This contribution serves two purposes. (1) It presents an updated version of the Astlingen example developed by the working group 'Integral Real Time Control' of the German Water Association (DWA), which serves as a benchmark example for the setup and evaluation of real time control strategies. As this benchmark is also intended for educational use, it demonstrates a simple RTC algorithm, illustrating the main concepts of RTC of drainage system. (2) The paper also encourages the preliminary analysis of the potential feasibility and benefit of a temporal increase of inflow to the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) before analysing the WWTP behaviour in detail. For the present example, RTC within the sewer system alone led to almost the same reduction of overflow volume as permitting the inflow to the WWTP to be increased for 6 h within any 24 h, if at all permitted.

Mock loops are an important tool for in vitro investigations of artificial blood pumps. The simple windkessel, throttle, and atrium principle was used for the mock loop design presented. The components of the systemic and the pulmonary mock loop were designed according to calculated numerical simulation parameters. The loops offer a compact design and simple handling. For simulating biventricular assist or total artificial heart (TAH), both loops can be coupled correspondingly. The numerical simulation and the first results with the loops show very good similarity to physiological data of systemic and pulmonary circulation. The measurements of pump characteristics are significant for quantitative comparison of different pump sizes and types, or driving systems.

Pharmaceuticals and their metabolites have developed as ecotoxicologically relevant micropollutants in the aquatic environment. During conventional biological wastewater treatment they are eliminated insufficiently and therefore reach surface waters via discharges. They are either partially or completely non-biodegradable and/or hardly eliminable by activated sludge adsorption because they often have polar structures. Membrane bioreactor treatment (MBR) was applied to pre-treat wastewater containing pharmaceutical compounds, e.g., antibiotics like floxacins and their synthetic precursor compounds. Our objectives were to eliminate these persistent target compounds from wastewater prior to discharge into receiving waters. Therefore an advanced treatment applying MBR combined with different chemical and physicochemical processes was performed. The addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC), nano filtration (NF), reverse osmosis (UO) or ozone (O3) and O3/UV were applied to MBR permeate spiked with the selected target compounds. Treatment efficiency was assessed using conventional inorganic and organic chemical analyses besides advanced physicochemical methods like liquid chromatography coupled with mass and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS and -MS-MS).

Abstract. Brazil has historical concerns about renewable sources of energy, mainly because it is the largest tropical country in the world, receiving intense solar radiation, which is the basis of biomass production. In addition, the country has exceptional soil and climate conditions and great biodiversity. Agriculture and livestock activities are very representative in the Brazilian economy and produce usable biomass, which entail renewable sources of energy and the need for residue management. In this context, biogas represents a basic energy source; it is generated via planned treatment of animal, human and industrial wastes. This has two main results: a) the generation of electric, thermal, and vehicular (biomethane) energy; and b) the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and resultant mitigation of global warming. This paper assesses agricultural biogas projects being developed by Itaipu Binational, the second largest hydroelectric power generation company in the world, which has diversified its energy production from hydropower into other renewable sources such as biogas. In addition to promoting environmental and economic benefits, it promotes local social development, since the process for biogas production constitutes and sustains a relatively complex supply chain, requiring local skilled labor, technical and scientific support, and environmental awareness in the population. We conclude with implications of the Itaipu biogas case example for a range of other contexts.

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