title: Design and operation of SBR processes for small plants based on simulations.
abstract: The paper firstly presents an experimental study in a SBR pilot plant operated at 20 degrees C for nitrogen removal from a very small village wastewater. The plant consisted of only one reactor fed continuously throughout the day and aerated intermittently. Two tests with seven and three intermittences of mixing/aerated phases were conducted and verification of the results by simulations of the activated sludge model (ASM) was also carried out. The experimental results and simulation showed that a wide range of effluent N03-N can be obtained using different numbers of intermittences and values of the oxygen transfer coefficient (K(L)a). At the same time, the paper presents a design procedure for SBR processes based on an iterative process of simulations of the ASM model. After the selection of the cycle time, the mixing/aeration pattern, the initial volume, the solid retention time, and the duration of the phases, the simulation is undertaken, resulting in values for the effluent NH4-N and NO3-N, and the suspended solids before settling. Then, the latter parameters are verified to match the effluent and settling requirements. As an application of the design procedure, the effect on design and operation of different SBR configurations and of several operating conditions are analysed in three case studies.
authors.affiliation: CEIT and Tecnun, University of Navarra, Manuel de Lardizábal 15, 20018, San Sebastían, Spain. llarrea@ceit.es
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Larrea
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Albizuri
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Irizar
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hernández
mesh_terms: D019149:Bioreactors; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004867:Equipment Design; D013696:Temperature; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014887:Weather