TITLE:
Evaluation of the Inverse Fluidized Bed Biological Reactor for Treating High-Strength Industrial Wastewaters
AUTHORS:
Włodzimierz Sokół, Belay Woldeyes
KEYWORDS:
Biological Wastewater Treatment, Aerobic Wastewater Treatment, High-Strength Industrial Wastewaters, Inverse Biological Reactor, Fluidized Bed Bioreactor, Low-Density Biomass
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JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Chemical Engineering and Science,
Vol.1 No.4,
October
26,
2011
ABSTRACT: The aim of this work was to investigate the aerobic degradation of high-strength industrial (refinery) wastewaters in the inverse fluidized bed biological reactor, in which polypropylene particles of density 910 kg/m3 were fluidized by an upward flow of gas through a bed. Measurements of chemical oxygen demand (COD) versus residence time t were performed for various ratios of settled bed volume to reactor volume (Vb/VR) and air velocities u. The largest COD reduction, namely, from 54,840 to 2,190 mg/l, i.e. a 96% COD decrease, was achieved when the reactor was operated at the ratio (Vb/VR) = 0.55, air velocity u = 0.046 m/s and t = 65 h. Thus, these values of (Vb/VR), u and t can be considered as the optimal operating parameters for a reactor when used in treatment of high-strength refinery wastewaters. In the treatment operation conducted in a reactor optimally controlled at (Vb/VR) = 0.55, u = 0.046 m/s and t = 65 h, the conversions obtained for all phenolic constituents of the wastewater were larger than 95%. The conversions of about 90% were attained for other hydrocarbons.