Simulation of nitrification of municipal wastewater in a Moving Bed™ biofilm process: a bottom-up approach based on a 2D-continuum model for growth and detachment

Abstract

This paper presents a complete mathematical model of a Moving Bed™ biofilm process for waste-water treatment, in particular for the nitrification process. The model is based on a bottom up approach adopting a multidimensional model for the biofilm growth and metabolism and a global mass balance model for the whole reactor. The model shows that oxygen is limiting the amount of biomass involved in the nitrification process. Furthermore, it suggests the existence of an optimal amount biomass for an optimal reactor turnover rate. Studies of two specific new suspended carriers show that the model output is dependable on the geometry of the carrier, and to a satisfactory extent agreeable with measurements.