Generic distributed parameter model control of a biological nutrient removal (BNR) activated sludge process

This paper addresses nonlinear control of a class of distributed parameter systems by the generic distributed parameter model-based control (GDPMC) st rategy. Case studies on a complex biological nutrient removal (BNR) activat ed sludge process for nitrogen and phosphorus removal show that the GDPMC s trategy is applicable for controlling species of interest in specific biore action zones. The designs give much improved performances compared to well- tuned PI controllers in terms of the integral time absolute errors (ITAE). In a study on control of the entire BNR activated sludge plant, a multi-uni t decentralised GDPMC strategy is shown to be robust to 25% plant-model mis match in three sensitive and uncertain kinetic parameters. The advantages o f the GDPMC strategy over lumped-model generic model control (GMC) are demo nstrated in a comparative study on soluble phosphate control within the ana erobic zone of the plant. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserve d.