scholarly journals Activated sludge models at the crossroad of artificial intelligence—A perspective on advancing process modeling

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gürkan Sin ◽  
Resul Al
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Process Modeling ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Research Area ◽  
The Rich ◽  
New Vision ◽  
New Research ◽  
Activated Sludge Models

AbstractThe introduction of Activated Sludge Models No. 1 (ASM1) in the early 1980s has led to a decade-long experience in applying these models and demonstrating their maturity for the wastewater treatment plants’ design and operation. However, these models have reached their limits concerning complexity and application accuracy. A case in point is that despite many extensions of the ASMs proposed to describe N2O production dynamics in the activated sludge plants, these models remain too complicated and yet to be validated. This perspective paper presents a new vision to advance process modeling by explicitly integrating the information about the microbial community as measured by molecular data in activated sludge models. In this new research area, we propose to harness the synergy between the rich molecular data from advanced gene sequencing technology with its integration through artificial intelligence with process engineering models. This is an interdisciplinary research area enabling the two separate disciplines, namely environmental biotechnology, to join forces and work together with the modeling and engineering community to perform new understanding and model-based engineering for sustainable WWTPs of the future.

scholarly journals Activated Sludge Systems as Diferential Equations: A Fresh View on the Classical Models for Wastewater Treatment Plants

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-53
Author(s):  
Horea Olosutean ◽  
Letiţia Oprean
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Differential Equations ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Supplementary Data ◽  
Classical Models ◽  
Activated Sludge Models ◽  
Activated Sludge Systems

Abstract Present in the theory and practice of wastewater treatment for over 50 years in consistent numbers, activated sludge models are widely used by plant operators. The early stage models, based on differential equations were synthetized and reinterpreted, presenting new insides that can help to a better understanding of the processes involved in the wastewater treatment. A consistent symbology is presented, for a much homogenous perspective, and the obvious similarities between several equations from the models are pointed out. The incomplete information from the models is emphasized, showing their amount of providing supplementary data for plant operators and researchers in the field, as well as the causes leading to their drawbacks and the effects derived from these drawbacks.

scholarly journals Foundations of Artificial Intelligence and Effective Universal Induction

2020 ◽  
pp. 29-42
Author(s):  
Jörg Zimmermann ◽  
Armin B. Cremers
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
General Theory ◽  
Research Area ◽  
The Other ◽  
Cognitive Agents ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Rich Variety ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
The One ◽  
New Research

AbstractThe term Artificial Intelligence was coined in 1956. Since then, this new research area has gone through several cycles of fast progress and periods of apparent stagnation. Today, the field has broadened and deepened significantly, and developed a rich variety of theoretical approaches and frameworks on the one side, and increasingly impressive practical applications on the other side. While a thorough foundation for a general theory of cognitive agents is still missing, there is a line of development within AI research which aims at foundational justifications for the design of cognitive agents, enabling the derivation of theorems characterizing the possibilities and limitations of computational cognitive agents.

Challenges encountered when expanding activated sludge models: a case study based on N2O production

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 1251-1260 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. P. Snip ◽  
R. Boiocchi ◽  
X. Flores-Alsina ◽  
U. Jeppsson ◽  
K. V. Gernaey
Keyword(s):  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
N2o Emission ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria ◽  
N2o Formation ◽  
N2o Production ◽  
Parameter Values ◽  
Activated Sludge Models

It is common practice in wastewater engineering to extend standard activated sludge models (ASMs) with extra process equations derived from batch experiments. However, such experiments have often been performed under conditions different from the ones normally found in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). As a consequence, these experiments might not be representative for full-scale performance, and unexpected behaviour may be observed when simulating WWTP models using the derived process equations. In this paper we want to highlight problems encountered using a simplified case study: a modified version of the Activated Sludge Model No. 1 (ASM1) is upgraded with nitrous oxide (N2O) formation by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Four different model structures have been implemented in the Benchmark Simulation Model No. 1 (BSM1). The results of the investigations revealed two typical difficulties: problems related to the overall mathematical model structure and problems related to the published set of parameter values. The paper describes the model implementation incompatibilities, the variability in parameter values and the difficulties of reaching similar conditions when simulating a full-scale activated sludge plant. Finally, the simulation results show large differences in oxygen uptake rates, nitritation rates and consequently the quantity of N2O emission (GN2O) using the different models.

scholarly journals Inleiding tot die toepassing van genetiese algoritmes in ingenieurswese

1998 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-117
Author(s):  
I. S. Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Genetic Algorithms ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Distinctive Feature ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Human Experience ◽  
New Research ◽  
Physical Phenomena

Genetic algorithms constitute a new research area in the field of artificial intelligence. This work is aimed at their application in specific areas of engineering where good results have already been achieved. The purpose of this work is to provide a basic introduction for students as well as experienced engineers who wish to upgrade their knowledge. A distinctive feature of artificial intelligence is that instead of mathematical models, either direct human experience or certain functions of the human brain for the modelling of physical phenomena are used.

scholarly journals Organic matter parameters in WWTP – a critical review and recommendations for application in activated sludge modelling

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Ahnert ◽  
Thomas Schalk ◽  
Heike Brückner ◽  
Johannes Effenberger ◽  
Volker Kuehn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Composition Data ◽  
Comprehensive Literature Review ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Activated Sludge Models

Abstract This paper includes a comprehensive literature review of sludge composition data from wastewater treatment plants. 722 data sets from 249 sources were used to establish typical ratios between COD and solids-based parameters and to verify rule-of-thumb values, respectively. Confirmation of these typical ratios can also be accomplished by using biochemical composition data. It is shown that a correlation between data from proteins, lipids and carbohydrates analysis can be related to COD/VSS ratios. Finally, using the findings from the literature review, the organic and inorganic conversion factors of COD fractions in activated sludge models are adjusted to solids-based parameters. It was shown that with the adjustments of the factors and a partition of the particulate inert fraction into a fraction assigned to the influent and a fraction assigned to the endogenous products, a better agreement with the ratios of COD/VSS in the individual sludge streams can be established.

Analysis and design of suitable model structures for activated sludge tanks with circulating flow

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 55-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Alex ◽  
R. Tschepetzki ◽  
U. Jumar ◽  
F. Obenaus ◽  
K.-H. Rosenwinkel
Keyword(s):  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
Model Structure ◽  
Analysis And Design ◽  
Hydraulic Behaviour ◽  
Model Structures

Activated sludge models are widely used for planning and optimisation of wastewater treatment plants and on line applications are under development to support the operation of complex treatment plants. A proper model is crucial for all of these applications. The task of parameter calibration is focused in several papers and applications. An essential precondition for this task is an appropriately defined model structure, which is often given much less attention. Different model structures for a large scale treatment plant with circulation flow are discussed in this paper. A more systematic method to derive a suitable model structure is applied to this case. Results of a numerical hydraulic model are used for this purpose. The importance of these efforts are proven by a high sensitivity of the simulation results with respect to the selection of the model structure and the hydraulic conditions. Finally it is shown, that model calibration was possible only by adjusting to the hydraulic behaviour and without any changes of biological parameters.

Model based evaluation of plant improvement strategies for biological nutrient removal

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 45-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. van Veldhuizen ◽  
M. C. M. van Loosdrecht ◽  
F. A. Brandse
Keyword(s):  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
P Uptake ◽  
Biological Nutrient Removal ◽  
Adequate Description ◽  
Control Scheme ◽  
Detailed Simulation ◽  
High Fraction ◽  
Biokinetic Parameters ◽  
P Removal

An activated sludge model for biological N- and P-removal was developed, which describes anoxic and aerobic P-uptake based on bacterial metabolism. This model was tested in practice on two wastewater treatment plants, which are BCFS®-processes, which contain activated sludge with a high fraction of denitrifying P-removing bacteria (DPB's). The model appeared to be able to give an adequate description of the performance of these treatment plants under different conditions. If the process parameters are well defined almost no calibration of the biokinetic parameters was necessary. In the simulation of Dalfsen wwtp, which has a complex control scheme, it was possible to give an adequate simulation of the control actions and the concentration profiles in a rather simple way, showing that detailed simulation of these controllers was not necessary. With the calibrated model it was possible to analyse bottlenecks and give suggestions for upgrading of the concerned treatments plants. The simulation results were used in decisions on investments.

scholarly journals The capacity of wastewater treatment plants drives bacterial community structure and its assembly

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Kyung Kim ◽  
Keunje Yoo ◽  
Min Sung Kim ◽  
Il Han ◽  
Minjoo Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Rrna Gene

Abstract Bacterial communities in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) affect plant functionality through their role in the removal of pollutants from wastewater. Bacterial communities vary extensively based on plant operating conditions and influent characteristics. The capacity of WWTPs can also affect the bacterial community via variations in the organic or nutrient composition of the influent. Despite the importance considering capacity, the characteristics that control bacterial community assembly are largely unknown. In this study, we discovered that bacterial communities in WWTPs in Korea and Vietnam, which differ remarkably in capacity, exhibit unique structures and interactions that are governed mainly by the capacity of WWTPs. Bacterial communities were analysed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and exhibited clear differences between the two regions, with these differences being most pronounced in activated sludge. We found that capacity contributed the most to bacterial interactions and community structure, whereas other factors had less impact. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that microorganisms from high-capacity WWTPs are more interrelated than those from low-capacity WWTPs, which corresponds to the tighter clustering of bacterial communities in Korea. These results will contribute to the understanding of bacterial community assembly in activated sludge processing.

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