Control of the chemical quality of industrial wastewater

• Main Author: Nazir Karnachi, Nayeem A.
• Published: Leeds Beckett University 2008
• Subjects: 628.43
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.500766

Quality control of wastewater is an important treatment process more so now, tnan ever before. Due to an extremely unpredictable nature of the wastewater, which is a mixture of both inorganic and organic waste, it is very difficult to neutralise. Two approaches have been proposed in developing alternative control strategies as suggestions for the pH control of the wastewater in an industrial plant. The first is to develop a mathematical model of a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with a possible use of MATLAB®. Three different control methods (linear, nonlinear and adaptive) are subject to vigorous theoretical testing and are proposed as a possible solution. The second, a parallel approach, has been to build a laboratory scale experimental reactor using a seven litre continuously stirred tank with monitors for influent flow, influent pH and reactor tank pH. Results suggest that a more sophisticated controller than the simple PID control, currently in operation, could lend Itself to overcoming the problem of persistent large spikes in the pH of the influent. Further work would consider the implementation of these results to the actual industrial wastewater treatment plant.