Waste to energy: A review of biochar production with emphasis on mathematical modelling and its applications.

United Nations charter to build a sustainable future has paved the way for the introduction of the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) at a global forum. In particular, SDG 11 is aligned with the idea of developing cities and communities that provide quality human life, by attaining net-zero discharge and self-sustainability. In line with the efforts of the global community, biochar has emerged as a viable solution due to its ability to convert waste into value.

Impact of soluble organic matter and particulate organic matter on anammox system: Performance, microbial community and NO production.

In this study, the effects of soluble readily biodegradable COD (sCOD) and particulate slowly biodegradable COD (pCOD) on anammox process were investigated. The results of the long-term experiment indicated that a low sCOD/N ratio of 0.5 could accelerate the anammox and denitrification activity, to reach as high as 84.

Soft Sensor Application in Identification of the Activated Sludge Bulking Considering the Technological and Economical Aspects of Smart Systems Functioning.

The paper presented the methodology for the construction of a soft sensor used for activated sludge bulking identification. Devising such solutions fits within the current trends and development of a smart system and infrastructure within smart cities. In order to optimize the selection of the data-mining method depending on the data collected within a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), a number of methods were considered, including: artificial neural networks, support vector machines, random forests, boosted trees, and logistic regression.

The Influence of COD Fraction Forms and Molecules Size on Hydrolysis Process Developed by Comparative OUR Studies in Activated Sludge Modelling.

The activated sludge models (ASMs) commonly used by the International Water Association (IWA) task group are based on chemical oxygen demand (COD) fractionations. However, the proper evaluation of COD fractions, which is crucial for modelling and especially oxygen uptake rate (OUR) predictions, is still under debate. The biodegradation of particulate COD is initiated by the hydrolysis process, which is an integral part of an ASM.

The evaluation of COD fractionation and modeling as a key factor for appropriate optimization and monitoring of modern cost-effective activated sludge systems.

A study was conducted to characterize the raw wastewater entering a modern cost effective municipal WWTP in Poland using two approaches; 1) a combination of modeling and carbonaceous oxygen demand (COD) fractionation using respirometric test coupled with model estimation (RT-ME) and 2) flocculation/filtration COD fractionation method combined with BOD measurements (FF-BOD). It was observed that the particulate fractions of COD obtained using FF-BOD method was higher than those estimated by RT-ME approach. Contrary to the above, the values of inert soluble fraction evaluated by FF-BOD method was significantly lower than RT-ME approach (2.

Modelization of Nutrient Removal Processes at a Large WWTP Using a Modified ASM2d Model.

The biodegradation of particulate substrates starts by a hydrolytic stage. Hydrolysis is a slow reaction and usually becomes the rate limiting step of the organic substrates biodegradation. The objective of this work was to evaluate a novel hydrolysis concept based on a modification of the activated sludge model (ASM2d) and to compare it with the original ASM2d model.

Model based evaluation of plant improvement at a large wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).

In this work, the effect of the improvement carried out at a large-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was evaluated, by means of modelling works, with the aim to determine the influence of the modernization over the process performance. After modernization, the energy consumption due to the aeration decreased about a 20% maintaining the effluent quality. In order to double-check the good effluent quality, modelling works were carried out at the full-scale plant.

The application of moving bed biofilm reactor to denitrification process after trickling filters.

The paper presents research of a prototype moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR). The device was used for the post-denitrification process and was installed at the end of a technological system consisting of a septic tank and two trickling filters. The concentrations of suspended biomass and biomass attached on the EvU Perl moving bed surface were determined.

Comparison of the effects of conventional and alternative external carbon sources on enhancing the denitrification process.

Food industry effluents are considered a potential alternative for methanol when seeking external carbon sources to enhance denitrification in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The aim of this study was to determine the immediate effects of dosing different carbon sources on the denitrification capability of process biomass from the Wschod WWTP in Gdansk (northern Poland). Five carbon sources, including settled wastewater, methanol, and three industrial effluents (distillery, brewery, and fish-pickling process) were tested in two kinds of batch experiments.