A Simplified Mathematical Model to Determine the Degradation Coefficient and Order of Decay for Activated Sludge Process (original) (raw)

The Activated Sludge Process (ASP) is the largely used biological treatment of wastewater, fundamentally because it is a cheap technology, which can be adapted to vast range of wastewater. In the ASP, a bacterial biomass suspension (the activated sludge) is responsible for the removal of pollutants. Biodegradation of organic matter plays a key role in ASP to treat the wastewater. A mathematical model was developed in order to describe the degradation coefficient and order of decay in organic matter and nutrients. Experiments were conducted in pilot-scale activated sludge reactor under steady-state conditions and varying Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) (6, 12 and 18h). Peristaltic pump was used to automatically supply wastewater to the reactor from the feed tank and sludge was approximately 100% recycled. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) was measured to carry out the mathematical modeling for ASP. Average temperature during the experiment was maintained between 27.2-28.2o C. stating fr...