The aim of the study is verification of a stochastic optimization approach for redesign of heat-integrated two-stage Autothermal Thermophilic Aerobic Digestion (ATAD) bioreactors system for municipal wastewater treatment operating under uncertainties. It was implemented through simulation of the ATAD system operation using feed-forward Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) for bioreactors modelling of the both stages and heat integration model of ATAD system with one heat storage tank. For the simulation purpose the design parameters values of the heat integration equipment associated with the obtained optimal solution of the stochastic approach were used. The ANN models were applied for prediction of the thermal shock occurred in the first bioreactor stage at incoming of each new portion of raw sludge, the expected temperature of the sludge at the end of the process and the volatile solids reduction at constant parameters of the inlet flows. They were included in two sequentially linked modules for simulation of the bioreactors operation. An appropriate data transfer between the modules, simulating the bioreactors and the Heat Integration module was provided. The simulation was carried out for two 15 d winter and summer periods. The simulation results have shown that applying the heat-integration of the process can lead to an increase in the temperatures of the inlet raw sludge about 6-8 °? and a decrease in the depth of thermal shock in both bioreactors about 5-7 °?. It also can provide higher and sustainable temperatures of the hot treated sludge at the end of the process which get much closer to the optimal of 55 °? for the first bioreactor and 65 °? for the second bioreactor and higher volatile solids reduction in both bioreactors about 1.5 wt.%.
