Modelling the steady-state effluent characteristics of the TNCU process under different return mixed liquid

Abstract The Activated Sludge Model No. 2d (ASM2d) was employed and modified to predict the effluent qualities of the modified enhanced biological phosphate removal (EBPR) system – TNCU. The TNCU process was composed of anaerobic/anoxic/oxide (A2O) process and rotating biological contactors (RBC) in each reactor. There were three modifications for the model in this study: (1) the biosorption effect of the soluble COD, (2) the ammonification of the organic nitrogen in influent wastewater, and (3) the growth of the heterotrophic organisms in the anaerobic tank. The influent wastewater qualities were fixed, the ratios of return sludge and SRT were 0.5 and 11 days, and the model plant was operated at three different mixed liquid recycling ratios (MLRR, 0.5, 1.25, 2). When a steady state was reached, the comparisons between the measured values and the model predicted values in each test were made. It shows a good consistency between them. According to the consistent results, the biosorption effect of the soluble COD and the ammonification of the organic nitrogen in influent wastewater were the important effects in activated sludge system. Additionally, the heterotrophic organisms might grow in the anaerobic tank. The heterotrophic organisms, phosphorus accumulating organisms and autotrophic organisms would decrease in the anaerobic tanks because the lysis reactions were the major reactions in the anaerobic tanks. They would increase in the aerobic tanks. Furthermore, it was indirectly proved that the denitrifying PAOs existed in the EBPR system.