Application of model predictive control for enhanced wastewater treatment biological process for phosphorus and nitrogen removal

This paper is concerned with a multivariable control for phosphorus and nitrogen removal in an enhanced biological wastewater treatment process called A2O (Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic) activated sludge processes. The design procedure of the control scheme is broken down into the followings: 1) Physical-biological modeling for the A2O process; 2) Derivation of simplified A2O process models for controller design; 3) Controller design on the basis of a model predictive control. Numerical simulation shows that the phosphorus and nitrogen removal can be achieved to meet effluent discharge requirement as well as that the operational cost can be reduced. The simulation also shows that there is trade-off between phosphorus removal and nitrogen removal. Copyright (C) 2001 IFAC.