Modelamiento del Tratamiento Biológico: Análisis Con un Ensayo Experimental en un Reactor Discontinuo Aeróbio

The present research work evaluated the performance of biological treatment by activated sludge through a biological reactor built at laboratory level, of set volume, manual, with extended aeration, installed in the laboratories of the Salesian Polytechnic University. Urban wastewater obtained from the Ucubamba Wastewater Treatment Plant in the city of Cuenca-Ecuador was used in the experiment. In the system, pH, conductivity, temperature, sedimentability and BOD were controlled. Subsequently, a kinetic model of substrate degradation was established, and the model was validated and calibrated with the field data obtained. Experimental results were compared with the theoretical model to define the behavior of organic matter degradation and a comparable result was obtained between both processes, a statistical adjustment of the two models was performed, being the trend similar. An exponential adjustment was tested, obtaining a k value (organic matter degradation coefficient) equal to 0.233 and with an R2 of 0.93 and 0.80 in the theoretical and exponential models, respectively.