Optimizing Two-Stage Anaerobic Digestion for Efficient Wastewater Treatment: A Computational Study using Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1

Abstract: This research presents a simulation of a two-stage anaerobic digestion process designed for treating household wastewater. The widely recognized Anaerobic Digestion Model No.1 (ADM1) was utilized and integrated with SimulinkTM software to facilitate the simulation. To accurately wastewater characterization, a novel procedure was developed using elemental analysis. A MATLABTM code was used to simplify the calculation of compound stoichiometry. Experimental wastewater data particularly chemical oxygen demand (COD) was analyzed using ADM1. Calibration and validation of the model data were performed with 27 different variables. The results demonstrated a strong fit for COD using R² = 0.941. The study helps in prediction of other wastewater characteristics like VFA and biogas production rate which are hard to evaluate using other methods. Additionally, the study introduces a straightforward technique for calculating the elemental composition of organic substrates in wastewater. Overall, this study offers an alternative approach to wastewater management using computational analysis. Keywords: Anaerobic Digestion, Domestic Wastewater, Elemental Analysis, ADM1 JEL Classification Number: F31, F41