Hybrid machine learning modeling of nitrogen removal from wastewater using gas-liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed riser

Municipal wastewater generally contains high amounts of nitrogen (N), approximately 23–28 mg/L of total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), which causes eutrophication and pollution of groundwater. This article reports the generation of empirical models for estimating the nitrogen removal efficacy of two outputs (NH₄-N and NO₃-N) from the anoxic riser of a highly efficient municipal wastewater treatment system involving a gas-liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed (GLSCFB) bioreactor. To identify the important variables and discard irrelevant ones, the ReliefF algorithm is applied initially. Out of 10 independent variables, this method indicates that only three, such as flow rate, total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), and downer effluent of NO3-N, are meaningful for anoxic nitrogen removal. Then, a hybrid Bayesian Optimization Algorithm and Support Vector Regression (BOA-SVR) is implemented, considering only the essential variables. In this regard, real-life laboratory data are utilized to develop the models. The BOA approach and k-fold cross-validation technique are explicitly applied to optimize the model's hyperparameters and avoid overfitting. The established models provided sufficiently accurate predictions via their comparisons to the experimental observations. Besides, the BOA-SVR model outperforms the classical multiple linear regression (MLR). The BOA-SVR models' forecasted results for both the predicted amount of NH₄-N and NO₃-N are favorably compared with the laboratory trials (R²> 99 %). A comprehensive evaluation is further conducted to validate the performance of this model by calculating the root mean square error, mean absolute percentage error, fractional bias, and computational efficiency. Gaussian white noise is used to add three distinct noise levels (20 %, 40 %, and 60 %) to the testing data to evaluate the model's robustness. Moreover, the plots of relative deviations and residuals were dispersed across the zero-reference line with moderate fluctuations. Sensitivity analysis indicated the relative importance of the three independent variables on the anoxic nitrogen removal in the order of influent TKN > downer effluent NO₃-N >flowrate. Overall, the developed tool has substantial potential in modeling other convoluted processes.