ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Supplementation of Wastewater Process Modelling
Tools to Enable the Kinetic Analysis of Sewage
Sludge Composting
R. Kovács, P. Miháltz, Z. Csikor
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Environmental Pilot Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Environmental Process Engineering, Budapest University
of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3. Budapest, H-1111, Hungary
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2007;16(6):831-839
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ABSTRACT
This study demonstrates mathematical description of sewage sludge composting based on identification
and separate characterisation of simple process parts. For a description of the microbial processes an
ASM3-based mathematical model developed for autothermal thermophilic aerobic sludge digestion is used.
The oxygen mass transfer was characterized in a separate way. The 2.964·10-3 m2·d-1 value of the oxygen
diffusion coefficient in the sludge at 55°C indicates the strong oxygen limitation of the microbial degradation.
The model extended with the oxygen mass transfer description has been validated using results from
composting experiments performed with different specific sludge-air surface areas and with the renewal of
the sludge surface.