Parameter estimation in anoxic aerobic algal-bacterial photobioreactor devoted to carbon and nutrient removal

The increasing number of microalgae-based applications demands the development of model-based information and decision support systems that can deal with their complex behavior, particularly the interactions in mixed algal-bacterial wastewater treatment systems. This work aimed to estimate the parameters for modeling and simulating an anoxic-aerobic algal-bacterial photobioreactor with biomass recycling for treating high-strength wastewater. Estimating the model parameters was critical in applying the model to anoxic-aerobic algal-bacterial systems. Process model and simulation were developed using the dynamic simulation software PROOSIS®. The model was set up and then calibrated with data from a lab-scale plant treating different dilutions of digestate. Simulations and model performance metrics validated the capability of the calibrated mathematical model to predict the experimental results.