Multivariable Adaptive Control Strategy for an Activated Sludge Process Inside a Wastewater Treatment Plant

摘要

This study addresses an innovative multivariable control strategy for a wastewater treatment bioprocess with activated sludge. This bioprocess takes place in a continuous reactor located at the Wastewater Treatment Plant Făcăi, Romania. The proposed adaptive control structure is designed under realistic assumptions: several process variables are unavailable, the reaction kinetics is time-varying and unknown, the influent pollutant flow rate varies in large limits and much more its concentration is totally unknown. The novelty of the approach consists in the insertion of a sliding mode observer (SMO) in overall control structure. The SMO provides the estimates of the unknown influent pollutant concentration. The performance of the adaptive multivariable control algorithm is assessed via numerical simulations based on data provided from the plant.