Modeling and Simulation of the Anammox Process at Bekkelaget Wastewater Treatment Plant using GPS-X

Abstract

The anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) process has been proven to be an efficient nitrogen removal process in treating high ammonium (NH4+-N) concentration wastewater (e.g., side-stream deammonification). Anammox is a biological process extensively used as energy-efficient nitrogen removal technology in wastewater streams. Therefore, this thesis aims to explore the Anammox process and the utilization of the GPS-X model to simulate the process dynamics. Furthermore, a comprehensive literature review was conducted, encompassing current research on various aspects of the anammox process, ranging from microbial ecology, reactor configuration, and optimal operational conditions. Additionally, the thesis has focused on the intricacies of kinetic modeling for simulating the Anammox process using the GPS-X model platform. The deammonification process data from the Bekkelaget wastewater treatment plant was used for the modeling and case study of the anammox process in reject water treatment.

The simulation results obtained through GPS-X software for the Anammox process at Bekkelaget provided valuable insights, offering a broad overview of the system process dynamics. It depicts the impact of temperature, pH, and DO on the Nitrogen removal efficiency of the anammox process. The modified kinetic parameters used in this thesis are µgrowth, max = 0.02 1/d, µdecay, aerobic = 0.061/d, Ɵreduction, anoxic =0.7, and Ɵreduction, anaerobic = 0.4. However, it is essential to note that this thesis is a case study, and the validation process is not exhaustive due to data collection and processing limitations. Consequently, the model's accuracy in reflecting the actual process may be compromised to some extent. Therefore, the thesis suggests that further work can be done using the GPS-X model to simulate the full-scale deammonification process at the Bekkelaget wastewater treatment plant.