Model of active sludge process coupled to a layer based settler for simulation of a dissolved oxygen control scheme

The biological treatment of industrial waste is a priority theme for the sustainable development of any society. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the study of the efficiency and reduction of the energy costs of this process, as active sludge treatment plants are characterized by a high cost of aeration. This study aims at modeling an active sludge treatment plant based on the ASM1 model, adding a layer-based secondary settler model for the design of control schemes for the concentration of dissolved oxygen. From the phenomenological modeling, a simulator was designed in Matlab environment. The biological model adequately represented changes in concentrations of bacteria and nitrogenous species. The settler model predicted a thickening between three and four point five times the solids concentration (expected range). In addition, a conventional control was implemented for the regulation of concentration of dissolved oxygen, achieving an adequate and efficient level.