Modeling, Control, and Optimization of Activated Sludge Processes

Activated sludge processes are broadly used in the biological wastewater treatment processes. The activated sludge processes are complex systems because of the many factors such as the variation of influent flowrate and ingredients, the complexity of biological reactions, and the various operation conditions. The main motivation o this research is to develop an intelligent control strategy for activated sludge process (ASP). ASP is a complex and nonlinear dynamic system owing to the characteristic of wastewater, the change in influent flowrate, weather conditions, and so on. The mathematical model of ASP also includes the uncertainty which is a ignored or unconsidered factor from process designers. The ASP model based on Matlabⓡ/Simulinkⓡ is developed in this paper. And the model performance is examined by IWA (International Water Association) and COST (European Cooperation in the filed of Scientific and Technical Research) data. The model tests derive steady-state results of 14 days. In this paper, fuzzy logic control approach is applied to handle DO concentrations. The fuzzy logic controller includes two inputs and one output to adjust air flowrate. The objective function for the optimization, in the implemented evolutionary strategy, is formed with focusing on improving the effluent quality and reducing the operating cost.