Identification of linearity in the biofilm process and its operational utility

Various reported field studies on the performance of biofilm reactors suggest that the linear control of the system is effective for maintaining the consistent treatment efficiency under changing environmental conditions. However, no theoretical basis is available in the literature to substantiate such a claim. In this article, inherent linearity of the biofilm process has been identified along with the conditions under which this linearity exists. Exploiting the linear state of the system, operational criteria for regulating the performance of the biofilm reactors are obtained. The utility and applicability of the developed criteria are numerically demonstrated.