(61u) Optimization of Waste Water Plant Operations

The presentations will focus on development of intelligent modeling environment and tool sets for optimal design and control of wastewater treatment plants as they apply to Hillsborough County Facilities Florida. The approach is based on the available data and its characteristics; involve intelligent data processing techniques; include development of first principle predictive models using dynamic flowsheet simulator; validation and tuning of the models using existing plant, weather and demographic data; identifying knowledge gaps and data needs and supplementing them via sensor data augmented CFD modeling; model implementation development of a user-system interface that allows integration with the existing SCADA environment. The objectives include to assist model-based optimization of operation and design decisions as well as development of heuristic knowledge base. The system synergistically integrates plant performance with model predictions and transforms data to knowledge to optimize plant performance.

The development utilizes following elements for making decisions (particularly plant operation) and recommendations:

• Influent rate forecasting based on large data bases as well as analysis of energy consumption patterns using deep learning techniques;
• Modeling and validation of plant performance using dynamic flowsheet simulators via an approach that integrates global sensitivity analysis for global methods for parameter estimation;
• Combined 3D complex kinetic and hydrodynamic CFD dynamic models to study effects of changing key manipulated variable schedules such as aeration parameters to develop on dissolved oxygen distribution and velocity profiles as well as model generation to be utilized in digital twin development;
• A user computer interface that integrates the data with models to be used by the engineers and operators along with the existing SCADA system;
• Optimal plant operation as well as development of a knowledge base for best operating practices for key operational situations.

The approach allows the Hillsborough County wastewater plants to operate in a robust and safe manner while staying within environmental compliance at all times as well minimizing the energy consumption. The project allowed to identify data needs and gaps and cost effective means to rectify and reconcile them. Furthermore, the resulting models are being utilized in a portfolio of other ways including planning of plant expansions, retrofit designs, design of new plants, particularly while working with external constituents.