Comprehensive ADM1 Extensions to Tackle Some Operational and Metabolic Aspects in Anaerobic Digestion

Abstract

Modelling in anaerobic digestion will play a crucial role as a tool for smart monitoring and supervision of the process performance and stability. By far, the Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) has been the most recognized and exploited model to represent this process. This study aims to propose simple extensions for the ADM1 model to tackle some overlooked operational and metabolic aspects. Extensions for the discontinuous feeding process, the reduction of the active working volume, the transport of the soluble compound from the bulk to the cell interior, and biomass acclimation are presented in this study. The model extensions are included by a change in the mass balance of the process in batch and continuous operation, the incorporation of a transfer equation governed by the gradient between the extra- and intra- cellular concentration, and a saturation-type function where the time has an explicit influence on the kinetic parameters, respectively. By adding minimal complexity to the existing ADM1, the incorporation of these phenomena may help to understand some underlying process issues that remain unexplained by the current model structure, broadening the scope of the model for control and monitoring industrial applications.