ADM1-Guided Optimization of anaerobic digestion Model Parameters via Whale Optimization Algorithm

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) technology, known for its waste recycling and environmental clean-up capabilities, also generates renewable energy in the form of biogas. The need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels has extensively stimulated interest in this process. The process is known for its complexity, high sensitivity, and potential for instability, which is inherently reflected in the models describing it. Models contain uncertain parameters and highly sensitive to process noise. Parameter identification plays a crucial role during modeling and is a delicate task preceding control law development. It is mandatory to have the best possible estimates of a model that guarantees efficient predictions. This paper focuses on the optimization of stoichiometric and kinetic coefficients of the Acidogenesis Methanogenesis 2 model (AM2). We present in this study the use of the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) to optimize AM2 model parameters and validate the results using data acquired from a Anaerobic Digestion Model $\mathbf{N}^{\circ} 01$ (ADM1). The identification algorithm was implemented in MATLAB 2018. To validate the effectiveness of our proposed approach, we conduct a comparative analysis with Genetic Algorithm (GA). The results, despite certain limitations, underscore the robustness of WOA for parameter estimation.