Aerobic granules were cultivated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) fed with soybean-processing wastewater at 25+/-1 degrees C and pH 7.0+/-0.1. The granulation process was described via measuring the increase of sludge size. The formation of granules was found to be a four-phase process, that is, acclimating, shaping, developing, and maturated. A modified Logistic model could well fit with the granule growth by diameter and could be employed to estimate the maximum diameter, lag time, and specific diameter growth rate effectively. Both normal and log-normal distributions proved to be applicable to model the diameter distribution of the granules. The granule-containing liquor was shear thinning, and their rheological characteristics could be described by using the Herschel-Buckley equation. The suspended solids concentration, pH, temperature, diameter, settling velocity, specific gravity, and sludge volume index all had an effect on the apparent viscosity of the mixed liquor of granules. The matured granules had fractal nature with a fractal dimension of 1.87+/-0.34. Moreover, 83% of matured granules were permeable with fluid collection efficiencies over 0.034. As compared to activated sludge flocs, the aerobic granules grown on the soybean-processing wastewater had better settling ability, mass transfer efficiency, and bioactivity.

A generalized model was established for simulating an aerobic granule-based sequencing batch reactor (SBR) with considerations of biological processes, reactor hydrodynamics, mass transfer, and diffusion. Methodology of discretization was effectively used forthe model development and calculations. The activated sludge model no.1 was modified to describe the biological processes within the granules. Based on the difference between the calculated and measured results, the model structure was further improved through introducing simultaneous consumption of soluble substrates by storage and heterotrophs growth with a changeable reaction rate. Model calculations were conducted using a MATLAB program. The calculation results show the respective contributions of granules in different size fractions and slices to the overall change of model component concentrations. Moreover, oxygen concentration profiles within granules and oxygen consumption rate varied in one operating cycle. This confirms the applicability and validity of the discretization method and the model structure.

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Aerobic granulation is a promising process for wastewater treatment, but this granulation process is very complicated and is affected by many factors. Thus, a mathematical model to quantitatively describe such a granulation process is highly desired. In this work, by taking into account all of key steps including biomass growth, increase in particle size and density, detachment, breakage and sedimentation, an one-dimensional mathematic model was developed to simulate the granulation process of activated sludge in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). Discretization methodology was applied by dividing operational time, sedimentation process, size fractions and slices into discretized calculation elements. Model verification and prediction for aerobic granulation process were conducted under four different conditions. Four parameters indicative of granulation progression, including mean radius, biomass discharge ratio, total number, and bioparticle size distribution, were predicted well with the model. An optimum controlling strategy, automatically adjusted of settling time, was also proposed based on this model. Moreover, aerobic granules with a density higher than 120 g VSS/L and radius in a range of 0.4-1.0 mm were predicted to have both high settling velocity and substrate utilization rate, and the corresponding optimum operating conditions were be determined. Experimental results demonstrate that the developed model is appropriate for simulating the formation of aerobic granules in SBRs. These results are useful for designing and optimizing the cultivation and operation of aerobic granule process.