ABSTRACT
Chapters 5 and 6 introduce us to the response of microbial cultures in single continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) and demonstrated the importance of solids retention time (SRT) in determining that response. Although such reactors have found extensive use in research and in the treatment of some industrial wastewaters, more complex reactor systems are commonly used in practice and it is important to consider them. Consequently, in this chapter we will use International Association on Water Quality (IAWQ) activated sludge model (ASM) No. 1 to investigate the responses of complex bioreactor systems when they contain biomass reacting in accordance with the processes discussed in Chapter 6 and listed in Table 6.1. Since the events occurring in these various systems are all the same, the responses will demonstrate how bioreactor configuration affects system performance, thereby providing a foundation from which engineering decisions can be made about the appropriate system configuration for a given objective. In addition, we will introduce the concepts of biological phosphorus removal (BPR) through use of ASM No. 2.
