classes? Males/females, age variations, religious groups, social groups
• Who is impacted by this problem? Individuals or groups?
• What are each categories priorities in any solution to this problem?
• How to categorise these? Their common interest/concern?
• Who will be empowered by this? How? What opportunities could open if this problem is solved?
• Who will oppose, but benefit?
• Who will always oppose? Why?
• Does the solution need to be safe? If so, what does this entail or mean for the stakeholder?
• Does it need to be culturally acceptable? If so, in what aspects?

@Kris McKee
Design requirements Possible design constraints may include, but are not limited to:
• Space restrictions
• Time restrictions
4.0 Design Requirements • Operational constraints
4.1 Project/Design Constraints • Weather conditions
• Cultural restrictions
4.1.1 Cost and resource availability/Economy
4.1.2 Environmental sustainability
4.1.3 Ease of execution/construction/modification
4.1.4 Integration with local culture Possible design criteria areas may include, but are not limited to:
4.1.5 Climate • Cost
4.2 Project/Design Criteria • Availability of materials
4.2.1 Cost and resource availability/Economy • Access to technology
4.2.2 Environmental sustainability
• Ease of construction and maintenance
• Operational constraints
4.2.3 Ease of execution/construction/modification
• Demographics
4.2.4 Integration with local culture
• Sustainability
4.2.5 Climate
• Weather
• Socio Political
• Cultural

Note: sustainability must be specified as one of the criteria

@Kris McKee
 FLUX Question 23
Examples Which one of these examples is a criteria?
Example 1 Constraint: Cost and resource availability/Economy

The solution cost should be minimal as to fall within the allocated budget of the water treatment solution. According to the Annual Drinking Water
Quality Report (2018/2019) [5] the budget allocated for water treatment in Mildura is $1.48 million dollars. The new plant should fall within the new
budget and should strive to provide cost offsetting options. In order to act ethically, local suppliers should be supported monetarily and thus,
materials, equipment and chemicals should be purchased from them rather than from non-local suppliers. Despite being in the interest of the
community, buying from local suppliers will increase the relative cost of both construction and continuous maintenance of the plant. Infrastructure
must also exist in order to store biosolid waste and to capture and store nitrogen.

Example 2 Criteria: Cost and resource availability/Economy

The creation of a treatment plant should aim to create new job opportunities for the surrounding community. The plant is being constructed primarily by
government funding therefore it should strive to fulfill the economic needs of the community. In order to remain economically viable, only cost effective
(and local) resources should be used. A main component of the proposed plant will be the inclusion of nitrogen storing capability. The initial cost of the
plant will be high, however, in the long term, the revenue stream of selling the nitrogen along with the outsourcing of biosolids is assumed to lower the
net cost of the plant over time (as agriculture is a prominent industry in Mildura that will benefit from a nitrogen source). Nitrogen along with biosolid
storage and outsourcing will be required of the plant in order to offset the costs of the plants construction and maintenance. Loading bays for trucks and
other logistical vehicles for the transport of nitrogen and biosolids will be constructed along with the plant.
Process Flowsheet
5.0 Process Flowsheet • Logical process layout capturing all the required operating
units; correct, neat and easy to follow layout.
5.1 Block Flow diagram
• All critical operating units and streams in the BFD layout are
5.2 Unit operations description well defined, logically and clearly labelled.
• Unit operations

• The main unit processes employed in the treatment of wastewater:

Influent Preliminary Primary Secondary Tertiary Effluent

(Input) treatment treatment treatment treatment (Output)

• Process flowsheet – a sequence of the units processes/operations used in treatment plants

• Unit processes - single treatment stages that define a specific treatment function.
• Each unit process has an input and an output
Examples
5.1 Block Flow Diagram
Spellman, Frank R.. Handbook
of Water and Wastewater
Treatment Plant Operations,
Taylor & Francis Group,
2013. ProQuest Ebook Central,
https://ebookcentral.proquest.co
m/lib/monash/detail.action?docI
D=1385035.
No need to use colours!!!
https://www.mheducation.com.au/engine
ering-science/technical/environmental-
engineering?format=eBook
Metcalf & Eddy, I., Boston. (n.d.). WASTEWATER
ENGINEERING.
5.2.2 Grit Chamber
A Grit Chamber will be further included to
remove smaller solids such as sand, gravel
and other heavy solid materials. According to
Metcalf and Eddy 1991 [24], grit chambers are
essential to prevent unwarranted abrasions to
later machinery. Thus, this intricate solid
removal should be invested to reduce the
running costs. Accumulation of grit in other
processes can not only increase the servicing
need but force them to over work due to their
diminished efficiency. The off put grit will then
be disposed of in general landfill.
Conclusion, References, Appendix
This section should briefly summarize the main ideas and
6.0 Conclusion
findings of your report.

List those books, journals, web sites, etc. that are actually
7.0 References referenced in the text using correctly formatted in-text
referencing, using the latest IEEE edition referencing style.

8.0 Appendix
8.1 Team Contract
8.2 Minutes of Meetings
Check the marking rubric! Moodle/Assessment/Process Eng. Design Report
Work for Week 4
Weekly Progress Report – team work submissions in your Team Google Drive Folder
• Team work: meet as a Team and complete the following tasks:
• Minutes of Meetings
• Team Contract (revised after feedback)
• Draft the following sections of the Process Engineering Design Report:
• Flowchart representing the main units and the streams
• Clear and concise description of the process proposed and the design process
• Brief description of the selected unit operations (how it works, advantages, drawbacks etc.)

Process Engineering Design Report Submission: Sunday 26 March 11:59pm