Implementing an Aeration Control System at the Biggest wwtp in China

In recent years, China has begun to reap the benefits of installing and operating automatic process control systems in wastewater treatment plants. Multiple case studies have demonstrated that an advanced model based control system may not only assist wastewater treatment plants in meeting more stringent effluent permits, but also lead to improvements in process stability and energy savings. To achieve these benefits and ensure the plant is operating at peak efficiency, Bailonggang Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), located in Shanghai, China, has opted to employ an advanced model based aeration control system in its most recent expansion which added 212 MGD of capacity to the existing capacity of 528 MGD. This paper presents a full case study of the process of designing and commissioning an aeration system based upon variable oxygen uptake rate and discusses the typical issues which arise while implementing such a system in such a large scale application.