Modified ADM1 for modelling an UASB reactor laboratory plant treating starch wastewater and synthetic substrate load tests

• Lactate was produced by transient anaerobic digestion of glucose & starch wastewater.
• Lactic acid fermentation (formation, degradation & inhibition) was added to ADM1.
• Load and continuous test data sets of two UASB reactors were used for ADM1 modelling.
• Lactate extension model was successfully calibrated and validated with measured data.
• The extended model can be used for load case analyses and process optimization.

A laboratory plant consisting of two UASB reactors was used for the treatment of industrial wastewater from the wheat starch industry. Several load tests were carried out with starch wastewater and the synthetic substrates glucose, acetate, cellulose, butyrate and propionate to observe the impact of changing loads on gas yield and effluent quality. The measurement data sets were used for calibration and validation of the Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1). For a precise simulation of the detected glucose degradation during load tests with starch wastewater and glucose, it was necessary to incorporate the complete lactic acid fermentation into the ADM1, which contains the formation and degradation of lactate and a non-competitive inhibition function. The modelling results of both reactors based on the modified ADM1 confirm an accurate calculation of the produced gas and the effluent concentrations. Especially, the modelled lactate effluent concentrations for the load cases are similar to the measurements and justified by literature.

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