Modelling of activated sludge process kinetics using a combination of hybrid respirometric and titrimetric data

Knowledge of activated sludge biokinetic parameters is important to simulate the behaviour of an activated sludge plant with the commonly used IAWQ models (e.g. Henze et al., 1987). Batch experiments using pulse substrate additions in a small bioreactor are often applied to collect data about activated sludge behaviour. However, many of the experiments that were designed in the past suffer from poor data quality. In this paper the development of a combined hybrid respirometric titrimetric set-up is presented. Performing experiments in this set-up allows to get high quality data of the biological processes under study as will be shown with several examples. Model based interpretation of these data results in estimates of the kinetic parameters of the different groups of activated sludge bacteria.