A LabVIEW-Based Simulator for the Activated Sludge Process

The activated sludge process is the main process in most urban wastewater treatment systems. It is considered complex in nature, and building its mathematical model in practice becomes difficult. A simple and easy way to build the simulation models for the system is needed. In this paper, a LabVIEW based simulator for the system is presented. LabVIEW offers a highly efficient, simple and flexible platform for simulation and control. Building applications in LabVIEW require less coding, and debugging is easy and fast. The proposed simulator utilizes the Benchmark Simulation Model no.1 (BSM 1) for the biochemical reactor and clarification processes. The operation of the simulator is via a graphical user interface (GUI) built in the LabVIEW environment. The simulation results can be displayed in digital and graphical forms. Simulation results obtained were compared with the results from other software simulation packages in which the COST/IWA Simulation Benchmark has been implemented. The developed simulator is very useful due to its efficiency and accuracy in simulating the wastewater process model. The simulator can serve as a training tool for plant operators/students to provide them with better knowledge and understanding of the process. (Less)