Numerical simulation of aeration bubble growth in a plug-flow aeration tank used in wastewater treatment

The micro-scale hydrodynamics of bubbles growth by aeration is related to the oxygen transfer efficiency and the overall performance of the activated sludge wastewater treatment process. To gain a deeper insight on the micro-scale phenomena of dispersed bubble in this process, a three-dimensional direct simulation method is developed to study the effects of the liquid cross-flow on micro-scale behavior of bubble growth in a plug-flow aeration tank. The numerical simulations are performed using the level set method coupling with the governing equations of a single fluid with variable properties. The governing equations are solved using the finite-volume projection technique. The simulation results are compared with the experimental observations and theoretical relations. The simulated results show that water cross-flow in plug-flow type aeration tank has a strong impact on the bubble growth process. Compared to that generated under quiescent water conditions used in mixing type aeration tank, the bubble under water cross-flow conditions grows downstream along the tilted axis, and the bubble generation time tends to decrease noticeably and the bubble at detachment has significantly smaller size. The dynamic characteristics of the bubble growth through two orifices are also numerically studied. The effect of water cross-flow on the bubbling synchronicity is finally discussed.