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Avoiding Digester Imbalance Through Real Time Expert System Control of Dilution Rate - 1991
Avoiding Digester Imbalance Through Real Time Expert System Control of Dilution Rate - 1991
ABSTRACT
Process control of anaerobic digesters is a particularly challenging
problem because of the diversity of possible causes that can lead to
digester imbalance. Conventional control schemes can fail in conse-
quence of a reversal in the sign of the steady-state gain caused by
some type of disturbance. In this work we present an expert system
approach that takes into account the particularity of this process. The
developed algorithm is demonstrated to compensate successfully for
changes in the digester feed medium when simulated against a model
for a continuous anaerobic digester.
Index Entries: Anaerobic digestion; imbalance; process control;
expert systems.
INTROD()CTION
The expert system that we are proposing makes use of the following
key concept: The dilution rate is continually manipulated to keep the
reactor yield constant, where
(Reacor · ld) =
t YIe (Methane Production Rate)
------~--~----~~~~~~~------
(Volumetric Feed Rate) . (Feed Concentration)
This is very easily implemented when interrupted feeding is employed:
at each instant an amount is fed that corresponds to the previous methane-
production-rate measurement, hence keeping the specified yield.
This control policy responds to a drop in the methane production rate
(caused by inhibition) by decreasing the dilution rate in an effort to keep
the reactor yield constant. This is, of course, a move in the right direction
and can save the digester from failure. The same constant-yield control
policy would also respond the right way to a sudden change in the feed
substrate concentration, provided that the feed substrate concentration is
measured on line. Thus, an increase in the feed concentration (overload)
will be compensated for by a corresponding decrease in the dilution rate,
avoiding the problem of fatty acid build-up. The latter would cause fatty
acid inhibition of methanogenesis and possibly digester imbalance. The
problem, however, is that an appropriate measurement of feed substrate
concentration on line (e.g., chemical oxygen demand or biochemical
methane potential) is not currently possible.
The lack of availability of feed substrate concentration measurement
forces us to consider a nominal apparent reactor yield, defined as
· ld) =
(A pparent Reac tor YIe (Methane Production Rate)
(Volumetric Feed Rate) . Snom
where Snom is a standard expected value for the feed substrate concentration.
Implementing a constant-apparent-yield operating policy would cer-
tainly work very well for the case of inhibitors in the feed. This approach,
however, can fail in the case of changes in the feed substrate concentra-
tion. An increase in the methane production rate caused by an overload
will be compensated for by a corresponding increase in the dilution rate,
causing possible fatty acid accumulation and digester imbalance. A de-
crease in the methane production rate caused by an underload will be
answered by a corresponding decrease in the dilution rate. It may be im-
possible to maintain the desired constant apparent yield, in which case
the dilution rate will continue dropping until, eventually, the reactor goes
to batch mode. These facts have been verified by testing the performance
of the constant-apparent-yield operating policy against the model of Smith
et al. (14). Consequently, we see that a constant-apparent-yield operating
strategy would work well in responding to a drop in the methane produc-
tion rate whenever this is caused by inhibitors in the feed, but could fail if
the cause is a feed underload (i.e., substrate concentration drop in the
feed). In the later instance it would suffice to drop the dilution rate to a
level low enough to avoid methanogen washout. The next section describes
the expert system at which we arrived by taking these considerations into
account. ....,
0.12
0.11
0.1
0.09
0.08
0.07
D(per day) 0.0&
0.05
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.01
0
0 2 4
Figure 2 shows the response of the expert system to a severe feed in-
hibition that caused a drop of the maximum methanogen specific growth
rate from O.36/d to O.08/d over the time it persisted. As can be seen from
the figure, the expert system caused a drop of the dilution rate from
its base value of O.l/d to about O.03/d, avoiding methanogen washout.
During this time, Loops 1 and 2 were active, implementing essentially a
constant-yield operating policy. As soon as the inhibitor was removed
from the feed, the dilution rate was brought back to its normal value.
During the upset, the methane production rate of course dropped at first
by a significant amount, but methanogen washout was prevented and
the algorithm succeeded in recovering the digester.
0.12
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0.1
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0.07
O(PER DAY) 0.06
0.05
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0
0 100 200 300 400
SAMPLING POINTS
04 fl...
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _--.
0
0 200 600
0.12
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D(per day)
0.06
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0.004
Il
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0 200 0400 600
SAMPLING POINTS
dilution rate. As soon as the overload ceases, the controller returns the
dilution rate to its normal value of O.l/d.
CONCLOSIONS
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
REFERENCES