Annual Literature Review

Modeling, instrumentation, automation, and

optimization of water resource recovery facilities
(Review of 2018 Literature) DIRECT

Michael Sweeney ,1* John Kabouris 2,*

1
Toho Water Authority, Kissimmee, Florida
• Abstract
2 A review of the literature published in 2018 on topics relating to water resource recov-
Cardno, Clearwater, Florida
ery facilities (WRRF) in the areas of modeling, automation, measurement and sensors
Received 2 July 2020; Revised 13 July and optimization of wastewater treatment (or water resource reclamation) is presented.
2020; Accepted 14 July 2020 © 2020 Water Environment Federation
Correspondence to: John Kabouris,
Cardno, Clearwater, FL. • Practitioner points
Email: john.kabouris@cardno.com • Summary of advances in the field of modeling, instrumentation, automation, and
optimization in 2018.
*WEF Member • This review outlines the major contributions of researchers and practitioners that
have been published in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.
Published online 04 August 2020 in Wiley • The article is organized into sections for ease of reference, but several reviewed arti-
Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) cles are related to more than one section.

DOI: 10.1002/wer.1408 • Key words

automation; energy efficiency; modeling; neural networks; optimization
© 2020 Water Environment Federation

INTRODUCTION
This section differs from previous years in several ways. More examples of research
work of modeling on a plant-wide scale and work that involve integrating multiple
models together. Applications involving real-time sensors continue to grow in fre-
quency and sophistication. The development and application of artificial intelligence
and soft sensors increased as well. Mechanistic models continue to evolve in scope and
sophistication to cover all aspects of WRRF design and operational optimization with
the support of various sensors.

MODELING
The benefit trade-offs of complex whole-plant models and simple spreadsheet pro-
cess calculators were summarized by Reusser, Allen, and Downing (2018). A mem-
brane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) model with oxygen transfer, biofilm and
mixed liquor components was developed by Schraa, Alex, Rieger, and Miletic (2018)
and validated using literature data for a seven-month period. A five-component,
eleven-process model of quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) biodegrada-
tion, bio-adsorption, and microorganism inhibition was developed by Conidi et
al. (2018). The model was used to simulate literature experimental data of the bulk
concentration of QAC and the inhibition of nitrification for QAC concentrations
above 2 mg/L for acclimated to QACs biomass. A bench-scale SBR was operated by
Liu, Kim, and Nakhla (2018) at a low temperature (14°C) and a solids residence time
(SRT) of 10 days and dissolved oxygen (DO) of 5 to 6 mg/L, 2 to 3 mg/L, and 0.8 to
1.0 mg/L and with six 4 h cycles of feed (20 min), aeration (180 min), settle (20 min),
and decant (20 min). DO reduction resulted in stable nitritation with ammonia and

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 Annual Literature Review

nitrite accumulation. The maximum specific growth rates of conveyance and treatment facilities flow coordination. A
ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bac- three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
teria (NOB) (0.28 and 0.38 d−1) were below the median litera- model was applied by Ho et al. (2018) to optimize the perfor-
ture values (0.47 and 0.62 d−1), and their DO half-saturation mance of rectangular primary clarifiers. They predicted a 17%
coefficients (1.36 and 2.79 mg/L) were higher than the litera- increase of TSS removal after adding baffles, including energy
ture medians (0.46 and 0.54). A model structure extending the dissipating and flocculation, mid-tank re-flocculation and set-
BioWin model to include a new variable, a specialist group of tled primary sludge hopper baffles. Clarifier 3D CFD modeling
bacteria as the only nonpolyphosphate accumulation organ- was used by Wicklein, Rauch-Williams, Luna, Samstag, and
ism (PAO) heterotrophs that can perform respiration using Michalski (2018) to develop an energy dissipating inlet that
stored polymers, was presented by Andalib, Ford, Umble, & resulted in a 20% capacity increase. A 3D CFD model of an
van Loosdrecht, 2018. The model was able to simulate the accu- oxidation ditch was extensively validated by using a construc-
mulation of 60 mg/L of nitrite-nitrogen during batch denitrifi- tion crane for dissolved oxygen profiling and by also measur-
cation using glycerol. ing flow velocities and was then used to evaluate new mixing
Phuc, You, Hung, and Kim (2018) developed a linear propeller settings and diffused air configurations by Rehman
parametric varying (LPV) model to account for the parameter et al. (2018). A 3D CFD analysis of the digester mixing systems
changes and large intrinsic variations in wastewater treatment was used to establish design solids concentrations of 3.5% is 4%
systems. The default BioWin parameters and a calibrated maxi- total solids (TS) for a two-stage recuperative thickening diges-
mum specific nitrification rate of 0.19 d−1 at 20°C were used by tion process (Bharambe et al., 2018).
Carey, Marrs, and Gill (2018) for activated sludge process mod- The IWA Anaerobic Digestion Model 1 (ADM1) model
eling of refinery wastewater. Nitrite-nitrogen accumulated in was applied by Aboulfotoh (2018) to simulate steady-state
the bench-scale reactors used for parameter estimation and was laboratory data of mesophilic high-solid anaerobic digestion
accounted for in the parameter estimation process. Willoughby, (HSAD) with overall over good agreement. SRT above 13 days
Bather, and Fitzgerald (2018) applied a dynamic, whole-plant enhanced the prediction of effluent chemical oxygen demand
model was developed by using SUMO including the chem-P (COD), volatile solids removal, and biogas production, and at
complexation model of phosphorus with hydrous ferric oxide SRT below 20 days, it predicted volatile fatty acids (VFA) con-
(HFO). Random model inputs in Excel were coupled to SUMO centration. A dual hydrolysis model was used by Zamanzadeh
to perform probabilistic Monte Carlo simulation for the most and Parker (2018) to describe the hydrolysis of a mixed primary
sensitive parameters including. The modeling assumed that a and waste activated sludge under both mesophilic and thermo-
target effluent soluble reactive phosphorus of 0.1 mg/L, which philic conditions in single- and two-stage digestion systems.
was found to result in full-scale nutrients deficiency underscor- The mesophilic hydrolysis kinetic coefficients for slowly and
ing the need for sampling targeted operational conditions in rapidly hydrolyzed COD in the first stage of the two-stage sys-
addition to historical data for proper model calibration. Chen tem were significantly greater than the values for the extended
et al. (2018) calibrated the ASM3-EAWAG bioP model to data hydraulic residence time (HRT) digesters. At thermophilic tem-
from a full-scale plant. Instrumentation for essential variables peratures, the kinetics of the rapidly hydrolysable COD were
allowed for automatic process control. The results showed that faster in the first stage compared to the extended HRT digest-
compared to the manual operation mode, the effluent water ers. The kinetics of the slowly hydrolysable COD in the first-
quality was significantly improved after optimization without stage digesters had significantly less temperature dependency
supplementation of external carbon or alkalinity and aeration than that of the extended HRT digesters.
power was reduced by 11%–41%. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied by Wang,
Leyva-Díaz, Martín-Pascual, Calero-Díaz, Torres, and Bi, Liu, and Ratnaweera (2018) to study the correlation between
Poyatos (2018) observed temperature effects on organic matter diluted sludge volume index (DSVI), operational, and envi-
removal during membrane bioreactor start-up. A sequencing ronmental factors. As a result, temperature and mixed liquid
batch reactor was evaluated by Li, Feng, Qiang, Dong, and Wang suspended solids (MLSS) were found as the most significant
(2018) to study and model nitrogen removal by Anammox bac- variables relating with DSVI variation. Banihashemi and Droste
teria. Rosenthal et al. (2018) used SIMBA# to evaluate aeration (2018) determined that the pseudo-second-order model for
strategies for preventing nitrate accumulation in a mainstream degradation of microconstituents matched best their labora-
deammonification laboratory sequencing batch biofilm reactor. tory bioreactor data and determined that 63% to 98% of micro
The model was able to simulate the biofilm during sidestream constituents were removed at SRTs of 5–15 day and HRTs of
and subsequent mainstream deammonification operating 4 to 10 hr. Wright and Wicklein (2018) discussed a ultraviolet
conditions. light (UV) with advanced oxidation process (UV AOP) kinetic
Csizmadia and Till (2018) presented a numerical inves- model of contaminant reduction as a function of UV and oxi-
tigation of plant hydraulic phenomena and studied the effects dant dose and water quality parameters that impact hydroxyl
on total dissolved solids profiles. An InfoWorks Integrated radical scavenging and a CFD-based UV dose model for a UV
Catchment Modeling hydraulic model was developed, cali- reactor that accounts for the increase in UV transmittance
brated, and used to model the headworks and wet-weather caused by UV AOP.
storage facilities of a large by Starosta, Gargeya, Ott, Verma, Corbala-Robles, Ronsse, Pieters, and Volcke assessed the
and Davel (2018) who emphasized the need for system-wide financial side of heat recovery from plants with high influent

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Annual Literature Review

loading. Variables of interest were surveyed and their influence monitoring of nitrification. Overall, the results were compara-
compared. Ghotbi, Pirzadeh, Mohebbi-Kalhori, and Abdoll ble to ones conventionally derived.
(2018) investigated and modeled the effect of membrane fiber Blonda et al. (2018) conducted a research project involving
morphology on effluent quality. Palit (2018) comprehensively online monitoring of various wastewaters using new data man-
compared the performance of various membrane technologies. agement approaches applying a semiconductor sensor array.
Anticipated future developments and investigations were also To study the functioning of a constructed wetlands receiving
reported. Ronda, Martín-Lara, Osegueda, Castillo, and Blázquez treated wastewater instrumented with six ion-selective elec-
(2018) observed biosorption properties of Pb(II) in a packed trodes (ISE) probes, Papias, Masson, Pelletant, Prost-Boucle,
bed column. The experimental results were applied to a simu- and Boutin (2018) developed a methodology for probe man-
lation for industrial waste treatment. Kroiss and Klager (2018) agement and data processing that improves the overall accuracy
reported on process modifications at a large treatment plant of monitoring effluent nitrogen. Novel simulations were devel-
which resulted in significantly reduced energy consumption in oped and tested for ozonation control at a small scale plant by
aeration. Iron nanoparticles were evaluated by Hamdy, Mostafa, Chys et al. (2018) with the goal of oxidizing trace organics.
and Nasr (2018) in the removal of methylene blue from tex- Three energy harvest solutions for sensors specially
tile plant effluents. The results were modeled and considered adapted to water systems were proposed by Espirito-Santo,
effective. In a study by Nourani, Elkiran, and Abba (2018), var- Ribeiro, Lima, Ambrosio, and Bonifacio (2018). The kinetic
ious artificial intelligence system and a multi-linear regression energy of vibrations induced in water pipes and converted by
approaches were compared. Artificial intelligence applications electromagnetic or piezoelectric transducers were one of the
were enhanced by combining other conventional approaches. proposed solutions along with a thermoelectric generator that
Zheng, Su, Zhang, Wang, and Wang (2018) developed produces electrical energy using the Seebeck effect. A soft-sens-
simulation of aerobic granular sludge growth and distribution ing methodology applicable to batch processes operated under
under various environments. Zhao, Yang, Li, and Hu (2018) changeable initial conditions was developed by Shokry et al.
developed an artificial neural network model to monitor and (2018). The approach used the capabilities of the machine
manage rural plant performance using conventional online learning techniques to provide practical soft-sensing meth-
sensors. Liu, Ratnaweera, and Kvaal (2018) proposed an effec- odology with minimum tuning effort. The results reflected a
tive method for sensor error detection as applied to turbidity reasonable accuracy even when the training information was
monitoring. Relying on the model of the outlet software sen- scarce.
sor, the differences between simulations and measurements of Liang, Yamashita, Yamamoto-Ikemoto, and Yokoyama
outlet turbidity were used as an indicator of inlet measurement (2018) analyzed a flame-oxidized stainless steel anode
errors to estimate and detect the potential measurement errors. (FO-SSA) and used as the probe of bioelectrochemical system
Szulczyski, NamieSnik, and Gebicki (2018) studied and devel- (BES)-based biosensors to monitor the biochemical oxygen
oped an effective automated odor determination and strength demand (BOD) of treated swine wastewater. The FO-SSA was
measurement approach using fuzzy logic. superior to the CCA in terms of rapid sensing and offered bet-
ter performance than traditional CCAs in BES biosensors. An
online COD estimation method was developed by Shen et al.
INSTRUMENTATION
(2018) with photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) technology. Based on
A survey of instrumentation and control was conducted the online data of the oxidation–reduction potential (ORP),
(Cornelissen et al., 2018). Assimilating the technology with DO and pH of wastewater, four different artificial neural net-
processes and plant personnel training and their distrust were work methods were applied to develop working models for
cited as limiting factors. Mladenov, Bigelow, Pietruschka, COD estimation. After training and validation, the estimation
Palomo, and Buckley (2018) applied and evaluated the usage of results indicated that the developed radial basis neural network
fluorescence to monitor plant performance. Results were con- (RBNN) model demonstrated the highest precision.
sistent with a bench-scale arrangement.
Operational data from ion-selective electrode pH sensors
AUTOMATION AND CONTROL
in a urine nitrification bioreactor indicated that the main cause
of systematic errors was due to changes in the sensor offset. A system for tracking WRRF sensors routine and fault main-
All pH sensors exhibited continuous drift which challenged tenance and control loop performance from automated analy-
the validity of the assumption used in fault detection algo- sis of operational data was developed and has been installed
rithms that faults do not occur simultaneously for all sensors at a full-scale WRRF (Miletic, Rieger, Hübner, Schraa, & Alex,
(Ohmura, Thürlimann, Kipf, & Villez, 2018). The uncertainties 2018). The design of a fully automated wet-weather wastewater
of ion-selective electrode (ISE) ammonium sensors, especially flow management facility with minimal remote operator atten-
for low range installation, were discussed by Cecconi et al. tion was presented (Sandino, Siczka, & Thewes, 2018).
(2018) following a yearlong field evaluation. The major impact A feedback ammonia-based aeration control (ABAC)
of fouling on the sensor performance was increased time delay, and a process model-based feedforward–feedback control
and the precision and the accuracy of the sensors were deter- system were evaluated in two parallel MLE process trains and
mined incompatible with low ammonia installations. Short and were found to result to similar energy savings. The feedback
Holzem (2018) evaluated the effectiveness of portable real-time nature of the ABAC controller resulted in due to a relatively

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unresponsive aeration controller due to the near plug flow close to A-stage design with high carbon redirection and stable
basin’s 4-hour transport lag (Anderson et al., 2018). Toth et bioflocculation.
al. (2018) calibrated a process/control system model devel- A peracetic acid (PAA) integrated PAA concentra-
oped in SIMBA# using pilot-scale data and determined that tion-time dose (ICT)-based chemical disinfection control
similar to conventional activated sludge systems, employing strategy based on pilot-scale experiments resulted in approx-
advanced aeration control (such as ammonia-based aeration imately 50% reduction in the PAA consumption compared to
control) offers significant energy savings in attached growth the conventional flow-pacing control strategy (Manoli, Sarathy,
systems, while improve effluent quality. Nitrogen in a WRRF Neofotistos, & Santoro, 2018). Han, Liu, Ge, and Qiao (2018)
effluent was substantially reduced by converting an oxidation forecasted sludge bulking online based using a fuzzy neural
ditch activated sludge system to an A/O with ABAC control, network. This method coupled online data and operational
resulting in a payback period of 2.5 years (Smith, Holton, plant process knowledge. Process performance and floc struc-
& van Dommelen, 2018) Operator time for maintenance ture were assessed using computer imaging by Oliveira, Alliet,
increased by about one hour per week for probe maintenance Coufort-Saudejaud, and Frances (2018) under various condi-
and calibration, including daily de-ragging and weekly clean- tions. Mullins et al. (2018) demonstrated a system for measur-
ing/verification and periodic matrix adjustments to correct ing turbidity using computer visioning. Savings in the order of
for signal drift. 80% were reported by Lockey and Bhartia (2018) following the
A pilot-scale mainstream deammonification process implementation of a food processing automated dissolved air
involved a short-cut nitrogen removal controlled by an ammo- flotation (DAF) control platform including online sensors, con-
nia vs. nitrate (AvN) controller followed by a partial denitri- trol algorithms based on artificial intelligence (AI) and remote
fication (PdN) and Anammox polishing step controlled by a monitoring was presented.
nitrate-based COD dosing controller (Le et al., 2018). Drejer,
Carreño, Remigi, and Andersen (2018) calibrated a greenhouse
OPTIMIZATION
gas emission biokinetic model in the WEST modeling platform
based on datasets from a full-scale DEMON process and used it Using bench-scale bioreactors, Figdore, Winkler, and Stensel
to simulate a pH-based intermittent aeration controller, a con- (2018) developed nitrifying granules grown on anaerobic
tinuous aeration controller, and a compromise controller. They digester dewatering centrate for bioaugmentation of a low SRT,
determined that the carbon footprint due to nitrite GHG emis- low-temperature flocculant activated sludge process. The gran-
sions with the intermittent aeration control was about twice as ules were shown to be responsible for the bulk of the nitrifica-
that of the continuous aeration strategy and of the compromise tion and the loss of nitrifiers from the granules to the flocs and
controller. the waste activated sludge was minimal. Coats, Eyre, Bryant,
Mozo et al. (2018) and Caligaris et al. (2018) used a con- Woodland, and Brinkman (2018) performed bench-scale
troller based on ammonia and nitrite sensor to manage the return activated sludge (RAS) fermentation and concluded
anoxic/oxic cycle of an A-B process along with aerated SRT that RAS fermentation appeared to potentially enrich for gly-
control and nitrite management to maintain stable anammox cogen accumulating organisms, which would be detrimental to
activity with over 90% of the ammonia oxidized into nitrite enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR), and that for
during cold and warm weather pilot plant operation. A bench- low influent VFA wastewater, RAS fermentation for more than
scale aerobic granular sludge reactor (GSR) was operated with a 4 hr could potentially improve EBPR performance if effluent P
DO setpoint, and an ammonium-based aeration strategy treat- requirements are not stringent. RAS denitrification, not VFA
ing simulated effluent from a mainstream anaerobic treatment production was a potential benefit but process failure could
process and modeled with a one-dimensional multi-substrate result if anaerobic conditions are achieved in the RAS fermen-
and multi-species biofilm model (Bekele, Vela, Bott, & Love, tation basin due to low RAS nitrate or excess HRT.
2018). Stable nitrogen removal was achieved, and aeration was Small plant scale nitrogen removal from was investigated
minimized with intermittent aeration to maintain DO below by Foladori, Petrini, Nessenzia, and Andreottola (2018) using
0.5 mg/L and ammonium-N above 5 mg/L. A sidestream treat- a mixed microalgal–bacterial culture. Removals of COD and
ment DEMON SBR process control strategy with on/off aer- TKN were observed. Wang, Song, et al. (2018) studied and com-
ation to control pH was effective in suppressing NOBs (Yin, pared Anammox bacteria activity decay resulting in inform-
Chandran, Li, & Reck, 2018). Anammox and AOB populations ing treatment process behavior under anaerobic and aerobic
were reduced during periods of poor centrate quality and conditions. The start-up of a side stream deammonification
reduced flocculent sludge waste due to competition from het- (DEMON) process was described the Yin (2018). Ammonia
erotrophs and NOBs but their microbial activities were higher and total nitrogen removal averaged 89 and 78% and opera-
and nitrogen removal was not reduced. The initial volumetric tional issues that were addressed with operational changes
OUR (vOURi) at DO of 4 mg/L based on the initial DO slope in included centrate quality, nitrite control, excess polymer, and
an ex situ vessel was used by Van Winkel et al. (2018) to obtain micronutrient deficiency.
OUR measurement for controlling a high rate contact-stabi- Using laboratory-scale MLE and IFAS reactors data fed
lization process independent of oxygen transfer coefficient synthetic wastewater and a survey of five full-scale WRRFs, Li
changes induced by fouling and wastewater characteristics. and Stenstrom (2018) determined that SRT changes had imme-
This stabilized the system and allowed operation at a low SRT diate effect on the particle size distribution in the mixed liquor.

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Annual Literature Review

WRRFs that were operated at longer SRT produced mixed by Ikehata et al. (2018). Several strains of diatoms were eval-
liquor with larger mean particle size (MPS) which improved uated. Large concentrations and oscillations of ammonium
sludge settleability and reduced effluent turbidity. Lee (2018) nitrogen (NH4+-N) in municipal landfill leachate pose con-
defined a baseline oxygen mass transfer coefficient (KLα0) as siderable constraints to its further treatment in central water
the oxygen transfer rate coefficient at zero liquid depth and resource recovery facility. Sivic, Atanasova, Puig, and Griessler
described a model relating the mass transfer coefficient KLα to Bulc (2018) applied two technologies to leachate treatment to
the baseline KLα0 as a function of temperature, system char- meet collection system effluent standards for ammonia. Zhou,
acteristics (e.g., the gas flow rate, the diffuser depth), and oxy- Stüber, Schubert, Kabbe, and Barjenbruch (2018) assessed the
gen solubility. Daigger and Boltz (2018) presented an approach use of polymers for full-scale biosolids dewatering by type
for the design of medium-bubble air diffusion for moving bed and the treatment applied. Alternatives to synthetic polymers
biofilm reactor (MBBR) and integrated fixed film activated showed promising results. The application of ammonium
sludge (IFAS) processes, discussed the enhancement of oxygen recovery process was examined by Ellersdorfer (2018) to deter-
transfer from MBBR and IFAS media observed during pilot- mine the viability of removing nitrous oxides.
scale testing and noted that the between diffuser submergence,
aeration rate, and biofilm carrier fill fraction relationship in References
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1622 Sweeney and Kabouris

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Environment Federation Technical Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana, September Liu, X., Kim, M., & Nakhla, G. (2018). Performance and kinetics of nitrification of low
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