Energies, Vol. 18, Pages 5947: A Simulation-Based Framework for Energy-Efficient and Safe Blower Coordination in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Energies, Vol. 18, Pages 5947: A Simulation-Based Framework for Energy-Efficient and Safe Blower Coordination in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Energies doi: 10.3390/en18225947

Authors:
Luca Cirillo
Marco Gotelli
Marina Massei
Xhulia Sina
Vittorio Solina

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are critical infrastructures that account for a significant share of global electricity, with aeration alone often responsible for over half of the total demand. Reducing the energy intensity of blower operation is, therefore, essential for sustainable and resilient WWTP management. This study presents a modeling and simulation framework for optimizing parallel blower operation in grit chamber aeration system. The framework integrates a modular structure with a blower model, a distribution network model, and an optimization layer that work together to capture equipment performance, simulate hydraulic interactions, and determine energy-optimal operating strategies under process and safety constraints. Two optimization strategies are compared: a heuristic grid search and a Safe Bayesian Optimization (SBO) method. Both algorithms enforce vendor surge and overheat limits, network pressure constraints, and process requirements. Simulation campaigns under representative demand scenarios show that both approaches achieve feasible operating points, while SBO consistently demonstrates higher energy savings and substantially faster runtime. Overall, the findings highlight the potential of data-driven optimization for achieving efficient and safe blower control, with reduced computation time making progress for real-time supervisory optimization in WWTPs.