BIOWIN SOFTWARE FOR PROCESS MODELING

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

The software BioWin is installed on the Bechtel Computing Lab computers. Access from the

Programs menu:

“BioWin”

“BioWin 3”

Select the “Configure” tab to draw the plant schematic and specify element characteristics. Be

sure to save your file regularly. BioWin writes a special file “.bwp” that can only be opened

with the BioWin program.

Procedure:

1. Draw WWTP schematic (flowsheet) using a combination of icons for processes,

influent, and effluent streams, and connectors (pipes, flow mixers, and flow splitters).

2. Specify characteristics of any element by double clicking on the element

3. Specify influent (COD influent or BOD influent) characteristics by double clicking the

influent icon and clicking on the “Edit Data” tab in the screen that opens, including

flowrate which will be constant for steady-state simulations. Keep default parameters for

WW Fractions to begin with.

Table 1 Sample COD Influent for Metro WWTP NSEC

Name Value

Flow (m3/d) 340,650

Total COD mg/L 500

Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen mgN/L 40

Total P mgP/L 4.5000

Nitrate N mgN/L 0.0000

pH 7.3000

Alkalinity mmol/L 6.0000

Inorganic S.S. mgTSS/L 18.0000

Calcium mg/L 160.0000

Magnesium mg/L 25.0000

Dissolved oxygen mg/L 0.0000

4. There are three effluent flows from the liquid process line: treated wastewater effluent,

primary sludge (if primary clarifier used), and waste activated sludge (WAS).

5. For the primary clarifier (can use point or ideal settler icon) with between 50 and

60% solids removal (operation tab). In the Flow split tab, set the ratio underflow (sludge)

to overflow (U/O) which should be between 0.02 and 0.1. (Underflow is sludge and

overflow goes to the bioreactor.) At Metro, the primary clarifier volume is 50,251 m3,

and the depth is 3.6 m.

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6. Specify bioreactor tank volume (Dimensions tab) At Metro, the total aerated

bioreactor volume, V = 93,363 m3 and depth = 4 m. However, as you saw on the field

trip, the aeration tanks have three long passes, so the bioreactor might best be

modeled as a 4- to 6-tank CSTR cascade. Specify oxygen concentration

(Operations tab, DO setpoint). For aerobic reactors, DO set points can vary between 0.5

and 4 mg/L, with 1.5 – 2 mg/l being typical of most activated sludge process conditions.

For this exercise, keep the DO set point the same for all tanks.

7. Secondary settler: use “Clarifier – Model or Ideal” icon in the Configure toolbar.

Specify secondary settler size (Dimensions tab) with Metro secondary settler volume

= 55,636 m3 and depth = 4 m.

8. Specify secondary clarifier underflow rate (U) as a ratio of underflow to overflow rate

(O) = (U/O) At metro, U/O = 1.0 (Flow split tab). You do not need to change operations

or biological model screen values from the default

9. You then will need to split the underflow from the secondary clarifier: part goes to waste

activated sludge (WAS) and part is recycled back to the bioreactor (RAS), using a

splitter on the configure toolbar. A splitter has one influent and two effluent flows. One

effluent flow is from the main pipe (M) – in line with the influent, and one is at the “T” for

the side stream effluent (S). Depending on how you connect the split underflow to the

bioreactor (RAS) or the sludge (WAS), use a ratio of WAS/RAS in the range of 0.01

to 0.05.

10. You will need a sidestream mixer (on the Configure toolbar) to combine the primary

settler overflow with the recycled solids (RAS) from the secondary settler before they go

into the bioreactor. You do not need to specify anything for the mixer, since the flows

into it were set at the influent, primary and secondary settler. (If you try to specify, you

risk overspecifying the model, and it may be difficult to converge to a solution.

MAIN, “M”

SIDE, “S”

SPLITTER INFLUENT

SECONDARY

CLARIFIER

INFLUENT

UNDERFLOW, “U”

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11. Use the pipe tool (last icon on the right of the Configure toolbar) to connect the process

elements. Make sure that the pipe flows (arrows) are going in the right direction.

Here is a basic BioWin configuration.

12. Once you have your process line specified, go to the “Simulate” tab, and do a Flow

Balance on your plant. When the flow balance window opens, use the  button to

execute flow balance. If the flow balance is solved, then click on “Steady-State

Simulation” line in the Simulate tab. When the Window opens, click on the  to start

the simulation. When it is done, check the effluent, MLSS and sludge characteristics to

make sure that treatment and process conditions are satisfied (see below). If you hold

the cursor over any component in the schematic after it is solved, you will get the

characteristics at that point.

13. Advanced tools. Solids residence time (SRT) or  BioWin will calculate SRT for any

simulation from the “Project” tab. Click on “Active SRT,” and from the window that opens

select “Active SRT.” From the window that opens, click on “Select elements for total

mass” and upload the bioreactor(s) to the right window. After returning to the previous

screen, click on “Select wastage elements,” and upload only the sludge component for

the secondary settler (NOT sludge for the primary settler). You can also select the

treated effluent as a sludge wastage component, although this should be a minor

Waste Activated Sludge

Treated Effluent

COD Influent Ideal clarifier Aerated Bioreactor

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component. The calculated SRT (days) then appears at the bottom of the screen after

solving the plant schematic.

BioWin model output should satisfy these criteria:

1. The “total suspended solids” (MLSS) in the aeration basin should be > 1000 mg/L

(and less than 3,000 mg/L)

2. Rate of oxygen consumption should be less than 1,200 g/m3/d

3. SRT should be between 4 and 7 days

4. Effluent characteristics should meet permit: BOD < 17 mg/L. Ammonia-nitrogen < 5

mg/L. Effluent TSS < 30 mg/L.

5. Sludge (UNDERFLOW) total suspended solids concentration for the primary settler

should be around 10,000 mg/L and around 5,000 mg/L for the secondary clarifier.

OUTPUT

1. You can print the process schematic directly by going to the “File” menu and selecting

“Print Flowsheet.”

2. You can print the process characteristics for influent, effluents, and each component by

selecting “Report” from the File menu, and selecting “Report to Word” to write a word

file which you can edit to show the information that you client needs.

3. You can get additional information for your report by opening any component, like the

bioreactor, and going to the “Monitoring” tab. In that window, you can select process

parameters you want to monitor. After you close the window, right click on the same

component and a menu appears. You can name the element, and you can add to

“Album” pages which will allow you to save and print the more detailed monitoring

information you selected. Once you have added the album pages you access them from

the “View” tab on the main toolbar by selecting “View Album.” You can then save and

print the album pages from the window.

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