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Microscopic versus macroscopic biomass models in activated sludge systems.

W Gujer1

  • 1Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG) and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Duebendorf.

Water Science and Technology : a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research
|May 7, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Microscopic models reveal that activated sludge systems with internal storage compounds require different kinetic parameters than traditional macroscopic models. Biomass from SBR systems can be used in microscopic models, but continuous flow systems need specific macroscopic model calibration.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Biotechnology
  • Wastewater Treatment

Background:

  • Current activated sludge models primarily use average biomass composition (macroscopic models).
  • Advanced models like ASM2 and ASM3 incorporate cell internal storage compounds, introducing structured biomass.
  • Non-linear process kinetics mean that summing individual cell behaviors (microscopic models) differs from predictions using average cell composition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of structured biomass on activated sludge model predictions.
  • To compare model predictions from macroscopic and microscopic approaches.
  • To determine the system-specificity of kinetic parameters for different activated sludge configurations.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized microscopic models simulating up to 100,000 individual bacteria.

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  • Performed computations to identify differences in model predictions between macroscopic and microscopic approaches.
  • Analyzed kinetic parameters derived from different activated sludge system types (SBR and continuous flow).

    • Main Results:

    • Significant differences in model predictions were identified between macroscopic and microscopic approaches.
    • Kinetic parameters for macroscopic models are system-specific.
    • Biomass from Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) systems yielded parameters suitable for microscopic models.
    • Biomass from continuous flow systems is best suited for calibrating macroscopic models.

    Conclusions:

    • The inclusion of internal storage compounds necessitates a shift from purely macroscopic modeling.
    • Microscopic models are required for accurate predictions in continuous flow systems when applying SBR-derived models.
    • Kinetic parameter calibration is highly dependent on the specific activated sludge system configuration.