Improving aeration control at the Ljubljana wastewater treatment plant.

This paper describes an improvement to the aeration control at the Ljubljana wastewater treatment plant. Several changes were made to the existing aeration control. An adjustment to the parameters of the common air pressure controller contributes to a more responsive operation of the compressors. The introduction of the air pressure set-point controller adjusts the air pressure in the common air rail according to the changes in the plant load. The introduction of the airflow controllers reduces the variation in the oxygen concentrations in the aerobic reactors and, consequently, enables a reduction in the oxygen set-points. With the improved aeration control, savings of up to 10% in the electricity used for aeration are achieved on a yearly basis.

Benchmark simulation models, quo vadis?

As the work of the IWA Task Group on Benchmarking of Control Strategies for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is coming to an end, it is essential to disseminate the knowledge gained. For this reason, all authors of the IWA Scientific and Technical Report on benchmarking have come together to provide their insights, highlighting areas where knowledge may still be deficient and where new opportunities are emerging, and to propose potential avenues for future development and application of the general benchmarking framework and its associated tools. The paper focuses on the topics of temporal and spatial extension, process modifications within the WWTP, the realism of models, control strategy extensions and the potential for new evaluation tools within the existing benchmark system. We find that there are major opportunities for application within all of these areas, either from existing work already being done within the context of the benchmarking simulation models (BSMs) or applicable work in the wider literature. Of key importance is increasing capability, usability and transparency of the BSM package while avoiding unnecessary complexity.

MRI-based clinical trials in relapsing-remitting MS: new sample size calculations based on a longitudinal model.

BACKGROUND: Sample sizes for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based clinical trials in multiple sclerosis (MS) generally assume that lesion counts are reasonably described by the negative binomial (NB) model. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the appropriateness of the NB model for lesion count data and to provide sample sizes for placebo-controlled, MRI-based clinical trials in relapsing-remitting MS using a more realistic model. METHODS: The fit of the NB model in each arm of five MS clinical trials was assessed using Pearson's chi-squared statistic. Required sample sizes associated with various tests of treatment effect were estimated by simulating data from a new, longitudinal model for repeated lesion count data on individual patients. RESULTS: Evidence (p < 0.05) against the NB model was found in at least one arm of four of the five trials. If a trial is designed using this model but the resulting clinical data do not follow its assumptions then this trial can be seriously under-powered for assessing differences in mean lesion counts. CONCLUSION: Sample sizes based on the longitudinal model are more realistic and often smaller than those previously reported using the NB model.

The application of model predictive control of ammonia nitrogen in an activated sludge process.

In this paper a model predictive controller (MPC) for ammonia nitrogen is presented and evaluated in a real activated sludge process. A reduced nonlinear mathematical model based on mass balances is used to model the ammonia nitrogen in the activated sludge plant. An MPC algorithm that minimises only the control error at the end of the prediction interval is applied. The results of the ammonia MPC were compared with the results of the ammonia feedforward-PI and ammonia PI controllers from our previous study. The ammonia MPC and ammonia feedforward-PI controller give better results in terms of ammonia removal and aeration energy consumption than the ammonia PI controller because of the measurable disturbances used. On the other hand, with the ammonia MPC, comparable or even slightly poorer results than with the ammonia feedforward-PI controller are obtained. Further improvements to the MPC could be possible with an improved accuracy of the nonlinear reduced model of the ammonia nitrogen, more sophisticated control criteria used inside the controller and the extension of the problem from univariable ammonia to multivariable total nitrogen control.

Comparison of control strategies for nitrogen removal in an activated sludge process in terms of operating costs: a simulation study.

In this paper several control strategies for nitrogen removal are proposed and evaluated in a benchmark simulation model of an activated sludge process. The goal is to determine which control strategy delivers better performance with respect to plant operating costs. In the study, constant manipulated variables and various PI and feedforward control strategies are tested and compared with predictive control, which uses an ideal process model. The control strategies differ in the information used about the process (number of sensors and sensor location) and in the complexity of the control algorithms. To determine the set-points that yield optimal operating costs, an operational map is constructed for each control strategy. Results of the simulation show that with PI and feedforward controllers almost the same optimal operating costs can be achieved as with more advanced MPC algorithms under various plant operating conditions. More advanced control algorithms are advantageous only in cases where the plant is highly loaded and if stringent effluent fines are imposed by legislation.

Plant-wide (BSM2) evaluation of reject water treatment with a SHARON-Anammox process.

In wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) equipped with sludge digestion and dewatering systems, the reject water originating from these facilities contributes significantly to the nitrogen load of the activated sludge tanks, to which it is typically recycled. In this paper, the impact of reject water streams on the performance of a WWTP is assessed in a simulation study, using the Benchmark Simulation Model no. 2 (BSM2), that includes the processes describing sludge treatment and in this way allows for plant-wide evaluation. Comparison of performance of a WWTP without reject water with a WWTP where reject water is recycled to the primary clarifier, i.e. the BSM2 plant, shows that the ammonium load of the influent to the primary clarifier is 28% higher in the case of reject water recycling. This results in violation of the effluent total nitrogen limit. In order to relieve the main wastewater treatment plant, reject water treatment with a combined SHARON-Anammox process seems a promising option. The simulation results indicate that significant improvements of the effluent quality of the main wastewater treatment plant can be realized. An economic evaluation of the different scenarios is performed using an Operating Cost Index (OCI).

Implementing ADM1 for plant-wide benchmark simulations in Matlab/Simulink.

The IWA Anaerobic Digestion Model No.1 (ADM1) was presented in 2002 and is expected to represent the state-of-the-art model within this field in the future. Due to its complexity the implementation of the model is not a simple task and several computational aspects need to be considered, in particular if the ADM1 is to be included in dynamic simulations of plant-wide or even integrated systems. In this paper, the experiences gained from a Matlab/Simulink implementation of ADM1 into the extended COST/IWA Benchmark Simulation Model (BSM2) are presented. Aspects related to system stiffness, model interfacing with the ASM family, mass balances, acid-base equilibrium and algebraic solvers for pH and other troublesome state variables, numerical solvers and simulation time are discussed. The main conclusion is that if implemented properly, the ADM1 will also produce high-quality results in dynamic plant-wide simulations including noise, discrete sub-systems, etc. without imposing any major restrictions due to extensive computational efforts.

Improving oxygen concentration control in activated sludge process with estimation of respiration and scheduling control.

The paper presents an efficient and simple model-based method of on-line estimation of respiration from the current values of dissolved oxygen concentration and airflow signals. Fast estimation of respiration is important because respiration appears as the most important disturbance signal in the control of dissolved oxygen concentration, and could therefore be used for improving control efficiency. A parameter scheduling PI (proportional and integral) control scheme is proposed, where the estimated respiration signal is used for scheduling of the PI controller parameters, by using local linearization of the process dynamics. The performance of the scheduling controller is compared to a conventional PI controller in simulation using the COST simulation benchmark, and experimentally on an activated sludge process pilot plant.

Feedforward-feedback control of an activated sludge process: a simulation study.

In this paper a simulated plant based on a wastewater treatment benchmark is used to evaluate a number of controllers. Feedforward-feedback controllers for dissolved oxygen set-point and external carbon flow, and feedforward controller for internal recycle flow are evaluated separately and altogether. In the feedforward parts of the controllers, static physical models are incorporated in the control laws. The feedback parts of the controllers are used to compensate for model approximations. A simulation study shows that feedforward-feedback control of the activated sludge plant is more successful than standard PI control in meeting the effluent standards and reducing operational costs.

Simulation study supporting wastewater treatment plant upgrading.

The paper presents a study where upgrading of an existing wastewater treatment plant was supported by simulation. The aim of the work was to decide between two technologies to improve nitrogen removal: a conventional activated sludge process (ASP) and a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR). To perform simulations, the mathematical models of both processes were designed. The models were calibrated based on data from ASP and MBBR pilot plants operating in parallel on the existing plant. Only two kinetic parameters needed to be adjusted to represent the real plant behaviour. Steady-state analyses have shown a similar efficiency of both processes in relation to carbon removal, but improved performance of MBBR in relation to nitrogen removal. Better performance of MBBR can be expected especially at low temperatures. Simulations have not confirmed the expected less volume required for the MBBR process. Finally, the MBBR was chosen for plant upgrading. The developed process model will be further used to evaluate the final plant configuration and to optimise the plant operating parameters.

Wastewater treatment benchmark: what can be achieved with simple control?

In this paper a simple control strategy is applied to and assessed on the wastewater treatment benchmark. The controllers used in the presented control strategy are PI controllers, feedforward control and a step-feed procedure. The controlled variables are not directly the effluent concentrations but other process variables which have an effect on the effluent. The setting of set-points is also analyzed to select the values with the best performance. Set-point analysis has shown that with an optimal setting of set-points under stormy influent conditions, the achieved plant performance is also retained for rainy and dry influent conditions. The evaluation of plant performance indicates that with the proposed control strategy, a lower number of effluent violations has been achieved, as well as lower energy consumption and lower sludge production, when compared to results published up to now. Only the effluent quality criterion deteriorated.

System analysis for optimal control of a wastewater treatment benchmark.

The paper presents an analysis and optimisation of a wastewater treatment benchmark. The benchmark is a simulation environment defining a plant layout, simulation model, influent data, test procedures and evaluating criteria that should be used for comparing different control strategies. In this paper an analysis of the benchmark which addresses the influences of potential manipulated variables on control performance under different operating conditions is presented. In the study optimisation is used to define the optimal values of the manipulated variables under constant as well as dynamic influent conditions. The results indicate that such an analysis and optimisation give important information about the manipulated variables under varying influent conditions and consequently about possible control strategies.

A new modified Smith predictor: the concept, design and tuning.

The paper presents a new modified Smith predictor (MSP) for processes with a long time delay. The MSP appears as an extension of the double controller-scheme (DCS) proposed by Tian and Gao. The important feature of the MSP is that the trade-off between disturbance rejection and robustness to variations in process parameters can be adjusted by means of a single free parameter. The main contribution of the paper concerns tuning of the MSP, which relies on a combination of magnitude optimum criterion with process parameterisation based on multiple integrals of the open-loop step response. In a simulation study the performance of the MSP is compared with that of two known controllers for time delay systems, i.e. DCS of Tian and Gao and Hägglund's predictive PI controller. The results show the advantage of the MSP compared to the two other controllers.