BIO_ALGAE 2: improved model of microalgae and bacteria consortia for wastewater treatment

A new set up of the integral mechanistic BIO_ALGAE model that describes the complex interactions in mixed algal-bacterial systems was developed to overcome some restrictions of the model. BIO_ALGAE 2 includes new sub-models that take into account the variation of microalgae and bacteria performance as a function of culture conditions prevailing in microalgae cultures (pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen) over daily and seasonal cycles and the implementation of on-demand dioxide carbon injection for pH control. Moreover, another aim of this work was to study a correlation between the mass transfer coefficient and the hydrodynamics of reactor. The model was calibrated using real data from a laboratory reactor fed with real wastewater. Moreover, the model was used to simulate daily variations of different components in the pond (dissolved oxygen, pH, and CO2 injection) and to predict microalgae (X-ALG) and bacteria (X-H) proportions and to estimate daily biomass production (C-b). The effect of CO2 injection and the influence of wastewater composition on treatment performance were investigated through practical study cases. X-ALG decreased by 38%, and X-H increased by 35% with respect to the system under pH control while microalgae and bacteria proportions are completely different as a function of influent wastewater composition. Model simulations have indicated that C-b production (similar to 100 gTSS m(-3) day(-1) for manure and centrate) resulted lower than C-b production obtained using primary influent wastewater (155 gTSS m(-3) day(-1)).