Optimization Model for Land Treatment Planning, Design and Operation. Part 2. Case Study.

Abstract : A procedure to evaluate design and operating options for slow-rate land treatment systems is demonstrated. The nonlinear optimization model LTMOD is used to generate optimal monthly operating regimes (effluent application patterns) and to define optimal design configurations (combinations of storage capacity and irrigation area). The model is applied to a hypothetical slow-rate land treatment system in a cool, humid area with a forage crop, where the operation and design of the system is constrained by the potential for nitrogen renovation in the storage facility and in the soil-corp system. The cost properties over the range of optimal design alternatives are examined to deduce some general cost characteristics of slow-rate systems ranging from 0.5 to 10 mgd. (Author)