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| Home > Articles > Published articles > Adapting WWTP performance to seasonality and climate change : |
(Universidad de Salamanca) (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Telecomunicació i Enginyeria de Sistemes) (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Telecomunicació i Enginyeria de Sistemes) (Universidad de Salamanca) (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Telecomunicació i Enginyeria de Sistemes)| Date: | 2025 |
| Abstract: | A Temperature Driven Control Strategy that combines modifications on DO set-point, external carbon dosage and Solids Retention Time (SRT) is proposed to address the effect of seasonal and abnormal variations of temperature in the operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants. The medium-sized municipal WWTP, represented by Benchmark Simulation Model No. 2 (BSM2) that includes a Nitrogen Removal Activated Sludge Process (N-Removal ASP) with Dissolved Oxygen (DO) control has been selected as reference plant. The objective is to formulate a control strategy that improves the efficiency of the N-Removal ASP despite seasonal and unexpected variations of temperature of the influent, considering the trade-offs between temperature effects and control action effects on dynamic behavior. Simulations were carried out to evaluate the temperature and control actions effects on global average and dynamic behavior over a 30 days operation window, considering the BSM2 range from 10°C to 20 °C. A comprehensive analysis is carried out to look for potential solutions to improve performance at different temperature scenarios through the proper adjustment of DO set-points, carbon addition and sludge retention time (SRT). At low temperatures, the control actions are selected to improve N-Removal balance, since nitrification and denitrification rates are slowed producing violations of effluent quality limits in the presence of strong disturbances in influent flowrate. At high temperatures operational goals are to reduce the electricity consumption and the use of chemicals (external carbon), maintaining satisfactory performance. The Temperature Driven Control Strategy with different settings was tested considering a one year operating period. The proposed strategy address satisfactorily the seasonal and unexpected changes of temperature modelled by the annual BSM2 influent profile, attaining an appropriated trade-off between effluent quality and electricity consumption. The violations of required total Nitrogen limits are reduced up to 50 % in frequency and 33 % in length, while violations of required ammonium limits are reduced up to 36 % in frequency and 40 % in length. Annual average ammonium levels are reduced up to 19 % and annual average total Nitrogen is reduced up to 11 %. All these improvements are attained together with a slight decrease on electricity consumption. The proposed strategy is evaluated in a simulation platform, but it can be the starting point for the formulation of temperature driven advanced control strategies able to face climate change effects in the operation of for full-scale WWTPs. |
| Grants: | Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2019-105434RB-C31 Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2019-105434RB-C33 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TED2021-129201B-I00 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TED2021-806129134B-I00 |
| Rights: | Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.  |
| Language: | Anglès |
| Document: | Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada |
| Subject: | Climate change ; Process control ; Seasonality ; Temperature effects ; Wastewater treatment plants |
| Published in: | Process Safety and Environmental Protection, Num. 195 (March 2025) , art. 106792, ISSN 1744-3598 |
