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Courses/Engineering/Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering

Activated Sludge Calculations with Excel

The activated sludge process is very widely used for biological wastewater treatment.

Created byHarlan Bengtson, PhD, PE
3.9
(35 reviews)
BeginnerUpdated May 4, 2022
Activated Sludge Calculations with Excel

What You'll Learn

check_circleConstruct Excel spreadsheets to calculate foundational activated sludge parameters, including SRT, F/M ratio, and MLSS.
check_circleFormulate Excel functions to determine optimal Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) and Return Activated Sludge (RAS) flow rates.
check_circleDevelop dynamic Excel models to simulate varying organic loading scenarios and predict corresponding aeration requirements.
check_circleDesign an automated mass balance dashboard in Excel to monitor and evaluate overall biological treatment performance.
check_circleAnalyze historical activated sludge data using Excel charting tools to identify operational trends and troubleshoot system upsets.

About This Course

The activated sludge process is very widely used for biological wastewater treatment. This course includes background on biological wastewater treatment, a general description of the activated sludge process, information about several variations of the activated sludge process, discussion of design calculations for an activated sludge aeration tank, and discussion of activated sludge operational calculations. Example calculations and sample Excel spreadsheets for making the calculations are also included.

After completing this course you will be familiar with the common variations of the activated sludge process used for biological wastewater treatment and be able to make typical aeration tank design and operational calculations.

Topics: The equation for biological oxidation and how it fits into the organic carbon cycle The equation for photosynthesis and how it fits into the organic carbon cycle The major components of an activated sludge wastewater treatment system The differences between an extended aeration and conventional activated sludge system The differences between a contact stabilization and conventional activated sludge system Calculation of required aeration tank volume (in U.S. units) for a specified volumetric loading, hydraulic residence time, or aeration tank F:M ratio, if given suitable aeration tank influent and aeration tank parameter information. Calculation of required aeration tank volume (in S.I. units) for a specified volumetric loading, hydraulic residence time, or aeration tank F:M ratio, if given suitable aeration tank influent and aeration tank parameter information Calculation of the required activated sludge recycle flow rate, waste activated sludge flow rate, and aeration tank F:M ratio, if given suitable wastewater stream and aeration tank information along with the desired value for sludge retention time.

Intended Audience: water treatment, hydraulic, civil, environmental, chemical engineers, and other engineers whose job description may require a basic knowledge of utilizing Excel spreadsheets to perform activated sludge calculations.

Publication Source: Harlan H. Bengtson, PhD, PE

Your Instructor

Harlan Bengtson, PhD, PE
Harlan Bengtson, PhD, PE
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star2,706 reviews

Dr. Harlan Bengtson is an online PDH course provider of continuing education courses for professional engineers. Dr. Bengtson is a graduate of Iowa State University with B.S. and M.S. degrees and of the University of Colorado with a PhD. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri. Dr. Bengtson has spent 30 years in engineering education in teaching and administrative positions, including six years as Dean of Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Dr. Harlan H. Bengtson, PE 33 Grainey Drive Glen Carbon, IL 62034 Phone: (618) 406-6892 E-mail: hnkbengtson@yahoo.com PROFESSIONAL PROFILE Dr. Bengtson is a graduate of Iowa State University with B.S. and M.S. degrees and of the University of Colorado with a PhD. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri. He has spent 30 years in engineering education in teaching and administrative positions, including six years as Dean of Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His areas of expertise are environmental engineering, hydrology and hydraulics, engineering science and renewable energy systems. He has done regular consulting work while holding the academic positions. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Bengtson worked for Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing as a Product Development Engineer and for E. I. duPont deNemours as a Process Development Engineer. Dr. Bengtson has authored numerous publications, presentations and technical reports. He is currently active as a freelance technical writer, author of continuing education courses for Professional Engineers, and is the founder of www.engineeringexceltemplates.com and www.EngineeringExcelSpreadsheets.com, sites with the objective of providing inexpensive, easy to use Excel spreadsheets for a variety of engineering calculations.

Credit Information

Do these courses count toward my professional development requirements?

This portal is provided as a training and development resource for City of Markham employees. Every course is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, is quantifiable in hours, and is verifiable — you receive a documented certificate of completion for every course you finish, stored on LearnFormula indefinitely.

If you hold a professional designation (for example in engineering, accounting, human resources, or law), courses may be counted as professionally relevant, verifiable learning activities toward your continuing professional development. Individual practitioners are responsible for confirming that an activity meets the requirements of their professional body. For questions about the City of Markham's training and development policies, please speak with your people leader or Human Resources.

What Students Are Saying

3.9
Student's Choice
35 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.