ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Wet Air Oxidation (WAO) and Thermal Hydrolysis (TH) are both associated with high temperature and high pressure. Both processes have been receiving increasing attention in sludge treatment over the last five years, especially TH as a pretreatment for Anaerobic Digestion (AD) has become a research hotspot in the world, including China. Sludge source and characteristics, energy consumption, and running cost technology are important factors. Both WAO and TH can reuse energy and heat by steam recycling, heat exchange, and system design. Typical commercial applications of WAO and TH in China are illustrated. WAO has been applied to sludge treatment to reduce moisture to 45%-48% from 80% with a running cost of 150–200 RMB per ton, while TH is used as an independent technology to achieve 50% of water content from 80% with 120–150 RMB per ton.
