Simulation-Based Analysis and Adaptive Optimization of Electrocoagulation for Wastewater Treatment from Wood-Based Industries

Abstract

Wastewater generated from wood-based industries contains a complex mixture of suspended solids, organic matter,and recalcitrant pollutants that are difficult to re move using conventional treatment techniques. Electrocoagulation has emerged as an effective alternative d ue t o i ts a bility to generate coagulants in situ and promote pollutant destabilisation through electrochemical reactions. However, practical deployment of electrocoagulation systems is often limited by high energy consumption and the lack of systematic operating strategies. This work presents a comprehensive simulation-based investigation of electrocoagulation for industrial wastewater treatment, with a particular focus on pollutant removal efficiency, en ergy co nsumption, an d spatial treatment uniformity. A physics-based mathematical model is developed to describe electric potential distribution, current density, metal ion generation, pollutant transport, and reaction kinetics within a two-dimensional reactor domain. The governing equations are solved numerically using a finite-difference framework, enabling detailed parametric analysis under varying voltage, conductivity, and reaction-rate conditions. Based on the insights obtained from static operation, an adaptive electrocoagulation framework is proposed in which the applied voltage is dynamically regulated in response to system state indicators. Simulationresults demonstrate that the adaptive strategy achieves a high final pollutant removal of 96.37% while consuming only9.84 kJ of electrical energy, with stable voltage behaviourand limited fluctuations. Comparative analysis shows that this adaptive approach provides a superior removal–energy trade-off compared to static high-voltage operation and outperforms several recently reported electrocoagulation studies. The outcomes of this research establish the effectiveness of adaptive, physics-informed control for electrocoagulation systems and provide a scalable framework for energyefficient wastewater treatment in wood-based and similar industrial sectors.