Feedforward control of nitrification by manipulating the aerobic volume in activated sludge plants

• Published in: WATER QUALITY INTERNATIONAL '98. PART 3. WASTEWATER: TREATMENT PLANTS Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 245 - 254
• Main Authors: Brouwer, Harry, Bloemen, Michiel, Klapwijk, Bram, Spanjers, Henri
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York NY Elsevier Ltd 1998; Oxford Pergamon Press; IWA Publishing
• Subjects: Activated sludge; Aerobic volume; Ammonia; Applied sciences; Automation; Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment of waters; Biotechnology; control; Control theory; Environment and pollution; Environmental Technology; Exact sciences and technology; Feedforward control; Flow rates; Flow velocity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General purification processes; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Influents; Milieutechnologie; model calibration; Nitrification; Nitrogen; Oxidation; Oxidation rate; Pollution; Respirometry; Sectie Milieutechnologie; Sludge; State estimation; Sub-department of Environmental Technology; Wastewater; Wastewaters; Water treatment and pollution; Water treatment plants; WIMEK; model calibration; state estimation; respirometry; control; Aerobic volume; nitrification; Activated sludge; Process control; Respirometry; Nitrification; Feedforward; Waste water purification; Biological purification
• ISBN: 008043391X; 9780080433912
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.1016/S0273-1223(98)00484-3

A procedure was developed to manipulate the aerobic nitrification volume by means of model based respirometry. The objective was to oxidise all ammonia nitrogen. The required aerobic volume was calculated from the influent flow rate, the influent concentration nitrifiable nitrogen and maximum ammonia oxidation rate which were obtained from respirometric batch-experiments using model calibration and state estimation techniques. Automation of the procedure resulted in the development of the RESCUE (REspirometric activated Sludge and wastewater Characterisation Unit). The procedure was tested for a pilot scale plug-flow activated sludge plant with satisfactory results.