Programs, water treatment devices, methods, and systems

Abstract

To achieve both stabilization of treated water quality and energy conservation. [Solution] A program to be executed by a computer having a processor and memory, the program causing the processor to perform the following steps: receiving a predetermined amount of wastewater flowing through the main stream of a wastewater treatment facility as sidestream wastewater; controlling water treatment for a predetermined amount of wastewater; measuring a predetermined value in the water treatment; and passing information relating to the measured result to the control of the main stream.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a program, a water treatment apparatus, a method, and a system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a wastewater treatment method and a wastewater treatment apparatus using an activated sludge method for biologically treating organic wastewater. In this wastewater treatment method, actual wastewater to an actual wastewater treatment tank and actual sludge discharged from the actual wastewater treatment tank are continuously supplied to a miniature reaction tank, and then aeration is performed, and the concentration of carbon dioxide gas discharged into the atmosphere is measured along with the organic matter decomposition reaction in the miniature reaction tank. Thereby, the treatment state of organic matter in the actual wastewater treatment tank is accurately and continuously grasped.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In sewage treatment using the activated sludge method, the aeration treatment is an indispensable process for promoting the decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms and the nitrification reaction of ammonia nitrogen. However, it is not uncommon for the blower that supplies the aeration air volume to account for the majority of the total power consumption of the entire sewage treatment plant, and its operating cost has become a major issue in business operation.

[0005] Patent Document 1 assesses the state of organic matter treatment by measuring the carbon dioxide concentration discharged from a miniature reaction tank, but it does not consider the amount of oxygen required to treat inorganic components (e.g., nitrogen components) in the wastewater. Therefore, if the organic matter load is low while the inorganic component load is high, the treated water quality may deteriorate during sewage treatment. Furthermore, uniformly performing aeration to avoid water quality deterioration would result in wasted energy.

[0006] The purpose of this disclosure is to achieve both stabilization of treated water quality and energy conservation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A program for execution on a computer having a processor and memory, the program causing the processor to perform the steps of: receiving a predetermined amount of wastewater flowing through the main stream of a wastewater treatment facility as sidestream wastewater; controlling water treatment for a predetermined amount of wastewater; measuring a predetermined value in the water treatment; and passing information relating to the measured result to the control of the main stream. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to achieve both stabilization of treated water quality and energy conservation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the water treatment plant 1 according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the monitoring device 10 shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the functional parts realized by the control unit 101. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of the water treatment unit 106. [Figure 5] This flowchart illustrates an example of the operation of the monitoring device 10 when measuring the water quality of the supplied wastewater. [Figure 6] This diagram shows an example of carbon dioxide concentration measurement results. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of pH measurement results. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the monitoring device 10 when calculating parameters related to aeration treatment. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a water treatment plant 1 according to another embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system including multiple water treatment plants according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings illustrating the embodiments, common components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted. The following embodiments are not intended to unduly limit the content of this disclosure as described in the claims. Not all components shown in the embodiments are necessarily essential components of this disclosure. Also, each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a strict illustration.

[0011] Furthermore, in the following description, "processor" refers to one or more processors. A processor may be expressed, for example, as processing circuitry. At least one processor is typically a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may be other types of processors such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). At least one processor may be single-core or multi-core. Also, at least one processor may be a general-purpose processor or a purpose-specific processor.

[0012] Further, at least one processor may be a processor in a broad sense, such as a hardware circuit (e.g., FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)) that performs part or all of the processing.

[0013] In the following description, the expression such as "xxx table" may be used to describe information from which an output is obtained for an input. However, this information may be data of any structure, or a learning model such as a neural network that generates an output for an input. Therefore, "xxx table" can be referred to as "xxx information".

[0014] In the following description, the configuration of each table is an example. One table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be one table.

[0015] The program may be pre-installed in the information processing device shown below. For example, the program may be on a recording medium (e.g., non-temporary) readable by the information processing device, and this program may be installed in the information processing device. Also, the program may be transmitted from a program distribution server to the information processing device and installed. In the following description, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0016] In the following description, identification information for various objects is used. However, the identification information may be any information indicating a predetermined object, and the specific data is not limited to the embodiments. The identification information may be an identification number or an identifier including letters or symbols.

[0017] <Summary> A part of the wastewater is branched from the main treatment line (main stream) of a sewage treatment facility (wastewater treatment facility) to another treatment line (side stream), and the wastewater treatment is carried out in a batch manner in the side stream. The monitoring device installed in the side stream senses the water quality in the process of wastewater treatment in the side stream, and based on the relative change of the sensing result, the concentration of organic components (not limited to, for example, carbohydrates, oils and fats, solids, or any combination thereof) and inorganic components (not limited to, for example, nitrogen components, phosphorus components, potassium components, other trace components, or any combination thereof) contained in the wastewater is estimated. Hereinafter, the organic components and inorganic components contained in the wastewater are collectively referred to as impurities in the wastewater. The monitoring device calculates parameters such as treatment conditions in the main stream, for example, the aeration time in aerobic treatment, based on the estimated concentration of impurities.

[0018] <Overall configuration of the system> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the schematic configuration of a water treatment plant 1 according to the present embodiment. The water treatment plant 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a sewage treatment facility or a wastewater treatment facility. The water treatment plant 1 includes a main stream having a series of facilities for obtaining treated water from influent water, and a side stream branched from the middle of the main stream.

[0019] The water treatment plant 1 has, in the main stream, for example, a grit chamber 20, a primary sedimentation tank 30, a reaction tank 40 such as an aeration tank, a secondary sedimentation tank 50, and a control device 60. The treatment plant 1 also has, in the side stream, for example, a monitoring device 10.

[0020] The grit chamber 20 removes sand or relatively large solids contained in the influent water by sedimentation using the specific gravity difference to reduce the burden on the subsequent treatment facilities. The primary sedimentation tank 30 gently flows the influent water that has passed through the grit chamber 20, and sediment and separate fine particles such as floating solids or sludge that could not be removed in the grit chamber 20.

[0021] The reaction tank 40 applies microorganisms to the water sent from the first sedimentation tank 30, biologically decomposing and removing impurities from the water. The reaction tank 40 has an aeration section 41 inside to supply oxygen necessary for the activity of aerobic microorganisms. The aeration section 41 is aerated by air sent from a blower (not shown) to promote the decomposition of pollutants by microorganisms. The second sedimentation tank 50 allows the activated sludge (a collection of microorganisms) contained in the water treated in the reaction tank 40 to settle, separating it into treated water, which is clean supernatant water, and sludge.

[0022] The control device 60 controls, for example, the entire water treatment plant 1. Specifically, for example, the control device 60 collects measurement information from sensors installed in various locations within the water treatment plant 1, monitors the state of the water treatment process such as water quality, flow rate, and water level, and controls valves (not shown) and pumps (not shown) installed in the water treatment plant 1 based on the monitoring results. Figure 1 shows an example in which the water treatment plant 1 includes one control device 60, but for example, the water treatment plant 1 may include two or more control devices 60.

[0023] Furthermore, the control device 60 controls the aeration unit 41 provided in the reaction tank 40 based on parameters related to the aeration process calculated by the monitoring device 10. Specifically, for example, the control device 60 controls the aeration time, aeration timing, and aeration airflow rate of the aeration unit 41 based on parameters calculated by the monitoring device 10 for controlling the aeration time, aeration timing, and aeration airflow rate of the aeration unit 41.

[0024] The monitoring device 10 batch processes wastewater in a sidestream branched from the mainstream and senses changes in water quality during the processing. Based on the relative changes in the sensing results, the monitoring device 10 estimates the concentration of impurities in the wastewater. Based on the estimated concentration of impurities, the monitoring device 10 calculates the processing conditions in the mainstream, such as the aeration time in aerobic processing.

[0025] Specifically, for example, the control device 60 controls valves, pumps, etc., to take a portion of the wastewater into the sidestream upstream of the mainstream reaction tank 40 (for example, downstream of the first sedimentation tank 30). The monitoring device 10 performs batch water treatment on the wastewater supplied to the sidestream. The monitoring device 10 applies microorganisms to the wastewater sent from the mainstream to biologically decompose and remove impurities in the water. The monitoring device 10 measures, for example, the concentration of carbon dioxide generated during biological treatment. The monitoring device 10 also measures, for example, the pH of the treated water after biological treatment during electrolysis. The monitoring device 10 monitors the changes in the measured values ​​over time and estimates the concentrations of organic matter and nitrogen components contained in the wastewater based on the relative changes in the measured values. Based on the estimated concentrations, the monitoring device 10 calculates parameters such as aeration time, aeration airflow rate, and aeration timing for the aeration section 41 of the mainstream reaction tank 40. The monitoring device 10 returns the treated water to, for example, the mainstream reaction tank 40. The treated water may be returned to a place other than the reaction tank 40.

[0026] <2. Configuration of the monitoring device> Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the monitoring device 10 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the monitoring device 10 comprises a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a communication unit 103, an input device 104, an output device 105, and a water processing unit 106. Each block included in the monitoring device 10 is electrically connected, for example, by a bus.

[0027] The control unit 101 executes various processes by running various programs stored in the memory unit 102. The control unit 101 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU. A processor is hardware for executing instruction sets written in a program. A processor consists of an arithmetic unit, registers, peripheral circuits, etc.

[0028] The storage unit 102 includes a main memory and an auxiliary memory. The storage unit 102 stores various programs and various information. For example, the storage unit 102 stores an application program 120.

[0029] The communication unit 103 performs modulation and demodulation processing for the monitoring device 10 to communicate with an external device (for example, the control device 60). The communication unit 103 performs transmission processing on the signal generated by the control unit 101 and transmits it to the external device. The communication unit 103 performs reception processing on the signal received from the external device and outputs it to the control unit 101.

[0030] The input device 104 is a device for the user to input instructions or information. The input device 104 is implemented, for example, by a predetermined input interface.

[0031] The output device 105 is a device for presenting information to the user. The output device 105 is implemented, for example, by a display. The display displays various information according to the control of the control unit 101. The display is implemented, for example, by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. Alternatively, the output device 105 may be implemented by a speaker.

[0032] The water treatment unit 106 treats wastewater in a sidestream branched from the mainstream and senses changes in water quality during the treatment process. Further details will be described later.

[0033] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional units implemented by the control unit 101. The control unit 101 includes, as functional units, an operation reception unit 1011, a transmission / reception unit 1012, a presentation control unit 1013, a water treatment control unit 1014, a first estimation unit 1015, a second estimation unit 1016, and a calculation unit 1017. Specifically, the control unit 101 implements each functional unit by reading the application program 120 stored in the storage unit 102 and executing the instructions contained in the application program 120. Although the first estimation unit 1015 and the second estimation unit 1016 are shown as examples of estimation units, there may be multiple estimation units, and the number is not limited.

[0034] The operation reception unit 1011 processes instructions or information input from the input device 104. Specifically, for example, the operation reception unit 1011 accepts instructions for setting predetermined initial information. The transmission / reception unit 1012 processes data for the monitoring device 10 to send and receive data with an external device according to a communication protocol. Specifically, the transmission / reception unit 1012 transmits the calculated aeration treatment parameters to the control device 60. The presentation control unit 1013 controls the output device 105 to present various information to the user. The information to be presented to the user may be transmitted from the transmission / reception unit 1012 to an external device (e.g., a cloud server) and then transmitted to the terminal device used by the user via that external device. Alternatively, the information to be presented to the user may be presented to the user from an output device connected to an external device.

[0035] The water treatment control unit 1014 performs processing to control the water treatment unit 106. The water treatment control unit 1014 may also control the calibration of sensors provided in the water treatment unit 106.

[0036] The first estimation unit 1015 estimates the concentration of organic matter components in the wastewater based on the carbon dioxide concentration measured in the biological treatment performed in the water treatment unit 106, for example. Microorganisms in the biological tank 1061 of the monitoring device 10 generate gas when they decompose organic matter contained in the influent water. In this embodiment, the case of sensing carbon dioxide generated when microorganisms decompose organic matter contained in the influent water will be explained as an example. Note that the gas to be sensed is not limited to carbon dioxide, but may also be odorous gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, ammonia, carbon monoxide, ozone, chlorine, methane, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen sulfide, and other volatile gases. Furthermore, the object of measurement is not limited to gas, but may also be insoluble substances such as microorganisms or other suspended solid organic matter, as well as ions such as nitrite, nitrate, urea, chlorine, phosphorus, or potassium, and water-soluble compounds.

[0037] The first estimation unit 1015 acquires the change in carbon dioxide concentration over time, for example, using a CO2 sensor 1064. Based on the relative change in carbon dioxide concentration, the first estimation unit 1015 determines whether or not biological treatment of the supplied wastewater has been completed. Specifically, the first estimation unit 1015 analyzes waveform characteristics such as the appearance of a peak immediately after wastewater is taken from the main stream into the side stream, and the slope of the decrease after the appearance of the peak, to determine whether or not biological treatment of organic matter in the wastewater has started and whether or not it has been completed. If the first estimation unit 1015 determines that biological treatment of organic matter in the wastewater has been completed, it estimates the time required for biological treatment of organic matter in the wastewater. Based on the activity state of microorganisms which is known in advance and the estimated treatment time, the first estimation unit 1015 estimates the amount of oxygen required to biodegrade organic matter components in the wastewater and the concentration of organic matter components. For example, the processing capacity of microorganisms in the monitoring device 10 is known in advance. The first estimation unit 1015 estimates the concentration of organic matter components by, for example, multiplying the processing capacity of microorganisms by the estimated processing time. The process of biodegrading organic matter is an aerobic reaction that consumes oxygen. A predetermined relationship exists between the amount of organic matter to be decomposed and the amount of oxygen required for its decomposition. Based on the estimated concentration of organic matter components, the first estimation unit 1015 calculates the amount of oxygen required to decompose that amount of organic matter.

[0038] The first estimation unit 1015 may, for example, estimate the qualitative composition of organic matter by analyzing the shape of the waveform of the change in carbon dioxide concentration. If there is a large amount of easily decomposable organic matter in the wastewater, decomposition by microorganisms proceeds rapidly. As a result, the carbon dioxide concentration rises sharply and then falls quickly, resulting in a waveform with a sharp peak shape. On the other hand, if there is a large amount of organic matter that is difficult to decompose, such as oil, decomposition takes a long time. As a result, the carbon dioxide concentration rises slowly and falls over time, resulting in a waveform with a wide, gentle shape. The first estimation unit 1015 may, for example, refer to this phenomenon and estimate the ratio of easily decomposable organic matter to difficult-to-decompose organic matter contained in the wastewater from the shape of the waveform of the change in carbon dioxide concentration.

[0039] The second estimation unit 1016 acquires the change in pH over time, for example, in electrolysis treatment performed on treated water after biological treatment. Based on the relative change in pH, the second estimation unit 1016 determines whether or not the decomposition of nitrogen components in the wastewater has started and whether or not it has finished. For example, when electrolysis starts in the electrolysis tank 1069, free chlorine such as hypochlorous acid is generated from chloride ions in the treated water. As long as nitrogen components such as ammonia nitrogen are present in the wastewater, the free chlorine is consumed for the oxidative decomposition of nitrogen components such as ammonia nitrogen. While the nitrogen components are being decomposed, the pH of the treated water remains low, but once all nitrogen components are decomposed, it shifts to an excess of free chlorine from that point onward. Due to the excess of free chlorine, the pH of the treated water begins to rise. The second estimation unit 1016 detects the point in time when the pH starts to rise and determines whether or not the decomposition of nitrogen components in the wastewater has finished. The second estimation unit 1016 estimates the time from the start of electrolysis to the point in time when the pH starts to rise as the "time required for electrolysis".

[0040] There is a correlation between the time and current of electrolysis and the amount of free chlorine produced. The second estimation unit 1016 calculates the total amount of free chlorine consumed in the decomposition of nitrogen components based on the estimated time required for electrolysis and the amount of current involved in electrolysis. The second estimation unit 1016 estimates the concentration of nitrogen components that were originally contained in the wastewater based on the calculated amount of free chlorine consumed and the stoichiometric reaction ratio between nitrogen components and free chlorine.

[0041] The calculation unit 1017 calculates the optimal control parameters for water treatment in the mainstream reaction tank 40 based on the estimation results estimated by the first estimation unit 1015 and the second estimation unit 1016. Specifically, the calculation unit 1017 obtains the concentration of organic matter components and the amount of oxygen estimated to be required for the decomposition of organic matter components from the first estimation unit 1015. The calculation unit 1017 obtains the concentration of nitrogen components from the second estimation unit 1016. Using the acquired information, the calculation unit 1017 calculates the total amount of oxygen required in the mainstream reaction tank 40. For example, the calculation unit 1017 calculates the total amount of oxygen required by adding the amount of oxygen required for the decomposition of organic matter components and the amount of oxygen required for the nitrification reaction of ammonia nitrogen, etc., and converting the total wastewater volume from a predetermined amount branched to the sidestream. Based on the calculation results, the calculation unit 1017 calculates specific control parameters for the reaction tank 40, namely the optimal aeration time, aeration airflow rate, and aeration timing. The transmitting / receiving unit 1012 transmits the calculated control parameters to the control device 60.

[0042] The calculation unit 1017 may obtain the qualitative composition of organic matter (the ratio of easily decomposable organic matter to less decomposable organic matter) from the first estimation unit 1015. The calculation unit 1017 considers the qualitative composition of organic matter and determines the optimal oxygen supply pattern for the entire processing process. For example, it determines an oxygen supply pattern such as supplying a large amount of oxygen at the beginning of the process if there is a lot of easily decomposable organic matter, or supplying oxygen stably for a long period of time if there is a lot of less decomposable organic matter. <3. Configuration of the water treatment section> Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of the water treatment unit 106 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 4, for example, the water treatment unit 106 is equipped with instruments for measuring the gas concentration when biologically treating the influent water branched from the main stream and the pH when electrolyzing it.

[0043] The biological tank 1061 allows microorganisms to act on a predetermined amount of wastewater distributed from the main stream, decomposing the organic matter contained in the wastewater. The biological tank 1061 is capable of storing a predetermined volume of wastewater. The predetermined volume is, for example, 2 liters to 200 liters. The amount of wastewater distributed from the main stream is determined based on the capacity of the biological tank 1061. The biological tank 1061 is supplied with a predetermined amount of wastewater at a predetermined time, for example. The predetermined time is based, for example, on the time required for water treatment in the monitoring device 10.

[0044] The filtration membrane 1062 is a filtration membrane installed inside the biological tank 1061. The filtration membrane installed inside the biological tank 1061 is not limited to an MF membrane or a UF membrane. The filtration membrane 1062 is equipped with an aeration device at its bottom. The aeration device generates bubbles and prevents clogging of the filtration membrane 1062 by bringing the generated bubbles into contact with the filtration membrane 1062. After biological treatment, the treated water is separated into solid and liquid phases by the filtration membrane 1062 and supplied to the electrolysis tank 1069.

[0045] The CO2 sensor 1064 measures the concentration of carbon dioxide generated by biological processing in the biological tank 1061. The CO2 sensor 1064 also measures the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air of the biological tank 1061.

[0046] The electrolysis tank 1069 receives treated water supplied from the biological tank 1061. The electrolysis tank 1069 has electrodes 10610 installed inside the tank. The electrodes 10610 receive a direct current from the DC power supply 10613 and electrolyze the treated water. Specifically, for example, when a direct current is supplied to the electrodes 10610, free chlorine (such as hypochlorous acid HClO) is generated at the anode from chloride ions in the treated water. Ammonia in the treated water reacts with the free chlorine to generate nitrogen gas (N2). As long as ammonia remains in the treated water, the generated free chlorine is immediately consumed in the ammonia decomposition reaction.

[0047] Before all the ammonia in the treated water is decomposed, ammonia is still present, so any free chlorine produced is quickly consumed. During this time, the pH remains relatively stable. After all the ammonia in the treated water has been decomposed, there is no more ammonia to decompose, so the free chlorine produced is not consumed and accumulates in the treated water. The accumulation of excessive free chlorine causes the pH of the treated water to rise.

[0048] The pH sensor 10611 is installed, for example, inside the electrolysis tank 1069. The pH sensor 10611 measures the pH of the treated water stored in the electrolysis tank 1069. The pH sensor 10611 may also measure physical properties that can be converted to pH. Furthermore, the measurement target is not limited to pH; the amount of nitrogen gas produced or the amount of free chlorine produced may also be measured.

[0049] The DC power supply 10613 supplies a DC current to the electrode 10610 for electrolyzing the treated water.

[0050] <4 Actions> (Wastewater treatment) Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the monitoring device 10 when processing supplied wastewater. The example shown in Figure 5 describes a case where, for example, a portion of the wastewater is taken into the side stream in front of the main stream reaction tank 40. The control device 60 controls valves, pumps, etc., so that a predetermined amount of wastewater is supplied to the monitoring device 10 when treated water is returned from the monitoring device 10 to the main stream. Specifically, the control device 60 detects that treated water has been returned from the monitoring device 10 using a predetermined sensor installed in the reaction tank 40. Upon detecting that treated water has been returned, the control device 60 controls valves, pumps, etc., to branch off a predetermined amount of wastewater from in front of the reaction tank 40 and supply the wastewater to the monitoring device 10. Alternatively, the control unit 101 may open a valve to the side stream to take in wastewater from the main stream at the timing when treated water is discharged from the monitoring device 10 to the reaction tank 40, thereby controlling the monitoring device 10 to supply a predetermined amount of wastewater. Alternatively, wastewater may be supplied to the monitoring device 10 after a predetermined time interval following detection. The monitoring device 10 processes a predetermined amount of wastewater supplied from the main stream in accordance with the operation shown in Figure 5.

[0051] In step S11, the monitoring device 10 performs biological treatment in the biological tank 1061. Specifically, a predetermined amount of wastewater branched off from the main stream is supplied to the biological tank 1061. Biological treatment of the wastewater supplied to the biological tank 1061 is started. The biological tank 1061 may be equipped with a sensor to measure the water level in the biological tank 1061. The water treatment control unit 1014 may stop the supply of wastewater if the water level in the biological tank 1061 exceeds a predetermined level.

[0052] In step S12, the monitoring device 10 measures the value of the target object using sensors installed within the device. Specifically, for example, the sensors in the monitoring device 10 are always in operation. Among the sensors installed in the monitoring device 10, for example, the CO2 sensor 1064 measures the carbon dioxide concentration generated by the biological treatment at predetermined intervals.

[0053] In step S13, the monitoring device 10 determines whether or not biological treatment in the biological tank 1061 has been completed. Specifically, for example, the first estimation unit 1015 acquires the change in carbon dioxide concentration over time measured by the CO2 sensor 1064. The first estimation unit 1015 analyzes the waveform characteristics, such as the appearance of a peak and the slope of the decrease after the appearance of the peak, and determines whether or not biological treatment has been completed for a predetermined amount of wastewater supplied. More specifically, for example, the first estimation unit 1015 detects the occurrence of a downward peak after the occurrence of an upward peak in the change in carbon dioxide concentration over time, and determines that biological treatment has been completed when the downward peak occurs.

[0054] Furthermore, the determination of the end of biological treatment is not limited to detecting the occurrence of a downward peak after the occurrence of an upward peak. The first estimation unit 1015 may, for example, calculate a predetermined index value indicating whether or not the biological treatment has ended from the change in carbon dioxide concentration over time, and determine the end of the biological treatment based on this index value. The index value may be calculated by a function, or it may be output from a trained model that has undergone predetermined training.

[0055] In step S14, the monitoring device 10 transfers treated water from the biological tank 1061 to the electrolysis tank 1069. Specifically, for example, when the water treatment control unit 1014 determines that the biological treatment is complete, it controls valves, pumps, etc., to transfer approximately the same amount of water as the supplied wastewater from the biological tank 1061 to the electrolysis tank 1069. The water treatment control unit 1014 detects, for example, that a predetermined amount of water has been transferred from the biological tank 1061 to the electrolysis tank 1069 based on a water level sensor installed in the biological tank 1061. When the predetermined amount of water has been transferred from the biological tank 1061 to the electrolysis tank 1069, the water treatment control unit 1014 closes the valve and stops the pump. As the treated water passes through the filtration membrane 1062 in the biological tank, sludge such as microorganisms is removed. The filtered treated water is then transferred to the electrolysis tank 1069.

[0056] In step S15, the monitoring device 10 performs electrolysis of the treated water in the electrolysis tank 1069. The electrolysis tank 1069 stores water that has been electrolyzed in the previous batch process, and a predetermined amount of treated water supplied from the biological tank 1061 is added to the stored water. When new treated water is supplied to the electrolysis tank 1069, the electrolysis process for the supplied treated water begins. The electrolysis tank 1069 may be equipped with a sensor to measure the water level in the electrolysis tank 1069. The water treatment control unit 1014 may stop the supply of wastewater if the water level in the electrolysis tank 1069 exceeds a predetermined level. Through electrolysis, free chlorine generated from chloride ions in the treated water reacts with nitrogen components and is decomposed into nitrogen gas.

[0057] In step S16, the monitoring device 10 measures the value of the target object using sensors installed within the device. Specifically, for example, the sensors in the monitoring device 10 are always in operation. Among the sensors installed in the monitoring device 10, for example, the pH sensor 10611 measures the pH of the treated water in the electrolysis tank 1069 at predetermined intervals. When nitrogen components in the treated water are decomposed, the pH rises.

[0058] In step S17, the monitoring device 10 determines whether the electrolysis treatment in the electrolysis tank 1069 has been completed. Specifically, for example, the second estimation unit 1016 acquires the time-dependent change in pH measured by the pH sensor 10611. Based on the relative change in pH, the second estimation unit 1016 determines whether the decomposition of nitrogen components in the wastewater has been completed. More specifically, for example, the second estimation unit 1016 detects the point in time when all nitrogen components in the treated water have been decomposed and the pH begins to rise, and determines that the decomposition of nitrogen components in the wastewater has been completed at the point in time when the pH begins to rise.

[0059] Furthermore, the determination of the end of the electrolysis process is not limited to detecting when the pH starts to rise. The second estimation unit 1016 may also detect when the pH starts to fall. In addition, the second estimation unit 1016 may, for example, calculate a predetermined index value indicating whether or not the electrolysis process has ended from the change in pH over time, and determine the end of the electrolysis process based on this index value. The index value may be calculated by a function, or it may be output from a trained model that has undergone predetermined training.

[0060] In step S18, the monitoring device 10 discharges the treated water. Specifically, for example, when the water treatment control unit 1014 determines that the electrolysis treatment is complete, it controls valves, pumps, etc., to discharge approximately the same amount of water as the supplied treated water from the electrolysis tank 1069 to the main stream. Alternatively, the water treatment control unit 1014 may control valves, pumps, etc., to discharge the treated water. When treated water is discharged from the monitoring device 10, the control device 60 detects the discharge and supplies or takes in a predetermined amount of wastewater from the main stream to the side stream.

[0061] The monitoring device 10 repeats the above operation each time a predetermined amount of wastewater is supplied from the main stream, and measures the water quality of the wastewater.

[0062] Figure 6 shows an example of carbon dioxide concentration measurement results. Figure 6 shows the carbon dioxide concentration measurement results when a predetermined amount of wastewater is repeatedly supplied. The carbon dioxide concentration repeatedly rises and falls. Figure 7 shows an example of pH measurement results. Figure 7 shows the pH measurement results when a predetermined amount of wastewater is repeatedly supplied.

[0063] (Calculation of control parameters related to aeration treatment) Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the monitoring device 10 when calculating parameters related to aeration treatment. The example shown in Figure 8 explains, for example, the case in which the monitoring device 10 calculates parameters related to aeration treatment based on measurement results obtained by performing the operation shown in Figure 5.

[0064] In step S21, the monitoring device 10 estimates the concentration of organic matter components in a predetermined amount of wastewater. Specifically, the first estimation unit 1015 acquires the time-dependent change in carbon dioxide concentration measured by the CO2 sensor 1064. The first estimation unit 1015 analyzes the waveform characteristics, such as the appearance of a peak and the slope of the decrease after the appearance of the peak, and determines the time required for processing. For example, in Figure 6, the first estimation unit 1015 detects the point in time when the carbon dioxide concentration suddenly increases. Also, for example, in Figure 6, the first estimation unit 1015 detects the occurrence of a downward peak after the occurrence of an upward peak. The first estimation unit 1015 estimates the time required for one batch of biological processing as the time from the point in time when the carbon dioxide concentration suddenly increases to the point in time when the downward peak occurs after the occurrence of the upward peak. Based on the estimated processing time and the previously known activity state of microorganisms, the first estimation unit 1015 estimates the concentration of organic matter components.

[0065] The first estimation unit 1015 may also estimate the concentration of organic matter components by referring to the flow rate of treated water permeating through the filtration membrane 1062 and / or the pressure of the treated water. For example, the filtration membrane 1062 will clog more quickly and the water flow will be reduced as the water becomes dirtier. The concentration of organic matter components in the wastewater in the biological tank 1061 is estimated based on the amount of treated water transferred from the biological tank 1061 to the electrolysis tank 1069 and the degree of change in the pressure of the transferred treated water.

[0066] In step S22, the monitoring device 10 calculates the amount of oxygen required to decompose organic matter. Specifically, the first estimation unit 1015 calculates the amount of oxygen required to biodegrade organic matter contained in wastewater based on the concentration of organic matter components estimated in step S21 and a predetermined relationship between the amount of organic matter to be decomposed and the required amount of oxygen.

[0067] In step S23, the monitoring device 10 estimates the concentration of nitrogen components in the wastewater. Specifically, the second estimation unit 1016 acquires the time-dependent change in pH during the electrolysis treatment. For example, in Figure 7, the second estimation unit 1016 detects the point in time when the decrease in pH begins. The second estimation unit 1016 also detects, for example, in Figure 7, the point in time when all nitrogen components in the treated water are decomposed and the pH begins to rise. The second estimation unit 1016 estimates the time from the point in time when the decrease in pH begins to rise to the time required for one batch of electrolysis treatment. Based on the estimated time and the amount of current required for electrolysis, the second estimation unit 1016 calculates the total amount of free chlorine consumed for nitrogen decomposition and estimates the concentration of nitrogen components that were originally contained in the wastewater based on the stoichiometric reaction ratio.

[0068] In step S24, the monitoring device 10 calculates the optimal control parameters for the mainstream aeration process. Specifically, the calculation unit 1017 obtains the concentration of organic matter components estimated in step S21, the amount of oxygen required for the decomposition of organic matter components estimated in step S22, and the concentration of nitrogen components estimated in step S23. Using this information, the calculation unit 1017 calculates the total amount of oxygen required in the mainstream reaction tank 40. Based on the total amount of oxygen required, the calculation unit 1017 calculates the optimal aeration time, aeration airflow rate, and aeration timing.

[0069] <Summary> As described above, in the above embodiment, the control unit 101 receives a predetermined amount of wastewater flowing through the main stream of the wastewater treatment facility as sidestream wastewater. The control unit 101 measures a predetermined value when processing a predetermined amount of wastewater. Based on the relative fluctuations of the measured value, the control unit 101 estimates the concentration of impurities contained in the predetermined amount of wastewater. This makes it possible to grasp the water quality of the incoming wastewater in real time and in detail without directly affecting the treatment of the main stream.

[0070] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to achieve both stabilization of treated water quality and energy saving.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, wastewater treatment includes biological treatment, and the control unit 101 measures the carbon dioxide concentration generated during the biological treatment process and estimates the concentration of organic matter components in a predetermined amount of wastewater based on the fluctuations in the measured carbon dioxide concentration. This makes it possible to estimate the concentration of organic matter components with high accuracy by directly capturing the decomposition activity of organic matter by microorganisms.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control unit 101 calculates the amount of oxygen required to decompose organic components in a predetermined amount of wastewater based on the estimated concentration of organic components. This allows for appropriate adjustment of the amount of oxygen required for aeration treatment in accordance with water quality fluctuations, contributing to the optimization of aeration power.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control unit 101 measures the permeate flow rate of the filtration membrane 1062 through which the treated water after biological treatment passes, and estimates the concentration of organic matter components in a predetermined amount of wastewater based on the degree of decrease in the measured flow rate. This makes it possible to understand the amount of organic matter that affects fouling (clogging) of the filtration membrane and to improve the accuracy of concentration estimation.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control unit 101 estimates the composition of organic components, such as easily decomposable organic matter and difficult-to-decompose organic matter, based on the measured waveform of changes in carbon dioxide concentration. This makes it possible to understand not only the concentration of organic matter but also its quality (decomposition characteristics), and to obtain information for more advanced processing control.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, wastewater treatment includes biological treatment and electrolysis of the treated water after the biological treatment. The control unit 101 measures the pH during electrolysis and the amount of current required for electrolysis, and estimates the concentration of inorganic components in a predetermined amount of wastewater based on the measured change in pH and amount of current. This makes it possible to stably estimate the concentration of nitrogen components with high accuracy based on physicochemical measurements that do not depend on the state of biological activity.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control unit 101 calculates the parameters for aeration treatment in the mainstream based on the estimated concentrations of organic and inorganic components. This makes it possible to calculate specific numerical values ​​for automatically controlling the aeration treatment based on real-time water quality information.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the monitoring device 10 receives the wastewater from the stage prior to the reaction tank 40 in the main stream as wastewater from the side stream. This makes it possible to know the water quality of the influent water to be treated in advance and to perform predictive feedforward control.

[0078] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control unit 101 calculates the parameters for aeration treatment in the mainstream based on the estimated concentrations of organic and inorganic components, and outputs the calculated aeration treatment parameters to control aeration in the reaction tank 40 using those parameters. This makes it possible to optimize the amount of aeration in real time in response to fluctuations in the water quality of the influent. <Other Embodiments> In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the monitoring device 10 receives wastewater branched off from the upstream stage of the reaction tank 40 located in the main stream. However, the configuration of the treatment plant 1 is not limited to this. The treatment plant 1 may be configured to include a plurality of monitoring devices (monitoring device 10-1 and monitoring device 10-2 in Figure 9), as shown in Figure 9.

[0079] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a water treatment plant 1 according to another embodiment. The water treatment plant 1 shown in Figure 9 is equipped with monitoring devices 10-1 and 10-2 in the sidestream. Monitoring device 10-1 acquires a portion of the wastewater from upstream of the mainstream reaction tank 40. Monitoring device 10-1 is responsible for predictively understanding the water quality (concentration of organic matter components and concentration of nitrogen components) of the influent water that will be treated in the reaction tank 40. Monitoring device 10-2 acquires treated water from downstream of the mainstream reaction tank 40 (for example, immediately before the second sedimentation tank 50). Monitoring device 10-2 is responsible for actually understanding the water quality after treatment in the reaction tank 40 and evaluating the treatment results.

[0080] Specifically, the monitoring device 10-2 receives treated water in the sidestream and treats the received water according to the operation shown in Figure 5. The monitoring device 10-2 measures the water quality during treatment. The first estimation unit 1015 of the monitoring device 10-2 estimates the amount of oxygen required to biodegrade residual organic matter components in the treated water, and the concentration of residual organic matter components, based on the measurement results of the carbon dioxide concentration. The second estimation unit 1016 of the monitoring device 10-2 estimates the concentration of residual nitrogen components in the treated water, based on the measurement results of the pH. The transmitting and receiving unit 1012 of the monitoring device 10-2 transmits the estimation results to the monitoring device 10-1.

[0081] The monitoring device 10-1 receives wastewater in the sidestream and processes the received wastewater according to the operation shown in Figure 5. The monitoring device 10-1 measures the water quality of the wastewater during treatment. The first estimation unit 1015 of the monitoring device 10-1 estimates the amount of oxygen required to biodegrade organic matter components in the wastewater and the concentration of organic matter components based on the measurement results of carbon dioxide concentration. The second estimation unit 1016 of the monitoring device 10-1 estimates the concentration of nitrogen components in the wastewater based on the measurement results of pH. The calculation unit 1017 of the monitoring device 10-1 calculates the control parameters for aeration treatment based on the estimation results of its own device and the estimation results estimated by the monitoring device 10-2. The calculation unit 1017 may calculate the control parameters for aeration treatment using, for example, statistical methods, stoichiometric formulas, and / or trained models.

[0082] Specifically, the calculation unit 1017 calculates basic control parameters such as the optimal aeration time, aeration airflow rate, and aeration timing in the reaction tank 40 based on the concentration of organic matter and nitrogen components of the influent water estimated by its own device (monitoring device 10-1) (feedforward control).

[0083] Next, the calculation unit 1017 refers to the estimated results for the treated water received from the monitoring device 10-2 (amount of oxygen required to biodegrade residual organic matter components in the treated water, concentration of residual organic matter components, and concentration of residual nitrogen components). Based on the estimated results for the treated water, the calculation unit 1017 modifies the calculated control parameters (feedback control). For example, if the concentration of organic matter components or nitrogen components at the outlet of the reaction tank 40 is higher than the target value, the calculation unit 1017 corrects the parameters in a direction that increases the aeration time and aeration airflow rate. Conversely, if the values ​​are significantly below the target value, the calculation unit 1017 corrects the parameters in a direction that reduces them to suppress excessive energy consumption. Alternatively, the calculation unit 1017 may perform the opposite correction. In other words, the calculation unit 1017 corrects the data obtained from the wastewater upstream of the mainstream with the data obtained from the water downstream of the mainstream.

[0084] A trained model is a model generated by, for example, having a machine learning model perform machine learning according to a model training program. A trained model is, for example, a parameterized composite function composed of multiple functions that perform predetermined inference based on input data. For example, when a trained model is generated using a feedforward multilayer network, the parameterized composite function is defined as, for example, a combination of linear relationships between layers using weight matrices, nonlinear relationships (or linear relationships) using activation functions in each layer, and biases. As the multilayer network according to this embodiment, for example, a deep neural network (DNN), which is a multilayer neural network targeted by deep learning, can be used.

[0085] The trained model is a model that, when input, for example, estimated data estimated by monitoring device 10-1, estimated data estimated by monitoring device 10-2, and environmental information of the reaction tank 40, outputs control parameters for controlling the aeration unit 41. The trained model is trained to use, for example, estimated data previously estimated by monitoring device 10-1, estimated data previously estimated by monitoring device 10-2, and past environmental information of the reaction tank 40 as input data, and sets control parameters for controlling the aeration process based on this information as ground truth output data. In this embodiment, the environmental information of the reaction tank 40 includes, for example, wastewater source information, inflow rate, water temperature, etc., and can be obtained from separately installed sensors. This makes it possible to calculate parameters that are more dynamic and accurate in response to fluctuations in water quality and environmental changes, going beyond simple feedforward and feedback control.

[0086] The trained model may, for example, be trained using estimated data previously estimated by the monitoring device 10-1 as input data, and control parameters for controlling the aeration process, which are set based on this information, as ground truth output data. In this case, when the trained model receives estimated data estimated by the monitoring device 10-1 as input, it outputs control parameters for controlling the aeration unit 41.

[0087] Furthermore, the trained model may be trained using, for example, estimated data previously estimated by monitoring device 10-1 and estimated data previously estimated by monitoring device 10-2 as input data, and control parameters for controlling the aeration process, which are set based on this information, as ground truth output data. In this case, the trained model, for example, when it receives estimated data estimated by monitoring device 10-1 and estimated data estimated by monitoring device 10-2 as input, outputs control parameters for controlling the aeration unit 41.

[0088] The calculation unit 1017 may, for example, retrain the trained model at a predetermined timing based on the estimated data estimated by the monitoring device 10-1, the estimated data estimated by the monitoring device 10-2, and the set control parameters. Alternatively, the calculation unit 1017 may, for example, retrain the trained model at a predetermined timing based on the estimated data estimated by the monitoring device 10-1, the estimated data estimated by the monitoring device 10-2, the environmental information of the reaction tank 40, and the set control parameters. This allows newly estimated information to be used for training, making it possible to maintain a trained model suitable for the water treatment plant 1.

[0089] The calculation of control parameters for aeration treatment may be performed by the calculation unit 1017 of the monitoring device 10-2. The calculation unit 1017 of the monitoring device 10-2 calculates the control parameters for aeration treatment based on the estimation results of its own device and the estimation results estimated by the monitoring device 10-1. The calculation unit 1017 may calculate the control parameters for aeration treatment using, for example, statistical methods, stoichiometric formulas, and / or trained models.

[0090] If multiple monitoring devices 10 are installed, any one of the multiple monitoring devices 10 may perform the same water treatment. Even if multiple monitoring devices 10 perform the same water treatment, water quality may be measured using sensors that measure different targets. Furthermore, multiple monitoring devices 10 may perform different water treatments from each other. In addition, the monitoring devices 10 may perform water treatments other than biological treatment and electrolysis.

[0091] <Variation> In the above embodiment, the case in which the carbon dioxide concentration is measured by the CO2 sensor 1064 installed in the water processing unit 106 and the pH is measured by the pH sensor 10611 was described as an example, but the objects measured in the water processing unit 106 are not limited to these. For example, the following sensors may be installed in predetermined positions in the water processing unit 106. Examples of sensors that can be installed in the water processing unit 106 are as follows. • Pressure sensor • Field sensor • Water volume sensor • Flow sensor • Water temperature sensor • Ambient temperature sensor • All types of water quality monitoring sensors • Optical sensor • Sound and vibration sensors • Infrared sensor • Humidity sensor Image sensor Examples of objects sensed by water quality monitoring sensors include the following: (1) pH, oxidation-reduction potential, alkalinity, ion concentration, hardness, electrical conductivity (2) Turbidity, color, viscosity, dissolved oxygen, odor (3) Ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen, total nitrogen, residual chlorine, total phosphorus, total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon, total trihalomethanes, dissolved oxygen, metals (4) Microbial sensor detection results, chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, (5) Toxic substances such as cyanide and mercury, oils, and surfactants (6) Optical sensor detection results, TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter (7) Mass spectrometry results, fine particles, zeta potential, surface potential Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes an example in which the first estimation unit 1015 estimates the concentration of organic matter components based on the carbon dioxide concentration and the second estimation unit 1016 estimates the concentration of nitrogen components based on pH, the system is not limited to this. The control unit 101 may estimate the concentration of impurities in the wastewater based on any of the above measured values, or any combination thereof. Specifically, for example, when organic matter in wastewater is decomposed by microorganisms, ionic substances are eluted, causing the electrical conductivity of the treated water to fluctuate. The higher the degree of wastewater contamination, i.e., the higher the concentration of organic matter components, the higher the electrical conductivity tends to be. Utilizing this relationship, the first estimation unit 1015 estimates the concentration of organic matter components based on the electrical conductivity value measured by the electrical conductivity sensor 1068, or its change over time, and the carbon dioxide concentration. This improves the estimation accuracy compared to estimating the concentration of organic matter components based solely on the carbon dioxide concentration.

[0092] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case in which biological treatment and electrolysis treatment are performed in the monitoring device 10 was described as an example. However, the treatment performed in the monitoring device 10 is not limited to biological treatment and electrolysis treatment. The monitoring device 10 may perform treatments other than biological treatment and electrolysis treatment. Also, the monitoring device 10 may perform the same water treatment in parallel. The control unit 101 may estimate the concentration of impurity components based on the relative change in the measured values ​​measured by at least one of the sensors in a predetermined wastewater treatment.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the monitoring device 10 calculates control parameters related to aeration treatment based on the concentrations of organic matter components and nitrogen components that it has estimated. However, the monitoring device 10 does not need to calculate control parameters.

[0094] In this case, the first estimation unit 1015 of the monitoring device 10 estimates the concentration of organic matter components and the amount of oxygen, and the second estimation unit 1016 estimates the concentration of nitrogen components. Subsequently, the transmitting and receiving unit 1012 of the monitoring device 10 transmits these estimation results to the control device 60. Based on the estimation results received from the monitoring device 10, the control device 60 calculates the total amount of oxygen required in the mainstream reaction vessel 40 and calculates control parameters such as the optimal aeration time, aeration airflow rate, and aeration timing. Then, it controls the aeration unit 41 of the reaction vessel 40 using the calculated parameters.

[0095] Alternatively, for example, the control device 60 may acquire sensor measurements from the monitoring device 10 and calculate control parameters. For example, the control device 60 acquires measurements from sensors provided in the monitoring device 10 from the transmitting / receiving unit 1012 of the monitoring device 10. Based on the measurement results received from the monitoring device 10, the control device 60 calculates the total amount of oxygen required in the mainstream reaction vessel 40 and calculates control parameters such as the optimal aeration time, aeration airflow rate, and aeration timing. Then, it controls the aeration section 41 of the reaction vessel 40 using the calculated parameters. The control device 60 may also estimate the concentration of organic matter components, the amount of oxygen required to decompose the organic matter components, and the concentration of nitrogen components from the measurement results and calculate control parameters from the estimation results. The measurement values ​​obtained from the sensor may be acquired from the transmitting / receiving unit on the control device 60, or the measurement values ​​obtained from the sensor may be transmitted from the transmitting / receiving unit built into the sensor to the transmitting / receiving unit of the control device 60 or the monitoring device 10.

[0096] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, if the water treatment plant 1 is equipped with monitoring devices 10-1 and 10-2, the control device 60 may receive measured values ​​or estimated results from monitoring devices 10-1 and 10-2. Specifically, the control device 60 receives measured values ​​or estimated results (concentration of organic matter components, oxygen content, and nitrogen component concentration) for the influent water from monitoring device 10-1, which measures the wastewater upstream of the reaction tank 40, and calculates basic control parameters based on these (feedforward control). At the same time, the control device 60 receives measured values ​​or estimated results (concentration of residual organic matter components and residual nitrogen component concentration) for the treated water from monitoring device 10-2, which measures the treated water downstream of the reaction tank 40. The control device 60 uses the estimated results of the treated water to evaluate whether the previously calculated control parameters were appropriate and corrects the parameters as necessary (feedback control). As a result, both feedforward control and feedback control are performed in the control device 60, achieving more accurate process control.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the calculation unit 1017 was described as calculating processing conditions in the mainstream, such as the aeration time in aerobic treatment, based on the estimated concentration of impurities. However, the processing conditions calculated by the calculation unit 1017 based on the estimated concentration of impurities are not limited to control parameters related to aeration treatment. The calculation unit 1017 may also calculate control parameters for a predetermined treatment in the mainstream. For example, the calculation unit 1017 may calculate parameters such as the time required for aerobic treatment (nitrification) to remove nitrogen, the time required for anaerobic treatment (denitrification) to remove nitrogen, the amount of chemical agent to be added to neutralization treatment, the amount of chlorine to be added to disinfection treatment, or the lifespan of consumable components constituting the mainstream (for example, the remaining water flow time of the membrane).

[0098] Furthermore, the above embodiment described processing within a single water treatment plant 1. However, the control device 60 or monitoring device 10 of the water treatment plant 1 may be connected to a network.

[0099] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system including multiple water treatment plants according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 10, multiple water treatment plants (water treatment plants 1-1 and 1-2 in Figure 10) and a server 70 that manages them comprehensively are connected to a network 80.

[0100] The control devices 60 installed in water treatment plants 1-1 and 1-2 transmit, for example, environmental information within water treatment plants 1-1 and 1-2, control parameters of the equipment within water treatment plants 1-1 and 1-2, etc., to the server 70. The monitoring devices 10 installed in each water treatment plant 1 transmit, for example, estimated results based on measurement results of water branched from the main stream, etc., to the server 70. The control devices 60 and monitoring devices 10 transmit information to the server 70 at predetermined timings.

[0101] Server 70 aggregates information on the operation of water treatment plants 1-1 and 1-2 obtained from these plants and performs cross-sectional analysis of the aggregated information. Server 70 also uses the aggregated information under diverse conditions to retrain or newly train a pre-trained model. By using information from multiple water treatment plants operating in different environments (e.g., region, season, inflow characteristics), it becomes possible to generate a more versatile and accurate pre-trained model than when training with information from only a single water treatment plant.

[0102] The trained models, updated or generated through learning, can be distributed from the server 70 to the monitoring devices 10 or control devices 60 of the water treatment plants 1-1 and 1-2. By utilizing the optimized trained models, the water treatment plants 1-1 and 1-2 can leverage insights that cannot be obtained solely from the operational experience of individual plants, thereby improving the accuracy of their control.

[0103] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the trained model outputs control parameters based on the estimation results (concentration of organic matter components and concentration of nitrogen components) calculated by the first estimation unit 1015 and the second estimation unit 1016. However, the processing of the trained model is not limited to this. The trained model may output control parameters directly based on measurement data obtained from the sensor without going through the intermediate processing of estimation.

[0104] In this case, the trained model is input with, for example, time-series data of carbon dioxide concentration obtained from the CO2 sensor 1064 (waveform shape, peak height, and appearance time, etc.) and time-series data of pH values ​​obtained from the pH sensor 10611 (pH curve change pattern, etc.), and the trained model outputs control parameters for the aeration process.

[0105] In this process, the trained model is trained using a large amount of previously accumulated measurement data as input data, and the control parameters set when that measurement data was obtained are used as the correct output data.

[0106] Furthermore, the above embodiment describes an example where a trained model is used to output control parameters for aeration processing. A generative AI may be used as the trained model. A generative AI can be implemented, for example, by a Large Language Model (LLM). A Large Language Model is a natural language model designed to perform multiple tasks of natural language processing. A Large Language Model is an example of a trained model, and is a model trained using a large number of parameters (e.g., billions to hundreds of billions) and high-level computing resources. A natural language model is a computer program or algorithm designed to perform tasks of natural language processing. For example, in natural language processing, processes such as morphological analysis, syntactic analysis, information extraction, and text generation are performed, enabling a computer to analyze the language used by humans (i.e., natural language) and perform predetermined processing. A Large Language Model generates output based on the text, image, etc. of a prompt (instruction) when a prompt (instruction) is input. The prompt can be defined in natural language.

[0107] Examples of large-scale language models include the GPT series (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer) developed by OPEN AI, StableLM developed by Stability AI, Llama2 developed by Meta, and Palm2® and LamDA2® developed by Google. Note that other language models are also acceptable, not limited to large-scale models. For example, BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) developed by Google is also acceptable.

[0108] The generating AI is built outside the monitoring device 10 and outputs the information requested by the monitoring device 10. The generating AI may also be built inside the monitoring device 10.

[0109] In the embodiments described above, the cases in which the units and means are implemented by a processor have been explained, but the invention is not limited thereto. The units and means may be any hardware known to perform the operation.

[0110] Although several embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, these embodiments can be implemented in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, configurations and processes in one embodiment may be combined with configurations and processes in another embodiment, or a modification of one embodiment may be applied to another embodiment. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents.

[0111] (Note) The details described in each of the above embodiments are noted below.

[0112] (Note 1) A program for execution on a computer having a processor and memory, the program causing the processor to perform the steps of: receiving a predetermined amount of wastewater flowing through the main stream of a wastewater treatment facility as sidestream wastewater; controlling water treatment for a predetermined amount of wastewater; measuring a predetermined value in the water treatment; and passing information relating to the measured result to the control of the main stream. (Note 2) The program described in Appendix 1, which causes the processor to perform the step of estimating the concentration of impurities contained in a predetermined amount of wastewater based on the relative fluctuations of the measured values, and then hands over the concentration of impurities to the mainstream control in the step of handing over the concentration of impurities. (Note 3) In the estimation step, the program (as described in Appendix 2) estimates the amount of oxygen required for wastewater treatment based on the estimated concentration of impurities. (Note 4) A program for execution on a computer having a processor and memory, the program causing the processor to perform the following steps: acquire as first information the concentration of impurities in wastewater estimated based on a predetermined amount of wastewater flowing through the main stream of a wastewater treatment facility and branched off from the main stream; acquire as second information the concentration of impurities in wastewater estimated based on a predetermined amount of wastewater flowing through the main stream of a wastewater treatment facility and branched off from a stage downstream of the branch; acquire environmental information of the main stream; and train an estimation model using the first information, the second information, and the environmental information as input information, and control parameters of a predetermined process in the main stream as training information. (Note 5) A method to be performed on a computer comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processor performs all steps performed in any of the inventions described in (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 4). (Note 6) An information processing apparatus comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processor performs all steps performed in any of the inventions described in (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 4). (Note 7) A system comprising: means for supplying a predetermined amount of wastewater flowing through the mainstream to a monitoring device as sidestream wastewater in a wastewater treatment facility; means for performing water treatment on a predetermined amount of wastewater in the monitoring device; means for measuring a predetermined value in the water treatment in the monitoring device; means for transmitting information related to the measured results to the mainstream in the monitoring device; and means for controlling the mainstream in the wastewater treatment facility based on the information. (Note 8) The system described in Appendix 7, wherein monitoring devices are provided at each of several steps in the wastewater treatment process in the mainstream. (Note 9) The system described in Appendix 8, comprising means for correcting information relating to the results of measuring wastewater upstream of the mainstream with information relating to the results of measuring wastewater downstream of the mainstream in at least one of the multiple monitoring devices or in a wastewater treatment facility. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1…Water treatment plant 10,10-1,10-2…Monitoring device 20... Sedimentation basin 30…First sedimentation tank 40… Reaction vessel 41...Aeration section 50...Second sedimentation tank 60...Control device 70... Server 80…Network 101... Control Unit 102...Storage section 103... Communications Department 104...Input device 105…Output device 106...Water Treatment Section

Claims

1. A program to be executed on a computer having a processor and memory, The aforementioned processor, A step of receiving a predetermined amount of wastewater from the main stream of a wastewater treatment facility as sidestream wastewater, A step of controlling the electrolysis treatment of a predetermined amount of wastewater to be performed in a batch manner, The steps include measuring the pH over time in the electrolysis process, The steps include: estimating the concentration of nitrogen components in the wastewater based on the time-dependent change in the measured pH; The steps include: passing information relating to the estimated concentration of the nitrogen component to the mainstream control; A program that executes the command.

2. The program according to claim 1, wherein in the estimation step, the amount of oxygen required for the treatment of the wastewater is estimated based on the estimated concentration of the nitrogen component.

3. The processor, A step of controlling the biological treatment of the predetermined amount of wastewater to be carried out in a batch manner, The steps include measuring the carbon dioxide concentration over time in the aforementioned biological treatment, The steps include: estimating the concentration of organic matter components in the wastewater based on the time-dependent change in the measured carbon dioxide concentration; Let's execute it further, The program according to claim 1, wherein in the step of transferring information, the information relating to the estimated concentration of the organic component is transferred to the mainstream control.

4. A method to be performed on a computer comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processor performs all steps performed in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A water treatment apparatus comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processor performs all steps performed in any of the inventions according to claims 1 to 3.

6. In a wastewater treatment facility, a means for supplying a predetermined amount of wastewater flowing through the main stream to a monitoring device as sidestream wastewater, The monitoring device includes means for performing electrolytic treatment on a predetermined amount of wastewater in a batch manner, The monitoring device includes means for measuring the pH of the electrolysis process over time, The monitoring device includes means for estimating the concentration of nitrogen components in the wastewater based on the time-dependent change in the measured pH, The monitoring device includes means for transmitting information relating to the estimated concentration of the nitrogen component to the mainstream, In the wastewater treatment facility, means for controlling the main stream based on the information and A system equipped with these features.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the monitoring device is provided at each of the multiple steps of the wastewater treatment process in the mainstream.

8. The system according to claim 7, comprising at least one of the plurality of monitoring devices, or the wastewater treatment facility, means for correcting information relating to the results of measuring the wastewater upstream of the main stream with information relating to the results of measuring the wastewater downstream of the main stream.

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