Scale and process design for sewage treatment plants in airports using multi-objective optimization model with...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Water Treatment Technologies
• Operations Research

Background:

• Airport sewage presents unique treatment challenges due to high concentrations and variable volumes.
• Environmental impact and operational efficiency are critical for airport wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).
• Existing models often do not account for the specific constraints of airport sewage, such as high influent concentration and strict utilization rate requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multi-objective decision model for optimizing the scale and process selection of airport sewage treatment plants.
• To integrate conflicting objectives including treatment cost, environmental protection, and recycled water benefits.
• To address uncertainties in influent characteristics and passenger throughput.

Main Methods:

• A multi-objective decision model was formulated to optimize airport WWTP design.
• The model incorporates factors like process cost, environmental impact, recycled water benefits, influent concentration variability, and passenger throughput.
• A case study at Tianfu International Airport was used to validate the model's effectiveness.

Main Results:

• The proposed model successfully optimizes the scale and process selection for airport sewage treatment.
• It effectively balances the trade-offs between economic, environmental, and water reuse objectives.
• The model demonstrated efficiency in addressing the unique characteristics of airport wastewater, including high concentrations and fluctuating volumes.

Conclusions:

• The developed multi-objective model provides a robust framework for designing efficient and sustainable airport wastewater treatment plants.
• The model's application highlights the importance of considering specific airport operational factors for optimal WWTP performance.
• The findings offer valuable insights for future airport sewage treatment infrastructure development.