Modelling of anaerobic digestion in a fluidised bed with a view to control

This paper deals with dynamical modelling of a complex wastewater treatment process with a view to design control laws. It consists of biological anaerobic digestion, which takes place on a porous medium in a fluidised bed reactor. Both hydrodynamic and biological models are studied separately. Their parameters are identified from experimental data, and the models are then validated. A stability analysis is carried out for both of them and the validity area is given. The obtained models are coupled in a global model of the whole process, which is experimentally validated. A stability analysis is then performed. Finally, local controllability and observability properties are given.