Simulation technology for sewage treatment facilities
The activated sludge method, which represents sewage treatment processes, is characterized by the capability to remove not only organic substances but also eutrophication-inducing nitrogen and phosphorus if it is designed and operated under the proper conditions. However, the behavior of activated sludge, which contains micro-organism, is complicated, and it was difficult to quantitatively determine the effects of design and operation management factors, such as the tank capacity, the volume of blast, the volume of sludge to be returned, and the volume of excess sludge to be removed.
JFE Engineering has developed a design and operation management assistance simulation technology employing the IWA activated sludge model, a mathematical model of the various action processes in activated sludge. Thanks to this technology, we can quantitatively grasp the behavior of sewage treatment processes and:
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achieve optimum design taking into account inflow characteristics and the required quality of treated water and
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study optimum operation methods for meeting the target quality for treated water.
Features of the design and operation management assistance simulation technology
Design and operation assistance using the simulation technology
Examples of interface screens
JFE Engineering can construct and offer dedicated interfaces that are user friendly and match the various operation states of facilities, including the allocation of reaction tanks and the configuration of units. JFE Engineering can also provide formats for processing results output fit for use.
Example of simulation analysis
JFE Engineering developed the design and operation assistance simulation technology based on the findings and data obtained through the design, construction, and commissioning of actual facilities and pilot plants and the verification of their states of operation after the start of service.
The graph below shows a comparison between data on the actual treatment of the T-N, NOx-N, and NH4-N collected at the time of the introduction of the technology to an advanced treatment facility adopting carrier charging type anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic processes and calculation results.
The graph proves that the simulation technology ensures an extremely high degree of accuracy and is an effective assistance tool for the evaluation and operation management of facilities.
