Wastewater treatment research involves both experimental and computational efforts in order to identify the governing processes at laboratory, pilot plant and full-scale. Research focuses on the removal of nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter in activated sludge and biofilm systems and on the development of parameter estimation methods.
Modelling of the activated sludge process (Contact: Mogens Henze)
The purposes of the modelling is control, process design, research and education. For industrial wastewater, the effect of inhibiting substances is dealt with. Characterization and modelling are addressed as integrated activities, i.e, wastewater characterization is dependent on the objective and the structure of the model.
Kinetic parameter estimation (Contact: Barth F. Smets, Mogens Henze)
The models for wastewater treatment processes are complex and include numerous kinetic and stoichiometric parameters. The problem of selecting the right set of parameters is one of the key issues in the wastewater modelling area. The tools used to pursue this objective are advanced parameter optimisation methods including non-linear optimisation and quantitative uncertainty estimation. Respirometry-based experimental methods are being examined.
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