The effluent total BOD (or COD) concentration of the activated sludge process (A.S.P.) usually increases with suspended solid concentration. How to reduce effluent S.S. concentration, therefore, is the key issue of treatment efficiency for A.S.P. The varied return sludge and influent flow rate are two major operational factors of those affecting effluent S.S. concentration. However, the wastewater flow rate and substrate concentration in municipal wastewater treatment plant, due to the differences of city scale and life style, are significantly time-varied every day. Based on the above, the purpose of this study is to control in timely fashion return sludge flow rate with the variation of influent flow rate to minimize effluent S.S. concentration and meanwhile decrease the effluent total BOD (or COD) concentration. The fuzzy control theory is utilized in this study to forecast and control effluent S.S. concentration and further predict the MLSS concentration in aeration tank. It reveals that the inferred control strategies not only enable one to decrease effluent S.S. concentration but also make it more stable.
