Model-based design and control of granular sludge reactors
Model-based design and control of granular sludge reactorsModel-based design and control of granular sludge reactors - Department of Biosystems Engineering - Ghent University
Model-based design and control of granular sludge reactors
Summary
Background
Present wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are designed to obtain a high degree of organic matter and nitrogen removal by applying long sludge retention times. This requires a lot of aeration energy and does not take advantage of the energy present in the wastewater and in the sludge. In future, WWTP design is expected to be based on a high–loaded activated sludge system, where organic matter is removed and concentrated for energy formation through anaerobic digestion, followed by innovative nitrogen removal in a granular sludge anammox reactor. The latter process requires less aeration energy and no carbon source addition in comparison to conventional nitrification-denitrification over nitrate, while minimizing CO2 emissions and sludge production. Challenges to overcome for the implementation of this process in practice include its operation at typical (low) wastewater temperatures and uncertainty about the formation of N2O, being a very strong greenhouse gas.
Research objective
Optimization of the design and control of granular sludge anammox reactors in terms of
