A novel cycle running activated sludge process named the five-tank integrated activated sludge process (FTIASP) was developed by Southeast University of China. It is similar to Unitank but has five tanks. Mathematical simulation and calibration of the FTIASP were performed

especially a iterative calculation procedure for calibrating kinetic parameters was proposed. The procedure combined six batch experiment simulations: ammonia uptake rate (AUR)

nitrate uptake rate (NUR)

oxygen uptake rate (OUR)

phosphorus release rate (PRR)

phosphorus uptake rate under aerobic (PUR_aerobic) and phosphorus uptake rate under anoxic (PUR_anoxic)

sensitivity analysis and mathematical optimization method (genetic algorithm). The six batch experiments could simulate the nitrification

denitrification

aerobic growth of heterotrophic biomass

hydrolysis

phosphorus release and phosphorus uptake processes in FTIASP. Sensitivity analysis could calculate the influences of parameters on the model outputs

thus parameters needed to be calibrated were determined (parameter estimation). The mathematical optimization method could calibrate these parameters automatically. Good consistencies were found between the data of model prediction and experimental results

and the average relative deviation (ARD) values of the six batch experiments were 5.65%

17.27%

6.02%

7.11%

13.07% and 6.98% respectively

and those of effluent COD

NH4+-N

TN and TP during dynamic simulations were 4.72%

18.87%

9.45% and 38.11%

respectively. The results indicated that the method proposed in this paper was feasible for calibrating the activated sludge model.