A new general methodology for incorporating physico-chemical transformations into multi-phase wastewater treatment process models

I Lizarralde; T Fernández-Arévalo; C Brouckaert; P Vanrolleghem; D S Ikumi; G A Ekama; E Ayesa; P Grau

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2015.01.031

A new general methodology for incorporating physico-chemical transformations into multi-phase wastewater treatment process models

Water Res. 2015 May 1:74:239-56. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2015.01.031. Epub 2015 Feb 12.

Authors

I Lizarralde¹, T Fernández-Arévalo², C Brouckaert³, P Vanrolleghem⁴, D S Ikumi⁵, G A Ekama⁶, E Ayesa⁷, P Grau⁸

Affiliations

¹ CEIT and Tecnun (University of Navarra), Manuel de Lardizábal 15, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain. Electronic address: ilizarralde@ceit.es.
² CEIT and Tecnun (University of Navarra), Manuel de Lardizábal 15, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain. Electronic address: tfernandez@ceit.es.
³ Pollution Research Group, School of Chemical Engineering, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa. Electronic address: brouckae@ukzn.ac.za.
⁴ modelEAU, Université Laval, Canada. Electronic address: Peter.Vanrolleghem@gci.ulaval.ca.
⁵ Water Research Group, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7700 Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address: david.ikumi@uct.ac.za.
⁶ Water Research Group, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7700 Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address: george.ekama@uct.ac.za.
⁷ CEIT and Tecnun (University of Navarra), Manuel de Lardizábal 15, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain. Electronic address: eayesa@ceit.es.
⁸ CEIT and Tecnun (University of Navarra), Manuel de Lardizábal 15, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain. Electronic address: pgrau@ceit.es.

PMID: 25746499
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2015.01.031

Abstract

This paper introduces a new general methodology for incorporating physico-chemical and chemical transformations into multi-phase wastewater treatment process models in a systematic and rigorous way under a Plant-Wide modelling (PWM) framework. The methodology presented in this paper requires the selection of the relevant biochemical, chemical and physico-chemical transformations taking place and the definition of the mass transport for the co-existing phases. As an example a mathematical model has been constructed to describe a system for biological COD, nitrogen and phosphorus removal, liquid-gas transfer, precipitation processes, and chemical reactions. The capability of the model has been tested by comparing simulated and experimental results for a nutrient removal system with sludge digestion. Finally, a scenario analysis has been undertaken to show the potential of the obtained mathematical model to study phosphorus recovery.

Keywords: Abiotic processes; Mathematical modelling; Plant-wide modelling; Water chemistry; pH calculation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Models, Theoretical*
Nitrogen / chemistry*
Phosphorus / chemistry*
Sewage / chemistry*
Waste Disposal, Fluid / economics
Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*
Wastewater / chemistry

Substances

Sewage
Waste Water
Phosphorus
Nitrogen