SIMULATION OF THE CONVENTIONAL ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS USING THE KINETIC EQUATIONS OF THE ASM3 MODEL (IWA) WITH IDEAL DECANTER: STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF VARIATION IN SLUDGE AGE

Abstract

A conventional activated sludge process was simulated using the Excel Solver add-in, based on the ASM3 kinetic model and assuming an ideal sedimentation tank. Excel was selected due to its accessibility, facilitating its use for educational purposes and in wastewater treatment plants. This process involves wastewater clarification through microorganisms, where substrate consumption results in the growth of biomass, known as sludge. The wastewater was subdivided into soluble and particulate mass fractions, with their concentrations analyzed as a function of sludge age, an important operational parameter for the process. The concentrations of these fractions responded consistently with the literature as sludge age varied.