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A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
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Effluent quality improvement in sequencing batch reactor-based wastewater treatment processes using advanced control
Indranil Dey1, Seshagiri Rao Ambati2, Prashant Navnath Bhos1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Warangal 506004, Telangana, India.
Summary
This study enhanced wastewater treatment using sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) and a modified step-feed SBR (SSBR). The fractional proportional integral (FPI) controller significantly improved effluent quality and reduced air consumption.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Water Treatment Technologies
- Biochemical Engineering
Background:
- Wastewater treatment faces challenges from variable flowrates, pollutants, and influent compositions.
- Simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal is crucial for effective municipal wastewater management.
- Controlling dissolved oxygen is key to optimizing biological treatment processes in reactors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and modified SBR (SSBR) configurations for municipal wastewater treatment.
- To compare the effectiveness of proportional integral (PI), fractional proportional integral (FPI), and fuzzy logic controllers for dissolved oxygen control.
- To assess the impact of these control strategies on nutrient removal and effluent quality.
Main Methods:
- Development of SBR and SSBR models based on the ASM2d framework.
- Design and implementation of PI, FPI, and fuzzy logic control algorithms using plant data.
- Comparative analysis of controller performance regarding nutrient levels, effluent quality, and air volume consumption.
Main Results:
- The FPI controller demonstrated a significant reduction in nutrient levels compared to the PI controller, improving overall effluent quality by 0.86%.
- The SSBR configuration, optimized for nutrient supply and aeration, achieved a substantial 11.04% reduction in total air volume consumption with the FPI controller.
- The refined SSBR method maintained essential biological functions while minimizing oxygen requirements.
Conclusions:
- The FPI controller offers superior performance for dissolved oxygen control in SBRs and SSBRs, leading to enhanced effluent quality.
- The SSBR configuration, coupled with advanced control strategies like FPI, presents an efficient approach for reducing operational costs (air consumption) in wastewater treatment.
- Optimized aeration and nutrient management in SSBRs are vital for sustainable and effective biological nutrient removal.
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