Implementation of Activated Sludge

Models (ASMs) for an Aerobic Sludge

Digestion Process
Maryam Ghorbani (M.A.Sc.)
Cigdem Eskicioglu (Ph.D.)
University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus
2
Introduction
Problem Definition
Research Objectives
Model Assumptions
Experimental Design
AquaSim Software
Parameter Estimation/Sensitivity Analysis
Results
Conclusion & Future Work
Activated Sludge Process
3
Wastewater
(Influent)
Air
Treated Water
(Effluent)
Recycled WAS
Waste Activated
Sludge (WAS)
Aerobic Sludge
Digestion Tank
Aeration Tank Clarifier/Settler
Reference: http://www.answers.com/topic/sewage-treatment
To River
Landfill
Advanced Activated Sludge Models (ASMs)
4
Aim:
To create a common platform for future carbon and
nutrient removal activated sludge processes.
History:
The first model, Activated Sludge Model No: 1 (ASM 1), was
published in 1987 with carbon/nitrogen removal.
In 1995, Activated Sludge Model No: 2 (ASM 2) was
published with biological phosphorous removal.
In 1998, ASM3 was published with bacterial internal storage
compounds.
Possible Applications of ASMs
5
Reference: www.jswa.go.jp/english/r_d/major_pdf/06.pdf
Master Planning
Process Comparison/Selection
Planning Future Construction
Detailed Design
Reactor Capacity Consideration
Equipment Selection
Upgrading Consideration
Planning Retrofit
Retrofit/Upgrading
Plant Evaluation
Making O & M Plan
Operation &
Maintenance
Assistance
Matrix Representation of ASM1 (Henze et al.,1986)
6
Matrix Representation of ASM3 (Henze et al., 2000)
7
ASM1 versus ASM3
8
Problem Definition
9
ASMs have not been tested against a large variety of
data.
Studies focused on modeling of wastewater
processes, rather than sludge digestion.
Some parameters are correlated, individually non-
identifiable.
The majority of parameters can not be
experimentally measured.
Practitioners need parameter identification for
model calibration purposes.
Research Objectives
10
To investigate:
Performance of ASMs for aerobic sludge digestion
under different flow regimes.
Kinetic & stoichiometric parameters for batch
and semi-continuous flow runs.
Most sensitive model parameters.
If kinetic parameters determined from batch could
predict semi-continuous flow digester performances at
different operating conditions, i.e. retention time.
Model Assumptions
11
DO > 2 mg/L
Anoxic growth of heterotrophic
biomass is not applicable and
So/(K
OH
+So) 1
Autotrophic biomass
concentration is a small
percentage of heterotrophs
concentration
Autotrophs (nitrification) are
negligible
12
Process Rate,
j
ML
-3
T
-1
5
X
H
4
X
S
3
X
I
2
S
S
1
S
I
Component, i
Process, j +
1
Aerobic Growth of
Heterotrophs
-1
1- f
XI
f
XI
Decay of
Heterotrophs
-1 1
Hydrolysis of
Entrapped Organics
COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) Parameter, ML
-3
H
Y
1

Example for batch reactor:

H
S S
S
Hm
X
S K
S
|
|
.
|

\
|
+

H H
X b
( )
H
H S X
H S
h
X
X X K
X X
k
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
H H H
S S
S
Hm
H
X
X b X
S K
S
dt
dX
r
H

|
|
.
|

\
|
+
= =
13
Particulate COD = X
I
+ X
S
+ X
H
Soluble COD = S
S
+ S
I
( )
H
H
S
X
H
S
h H H XI
S
X
X
X
K
X
X
k X b f
dt
dX
(
(
(

|
.
|

\
|
+
= 1
H H XI
I
X b f
dt
dX
=
H H H
S S
S
Hm
H
X b X
S K
S
dt
dX

|
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
0 =
dt
dS
I
H
H
S
X
H
S
h H
S S
S
Hm
H
S
X
X
X
K
X
X
k X
S K
S
Y dt
dS
(
(
(
(

|
.
|

\
|
+
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
1
Total COD = Soluble COD + Particulate COD
Component, i
Process, j +
1
S
I
2
S
S
3
X
I
4
X
S
5
X
H
6
X
STO
7
X
V
Process Rate,
j
ML
-3
T
-1
Hydrolysis f
SI
1- f
SI
-1 -i
VSSXS
Aerobic Storage
of COD
-1 Y
STOO2
0.6Y
STOO2
Aerobic Growth
of Heterotrophs
1
Aerobic
Endogenous
Respiration of
Heterotrophs
f
XI
-1 f
XI
i
VSSXI

i
VSSBM
Aerobic
Endogenous
Respiration of
Stored Organics
-1 -0.6
Parameter, ML
-3
COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand)
Soluble COD = S
I
+ S
S
Particulate COD = X
I
+ X
S
+ X
H
+ X
STO
14
H
Y
1

( )
H
H S X
H S
h
X
X X K
X X
k
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
H
S S
S
STO
X
S K
S
k
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
H
VSSBM
Y
i
6 . 0

( )
H
H STO STO
H STO
Hm
X
X X K
X X
|
|
.
|

\
|
+

H H
X b
STO STOO
X b
2
15
Soluble COD = S
I
+ S
S
Particulate COD = X
I
+ X
S
+ X
H
+ X
STO
H H XI
I
X b f
dt
dX
=
H
H
S
X
H
S
h
S
X
X
X
K
X
X
k
dt
dX
(
(
(
(

|
.
|

\
|
+
=
H H H
H
STO
STO
H
STO
Hm
H
X b X
X
X
K
X
X
dt
dX

|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
H
H
S
X
H
S
h SI
I
X
X
X
K
X
X
k f
dt
dS
|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
( )
H
S S
S
STO H
H
S
X
H
S
h SI
S
X
S K
S
k X
X
X
K
X
X
k f
dt
dS
|
|
.
|

\
|
+

|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
= 1
( )
H H H
H STO STO
H STO
Hm
H
H
S S
S
STO STOO
STO
X b X
X X K
X X
Y
X
S K
S
k Y
dt
dX

|
|
.
|

\
|
+

|
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
1
2
( ) ( )
( )
H H VSSBM VSSXI XI H
H STO STO
H STO
Hm
H
VSSBM H
S S
S
STO STOO H
H S X
H S
h VSSXS
V
X b i i f X
X X K
X X
Y
i X
S K
S
k Y X
X X K
X X
k i
dt
dX

|
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
6 . 0
6 . 0
2
Digester Name 1- B12 1-B5
TSS initial (mg/L) 12 500 5000
Duration (days) 30 30
Digester Name 2- B12 2-B5-1 2-B5-2
TSS initial (mg/L) 12 500 5000 5000
Duration (days) 70 70 70
Digester Name 1-C5 1-C10 1-C20
Solid Ret. Time
(days)
5 10 20
Flowrate (mL/d) 1000 500 250
TSS initial (mg/L) 5000 5000 5000
Duration (days) 53 53 53
16
Batch digesters
Dissolved oxygen 2 mg/L
Temperature = 20 2
O
C
Sludge was taken from municipal
wastewater treatment plant
(ROPEC) in Ottawa
Volume = 20 L
Semi-continuous digesters
Volume = 5 L
1
st
Run
2
nd
Run
The sludge was taken from municipal WWTP in Kuwait
Dissolved oxygen 4 mg/L
Temperature = 20 2
0
C
17
Volume = 10 L
Batch digester (Automated fermentor)
Al-Ghusain et al., 2002
18
Developed by EAWAG (Switzerland)
Simulation (solving differential
equations)
Parameter estimation
Sensitivity analysis
19
Calibrate and validate the model
Determine best identifiable parameter
subsets
Determine reduced set
Computer sensitivities
Computer simulation
Assume parameters from literature
Select the kinetic model, i.e. ASM1
Step 4:
Step 2:
Step 1:
Step 0:
Step 3:
20
ERROR EQUATION
where:
is the mean of observed values, y
i
is the observed value, represents the
value of predicted variable (such as digester COD)
n is number of the data points
( )
( )
|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
=
n
i
i
n
i
i i
y y
y y
R
1
2
1
2
2

1
y
i
y
Batch Digesters
21
ERROR EQUATION
where:
is the residual, the difference between the predicted and observed value in
mg/L.
n is number of predication/observation pairs.
i
r
Semi-Continuous Reactors

=
n
i
i
r
n
RMSR
1
2
) (
1
22
where:
y : arbitrary variable calculated by AquaSim (such as digester COD)
p: model parameter (such as Y
H
, b
H
)
Measures the relative change in y
for a 100% change in p.
RELATIVE- RELATIVE SENSITIVITY FUNCTION:
p
y
y
p
r r
p y
c
c
=
,
,
o
23
Batch Runs
Parameter- Units
Estimation
Range
Starting
Value
Reactor 2-B12 Reactor 2-B52
Before
identification
After
identification
Before
identification
After
identification
Representative
b
H
d
-1
0.1-1.6 0.62 0.24 0.28 0.43 0.44 0.39 0.24
f
xi
g COD/g COD 0.04-0.2 0.08 0.06 0.11 0.07 0.07 0.09 0.03
k
h
d
-1
0.5-20 3 0.58 0.58 0.77 0.77 0.66 0.13
Y
H
g COD/g COD 0.3-0.8 0.67 0.79 0.80 0.84 0.85 0.80 0.04
K
x
- 0.01-0.1 0.03 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.00

Hm
d
-1
3-15 6 14.39 14.39 14.70 14.70 14.46 0.30
K
s
mg COD/L 10-200 20 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 0.00
Overall R
2
0.98 0.98 0.96 0.95
24
Parameter- Units
Estimation
Range
Starting
Value
Reactor 2-B12 Reactor 2-B52
Before
identification
After
identification
Before
identification
After
identification
Representative
b
H
d
-1
0.1-2 0.2 0.10 0.10 0.11 0.10 0.10 0.00
f
xi
g COD/g COD 0.15-0.25 0.2 0.25 0.25 0.24 0.24 0.22 0.04
k
h
d
-1
0.5-5 3 0.51 0.52 0.71 0.54 1.32 0.80
K
x
- 0.03-5 1 4.76 4.84 4.57 4.53 4.86 0.20
Y
H
g COD/g COD 0.3-0.8 0.63 0.79 0.79 0.74 0.75 0.79 0.02

Hm
d
-1
1-9 2 8.51 8.51 1.03 1.03 5.49 4.04
K
s
mg COD/L 1-50 2 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.00
K
STO
g COD/g COD 0.5-2 1 1.83 1.83 1.90 1.90 1.68 0.56
k
STO
d
-1
2-10 5 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 0.01
f
SI
g COD/g COD 0.005-0.05 0.01 0.005 0.005 0.005 0.005 0.005 0.000
b
STOO2
d
-1
0.1-4 0.2 0.13 0.13 0.10 0.10 0.11 0.01
Y
STOO2
g COD/g COD 0.6-0.9 0.85 0.89 0.90 0.61 0.60 0.81 0.13
Overall R
2
0.98 0.98 0.94 0.94
25
26
ASM1
ASM3
27
ASM1
ASM3
28
24
ASM1
ASM3
29
24
ASM1
ASM3
30
31
24
ASM1
ASM3
32
33
24
ASM1
ASM3
34
ERROR EQUATION
where:
and are the model predictions for validation and calibration data sets.
and represent the experimental (observed) values validation set and
with calibration values, respectively.
n and m are number of the calibration and validation data points.

=
=

=
n
i
ci ci
m
i
vi vi
n
y y
m
y y
J
1
2
1
2
2
)

(
)

(
vi
y
ci
y
vi
y
ci
y
Between 0 and
ASM1 ASM3 J =1.44
J =0.65
35
36
Digester COD and VSS are sensitive to Y
H
, f
iini
, f
xi
, b
H
, f
xsini
, f
ssini
, k
h
, K
X
,
Hm
, and
K
S
ranging from the most to the least sensitive parameter.
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75
R
e
l
a
t
i
v
e
-
R
e
l
a
t
i
v
e

S
e
n
s
.

(
C
O
D

)
Time (days)
b_H f_xi Y_H f_i_ini f_xs_ini
f-i-ini
f-xi
b-H
f-xs-ini
(Yield Coefficient)
(Decay Coefficient)
(endogenous fraction of
biomass leading to inert part)
(ratio of initial inert PCOD
to initial TCOD)
(ratio of initial particulate
degradable COD to initial TCOD)
Y-H
37
Both ASM1and ASM3 predicted COD and VSS concentrations
successfully.
ASM3 parameters were more consistent throughout the runs.
ASM1 overestimated COD & VSS after15 d during validation.
Batch kinetic coefficients can successfully simulate continuous-
flow aerobic digesters.
Future work:
Validating semi-continuous results with independent data set.
Checking the performance of ASMs on industrial WAS.
Checking the performance of ASMs on a full-scale WWTP.
38
Special thanks to:
Dr. Cigdem Eskicioglu, UBC Okanagan
Dr. Ronald L. Droste, University of Ottawa
Dr. Mohammad Hamoda, University of Kuwait
UBC Okanagan for Start-up Funds
THANK YOU
39