DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION FOR DO SAG CURVE

Victor M. Ponce
Professor of Civil Engineering
San Diego State University
[110926]
ABSTRACT
The differential equation for the dissolved oxygen sag curve (DO sag curve) is derived.
The solution of this differential equation can be shown to be essentially the same as that
of the well known Streeter-Phelps equation (Streeter and Phelps, 1925). Unlike the
latter, the differential equation derived herein can be solved numerically and, therefore,
does not require integration. Moreover, the differential equation is valid for all
deoxygenation and oxygenation constants, unlike the Streeter-Phelps equation, which is
undefined when these constants are equal.

INTRODUCTION
The discharge of a sewage effluent in a stream produces a biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD) which decays exponentially in time and space. This oxygen demand causes an
oxygen deficit, or oxygen shortage. The greater the oxygen deficit, the greater the rate
of natural oxygen replenishment from the atmosphere into the stream. These two
concurrent processes of oxygen consumption and oxygen replenishment produce an
oxygen sag curve, i.e., a curve which sags initially due to the increased oxygen demand
and recovers asymptotically downstream due to the increased rate of oxygen
replenishment. The derivation of the DO sag equation is the objective of this article.
OXYGEN DEMAND EQUATION
The exponential decay of oxygen demand can be modeled as follows (Tchobanoglous
and Schroeder, 1985):
D = Du e-kdt
in which:
D = biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) (mg/L);
Du = ultimate BOD immediately downstream of effluent discharge (mg/L);
kd = deoxygenation constant (d-1);
t = time (d).
The differential equation for oxygen demand is:
dD/dt = - kd Du e-kdt
Using the chain rule, the oxygen demand equation is converted to the spatial domain:
(dD/dx) (dx/dt) = - kd Du e-kdt
dD/dx = - (kd/v) Du e-(kd/v)x
in which:
x = distance along the stream, measured downstream of effluent discharge (m);
v = stream velocity (m/d).

ULTIMATE BOD
At the upstream boundary, a mass balance leads to:
Du = (QsDs + QeDe) / (Qs + Qe)
in which:
Du = ultimate BOD immediately downstream of effluent discharge (mg/L);
Qs = stream discharge (m3/s);
Ds = BOD in stream, immediately upstream of effluent discharge (mg/L);
Qe = effluent discharge (m3/s);
De = BOD of effluent discharge (mg/L);
Assuming the upstream flow is clean: Ds 0:
Du = [Qe/(Qs + Qe)] De
OXYGEN SUPPLY EQUATION
The differential equation for oxygen supply in a stream can be modeled as follows
(Tchobanoglous and Schroeder, 1985):
dS/dt = ko (Ss - S)
in which:
ko = oxygenation constant (d-1);
Ss = dissolved oxygen concentration at saturation, a function of temperature, salinity,
and atmospheric pressure (mg/L);
S = dissolved oxygen concentration (mg/L).
The quantity (Ss - S) is the oxygen deficit.
Using the chain rule, the oxygen supply equation is converted to the spatial domain:
dS/dx = (ko/v) (Ss - S)
DO SAG EQUATION
The change of oxygen in space is given by:
dO/dx = dS/dx + dD/dx
dO/dx = (ko/v) (Ss - S) - (kd/v) Du e-(kd/v)x
in which:
O = dissolved oxygen concentration (mg/L).
Since S = O:
dO/dx = (ko/v) (Ss - O) - (kd/v) Du e-(kd/v)x
In a control volume (computational reach) of length L (m), with index (j) upstream and
index (j+1) downstream:
(Oj+1 - Oj)/L = (ko/v) (Ss - Oj) - (kd/v) Du e-(kd/v)xj+1
Oj+1 = Oj + L (ko/v) (Ss - Oj) - L (kd/v) Du e-(kd/v)xj+1
INITIAL DO
For j = 0: Oj = O0
At the upstream boundary, a mass balance leads to:
O0 = (QsOs + QeOe)/(Qs + Qe)

in which:
O0 = dissolved oxygen concentration immediately downstream of effluent discharge
(mg/L);
Qs = stream discharge (m3/s);
Os = dissolved oxygen concentration in stream, immediately upstream of effluent
discharge (mg/L);
Qe = effluent discharge (m3/s);
Oe = dissolved oxygen concentration of effluent discharge (mg/L);
Assuming the effluent is anoxic: Oe 0:
O0 = [Qs/(Qs + Qe)] Os
COMPARISON WITH STREETER-PHELPS EQUATION
The classical way of solving for the dissolved oxygen sag equation is the StreeterPhelps equation, which dates back to 1925 (Streeter-Phelps, 1925; Tchobanoglous and
Schroeder, 1984).
The Streeter-Phelps equation is:
O = Ss - [kd/(ko - kd)] Du [e-(kd/v)x - e-(ko/v)x] - (Ss - O0) e-(ko/v)x
in which:
O = dissolved oxygen concentration (mg/L) at distance x (m);
Ss = dissolved oxygen concentration at saturation, a function of temperature, salinity,
and atmospheric pressure (mg/L);
O0 = dissolved oxygen concentration immediately upstream of effluent discharge (mg/L);
The Streeter-Phelps equation is an algebraic equation derived by integrating the
differential equation governing the oxygen sag. The differential equation derived herein
is based on the same principles as that of Streeter-Phelps. However, the differential
equation is not integrated as in the case of Streeter-Phelps, but rather it is solved
directly, using finite differences. In most cases, both methods will lead to the same
answer. Significantly, the Streeter-Phelps equation suffers from being undefined for
equal values of the oxygenation and deoxygenation constants, while the numerical
method (this article) is not. Thus, the numerical method is an all-around better predictor
than the Streeter-Phelps model, applicable for all oxygenation and deoxygenation
constants, regardless of their values.
SUMMARY
The dissolved oxygen concentration at saturation S s is a function of temperature,
salinity, and atmospheric pressure.
The dissolved oxygen concentration at the upstream boundary, at j = 0, immediately
downstream of the effluent discharge, is estimated as follows:
O0 = [Qs/(Qs + Qe)] Os
The ultimate BOD immediately downstream of the effluent discharge, is estimated as
follows:
Du = [Qe/(Qs + Qe)] De
The dissolved oxygen concentration at node j+1 is:
Oj+1 = Oj + L (ko/v) (Ss - Oj) - L (kd/v) Du e-kd (xj+1/v)

Given Qs (m3/s), Qe (m3/s), Ss (mg/L), Os (mg/L), De (mg/L), v (m/d), L (m), kd (d-1), and ko
(d-1), the dissolved oxygen concentration along the stream (DO sag curve) may be
calculated.
REFERENCES
Streeter, H. W., and E. B. Phelps. 1925. A study of the pollution and natural purification
of the Ohio River. III. Factors concerned in the phenomena of oxidation and reaeration.
U.S. Public Health Service, Bulletin No. 146.
Tchobanoglous, G., and E. D. Schroeder. 1984. Water quality: Characteristics,
modeling, modification. Addison-Wesley, Massachussets.
NOTATION
D = biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) (mg/L);
De = BOD of effluent discharge (mg/L);
Ds = BOD in stream, immediately upstream of effluent discharge (mg/L);
Du = ultimate BOD immediately downstream of effluent discharge (mg/L);
kd = deoxygenation constant (d-1);
ko = oxygenation constant (d-1);
L = length of control volume, or computational reach (m);
O = dissolved oxygen concentration (mg/L);
O0 = dissolved oxygen concentration immediately downstream of effluent discharge
(mg/L);
Os = dissolved oxygen concentration in stream, immediately upstream of effluent
discharge (mg/L);
Oe = dissolved oxygen concentration of effluent discharge (mg/L);
Qe = effluent discharge (m3/s);
Qs = stream discharge (m3/s);
S = dissolved oxygen concentration (mg/L);
Ss = dissolved oxygen concentration at saturation, a function of temperature, salinity,
and atmospheric pressure (mg/L);
t = time (d);
x = distance along the stream, measured downstream of effluent discharge (m); and
v = stream velocity (m/d).

Derivation of the Dissolved Oxygen Sag Equation

Consider an element of water in a stream. We will track the element as it moves downstream
with the general flow of water.

Setting up the differential equation

The mass balance equation written out in words is:
Accumulation = In - Out + Reaction
Because we are looking at the element by itself, there is no flow of water into or out of it. So the
mass balance on oxygen becomes:

Let's look at these two rates. The rate of O2 removal by biodegradation is:

where
L = ultimate BOD of organics remaining in the water at any time t
kd = first-order degradation rate constant. kd is related to, but is not numerically the same as,
kBOD, the rate constant in the BOD test.

The rate of O2 transfer from the atmosphere (called reaeration) is:

where
C = dissolved oxygen concentration (DO)
Cs = dissolved oxygen concentration at saturation, predicted from Henry's Law
kr = reaeration rate constant. This value will be related to the characteristics of the stream.
Note that this is the same form of equation we used in the gas transfer lab. Now, substitute the
rate expressions into the mass balance.

Mathematically, it is convenient to express everything in terms of the deficit, D.

D = (Cs - C)

This is the basic differential equation that must be solved.

Solving the differential equation
Solving the differential equation requires the use of integrating factors. First substitute the BOD
decay equation for L.

This arrangement matches the standard form:

So, use the integrating factor:

Separate variables and integrate.

Apply the boundary condition that at t = 0, D = D0

Finally, after grouping like terms, the integrated equation is:

where
L0 = ultimate BOD in the water at t = 0
D0 = deficit at t = 0.
Note that both L0 and D0 are the values in the stream after any external waste streams have been
mixed in.
This equation is known as the DO sag equation (for its distinctive shape) or the Streeter-Phelps
equation, after the gentlemen who first published it in 1925.
Using the DO Sag equation
Of course, the fish aren't interested in the deficit. They want to know the concentration. This can
be calculated from:

When this equation is plotting this equation with typical values, the following curve is generated:

We can use the DO sag equation to find the concentration at any point downstream of a waste
discharge as long as we know the travel time to that point, which is easy to calculate if the stream
velocity is known.
To protect fish, engineers often want to know the minimum oxygen concentration that can be
expected as a result of a waste discharge. This is called the critical point (critical from the point
of view of the fish). The travel time to the lowest point in the sag is the critical time. Using the
critical time (tc), we can easily calculate the critical deficit (Dc), and the minimum DO
concentration.
To find the critical time and deficit, differentiate the Streeter-Phelps equation and set it equal to
zero.

If you divide through by

, bring the right hand term to the other side of the equal sign, take
the natural log of both sides, and solve for t = tc, you get:

To solve for the critical deficit, Dc, you could plug this expression for tc into the Streeter-Phelps
equation, but that would give you a massive algebra headache. It's easier to realize that at the
bottom of the sag, dD/dt = 0. This allows us to go back to the differential equation.

Now, the minimum concentration Cmin can be calculated from

Cmin = Cs - Dc
Note that tc and Dc are single values at a specific location. If we want the DO at any other
location, we would use the Streeter-Phelps equation itself.