Simulation for sustainable dimensioning of treatment plants

The water and wastewater industry in Sweden is facing major investments of SEK 2-3 billions per year for construction of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The population is growing as are the demands on degree of treatment, resource and cost efficiency as well as reduction of C O2 emissions.

Today's WWTPs are dimensioned based on rules of thumb with non-transparent safety factors. This means that the dimensioning becomes subjective and difficult to understand, which involves an increased risk that the new treatment plants will not meet the requirements during the entire life cycle. Innovative data collection technologies and new methodologies for applying existing dynamic process models have great potential to improve the dimensioning process.

The purpose of the project is to contribute to the industry's digital transformation through i) raising knowledge in process modelling and ii) developing and innovating new methods for model-based dimensioning.

The result is an increased digital maturity of the project's critical mass of need owners as well as a full-scale demonstration of the benefits of model-based dimensioning as an optimization and tool for defining prerequirements.

A general and scalable method for model-based dimensioning is developed, where standardized data analysis of motion and load data are central components for creating transparent safety margins.

The effect of the project is that the need owners utilize digital tools (data-driven analysis, process modelling and developed methods) to procure and operate smart and sustainable treatment plants. The in-depth understanding of how resilience can be achieved by dimensioning leads to an increased and cost-effective environmental benefit throughout the life cycle. The full-scale technology demonstration strengthens the industry's confidence in process modelling as an effective tool for sustainable dimensioning, which will be a driving force for the industry's digital transformation.