Development of a Stochastic Programming Model for Design and Optimization of Activated-Sludge Wastewater-Treatment System Considering Efforts of Uncertain Factors
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 143, Issue 9
Abstract
In this study, an improved interval two-stage programming (ITSP) model is applied for design and optimization of an activated-sludge process (ASP) wastewater-treatment system under uncertainty. Improved ITSP integrates full-infinite programming and two-stage programming into an interval linear programming framework. Improved ITSP is capable of addressing multiple uncertainties that exist in related costs, impact factors, and system objectives, which can be expressed as determinates and crisp interval values. The modeling approach allows uncertainties and decision makers’ aspirations to be directly communicated into the optimization process and resultant solutions. This is the first attempt to apply ITSP to an ASP wastewater-treatment system, in which pollutant discharge can be controlled in whole aspects. Results indicate that reasonable solutions would be generated. This model is applicable for a conventional ASP wastewater-treatment system without any nitrification because of the oxygen demand for ammonia oxidation. It can help decision makers to identify desired policies under various economic and system constraints by generating decision alternatives, which can also coordinate the conflicting interactions among economic cost, system efficiency, and pollutant mitigation.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Plan (2016YFC0207800), Youth Fund Project of National Natural Science Fund (51608422), Scientific Research Program Funded by Shaanxi Provincial Education Department (15JK1449), Youth Fund of Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology (QN1517), and Shaanxi Province Natural Science Basic Research Program Youth Talent Project (2016JQ5008). The authors are grateful to the editors and the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 143 • Issue 9 • September 2017
Copyright
©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 19, 2016
Accepted: Dec 19, 2016
Published online: May 8, 2017
Published in print: Sep 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Oct 8, 2017
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