Application of computational fluid dynamics to closed-loop bioreactors: II. Simulation of biological phosphorus removal using computational fluid dynamics.

Based on the International Water Association's (London) Activated Sludge Model No. 2 (ASM2), biochemistry rate expressions for general heterotrophs and phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs) were introduced to a previously developed, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) activated sludge model that characterized the mixing pattern within the outer channel of a full-scale, closed-loop bioreactor. Using acetate as the sole carbon and energy source, CFD simulations for general heterotrophs or PAOs individually agreed well with those of ASM2 for a chemostat with the same operating conditions. Competition between and selection of heterotrophs and PAOs was verified using conventional completely mixed and tanks-in-series models. Then, competition was studied in the CFD model. These results demonstrated that PAOs and heterotrophs can theoretically coexist in a single bioreactor when the oxygen input is appropriate to allow sufficient low-dissolved-oxygen zones to develop.     

Effects of aeration frequency on leachate quality and waste in simulated hybrid bioreactor landfills

Research has been conducted to investigate the effects of daily aeration frequency on leachate quality and waste settlement in simulated hybrid landfill bioreactors. Four laboratory-scale reactors were constructed and operated for about 10 months to simulate different bioreactor operations, including one anaerobic bioreactor and three hybrid bioreactors with different aeration frequencies (one, two, and four times per day). Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅) reduced more than 96% of the initial concentrations in all aerated bioreactors. The differences of COD and BOD₅ reductions among tested aeration frequencies were relatively small. For ammonia nitrogen, the higher aeration frequency (two or four times per day) resulted in the quicker reduction. Overall, the concentrations of heavy metals (Cr, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn) decreased over time except Cd and Pb. The reduction of redox-sensitive metal concentrations (Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu) was greater in aerated bioreactors than in anaerobic bioreactor. Settlement of municipal solid waste (MSW) was enhanced with higher frequency of aeration events (four times per day).

Implications: In recent years, hybird bioreactor landfill technology has gained a lot of attention. Appropriate aeration rate is crucial for hybrid bioreactor operation, but few studies have been done and different results were obtained. Research was conducted to investigate the effects of daily aeration frequency on leachate quality and waste settlement. Results indicated that aeration can effectively accelerate waste stabilization and remove organic carbon concentration and total nitrogen in the leachate.     

SMBR内气液两相流三维CFD模拟

应用CFD软件Fluent对浸没式膜生物反应器(submerged membrane bioreactor,SMBR)内气液两相流进行数值模拟研究,重点考查曝气系统的改变对气液两相流态的影响,并结合PIV实验验证模拟结果,从而为反应器的优化设计及膜污染的控制提供理论依据。模拟结果表明,SMBR内曝气强化了气液两相紊动,膜表面液相速度沿反应器高度增加且形成循环流动,有利于膜面污染物的脱落;反应器内气含率分布不均匀,出现死区,不利于微生物的生长;经实验验证,模拟结果吻合良好。     

Aerobic and anaerobic membrane bioreactors for municipal wastewater treatment.

An aerobic bioreactor and an anaerobic bioreactor, each coupled with a microfiltration membrane filter (MBR), were operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) with primary effluent from the City of Elmhurst, Illinois, municipal-wastewater-treatment plant. The soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal performance of the anaerobic MBR system was similar to that of the aerobic MBR under the same operational conditions, without the added cost of aeration. The results indicated that the solids deposition rate on the membrane surface was lower in the case of anaerobic MBR compared to the aerobic MBR, indicating possible lower loss in water-flux rates. This research found that an anaerobic MBR is a feasible and economical option for municipal-wastewater-treatment plants seeking COD removal by a biological process followed by a separate nitrification and denitrification system.     

Design of a tracer test experience and dynamic calibration of the hydraulic model for a full-scale wastewater treatment plant by use of AQUASIM.

The setup of the hydraulic model structure of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is an important step in the calibration of activated sludge models. The hydrodynamics of a full-scale municipal WWTP (Monterrey, Mexico) has been studied by means of the use of tracer tests and of a commercial simulator. A presimulation approach allowed the authors to quantify the appropriate rhodamine mass, set up a sampling plan, and evaluate the anticipated visual effect of the tracer test in the receiving river. The hydraulic behavior of the aeration tank for the first treatment line, a 7-cell plug-flow reactor, was shown to be best represented by 5 virtual mixed-tanks-in-series. The second treatment line, which included a vertical loop reactor (VLR), was best modeled as 3 tanks-in-series. The VLR, alone, was shown to be similar to a continuously stirred tank reactor, and not a circuit of tanks, as generally used to represent oxidation ditch reactors.     

Toxicity of copper to acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic activities of methanogens and sulfate reducers in anaerobic sludge

Heavy metals could potentially negatively impact microorganisms in anaerobic sulfate reducing bioreactors. The objective of this is study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of copper to acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic activities of methanogens and sulfate reducers in sludge obtained from a full-scale sulfate reducing bioreactor. The 50% inhibiting concentration (50%IC) of Cu(2+) to acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogens was 20.7 and 8.9 mg l(-1), respectively. The 50%IC of Cu(2+) to acetoclastic sulfate reduction was 32.3 mg l(-1). The hydrogenotrophic sulfate reducers were only inhibited by 27% at the highest concentration of Cu(2+) tested, 200 mg l(-1), indicating a high level of tolerance. The soluble Cu(2+) was observed to decrease rapidly in both the methanogenic and sulfate reducing assays. The highest level of decrease was observed in the hydrogenotrophic sulfate reducing assay which was over 99% in 5h. The results of this study indicate that sulfate reducing biotechnologies would be robust at relatively high inlet concentrations of Cu(2+).     

Optimization of the intermittent aeration in a full-scale wastewater treatment plant biological reactor for nitrogen removal.

The optimization of the intermittent aeration in a full-scale biological reactor treating municipal and industrial wastewater has been studied by means of an experimental design, where the main factors considered have been the on-off period of aeration and the dissolved-oxygen set point. The objective of the work has been to determine the optimal configuration of the aeration control to achieve a simultaneous removal of carbon (expressed as chemical oxygen demand [COD]) and nitrogen. The results were obtained in a full-scale bioreactor located at the wastewater treatment plant of Sant Celoni (Barcelona, Spain), where a nitrogen removal based on a nitrification-denitrification process is being tested. It has been shown that the crucial parameter to ensure a complete removal of COD and nitrogen is to give the system a long time of on-off aeration to complete both the nitrification and the denitrification processes, whereas the dissolved-oxygen set point has a minor influence on the overall performance. The results presented can be applied to a great number of similar systems, in which a nitrogen removal, based on a nitrification-denitrification scheme, is currently being tested or implemented.     

The effect of sulfide on alpha-glucosidases: implications for starch degradation in anaerobic bioreactors

Membrane associated alpha-glucosidase activity was investigated in a methanogenic bioreactor (MR) and a biosulfidogenic bioreactor (SR). Temperature and pH optima studies showed temperature optima of 50 degrees C and pH optima of 8.0 for the alpha-glucosidases from both the MR and SR. Sulfide (at a concentration of 150 mg l(-1)) resulted in the complete loss of all alpha-glucosidase activity in both the MR and SR. beta-Glucosidase activities in our bioreactors were previously shown to be stimulated in the presence of sulfide. alpha-Glucosidases, in contrast, are inhibited by sulfide. This differential effect of sulfide on alpha-glucosidase and beta-glucosidase activities is highlighted and is of crucial consequence to the respective degradation and utilization of starch and cellulose substrates in natural anaerobic environments and anaerobic bioreactors specifically designed for the accelerated digestion of wastewater sludge under biosulfidogenic conditions.     

Effects of reduced return activated sludge flows and volume on anaerobic zone performance for a septic wastewater biological phosphorus removal system.

Enhanced biological phosphorous removal (EBPR) performance was found to be adequate with reduced return-activated sludge (RAS) flows (50% of available RAS) to the anaerobic tank and smaller-than-typical anaerobic zone volume (1.08 hours hydraulic retention time [HRT]). Three identical parallel biological nutrient removal pilot plants were fed with strong, highly fermented (160 mg/L volatile fatty acids [VFAs]), domestic and industrial wastewater from a full-scale wastewater treatment facility. The pilot plants were operated at 100, 50, 40, and 25% RAS (percent of available RAS) flows to the anaerobic tank, with the remaining RAS to the anoxic tank. In addition, varying anaerobic HRT (1.08 and 1.5 hours) and increased hydraulic loading (35% increase) were examined. The study was divided into four phases, and the effect of these process variations on EBPR were studied by having one different variable between two identical systems. The most significant conclusion was that returning part of the RAS to the anaerobic zone did not decrease EBPR performance; instead, it changed the location of phosphorous release and uptake. Bringing less RAS to the anaerobic and more to the anoxic tank decreased anaerobic phosphorus release and increased anoxic phosphorus release (or decreased anoxic phosphorus uptake). Equally important is that, with VFA-rich influent wastewater, excessive anaerobic volume was shown to hurt overall phosphorus removal, even when it resulted in increased anaerobic phosphorus release.     

污水处理厂脱氮效果及相关参数的分析

通过对长沙某污水处理厂进行24 h水质、水量的监测,分析了其Carrousel氧化沟处理污水的特点.从脱氮的原理出发,结合流速、溶解氧等运行参数的考察,发现造成脱氮效果不好的主要原因是沟内缺少厌氧区段,提出改进措施,从宏观改善流体的流动人手,以达到调控溶解氧传递的目的,既而促进微观的硝化与反硝化反应,提高污水处理效果.     

生产实践中厌氧颗粒污泥品质评价参数的研究及其实际应用

通过对多组源自实验室和工业反应器厌氧颗粒污泥样品主要特征参数的实验室研究和全面的理论分析,对于众多反映颗粒污泥性质的主要参数进行了筛选,在此基础上建立了一组与工业反应器运行状况关系密切且测定方法简便易行、适宜在生产实践中应用的颗粒污泥品质评价参数。所建参数体系能够较好地反映生产操作条件下厌氧反应器的运行状况,并能为高效厌氧反应器的运行控制提供理论依据。     

Hydrogen production by anaerobic microbial communities exposed to repeated heat treatments.

Biological hydrogen production by anaerobic mixed communities was studied in laboratory-scale bioreactors using sucrose as the substrate. A bioreactor in which a fraction of the return sludge was exposed to repeated heat treatments performed better than a control bioreactor without repeated heat treatment of return sludge and produced a yield of 2.15 moles of hydrogen per mole of sucrose, with 50% hydrogen in the biogas. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis showed that two different Clostridium groups (comprised of one or more species) were dominant during hydrogen production. The relative abundance of two other non-Clostridium groups increased during periods of decreased hydrogen production. The first group consisted of Bifidobacterium thermophilum, and the second group included one or more of Bacillus, Melissococcus, Spirochaeta, and Spiroplasma spp.     

新型高效生物反应器类型和应用

近年来高效生物反应器得到不断发展,出现了多种新型生物反应器.从厌氧升流式生物反应器发展的经验和反应器的特点出发,提出了升流式反应器的结构、三相分离器的形式和污泥颗粒化现象等3个新概念是高效新型反应器的基础,进而在广义升流式污泥床反应器概念的基础上,提出具有传质效率高、处理能力强、有机负荷高以及抗冲击负荷能力强等优点的第三代高效生物反应器概念.     

新型高效生物反应器类型和应用

近年来高效生物反应器得到不断发展，出现了多种新型生物反应器。从厌氧升流式生物反应器发展的经验和反应器的特点出发，提出了升流式反应器的结构、三相分离器的形式和污泥颗粒化现象等3个新概念是高效新型反应器的基础，进而在广义升流式污泥床反应器概念的基础上，提出具有传质效率高、处理能力强、有机负荷高以及抗冲击负荷能力强等优点的第三代高效生物反应器概念。     

厌氧-局部循环供氧生物膜技术处理农村污水

通过模拟农村生活污水水质和间歇进水特点,利用“厌氧-局部循环供氧生物膜”技术,研究该工艺对有机物、氮、磷的去除效果.厌氧池和局部循环供氧池有效容积比为1∶1.6,曝气装置位于局部循环供氧池中间底部,环形导流板将局部循环供氧池分隔成中间好氧区和四周缺氧区,斜管沉淀池前置到厌氧池与局部循环供氧池之间,出水端设置循环水池.装置连续稳定运行12个月,平均进水量为140 L/d,生物反应区HRT为1.3d.监测结果表明,出水COD、BOD、NH3-N、TN和TP平均浓度分别在40.31、3.38、2.69、11.98和0.75 mg/L,达到了国家城镇污水处理厂污染物排放指标(GB-18918-2002)中的一级排放标准.研究表明,厌氧-局部循环供氧技术是一种适合农村分散污水处理的新工艺,可有效减轻农业面源污染.     

膜生物反应器内流场动力学特性的PIV实验研究

浸没式膜生物反应器系统内膜面附近的气液两相流动力学特性对控制浓差极化和膜污染具有重要影响。应用粒子图像测速(PIV)技术对浸没式膜生物反应器内近膜面的液相流场动力学特性进行了研究。采用相分离技术灰度分辨法将通过PIV技术得到的气液两相流场图像中的液相速度场进行辨别,得到膜面附近的液相流场数据,并应用Tecplot软件计算得出液相流的涡量特性。在3 mm曝气孔径,2.5、3.0、3.5、4.5、5.5和6.5 m3/h 6种曝气强度下分析了膜面附近的液相速度场和涡量场。结果表明,曝气强度对液相流场和涡量场的影响较大,在一定范围内增加曝气强度可以使得液相速度和涡量增加,同时,分析了3 mm孔径下圆帽状气泡的动力学特性。研究结果为膜生物反应器系统的优化设计提供了研究经验和实验数据。     

Computational fluid dynamics analysis of the effects of reactor configuration on disinfection efficiency.

The efficacy of disinfection processes in water purification systems is governed by several key factors, including reactor hydraulics, disinfectant chemistry, and microbial inactivation kinetics. The objective of this work was to develop a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to predict velocity fields, mass transport, chlorine decay, and microbial inactivation in a continuous flow reactor. The CFD model was also used to evaluate disinfection efficiency in alternative reactor designs. The CFD reactor analysis demonstrates that disinfection efficiency is affected by both kinetics and mixing state (i.e., degree of micromixing or segregation). Residence time distributions (RTDs) derived from tracer analysis do not describe intrinsic mixing conditions. The CFD-based disinfection models account for reactor mixing patterns by resolution of the reactor velocity field and thus provide a better prediction of microbial inactivation than models that use an RTD.     

新型结构内循环生物流化床的流体力学特性试验及数值模拟

建立小型试验模型,利用粒子成像测速(PIV)技术对模型4个工况的流场进行测量.然后对其中3个工况进行数值模拟,对数值模拟和试验测量结果进行分析比较,证明用数值计算方法来模拟生物流化床流体力学特性的可行性.     

亚铁离子生物氧化-还原法连续脱除硫化氢

为了降低工业废气中的硫化氢去除工艺成本和运行费用，对三价铁盐吸收与氧化亚铁硫杆菌对Fe²⁺的生物氧化联合作用脱除H₂S进行了研究。通过生物氧化塔中的固定化氧化亚铁硫杆菌细胞再生的Fe³⁺溶液，在H₂S还原吸收塔中脱除H₂S。通过单因素实验分别优化了生物氧化塔和H₂S吸收塔的运行参数，在生物氧化塔曝气量为150 L/h，停留时间为11 h，吸收液中Fe³⁺浓度为0.121~0.143 mol/L，吸收液流量为0.3 L/h，进气量为100 L/h条件下，进气中H₂S浓度分别为2.28和9.11 mg/L，系统连续运行至200 min时趋于相对稳定，当系统连续运行稳定时，H₂S的脱除率可分别达到95%和91%，脱除效果显著。     

A comparison of membrane bioreactor and conventional-activated-sludge mixed liquor and biosolids characteristics.

Characteristics and behavior of raw and digested mixed liquor derived from a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and a full-scale activated-sludge (FSAS) facility were compared. The accumulation of nondegradable chemical oxygen demand in the MBR appears to play an important role in increasing the observed biological yield coefficient (Y(obs)), reducing average floc size, decreasing total suspended solids/total solids and volatile suspended solids/volatile solids (VS) ratios, and reducing specific-oxygen-uptake rates of the mixed liquor relative to FSAS-derived biological solids. Membrane bioreactor sludges exhibited lower VS destruction following 30 days mesophilic-anaerobic and aerobic digestion when compared to FSAS sludges. Significant deterioration in dewatering behavior was observed for the FSAS biosolids after anaerobic digestion and, to a lesser extent, following aerobic digestion. In comparison, digestion had a small affect on dewatering efficiency and conditioner requirements for MBR biosolids. Full-scale facilities using membrane separation may need to tailor digestion and dewatering processes to the specific characteristics of MBR sludges.