Optimization of sludge conditioning and dewatering using sludge network strength and residual polymer concentration

脱水是降低污泥处理和最终处置成本的关键。然而，由于运行过程中污泥特性和固体浓度的不断变化，污泥调节和脱水的优化仍然是一个挑战。理想情况下，应实时检查和优化聚合物剂量，但大多数处理厂仍使用操作员通过检查蛋糕固体来手动调整聚合物剂量。这通常会导致聚合物投加量过多，通常为30%-40%，这不仅增加了聚合物成本，还降低了蛋糕的干燥度，从而降低了处置成本。此外，排放到环境中的过量聚合物对水生态系统也有毒性影响。因此，需要可靠的系统来实现污水处理厂聚合物投加量的实时优化。目前的技术通常依赖于进水污泥的固体浓度或出水的浊度，这在捕捉重要的污泥特性和预测脱水性能方面并不理想。需要一种创新的方法来优化调节和脱水。

Dewatering plays a key role in reducing the cost of sludge treatment and final disposal. However, optimization of sludge conditioning and dewatering continues to be a challenge due to continuous changes in sludge characteristics and solids concentration during operation. Ideally, polymer dose should be checked and optimized on a real-time basis but the majority of treatment plants still use operators to manually adjust the polymer dose by checking cake solids. This usually leads to overdosing of polymer typically by 30-40%, which not only increases polymer cost but also decreases cake dryness, and thus disposal costs. In addition, excess polymers discharged to environment have toxic effects on aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, there is a major need for reliable systems that can achieve real-time optimization of polymer dose at wastewater treatment plants. Current technologies typically rely on solids concentration of incoming sludge or turbidity of the effluent, which are not ideal in capturing important sludge characteristics and predicting dewatering performance. An innovative approach to conditioning and dewatering optimization is needed.