Simulation of a membrane bioreactor pilot treating old landfill leachates with activated sludge model No. 1 and No. 3

Abstract

Activated sludge model No. 1 (ASM1) and activated sludge model No. 3 (ASM3) can simulate correctly the behaviour of a pilot membrane bioreactor treating old landfill leachates. Both models show similar results, which are consistent with measured data. In this work, a simplified calibration procedure is applied including hydrodynamic and oxygen transfer characterization. The wastewater characterisation was based on a physical-chemical method combined with a BOD analysis for the COD fractions and on standard analysis for nitrogen forms. Default parameters were used for both models; despite this, good simulations were obtained showing the flexibility and accuracy of the well-achieved ASM family models. The sensibility analysis performed allows identification of the most important kinetic, stoichiometric and operational parameters that should be measured to confirm or replace default values. In this specific case, the simulation is most sensitive to heterotrophic yield, particularly under anoxic conditions.