proceedings of International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software Integrating Sciences and Information Technology for Environmental Assessment and Decision Making (iEMSs 2008), M. Sànchez-Marré et al.(Eds.), 2008
Abstract: Intelligent Environmental Decision Support Systems (IEDSS) are present in the environme... more Abstract: Intelligent Environmental Decision Support Systems (IEDSS) are present in the environmental management process at different levels such as hazard identification, risk assessment, risk evaluation and intervention decision-making, but there is neither a well defined methodology nor a framework for the development of IEDSSs. The purpose of this paper is to provide a study on several approaches found in the literature to set-up a methodology and a plausible architecture for the development of IEDSSs. Also a general ...
Abstract Environmental decision support systems (EDSS) can be defined as intelligent information ... more Abstract Environmental decision support systems (EDSS) can be defined as intelligent information systems that are able to integrate numerical models (linear or nonlinear) with artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, together with geographical information and environmental ontologies. ...
The correct control and prediction of WastewaterTreatment Plants poses an important goal: toavoid... more The correct control and prediction of WastewaterTreatment Plants poses an important goal: toavoid breaking the environmental balance by alwayskeeping the system in stable operating conditions.In this respect, it is known that qualitativeinformation ---coming from microscopic examinationsand subjective remarks--- has a deep influenceon the activated sludge process. In particular,it influences the total amount of effluent suspendedsolids, one of the measures of
CiteSeerX - Document Details (Isaac Councill, Lee Giles): . Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) c... more CiteSeerX - Document Details (Isaac Councill, Lee Giles): . Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) control and prediction under a wide range of operating conditions is an important goal in order to avoid breaking of environmental balance, keep the system in stable operating conditions ...
Decision support systems (DSS) have generated high expectations as a tool to support activated sl... more Decision support systems (DSS) have generated high expectations as a tool to support activated sludge operation because of their ability to represent heuristic reasoning and to handle large amounts of qualitative, uncertain and low-accuracy data. Previous applications have been satisfactory to control simple problems, when static reasoning and literature-based solutions were enough. However to face complex operational problems with biological origin and slow dynamics (e.g. solids separation problems), it is necessary to use dynamic reasoning and apply long-term control strategies, monitoring the evolution of the process and adjusting the action plan according to the feed back of the process. This paper presents a dynamic reasoning DSS to face solids separation problems in the activated sludge system. The DSS is capable of identifying the complex problem affecting the process, determining if the current situation is new or a continuation from the previous one, assessing what is the specific cause of the situation, and recommending a long-term control strategy, which is daily adjusted according to the evolution of the process.
Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2009
The Besòs River Basin authority is working towards the implementation of integrated river basin m... more The Besòs River Basin authority is working towards the implementation of integrated river basin management, as required by the Water Framework Directive (WFD), to achieve a good ecological and chemical status of all water bodies by 2015. The studied system is constituted by two communities (La Garriga and Granollers), their corresponding draining catchments, sewer systems and two WWTPs, which discharge treated water at different locations of the same river. Within this context, the realisation of an integrated model of the river stretch and of the two WWTPs with their sewer systems and draining catchments was necessary. Such a model allows to efficiently simulate and analyse the behaviour of the integrated system and to optimize its performance holistically. In this article, a method is presented to generate rules to be implemented in a supervisory system for automatic management of the Integrated Urban Wastewater System (IUWS) in dry and storm weather. This is achieved by identifyi...
Current management of sanitation infrastructures (sewer systems, wastewater treatment plant, rece... more Current management of sanitation infrastructures (sewer systems, wastewater treatment plant, receiving water, bypasses, deposits, etc) is not fulfilling the objectives of up to date legislation, to achieve a good ecological and chemical status of water bodies through integrated management. These made it necessary to develop new methodologies that help decision makers to improve the management in order to achieve that status. Decision Support Systems (DSS) based on Multi-Agent System (MAS) paradigm are promising tools to improve the integrated management. When all the different agents involved interact, new important knowledge emerges. This knowledge can be used to build better DSS and improve wastewater infrastructures management achieving the objectives planned by legislation. The paper describes a methodology to acquire this knowledge through a Role Playing Game (RPG). First of all there is an introduction about the wastewater problems, a definition of RPG, and the relation between RPG and MAS. Then it is explained how the RPG was built with two examples of game sessions and results. The paper finishes with a discussion about the uses of this methodology and future work.
Horizontal subsurface constructed wetlands (HFCWs) are examples of the use of appropriate technol... more Horizontal subsurface constructed wetlands (HFCWs) are examples of the use of appropriate technology for the sanitation of small communities. The most common problem of HFCWs is clogging; but the exact mechanisms and consequences of clogging in HFCWs are still unclear. This paper describes the methodology followed to acquire and analyse the available data and knowledge to amend the clogging phenomena
We discuss in this paper how the results of the discipline known as Knowledge Management could im... more We discuss in this paper how the results of the discipline known as Knowledge Management could improve some types of Environmental Systems. In particular we discuss Environmental Decision Support Systems (EDSS). In the last decade, EDSS emerged as a suitable software tool to support control decision-making to maximize the performance of a system and to minimize the negative impact of faults. Knowledge Management in Environmental Decision Support Systems appear as a necessity for EDSS users to place ...
The main goal of the Water Framework Directive is to achieve good chemical and ecological status ... more The main goal of the Water Framework Directive is to achieve good chemical and ecological status of water bodies by 2015. The implementation of integrated river basin management, including sewer systems, wastewater treatment plants and receiving water bodies, is essential to accomplishing this objective. Integrated management is complex and therefore the implementation of control systems and the development of decision support systems are needed to facilitate the work of urban wastewater system (UWS) managers. Within this context, the objective of this paper is to apply integrated modelling of an UWS to simulate and analyse the behaviour of the 'Congost' UWS in Spain, and to optimize its performance against different types of perturbations. This analysis results in optimal operating set-points for each perturbation, improves river water quality, minimizes combined sewer overflows and optimizes flow lamination from storm water tanks. This is achieved by running Monte Carlo simulations and applying global sensitivity analysis. The set-points will become part of the knowledge base composed of a set of IF-THEN rules of the environmental decision support system being developed for this case study.
ABSTRACT Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology to generate environmental impact estimates ... more ABSTRACT Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology to generate environmental impact estimates associated with the life cycle stages of a product or process. The approach facilitates a more comprehensive outlook of the end-of-pipe process impacts, in which wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are included. Here we describe the implementation of the LCA methodology within a knowledge-based Decision support system (DSS) in order to include the environmental criteria to the decision making process when selecting the most appropriate process flow diagrams for specific scenarios. A sample group of 22 actual operating facilities in Spain, corresponding to five different typologies were assessed by two relevant impact categories within the system: Eutrophication Potential (EP) and Global Warming Potential (GWP). DSS includes useful tools that support a user in choosing a consistent, near optimum solution for an environmental impact specific problem in a reduced time frame. The synergistic combination of the two methodologies to address the design and assessment of treatment facilities can serve to identify the most sustainable options, embracing simultaneously a wide variety of analysis criteria, and enhancing the calculation of environmental savings. Results of averaged paired-comparison ratios between DSS estimates and facilities operations empirical data showed up to 70% and 95% EP and GWP, respectively. Interestingly, when unbiased operational efficiencies for existing facilities were discarded, the matching ratios increased substantially, up to 99% in both cases. The in-depth analysis of different output data gathered during the conceptual design and simulation of operating facilities using DSS identified the best performing facilities; and was used to improve the environmental performance of WWTPs, even during preliminary design of new facilities. Results demonstrated that combined LCA and DSS implementation is a suitable tool to assess WWTP design during the decision-making process. Following this procedure, a reliable interpretation and discussion of the results can be performed. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
proceedings of International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software Integrating Sciences and Information Technology for Environmental Assessment and Decision Making (iEMSs 2008), M. Sànchez-Marré et al.(Eds.), 2008
Abstract: Intelligent Environmental Decision Support Systems (IEDSS) are present in the environme... more Abstract: Intelligent Environmental Decision Support Systems (IEDSS) are present in the environmental management process at different levels such as hazard identification, risk assessment, risk evaluation and intervention decision-making, but there is neither a well defined methodology nor a framework for the development of IEDSSs. The purpose of this paper is to provide a study on several approaches found in the literature to set-up a methodology and a plausible architecture for the development of IEDSSs. Also a general ...
Abstract Environmental decision support systems (EDSS) can be defined as intelligent information ... more Abstract Environmental decision support systems (EDSS) can be defined as intelligent information systems that are able to integrate numerical models (linear or nonlinear) with artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, together with geographical information and environmental ontologies. ...
The correct control and prediction of WastewaterTreatment Plants poses an important goal: toavoid... more The correct control and prediction of WastewaterTreatment Plants poses an important goal: toavoid breaking the environmental balance by alwayskeeping the system in stable operating conditions.In this respect, it is known that qualitativeinformation ---coming from microscopic examinationsand subjective remarks--- has a deep influenceon the activated sludge process. In particular,it influences the total amount of effluent suspendedsolids, one of the measures of
CiteSeerX - Document Details (Isaac Councill, Lee Giles): . Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) c... more CiteSeerX - Document Details (Isaac Councill, Lee Giles): . Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) control and prediction under a wide range of operating conditions is an important goal in order to avoid breaking of environmental balance, keep the system in stable operating conditions ...
Decision support systems (DSS) have generated high expectations as a tool to support activated sl... more Decision support systems (DSS) have generated high expectations as a tool to support activated sludge operation because of their ability to represent heuristic reasoning and to handle large amounts of qualitative, uncertain and low-accuracy data. Previous applications have been satisfactory to control simple problems, when static reasoning and literature-based solutions were enough. However to face complex operational problems with biological origin and slow dynamics (e.g. solids separation problems), it is necessary to use dynamic reasoning and apply long-term control strategies, monitoring the evolution of the process and adjusting the action plan according to the feed back of the process. This paper presents a dynamic reasoning DSS to face solids separation problems in the activated sludge system. The DSS is capable of identifying the complex problem affecting the process, determining if the current situation is new or a continuation from the previous one, assessing what is the specific cause of the situation, and recommending a long-term control strategy, which is daily adjusted according to the evolution of the process.
Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2009
The Besòs River Basin authority is working towards the implementation of integrated river basin m... more The Besòs River Basin authority is working towards the implementation of integrated river basin management, as required by the Water Framework Directive (WFD), to achieve a good ecological and chemical status of all water bodies by 2015. The studied system is constituted by two communities (La Garriga and Granollers), their corresponding draining catchments, sewer systems and two WWTPs, which discharge treated water at different locations of the same river. Within this context, the realisation of an integrated model of the river stretch and of the two WWTPs with their sewer systems and draining catchments was necessary. Such a model allows to efficiently simulate and analyse the behaviour of the integrated system and to optimize its performance holistically. In this article, a method is presented to generate rules to be implemented in a supervisory system for automatic management of the Integrated Urban Wastewater System (IUWS) in dry and storm weather. This is achieved by identifyi...
Current management of sanitation infrastructures (sewer systems, wastewater treatment plant, rece... more Current management of sanitation infrastructures (sewer systems, wastewater treatment plant, receiving water, bypasses, deposits, etc) is not fulfilling the objectives of up to date legislation, to achieve a good ecological and chemical status of water bodies through integrated management. These made it necessary to develop new methodologies that help decision makers to improve the management in order to achieve that status. Decision Support Systems (DSS) based on Multi-Agent System (MAS) paradigm are promising tools to improve the integrated management. When all the different agents involved interact, new important knowledge emerges. This knowledge can be used to build better DSS and improve wastewater infrastructures management achieving the objectives planned by legislation. The paper describes a methodology to acquire this knowledge through a Role Playing Game (RPG). First of all there is an introduction about the wastewater problems, a definition of RPG, and the relation between RPG and MAS. Then it is explained how the RPG was built with two examples of game sessions and results. The paper finishes with a discussion about the uses of this methodology and future work.
Horizontal subsurface constructed wetlands (HFCWs) are examples of the use of appropriate technol... more Horizontal subsurface constructed wetlands (HFCWs) are examples of the use of appropriate technology for the sanitation of small communities. The most common problem of HFCWs is clogging; but the exact mechanisms and consequences of clogging in HFCWs are still unclear. This paper describes the methodology followed to acquire and analyse the available data and knowledge to amend the clogging phenomena
We discuss in this paper how the results of the discipline known as Knowledge Management could im... more We discuss in this paper how the results of the discipline known as Knowledge Management could improve some types of Environmental Systems. In particular we discuss Environmental Decision Support Systems (EDSS). In the last decade, EDSS emerged as a suitable software tool to support control decision-making to maximize the performance of a system and to minimize the negative impact of faults. Knowledge Management in Environmental Decision Support Systems appear as a necessity for EDSS users to place ...
The main goal of the Water Framework Directive is to achieve good chemical and ecological status ... more The main goal of the Water Framework Directive is to achieve good chemical and ecological status of water bodies by 2015. The implementation of integrated river basin management, including sewer systems, wastewater treatment plants and receiving water bodies, is essential to accomplishing this objective. Integrated management is complex and therefore the implementation of control systems and the development of decision support systems are needed to facilitate the work of urban wastewater system (UWS) managers. Within this context, the objective of this paper is to apply integrated modelling of an UWS to simulate and analyse the behaviour of the 'Congost' UWS in Spain, and to optimize its performance against different types of perturbations. This analysis results in optimal operating set-points for each perturbation, improves river water quality, minimizes combined sewer overflows and optimizes flow lamination from storm water tanks. This is achieved by running Monte Carlo simulations and applying global sensitivity analysis. The set-points will become part of the knowledge base composed of a set of IF-THEN rules of the environmental decision support system being developed for this case study.
ABSTRACT Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology to generate environmental impact estimates ... more ABSTRACT Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology to generate environmental impact estimates associated with the life cycle stages of a product or process. The approach facilitates a more comprehensive outlook of the end-of-pipe process impacts, in which wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are included. Here we describe the implementation of the LCA methodology within a knowledge-based Decision support system (DSS) in order to include the environmental criteria to the decision making process when selecting the most appropriate process flow diagrams for specific scenarios. A sample group of 22 actual operating facilities in Spain, corresponding to five different typologies were assessed by two relevant impact categories within the system: Eutrophication Potential (EP) and Global Warming Potential (GWP). DSS includes useful tools that support a user in choosing a consistent, near optimum solution for an environmental impact specific problem in a reduced time frame. The synergistic combination of the two methodologies to address the design and assessment of treatment facilities can serve to identify the most sustainable options, embracing simultaneously a wide variety of analysis criteria, and enhancing the calculation of environmental savings. Results of averaged paired-comparison ratios between DSS estimates and facilities operations empirical data showed up to 70% and 95% EP and GWP, respectively. Interestingly, when unbiased operational efficiencies for existing facilities were discarded, the matching ratios increased substantially, up to 99% in both cases. The in-depth analysis of different output data gathered during the conceptual design and simulation of operating facilities using DSS identified the best performing facilities; and was used to improve the environmental performance of WWTPs, even during preliminary design of new facilities. Results demonstrated that combined LCA and DSS implementation is a suitable tool to assess WWTP design during the decision-making process. Following this procedure, a reliable interpretation and discussion of the results can be performed. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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