Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
Effects of different hydraulic models on predicting longitudinal profiles of reactive pollutants in activated sludge
P Zima1, J Makinia, M Swinarski
1Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, ul. Narutowicza 11/12, 80-952, Gdansk, Poland. pzim@pg.gda.pl
Abstract:
This paper presents effects of dispersion on predicting longitudinal ammonia concentration profiles in activated sludge bioreactor located at "Wschod" WWTP in Gdansk. The aim of this study was to use the one-dimensional advection-dispersion Equation (ADE) to simulate the flow conditions (based on the inert tracer concentrations in selected points) and longitudinal profile of reactive pollutant (based on the ammonia concentration profiles in selected points). The simulation results were compared with the predictions obtained using a traditional "tanks-in-series" (TIS) approach, commonly used in designing biological reactors. The use of dispersion coefficient calculated from an empirical formula resulted in substantial differences in the tracer concentration distributions in two sampling points in the bioreactor. Simulations using the one-dimensional ADE and TIS model, with the nitrification rate incorporated as the source term, revealed that the hydraulic model plays a minor role compared to the biochemical transformations in predicting the longitudinal ammonia concentration profiles.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Typical Model Studies
Design Example: Creating a Hydraulic Model of a Dam Spillway
Biological Treatment of Effluent and Waste Water
Microbial Wastewater Treatment

