C3A® : Sensors, control and monitoring for wastewater treatment
Stemming from Research and Development carried out at CIRSEE, C3A® (Sensors, control and monitoring for wastewater treatment) is a modular system dedicated to automated management of activated sludge treatment plants. The tool makes treatment plant operating more reliable and less costly by regulating aeration and sludge recirculation as well as providing a complete diagnosis of the plant’s behaviour.
The system, which has given rise to nine patents, incorporates all sensors and automatic management controls into a single online diagnostic and decision making-support module that visualises and monitors all treatment parameters in real time and stores the historical data. C3A® also enables managers to troubleshoot malfunctions, minimize risks and reduce operating costs by optimizing the most energy consuming functions of the plant, without affecting treatment efficiency.
The first plant to benefit from this innovative technology was located in Béziers, France. C3A® allows greater reactivity thanks to its continuous monitoring function, strengthens operational monitoring and reliability, and promotes more effective cost management.
Results from Béziers
The objective of reducing energy consumption in the aeration unit (which is the largest energy consumer) has been achieved and in fact surpassed. The quality of the sludge produced by the treatment plant has increased in consistency, thus facilitating sludge decantation and processing.
