MODELLING THE DYNAMICS OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROCESSES / Modellering av dynamiska förlopp i vattenreningsprocesser
The main objective of the paper is to briefly describe and exemplify some of the work that has been carried out within the STAMP project at IEA at Lund Institute of Technology within the field of mathematical modeling of wastewater treatment (WWT) processes. Three main areas have been identified – reduced-order models of the activated sludge process, modelling of biofilm processes including some effects of higher-order organisms and one-dimensional settler models based on recent new mathematical developments. It is not possible to present any details of the work in this brief paper, rather the purpose is to exemplify the research and supply the reader with references, providing him/her with the opportunity to further explore any specific area of interest.
As the complexity of the wastewater treatment plants increases, the need for practitioners and process engineers to understand and utilize the power of mathematical models and computer simulations for purposes such as monitoring, diagnosis and control of WWT plants, is rapidly increasing. Mathematical models are no longer to be considered only as research tools but should instead be regarded as an integrated parr of any modern WWT process. This issue constitutes a major challenge to the wastewater industry in the near future.