ASM1-based activated sludge model with biopolymer kinetics for integrated simulation of membrane bioreactors for wastewater treatment

This paper presents an activated sludge model suitable for modelling membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for wastewater treatment. The model, later referred to as combined EPS and SMP production ASM1-based model (CES-ASM1), extends Activated Sludge Model No. 1 (ASM1) with biokinetics of two types of bacterial biopolymers: soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The biopolymer kinetics in CES-ASM1 are, in their majority, borrowed from Laspidou and Rittmann[1] although, as shall be explained in the article, with one conceptual correction a kinetic pathway of biomass associated products (BAP). CES-ASM1 was calibrated on published experimental results from batch and continuous flow laboratory and pilot plant experiments and proved to be in good agreement with measurements. Standard set of parameters was then proposed as a combination of empirically identified and literature values. The model was then used to predict SMP and EPS production in an activated sludge system under various operating conditions.