title: Automation of the acclimation phase in a sequencing batch reactor using dissolved oxygen regulation.
abstract: In this work, an automatic strategy for acclimation of biomass to toxic wastewater biodegradation in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) is proposed and evaluated. It is based on monitoring the airflow needs for regulating the dissolved oxygen concentration at a desired set point. The regulation is achieved by using a PID controller with an input/output linearizing feedforward part, using the airflow rate as input variable. A simple algorithm to detect the end of the reaction phase using this manipulated signal is proposed. The strategy was tested on a laboratory bioreactor using 4-chlorophenol as model toxic compound and two inocula from different sources. The results show that it is a viable alternative for automatic acclimation of biomass for toxic wastewater treatment in a SBR. Furthermore, the strategy is also suitable for the operation of the reactor after acclimation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Research on Advanced Processes for Water Treatment, Instituto de Ingeniería, Unidad Académica Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico. avargasc@il.unam.mx
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: Germán
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buitrón
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D000465:Algorithms; D001331:Automation; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019149:Bioreactors; D002138:Calibration; D002733:Chlorophenols / Q000378:metabolism; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002733:Chlorophenols; C029107:4-chlorophenol; D010100:Oxygen