Operator Training Simulator for Anaerobic Digestion Processes

An interactive simulator of the process of anaerobic digestion was developed. It is based on four interacting sub-models describing the biological, physicochemical, reactor and plant sub-systems of the overall process. The simulator was adapted to simulate a ten litre lab-scale reactor processing three different well defined substrates as well as varying mixtures of these compounds. Due to its structured configuration, the simulator can be adapted to other types of biogas plants with respect to plant setup, reactor volume and substrate composition. The combined sub-models result in an interactive process simulator that was equipped with various control loops, automations, data acquisition systems and graphical user interfaces. The simulator can be used for the design, test and optimisation of automation strategies, for industrial and academic education and for process optimisation. Its application in these three fields can lead to increased biogas and energy yields as well as to a stable and safe operation of biogas plants.