PREDICTION OF GAS PRODUCTION AND COD REMOVAL OF TWO-STAGE CYCLIC ANAEROBIC FILTERS BY MASS TRANSFER MODELS

Cho, Young-Tai; Young, James C.

Environmental Engineering Research 2001;6(4): 211-222.

¹Department of Environmental Engineering, Chung Cheong College, Chung Buk 363-792, Korea
²Department of Civil Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA

Corresponding Author: James C. Young ,Tel: +82-43-230-2284, Fax: +82-43-230-2309, Email: choyt@ok.ac.kr

Received: June 8, 2001; Accepted: August 6, 2001.

ABSTRACT

Two, two-stage, cyclic (TSC) anaerobic filter reactor systems were operated for almost two years to determine the COD removal performance under various COD loading rates and operating cycle times. A two-stage reactor system without flow reversal was used as a control. Tests indicated that the COD removal efficiency of the TSC configuration was about 15% greater than the control when operating at COD loading rates of 8 g/L-day. This improved efficiency occurred because the second stage of the control reactor system provided little additional removal. The second stage of the TSC reactor systems contained active biomass that provided substantial COD removal higher than that in the first stage. A mass transfer model indicated that the performance of the TSC process was controlled by hydraulic retention time rather than by biodegradation kinetics.

Keywords: anaerobic treatment | mass transfer | reactor modeling | two-stage cyclic process | two-stage reactor