Lesson 21:

Mass Balance and Measuring Plant Performance

Objective

In this lesson we will learn the following:

How to determine the mass balance for settling tanks.

How to determine the mass balance using BOD removal.
Measuring plant balance to help with performance/efficiency of the plant.

Lecture

Importance of Mass Balance

The easiest way to express the importance of mass balance in plants is to say that everything has to go
somewhere. The law of conservation of mass says that when chemical reactions take place, matter is neither
created nor destroyed. This is important to know because it allows us to track materials (pollutants, microbes,
chemicals, etc.) from one place to another. The concept of mass balance plays an important role in treatment
plant operations, especially wastewater treatment, where we assume a balance exists between the material
entering and leaving the plant or process. "What comes in must equal what goes out." This is very helpful
when evaluating biological systems, samping and testing procedures, and many other unit processes with the
treatment system. In this lesson we will explain how the mass balance concept is used to determine the
quantity of solids entering and leaving settling tanks and mass balance using biological oxygen demand
(BOD) removal.

Mass Balance for Settling Tanks

The mass balance for the settling tank calculates the quantity of solids entering and leaving the unit. The two
measurements (in: influent; out: effluent) must be within 10-15% of each other to be considered acceptable.
Larger discrepancies may indicate sampling errors or increasing solids levels in the unit or even undetected
solids discharge in the tank effluent.

To think about this concept in a way that is useful, consider the image below:
For this calculation we will demonstrate how it can be determined for treatment operations:

Step 1: Solids in = pounds of influent suspended solids

Step 2: Pounds of effluent suspended solids
Step 3: Biosolids solids out = pounds of biosolids solids pumped per day
Step 4: Solids in - (solids out + biosolids solids pumped)

Let's look at an example to show you how to determine the mass balance of a system.

Example:

A settling tank receives a daily flow of 4.20 MGD. The influent contains 252 mg/L suspended solids,
and the unit effluent contains 140 mg/L suspended solids. The biosolids pump operates 10 min/hour
and removes biosolids at a rate of 40 gpm. The biosolids content is 4.2% solids. Determine if the mass
balance for solids removal is within the acceptable range (10-15%).

Let's go step by step to solve this:

Formula for lb/day: mg/L x Flow, MGD x 8.34 lb/gal = lb/day

Step 1: Solids in = 252 mg/L (or TSS) x 4.20 MGD (Flow) x 8.34 lb/gal (common conversion) = 8827
lb/day
Step 2: Solids out = 140 mg/L (TSS) x 4.20 MGD x 8.34 lb/gal = 4904 lb/day
Step 3: Biosolids solids out = 10 min/hour (how long the pump runs) x 24 hr/day (conversion) x 40
gpm (removal rate) x 8.34 lb/gal (common conversion) x 0.042 (4.2% in decimal) = 3363 lb/day
Step 4: Solids in - (solids out + biosolids solids pumped) or Balance = 8827 lb/day - (4904 lb/day +
3363 lb/day) = 560 lb/day.

*Hint: If you want to know what amount of the solids go out compared to influent, you simple divide total
out by influent, then take that number and move the decimal place two spaces to the right. That's
your percentage!

That means that percent removed can be calculated by:

Percent solids removed = (Total solids out)/(Influent)

Percent solids removed = (560 lb/day)/(8827 lb/day)

Percent solids removed = 0.063 (move the decimal two places to the right for
percentages)
 Percent solids removed = 6.3%

This means that the solids removal for the plant is within the acceptable range (10-15%) at 6.3%.

Mass Balance Using BOD Removal

The amount of BOD removed by a treatment process is directly related to the quantity of solids the process
generates.

*Note: The actual amounts of solids generated will vary with different operational conditions and design.
Exact figures must be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Research, however, has produced general conversion rates for many of the common treatment processes used
today. These values are given in the table below and can be used if plant-specific information is unavailalbe.

Process Type Conversion Factor (lb Solids/lb BOD Removal

Primary Treatment 1.7
Trickling Filters 1.0
Rotating Biological Contactors (RBCs) 1.0
Activated biosolids with primary 0.7
Activated biosolids without primary

Conventional 0.85

Extended Air 0.65

Contact Stabilization 1.0

Step Feed 0.85

Oxidation Ditch 0.65

Using these factors, the mass balance procedure determines the amount of solids the process is anticipated to
produce. This quantity is compared with actual biosolids production to determine the accuracy of the
sampling and/or the potential for solids buildup in the system or unrecorded solids discharges.
 Step 1: BODIn = Influent BOD x Flow x 8.34 lb/gal
Step 2: BODOut = Effluent BOD x Flow x 8.34 lb/gal
Step 3: BOD pounds removed = BODIn - BODOut
Step 4: Solids generated (lb) = BOD removed (lb) x factor
Step 5: Solids removed = Solids Concentration (mg/L) x Waste Flow, MGD x 8.34 lb/gal = lb
solids/day
Step 6: Balance = Solids produced - Solids removed = Solids balance (lb/day) or %

Example:

A conventional activated sludge system with primary treatment is operating at the levels listed below.
Does the mass balance for the system indicate a problem?

Type Level
Plant influent BOD 250 mg/L
Primary effluent BOD 166 mg/L
Activated biosolids system effluent BOD 25 mg/L
Activated biosolids system effluent total suspended solids (TSS) 19 mg/L
Plant flow 11.4 MGD
Waste concentration 6795 mg/L
Waste flow 0.15 MGD

Since the problem states the system uses primary treatment, that means the primary effluent is
actualy the BOD influent. (Going from the effluent of one step to influent of another.)

Step 1: BODIn = 166 mg/L x 11.4 MGD x 8.34 lb/gal = 15,783 lb/day
Step 2: BODOut = 25 mg/L x 11.4 MGD x 8.34 lb/gal = 2377 lb/day
Step 3: BOD pounds removed = 15,783 lb/day - 2377 lb/day = 13,406 lb/day
Step 4: Solids generated (lb) = 13,406 lb x (0.7 for activated biosolids with primary) = 9384 lb
solids/day
Step 5: Solids removed = 6795 mg/L x 0.15 MGD x 8.34 lb/gal = 8501 lb solids/day
Step 6: Balance = 9384 lb/day - 8501 lb/day = 883 lb/day.
Step 7: To determine the percent removal divide the solids balance by the total solids generated: (883
lb/day)/(9384 lb/day) = 0.094 or 9.4 %
Since the percent removal is 9.4%, which is between 10 and 15 (the acceptable range). these results indicate
the plant is performing within the acceptable range.

Measuring Plant Performance

To evaluate how well a plant or unit process is performing, performance efficiency, or percent removal (%) is
used. The results that are obtained can be compared with those listed in a plant's operation and maintenance
(O&M) manual to determine if the facility is performing as expected. We will look at some sample
calculations that are often used to measure plant performance/efficiency.

The efficiency of a unit process is its effectiveness in removing various constitutents from the wastewater or
water. Suspended solids and BOD removal are therefore the most common calculations of unit process
efficiency. In wastewater treatment, the efficiency of a sedimentation basin may be affected by such factors
as the types of solids in the wastewater, the temperature of the wastewater, and the age of the solids. Typical
removal efficiencies for a primary sedimentation basin are as follows:

Settleable solids: 90-99%

Suspended solids: 40-60%
Total solids: 10-15%
BOD: 20-50%

Plant Performance/Efficiency

It is important to remember that the calculation used for determining the performance (% removal) for a
digester is different from that used for performance (% removal) for other processes. Care must be taken to
select the right formula.

Example:

If there was 247 mg/L of BOD entering the basin and 17 mg/L leaving, what is the percent removal of
the basin?
Unit Process Performance/Efficiency

You use the same equation for determining unit process efficiency. The concentration entering the unit and
the concentration leaving the unit (i.e. primary, secondary) are used to determine the unit performance:

Example:

The primary influent BOD is 235 mg/L and the primary effluent BOD is 169 mg/L. Determine the
percent removal.

Percent Volatile Solids Reduction in Sludge

The calculation used to determine percent volatile solids (% VS) reduction is more complicated because of
the changes occurring during biosolids digestion:

*Note: All information must be in decimal form.

Example:

Using the digester data provided, determine the percent volatile solids reduction for the plant.

Raw biosolids volatile matter = 74%

 Digested biosolids volatile matter = 54%

Summary

The concept of mass balance plays an important role in treatment plant operations, especially wastewater
treatment, where we assume a balance exists between the material entering and leaving the plant or process.
"What comes in must equal what goes out." This is very helpful when evaluating biological systems, samping
and testing procedures, and many other unit processes with the treatment system. In this lesson we will
explain how the mass balance concept is used to determine the quantity of solids entering and leaving settling
tanks and mass balance using biological oxygen demand (BOD) removal. The mass balance for the settling
tank calculates the quantity of solids entering and leaving the unit. The two measurements (in: influent; out:
effluent) must be within 10-15% of each other to be considered acceptable. Larger discrepancies may
indicate sampling errors or increasing solids levels in the unit or even undetected solids discharge in the tank
effluent. The amount of BOD removed by a treatment process is directly related to the quantity of solids the
process generates. This can be determined by a common conversion factor related to the type of process
being used.

Assignment

Complete the math worksheet for this lesson and return to instructor via email, fax or mail.