Denitrification potential enhancement by addition of external carbon sources in a pre-denitrification process

The aim of this study is to investigate the denitrification potential enhancement by addition of external carbon sources and to estimate the denitrification potential for the predenitrification system using nitrate utilization rate （NUR） batch tests. It is shown that the denitrification potential can be substantially increased with the addition of three external carbon sources, i.e. methanol, ethanol, and acetate, and the denitrification rates of ethanol, acetate, and methanol reached up to 9.6, 12, and 3.2 mgN/（g VSS.h）, respectively, while that of starch wastewater was only 0.74 mgN/（g VSS,h）. By comparison, ethanol was found to be the best external carbon source. NUR batch tests with starch wastewater and waste ethanol were carried out. The denitfification potential increased from 5.6 to 16.5 mg NO3-N/L owing to waste ethanol addition. By means of NUR tests, the wastewater characteristics and kinetic parameters can be estimated, which are used to determine the denitrification potential of wastewater, to calculate the denitrification potential of the plant and to predict the nitrate effluent quality, as well as provide information for developing carbon dosage control strategy.

Study of control strategy and simulation in anoxic-oxic nitrogen removal process

The control strategy and simulation of external carbon addition were specially studied in an anoxic-oxic(A/O) process with low carbon: nitrogen(C/N) domestic wastewater. The control strategy aimed to adjust the flow rate of external carbon dosage to the anoxic zone, thus the concentration of nitrate plus nitrite(NOx--N) in the anoxic zone was kept closed to the set point. The relationship was studied between the NOx--N concentration in the anoxic zone(S_ NO) and the dosage of external carbon, and the results showed that the removal efficiency of the total nitrogen(TN) could not be largely improved by double dosage of carbon source when S_ NO reached about 2 mg/L. Through keeping S_ NO at the level of about 2 mg/L, the demand of effluent quality could be met and the carbon dosage could be optimized. Based on the Activated Sludge Model No.1(ASM No.1), a simplified mathematical model of external carbon dosage was developed. Simulation results showed that PI controller and feed-forward PI controller both had good dynamic response and steady precision. And feed-forward PI controller had better control effects due to its consideration of influent disturbances.