Bioresource Technology 96 (2005) 18321842

Application of the ADM1 model to advanced anaerobic digestion

Wayne J. Parker

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont., Canada N2L 3G1
Received 20 November 2003; received in revised form 3 January 2005; accepted 5 January 2005
Available online 8 March 2005

Abstract
In this paper the ADM1 model that has been developed by the IWA Task Group for Mathematical Modelling of Anaerobic
Digestion Processes is summarized. The model was applied to a variety of anaerobic digestion scenarios that are presented in the
literature and for each data set the model predictions were compared to experimental values. Based upon the model applications
it was apparent that for accurate model simulations the inuent sludge should be well characterized in terms of biodegradable
and recalcitrant COD and also nitrogenous compounds. In almost all cases the model was able to reect the trends that were
observed in the experimental data however the concentrations of VFAs were consistently over-predicted in digesters with short
SRTs. It would appear that the inhibition functions associated with low pH values tend to overestimate the impact of pH on biokinetic rates for the acid-consuming bacteria. Application of the model with ow through of active biomass between digesters in series
in temperature-phased systems needs to be further evaluated in the future.
2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Two-phase; Temperature-phased; Mesophilic; Thermophilic; Model; Sludge

1. Introduction
Owners and operators of wastewater treatment
plants are increasingly considering the use of advanced
digestion technologies for producing pathogen-free biosolids and for enhancing sludge stabilization. Some
examples of such technologies include staged thermophilic (Krugel et al., 1998), temperature-phased (TPAD)
(Han et al., 1997), two-phase (Ghosh, 1987) and threephase digestion (Drury et al., 2002). With the increasing
complexity of these processes it is dicult to evaluate
the impact of all process variables on the performance
of the digesters. Hence, it is dicult to optimize the
design and operation of these processes. Pilot testing
for the purposes of optimization is challenging due to
the extended time periods that are required to operate

Tel.: +1 519 888 4567x6324; fax: +1 519 888 4349.

E-mail address: wjparker@uwaterloo.ca

0960-8524/$ - see front matter 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2005.01.022

these processes. Given these factors, the use of models

for predicting process performance over a range of
design and operating conditions becomes attractive.
Over the years a range of models have been developed for modeling anaerobic digestion processes. Early
models were steady state and assumed a rate-limiting
step (Lawrence, 1971). However, the increasing complexity of the advanced digestion technologies requires
more complex models that can represent the impacts
of changing environments on chemical and microbial
species. Based on reports in the literature there is evidence of a number of multi-species models that are
based upon diering assumptions and have diering
congurations (Angelidaki et al., 1999; Pavlostathis
and Gossett, 1986; Siegrist et al., 1993). Relatively recently there has been a move by the International Water
Associations (IWA) Task Group for Mathematical
Modelling of Anaerobic Digestion Processes to develop
a common model that can be used by researchers and
practitioners (IWA, 2002). This model (ADM1) has a

W.J. Parker / Bioresource Technology 96 (2005) 18321842

structure that is similar to the IWA activated sludge

models that have received acceptance by practitioners
over the last 10 years. The application of a version of
the model to municipal sludge digestion has been described by Siegrist et al. (2002).
The objective of this study was to examine the application of the ADM1 model to advanced digestion technologies. This paper presents an overview of the model
structure and assumptions and denes important model
inputs. A description of the model application to existing data sets for a variety of anaerobic digester congurations will be presented. The impact of modifying
process parameters on process performance, as predicted by the model, will be summarized. Diculties
encountered in model use and recommendations for
modications will be presented.

2. Model description
The ADM1 model is described in considerable detail
in the report prepared by the IWA Task Group for
Mathematical Modeling of Anaerobic Digestion Processes (IWA, 2002). The following provides a brief overview of the model for the purposes of this discussion.
The ADM1 model is a structured model that reects

the major processes that are involved in the conversion

of complex organic substrates into methane and carbon
dioxide and inert byproducts. In Fig. 1 an overview of
the substrates and conversion processes that are addressed by the model is presented. From Fig. 1 it can
be seen that the model includes disintegration of complex solids into inert substances, carbohydrates, proteins
and fats. The products of disintegration are hydrolyzed
to sugars, amino acids and long chain fatty acids
(LCFA) respectively. Carbohydrates and proteins are
fermented to produce volatile organic acids (acidogenesis) and molecular hydrogen. LCFA are oxidized
anaerobically to produce acetate and molecular hydrogen. Propionate, butyrate and valerate are converted
to acetate (acetogenesis) and molecular hydrogen. Methane is produced by both cleavage of acetate to methane
(aceticlastic methanogenesis) and reduction of carbon
dioxide by molecular hydrogen to produce methane
(hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis).
To address these mechanisms, the model employs
state variables to describe the behaviour of soluble and
particulate components. All organic species and molecular hydrogen are described in terms of chemical oxygen
demand (COD). Nitrogenous species and inorganic carbon species are described in terms of their molar concentrations. Soluble components are those that can pass

Complex Particulate
Organic Matter (Xc)

Carbohydrates (Xch)

Proteins (Xpr)

Sugars
(Ssu)

Amino
Acids
(Saa)

Propionate (Spro)

Inert
Particulates
(XI)
Fats (Xli)

Long Chain
Fatty Acids
(Sfa)

Butyrate (Sbu)
Valerate (Sva)

Hydrogen (Sh2)

Acetate (Sac)

1833

Methane (Sch4)
Fig. 1. Conceptual model for ADM1 model.

Inert
Soluble
(SI)

1834

W.J. Parker / Bioresource Technology 96 (2005) 18321842

through microbial cellular walls and include the monomers of complex polymers (sugars, amino acids, long
chain fatty acids), volatile organic acids (propionate,
butyrate, valerate, acetate), hydrogen, and methane. In
Fig. 1, soluble species are represented with a capital
S. In addition to the organic species, the model addresses inorganic carbon (carbon dioxide and bicarbonate) and nitrogenous species (ammonia and
ammonium). All of the species that dissociate as a function of pH (VFAs and ammonia) have variables dened
for both the protonated and non-protonated species.
The model maintains a charge balance among ionic species and hence there are variables for inorganic anions
and cations including the hydrogen ion. The model
solves for the hydrogen ion concentration, and thereby
the pH, by ensuring chemical neutrality in solution.
Particulate species consist of either active biomass
species or particulate substances that are incapable of
directly passing through bacterial cell walls. In Fig. 1
particulate species are those with a capital X. The
microbial species that are considered in the model include sugar fermenters, amino acid fermenters, LCFA
oxidizers, butyrate and valerate oxidizers, propionate
oxidizers, aceticlastic methanogens and hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Non-microbial particulate species
include complex organics that either enter the process in
the inuent or that result from the death and decay of
microbial species and the products of disintegration of
the complex organics. This latter group consists of carbohydrates, proteins and LCFAs.
Substrate conversion processes are described by a
number of kinetic expressions that describe the conversion rates in terms of substrate concentrations and rate
constants. The disintegration of Xc and hydrolysis of
Xch, Xpr and Xli are described by rst order rate expressions. Substrate conversion processes have Monod-type
kinetic expressions while endogenous decay processes
are rst order in biomass concentration. It should be
noted that the ADM1 model diers from the ASM models in that microbially mediated processes are dened in
terms of substrate conversion as opposed to microbial
growth. For each of the above-mentioned processes
the rate of generation of products is related to the process rate through stoichiometric coecients. For example the rate of growth of an organism is related to the
rate of substrate consumption through the yield coecient for the organism on the substrate. This format is
consistent with the approach that is employed in the
ASM models.
It is recognized that a number of the conversion processes that are active in anaerobic digestion of municipal
sludges can be inhibited by the accumulation of intermediate products such as molecular hydrogen, ammonia or
by extremes of pH. In the model, all microbially mediated substrate conversion processes are subject to inhibition by extremes of pH. All anaerobic oxidation

processes are subject to inhibition by accumulation of

molecular hydrogen and aceticlastic methanogenesis is
inhibited at elevated free ammonia concentrations. Inhibition that is caused by molecular hydrogen and free
ammonia is implemented in the model by employing
rate multipliers that reect non-competitive inhibition.
An empirical correlation is employed as a process rate
multiplier to reect the eects of extreme pH.
Liquidgas mass transfer of gaseous components
(methane, carbon dioxide and molecular hydrogen) is described by mass transfer relationships. Hence the application of the model equations requires separate mass
balances for the liquid and gas phases of the components.

3. Model application
In this study a selected number of data sets were
chosen from previously published reports on anaerobic
digestion of municipal wastewater sludges. Data sets
were selected to encompass a range of digester congurations and on the basis of the completeness of the data
sets that would be employed for model inputs and for
comparison with model predictions. In all cases, studies
that employed actual sludges from municipal wastewater treatment plants were selected. The data sets that
were employed in this study are described in Table 1.
The ADM1 model employs a large number of constants and coecients. Given the model complexity it
was impossible to calibrate the model parameters with
any of the data sets that were available. In the report
describing the ADM1 model the authors reviewed the
previously published reports on anaerobic digestion processes and presented recommended values for model
parameters. For the purposes of this study the recommended model parameters were employed unless additional information was provided by the original
researchers that allowed for an improved estimate of
the model parameters.
In order to achieve accurate model predictions it
is important to dene the properties of the sludge stream
entering the digester. For organic substances, the
ADM1 model denes these inputs in terms of soluble
and particulate COD. For municipal sludges a majority
Table 1
Data sets referenced in this study
Digester conguration

Sludge source

References

Single stage
mesophilic digestion
Acid phase digestion

Mixed PS and WAS

Cacho Rivero et al.

(2002)
Eastman and
Ferguson (1981)
Han and Dague
(1995)
Han et al. (1997)
Ghosh (1987)

Temperature-phased
anaerobic digestion
Two-phase digestion

PS
PS
Mixed PS and WAS
Mixed PS and WAS

W.J. Parker / Bioresource Technology 96 (2005) 18321842

of the organic loading is associated with the particulate

COD. The particulate COD entering the digester is dened in terms of biodegradable (Xc) and non-biodegradable components. Estimation of these parameters is
often challenging for many data sets as in many cases
the sludge COD is not reported and in almost all cases
the biodegradable fraction is not independently measured. In most cases the sludge is characterized in terms
of its volatile solids content.
The relationship between volatile solids content and
COD will depend upon the relative contribution of primary (PS) and waste activated sludge (WAS) to the
sludge composition (Parkin and Owen, 1986). Primary
sludges typically contain approximately 2.0 kg COD/kg
VS while WAS typically has a value of 1.4 kg COD/kg
VS for this parameter. The inlet COD can therefore be
estimated on the basis of these typical values if the relative contributions of PS and WAS are known.
The biodegradable fraction of the sludge particulate
COD will also be a function of the sludge make-up.
Primary sludges have been estimated to have a COD
ultimate biodegradability of 69% (Parkin and Owen,
1986). The biodegradable fraction of WAS is dependent
upon the sludge age that is employed in the aeration
process (Gossett and Belser, 1982). Sludges that have extended solids residence times (SRT) in the aeration basin
will have been highly oxidized and hence will be relatively recalcitrant to biodegradation in anaerobic digestion. The ultimate biodegradability of WAS has been
found to range from 30% to 50% over the range of SRTs
typically employed in wastewater treatment processes.
Hence, it is apparent that accurate application of the
model requires a detailed characterization of the inlet
sludge composition. The sludge composition should be
determined in terms of COD and the biodegradable
fraction should be determined. This latter parameter
could be determined through the use of a long term
batch digestion test to identify the maximum biodegradability of the sludge. While there are no standard protocols for such a test, existing anaerobic biodegradability
protocols could presumably be adapted for this purpose.
If the contribution of PS and WAS to the digester feed
were to vary substantially with time, then this testing
should be performed on the PS and WAS streams separately. The properties of the composite sludge as a function of time could subsequently be estimated.
The ADM1 model also estimates the behaviour of
nitrogen compounds in anaerobic digestion. In the cases
of municipal sludges the presence of ammonia nitrogen
in the inlet and the release of ammonia from decay of
solids has a substantial inuence on the buering of
pH. As will be demonstrated later in this paper the concentration of ammonia/ammonium in the inlet can have
a substantial impact upon the pH of acid-phase digesters
that have a relatively short SRT. In addition, the digestion of highly concentrated sludges can result in the re-

1835

lease of elevated concentrations of ammonia that can be

inhibitory to aceticlastic methanogens (IWA, 2002). It is
therefore important to characterize the concentration of
ammonia/ammonium in the digester inlet as well as the
nitrogen content of the sludges. It should be noted that
the ADM1 model does not maintain a perfect mass
balance on nitrogen (Blumensaat and Keller, 2005).
Ammonium that is taken up by microbial growth is
not completely released during subsequent decay.
Hence, it can be expected that the model will underestimate the concentrations of ammonium.
The data sets employed in this study did not contain
all of the information that was previously described.
Where necessary, typical values were assumed. The impact of these assumptions on model predictions will be
subsequently discussed.
3.1. Single stage mesophilic digestion
Cacho Rivero et al. (2002) reported a study that assessed the impact of digester SRT on mesophilic anaerobic digestion of mixed PS and WAS. A series of
digesters were operated over SRTs ranging from 5 to
40 days. In their paper the sludge COD, ammonia and
TKN content and VFA composition were detailed.
For this study, the biodegradable COD was estimated
by extrapolating the results that were obtained for extended SRTs. In their study COD removal, ammonia
and TKN content as well as VFA concentrations in
the digested sludges were reported and were employed
for comparison with the model predictions.
The comparison of the model predictions for euent
COD, NH4/NH3-N, and VFAs is summarized in Fig. 2.
The error bars in Fig. 2 represent 1 standard deviation
of the experimental data. From Fig. 2 it can be seen that
the model was able to predict the euent COD with
considerable accuracy. Nitrogen concentrations were
accurately predicted for the shorter SRTs and while
the trend of increasing concentrations with increasing
SRT was reproduced, the absolute values that were predicted at longer SRTs were somewhat lower that the observed values. The dierences in nitrogen concentrations
may have been due to the lack of mass balance on nitrogen in the ADM1 model. It would be expected that
under conditions where there is substantial solids
destruction that the model would underestimate the concentrations of ammonium-nitrogen.
The dierences between the model predictions and the
observed results may also have resulted from dierences
between the assumed and the actual protein content of
the sludge. The reference did not provide any information on the distribution of carbohydrates, proteins and
lipids in the sludge and hence the default model values
were employed for this parameter.
The model predictions for VFA concentrations were
relatively accurate for SRTs greater than or equal to

1836

W.J. Parker / Bioresource Technology 96 (2005) 18321842

2500

30

25

COD (g/L)

20
Model

15

Experimental

10

NH4/NH3-N (mg/L)

2000

1500
Model
Experimental
1000

500

0
5

10

20

40

10

SRT (d)

20

40

SRT (d)
300

1800
1600

250

1200
1000

Model
Experimental

800
600

Propionic Acid (mg/L)

Acetic Acid (mg/L)

1400

200

Model

150

Experimental

100

400

50
200
0

0
5

10

20

40

10

SRT (d)

20

40

SRT (d)

100

100
80

80

Model

40

Experimental

20

Valeric Acid (mg/L)

Butyric Acid (mg/L)

60

60

40
Model

20

Experimental

0
5

10

20

40

-20

0
5

10

20

40

-40
-60

-20
SRT (d)

SRT (d)

Fig. 2. Comparison of model predictions with data of Cacho Rivero et al. (2002).

10 days. However the model clearly overpredicted the

concentration of acetate while underpredicting the concentrations of propionate, butyrate and valerate. These
results suggest that the rates of oxidation of propionate,
butyrate and valerate were somewhat overestimated by
the model and this would partially, but not completely,
explain the elevated acetate concentrations. It would
appear that the rate at which acetate was converted to
methane at the lower SRT was somewhat underestimated. This may have resulted from either underestimation of the substrate consumption coecients for
aceticlastic methanogenesis or an overestimation of the

inhibition of this activity by ammonia. The model predicted a 40% reduction in the activity of these organisms
due to the presence of ammonia. The impact of reduced
rates of aceticlastic activity on model predictions would
be greatest at the lower SRTs.
3.2. Acid phase digestion
Eastman and Ferguson (1981) performed one of the
rst detailed studies on the acid-phase digestion of municipal sludges. In their study, the impact of HRT was
assessed over a range from 9 to 36 h. The impact of seed

W.J. Parker / Bioresource Technology 96 (2005) 18321842

culture was also evaluated. The model does not have the
capability to address this parameter and hence only the
tests that were conducted with raw sludge as the seed
were employed for this analysis. The model predictions
for ammonia/ammonium-N, pH and total volatile acids
(as acetate) were compared with the observed values in
Fig. 3.
From Fig. 3 it can be seen that the model somewhat
underpredicted the organic acid concentrations at the
lowest SRT of 9 h and overpredicted these values for
the longest SRT of 72 h. The underprediction of acid
12

VFA (g COD/L)

10

Model

Experimental

0
9

18

36

72

SRT (hrs)
7

concentrations at 9 h is in agreement with the overestimation of the euent pH in this test. It would appear
that the model underestimated the rates of disintegration, hydrolysis and acidication under these relatively
extreme conditions of SRT and pH. It should be noted
that the model does not correct any of the disintegration
or hydrolysis rates for pH. Ghosh (1987) has demonstrated that the rate of hydrolysis is inuenced by pH.
An improvement of the model for addressing acid phase
digesters would be to include a rate correction term for
hydrolysis processes.
While not presented in Fig. 3 it must be noted that
although Eastman and Ferguson (1981) observed methane production at the longer SRTs the model did not predict the generation of appreciable quantities of methane
under these conditions. The conversion of VFAs to methane in the experimental data may explain the higher modelpredicted VFA concentrations relative to the observed
values. The results suggest that methanogens are less sensitive to pH than the pH inhibition functions suggest.
The ammonia-nitrogen concentrations were underpredicted at the lowest SRTs and overpredicted at the
highest SRTs. These results tend to conrm the model
predictions of VFA concentrations since an underprediction of solids destruction and hydrolysis, as indicated
by reduced VFAs, would also result in a reduced release
of ammonium.
3.3. Temperature-phased anaerobic digestion (TPAD)

4
pH

Model
Experimental
3

0
9

18

36

72

SRT (hrs)

800
700
600
NH4-N (mg/L)

1837

500
Model

400

Experimental

300
200
100
0
9

18

36

72

SRT (hrs)

Fig. 3. Comparison of model predictions with data of Eastman and

Ferguson (1981).

TPAD processes consist of reactors operating at thermophilic and mesophilic temperatures in series. While
either process may be rst, the most common orientation
has the thermophilic digester ahead of the mesophilic digester. For the purposes of this study two papers on
TPAD digestion were referenced; one that studied digestion of PS alone (Han and Dague, 1995) and one that
studied a mix of PS and WAS (Han et al., 1997). In the
former paper the ratio of the volumes of the rst and second digesters was 1:2. In the latter paper two systems
were operated with system A having a ratio of volumes
of 1:2.5 while system B had a ratio of volumes of 1:5.
In all of the systems the mesophilic temperature was
35 C while the thermophilic temperature was 55 C. A
comparison of the model predictions with the data presented in the paper of Han and Dague (1995) is summarized in Fig. 4. The comparison of model predictions
with the results of Han et al. (1997) are presented for systems A and B in Figs. 5 and 6 respectively.
It should be noted that the model does not explicitly
predict volatile solids removal (VSR). For the purposes
of this paper it was assumed that the removal of volatile
solids was proportional to the removal of overall
COD. This assumes that all of the COD remaining
after digestion have the same ratio of volatile solids
concentration:COD. This undoubtedly introduces some

1838

W.J. Parker / Bioresource Technology 96 (2005) 18321842

16

60

14
50

40

10
Model

Experimental

VSR (%)

CH4 Production (L/d)

12

Model

30

Experimental

6
20

4
10

2
0

10

11.5

12.5

13.6

15

10

11.5

SRT (d)

12.5

13.6

15

SRT (d)

9000

2500

8000

1st Stage

2nd Stage

2000

7000

5000

Model
Experimental

4000

VFA (mg/L)

VFA (mg/L)

6000

1500
Model
Experimental
1000

3000
2000

500
1000
0

0
10

11.5

12.5

13.6

15

SRT (d)

10

11.5

12.5

13.6

15

SRT (d)

Fig. 4. Comparison of model predictions with data of Han and Dague (1995).

error in the estimates however, there was generally insufcient data on the composition of the digester euent to
perform a more rened conversion of COD to solids
concentrations.
The patterns with respect to the model predictions
and observed data that are presented in Figs. 46 are
consistent. In all three cases, the model overpredicted
the production of methane by the temperature-phased
processes. It should be noted that in the papers only
total methane production was reported and hence it
was not possible to compare methane production from
the two reactors separately. In all cases the extent of
overprediction was greatest for the lower SRTs and predictions improved for the longer SRTs. The predictions
for VSR were best for the results presented in Fig. 4
while in Figs. 5 and 6 the model consistently overpredicted the VSR. The overprediction of VSR was consistent with the overprediction of methane generation. In
all three cases the model substantially overpredicted
the concentrations of VFAs in the thermophilic reactor.
The greatest overprediction was associated with the
shortest SRTs and the predictions improved at longer
SRTs. With the exception of the 10 day SRT in Fig. 4
the model tended to underpredict the concentrations
of VFAs in the mesophilic second stage digester.

The results suggest that for thermophilic conditions

the model overpredicts the generation of volatile fatty
acids and that this is accentuated at shorted SRTs. It
should be noted that at low SRTs the model predicted
substantial inhibition of the acetoclastic methanogens
due to low pH (IWA, 2002). It may be that the inhibition functions for this process were too severe.
Although the model predicted high VFA concentrations in the thermophilic phase reactor, it predicted that
essentially all of the VFAs could be converted in the second phase mesophilic reactor. The predicted euent
concentrations were actually lower than those that were
observed. It should be noted that in this modeling eort
the biomass that was present in the rst phase reactor
was allowed to ow into the second phase reactor and
remain active at the new temperature. This may have resulted in the overprediction of activity in the latter reactor as it is unlikely that all of the thermophilic biomass
leaving the rst digester would remain viable in the second stage digester. It may be more appropriate to assume that the biomass entering the second digester
should be considered as biodegradable particulate organic matter.
The dierences between the model predictions and
the observed values of the VFA concentrations may also

12

60

10

50

40

Model

Experimental

VSR (%)

CH4 Production (L/d)

W.J. Parker / Bioresource Technology 96 (2005) 18321842

Model

30

20

10

1839

Experimental

14

20

28

14

SRT (d)

20

28

SRT (d)

6000

250

2nd Stage
1st Stage

5000

200

Model

3000

Experimental

VFA (mg/L)

VFA (mg/L)

4000

150
Model
Experimental
100

2000

50

1000

0
14

20
SRT (d)

28

0
14

20
SRT (d)

28

Fig. 5. Comparison of system a model predictions with data of Han et al. (1997).

have been due to the procedure used to adjust the biokinetic coecients for temperature. In the model documentation (IWA, 2002) it is suggested that a constant
correction factor be employed for all of the microbial
species. Implementing this strategy tends to result in
an accumulation of VFAs at the higher temperatures.
It may be that diering temperature correction factors
should be employed for the dierent microbial
species.

3.4. Two-phase anaerobic digestion

In two-phase anaerobic digestion the rst digester is
operated at a short SRT to wash out methanogenic bacteria and promote the establishment of an acidic environment. In the second stage digester the VFAs that
are generated in the rst stage are converted to methane.
In the study reported by Ghosh (1987) a number of
experiments were performed with digesters operating
at both mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. For
the purposes of this paper only the tests that were performed under mesophilic conditions were examined.
Testing was conducted with total SRTs of 3 days and
7 days and an inuent TS concentration of 7%. With

the 3 day SRT the rst stage had an SRT of 0.9 days
while the second stage had an SRT of 2.1 days.
With the 7 day SRT the rst stage had an SRT of
2 days and the second stage had an SRT of 5 days. In
Tables 2 and 3 a comparison of some of the model
predictions and the reported experimental values are
presented.
From Table 2 it can be see that with the exception of
the rst stage of the 7 day SRT digesters the model predictions for VFAs were relatively close to the observed
values and the pH values for the second stage digesters
were also well predicted. The paper did not report the
rst stage pHs and hence it was not possible to use this
parameter to evaluate the predictions for VFAs. The
overprediction of VFAs for the short SRT reactors
was consistent with that observed in the previously described temperature phased digestion studies.
The model signicantly under-predicted the NH4-N
concentrations for the 3 day SRT system while this response was relatively well predicted for the 7 day SRT
system. It should be noted that there appeared to be
an inconsistency in the data for this response since the
observed values for the 3 day SRT system were substantially higher than the 7 day system. This seems to be
inconsistent with the VSR data that will be subsequently

1840

W.J. Parker / Bioresource Technology 96 (2005) 18321842

60

10
9

50

40
6
Model

Experimental

VSR (%)

CH4 Production (L/d)

Model

30

Experimental

20

3
2

10
1
0

0
12

17

24

12

SRT (d)

17

24

SRT (d)

7000

250

1st Stage

2nd Stage

6000
200

4000
Model
Experimental
3000

VFA (mg/L)

VFA (mg/L)

5000
150
Model
Experimental
100

2000
50

1000

12

17

24

10

SRT (d)

11.5

12.5

SRT (d)

Fig. 6. Comparison of system B model predictions with data of Han et al. (1997).

Table 2
Comparison of volatile acids, pH And NH4-N for two phase digestion

Table 3
Comparison of VSR for two phase digestion

Response

Response

SRT = 3 days

SRT = 7 days

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 1

Stage 2

Vol. acids (mg/l)

Exper.
NA
Model
3811

1680
1393

16101810
6711

109
180

pH
Exper.
Model

7.2
7.0

NA
5.2

7.3
7.3

1820
899

NA
766

1049
961

NA
5.8

NH4-N (mg/l)
Exper.
NA
Model
472

described which indicated higher solids reduction for the

longer SRT system.
The predicted VSR values along with three dierent
measures of VSR for the experimental data that were reported in the original paper are presented in Table 3.
From Table 3 it can be seen that the model predictions
were within the range of values that were reported in
the papers. It should however be noted that the range of
values reported in the paper was quite wide and hence
the assessment of the model predictions could not be very
rigorous.

VSR (%)
SRT = 3 days

SRT = 7 days

Model

34.0

42.0

Experimental
MOPa
Weight of gasb
Theor. gas yieldc

26.5
35.5
28.3

33.6
51.5
43.4

VS reduction was calculated as: VSR = 100 * (VS1 VS0)/

[VS1 (VS1 * VS0)].
b
VS reduction was calculated as VSR = 100 * (weight of gas/weight
of VS fed).
c
VS reduction was calculated as VSR = 100 * (observed gas yield/
theoretical gas yield of 1.078 SCFM/kg VS added).

4. Discussion
In this paper the predictions of the ADM1 model
using the default values for most of the model coecients were able to reect most of the trends that were
reported for a variety of digester congurations. There
were however consistent deviations between the model
predictions and observed values for VFAs when the

W.J. Parker / Bioresource Technology 96 (2005) 18321842

model was employed to predict the behaviour of low

SRT systems. In the two phase systems the model was
often able to perform reasonably in predicting second
stage concentrations of VFAs as with the longer SRTs
in these stages the rates of VFA conversion were able
to compensate for the high inlet concentrations of
VFAs. It would appear that there could be improvements made to the model in the estimation of VFA concentrations under these conditions. It may be necessary
to more closely examine the relationship between pH
and rate coecients in this regard.
For the purposes of this study it was often necessary
to estimate the values that were input into the model for
sludge characteristics such as COD, biodegradable fraction of the COD, TKN and NH4-N. These have a substantial inuence on model predictions. If the model is
to be used as an analysis and design tool it would benet
from more careful characterization of these parameters.
A standardized protocol for determining the anaerobically biodegradable fraction of the sludge COD would
assist in this regard.
The model predictions for VSR that were reported in
this paper assumed that the reductions in volatile solids
are proportional to the reductions in COD. However, it
is known that the COD content of volatile solids depends upon the sludge source and its degree of stabilization. Hence, the estimated values for VSR likely contain
error. The extent of this error has not been quantied
for this paper. For more accurate predictions of VSR
the COD contents of volatile solids in the feed sludge
should be accurately characterized. In addition, the
use of typical values for the COD content of digested
sludge should be employed to convert predicted COD
concentrations to VS concentrations.
In this implementation of the model it was assumed
that for digesters in series the biomass which moved from
one digester to another would be active in the downstream reactor. This assumption should be valid for
two-phase systems where the digester temperatures are
the same in both digesters. Implementation of the model
in this manner for temperature-phased congurations
requires more analysis as it is likely that the biomass
entering the second stage digester will be somewhat less
active than the model predicts.

5. Conclusions
The ADM1 model is a powerful tool for predicting
the behaviour of anaerobic digesters treating municipal
sludges. However, for successful simulation the feed
stream should be well characterized with respect to its
COD content and the biodegradable fraction of this
material. A standardized protocol for measuring the
latter parameter would further use of the model by the

1841

industry. The ammonia and TKN concentrations

present in the feed need to be well characterized because
of their impact on pH buering and inhibition functions.
The model tended to overpredict VFA concentrations
for reactors that were operated at reduced SRTs. This
was observed for both mesophilic and thermophilic
digesters. The results suggest that the inhibition function
for pH may over emphasize the impact of reduced pH
on biological activity. In addition, the model does not
incorporate a pH function for the disintegration and
hydrolysis processes. This will have some impact on
low SRT systems that tend to operate at reduced pHs.
The relationship between COD and VS concentrations for digested sludges should be established. This
would improve the estimates of VSR since the model
only predicts COD concentrations.
Implementation of the model for temperature-phased
systems should be further examined since the current
implementation assumes that the biomass leaving the
upstream digesters can become active in the downstream
digesters at the downstream temperature. It does not
seem that this would be likely for thermophiles entering
a mesophilic digester. The contribution of the incoming
biomass to the activity of the digesters should be further
quantied.

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