Comparison of Bio-P module and the modified Bio-P module in the step-feed biological nutrient removal process

The Modified Bio-P module was evaluated in terms of the kinetic rate expression and engineering parameters, comparing the measured data of full-scale plant with simulated data. To simulate step-feed BNR (Biological Nutrient Removal), the ASM3 (Activated Sludge Model 3) with the EAWAG Bio-P Module (The Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology) and the ASM3+Modified Bio-P module were used. The RMSEs (root mean square error) of the T-N (total nitrogen) concentration of the effluent levels of measured and simulated examples were 2.29 for ASM3+Bio-P and 1.28 for ASM3+Modified Bio-P. In the case of T-P (total phosphorus), the RMSEs were 0.28 for ASM3+Bio-P and 0.25 for ASM3+Modified Bio-P. The annual removal rates for T-N were 0.77 for the measured, 0.69 for the Bio-P, and 0.74 for the Modified Bio-P samples, while the annual removal rates for T-P were 0.64 for the measured, 0.72 for the Bio-P, and 0.60 for the Modified Bio-P cases. With simulated data, the Modified Bio-P model was a better fit for the field data compared to Bio-P. The Modified Bio-P module reproduced the step-feed process more effectively than the Bio-P module.