Comparative Modeling of Circulating Fluidized Bed Bioreactor (CFBBR) for Biological Nutrient Removal from Landfill Leachate

Steady state operational data from a pilot scale circulating fluidized bed bioreactor (CFBBR) during biological treatment of landfill leachate, at empty bed contact times (EBCTs) of 0.49, and 0.41 d and volumetric nutrients loading rates of 2.2–2.6 kg COD/(m3·d), 0.7–0.8 kg N/(m3·d), and 0.014–0.016 kg P/(m3·d), was used to calibrate and compare developed process models in BioWin® and AQUIFAS®. BioWin® and AQUIFAS® were both capable of predicting most of the performance parameters such as effluent TKN, NH4-N, NO3-N, TP, PO4-P, TSS, and VSS with an average percentage error (APE) of 0% to 20%. BioWin® underpredicted the effluent BOD and SBOD values for various runs by 80% while AQUIFAS® predicted effluent BOD and SBOD with an APE of 50%. Some of the data presented here is published in Eldyasti et al. (2011)