Successful hydraulic strategies to start up OLAND sequencing batch reactors at lab scale

Nitrogen removal via the nitrite pathway has the potential of reducing the requirements for aeration consumption and carbon source. However, the development of an efficient and quick start-up strategy for partial nitrification to nitrite has proven difficult in the treatment of low strength wastewater. In this study, the feasibility of partial nitrification achieved by using real-time aeration duration control was not only demonstrated from the kinetic mechanism, but also was validated in three sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) fed with low C/N domestic wastewater. Nitrite accumulation could be achieved when aeration was terminated as soon as an inflexion pH point was reached (the dpH/dt became from negative to positive). The reduction or limitation of the NOB growth could be achieved through aeration duration control, due to leaving no extra time for NOB to convert the accumulated nitrite. The experimental operation results also showed that partial nitrification with nitrite accumulation ratios of over 80% was achieved successfully in these three reactors with process control. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis indicated the reduction of NOB was achieved and AOB became the dominant nitrifying bacteria. Moreover, an integrated start-up strategy based on aeration duration control was proposed to quickly achieve partial nitrification to nitrite.

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Sequencing Batch Reactors - An Overview

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1992.0778 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 26 (9-11) ◽

pp. 2523-2526 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

K. L. Norcross

Keyword(s):

Batch Reactors ◽

Sequencing Batch Reactors ◽

Process Selection ◽

Wastewater Treatment Process ◽

Industrial Sites ◽

Pharmaceutical Manufacturers ◽

Start Up ◽

On Line ◽

Oxygen Requirements ◽

And Control

Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBR's) offer many advantages and few disadvantages to the wastewater treatment process selection. Due to the relatively recent surge of interest in SBR's, few plants have been on-line long enough for Engineers to have developed a thorough understanding of all design aspects and considerations. The author has been involved directly in the design, equipment supply, start-up and operation of almost 60 SBR's of all sizes. About two thirds of the installations are municipal and one-third of these installations are industrial sites involving wastes from food processors, dairies, distilleries, petro-chemical manufacturers, landfill leachate, tanneries, Government munition plants and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The control of filamentous bulking has also been excellent with SBR's. This paper will consider the mechanical, process and control aspects for design of an SBR. The mechanical aspects will include HRT and basin sizing, selection of aeration equipment and effluent decanters. The process parameters discussed will include loading rates and F:M considerations, MLSS concentration, oxygen requirements and D.O. uptake rate, flow proportional aeration, the benefits of an anoxic fill cycle, and finally, nutrient removal. Control considerations are briefly discussed.

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An operational protocol for facilitating start-up of single-stage autotrophic nitrogen-removing reactors based on process stoichiometry

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2013.157 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 68 (3) ◽

pp. 514-521 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

A. G. Mutlu ◽

A. K. Vangsgaard ◽

G. Sin ◽

B. F. Smets

Keyword(s):

Single Stage ◽

High Rate ◽

Normal Operation ◽

Batch Reactors ◽

Sequencing Batch Reactors ◽

Trial And Error ◽

Reactor Operation ◽

N Removal ◽

Start Up ◽

Decision Making Tool

Start-up and operation of single-stage nitritation–anammox sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) for completely autotrophic nitrogen removal can be challenging and far from trivial. In this study, a step-wise procedure is developed based on stoichiometric analysis of the process performance from nitrogen species measurements to systematically guide start-up and normal operation efforts (instead of trial and error). The procedure is successfully applied to laboratory-scale SBRs for start-up and maintained operation over an 8-month period. This analysis can serve as a strong decision-making tool to take appropriate actions with respect to reactor operation to accelerate start-up or ensure high-rate N removal via the nitritation–anammox pathway.

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Real-time process dynamics monitoring in Anammox reactors

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2014.130 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 70 (2) ◽

pp. 183-191 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

B. Alpaslan Kocamemi ◽

D. Dityapak

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Batch Reactors ◽

Sequencing Batch Reactors ◽

Process Dynamics ◽

Oxidation Reduction ◽

Oxidation Reduction Potential ◽

Start Up ◽

Reliable Monitoring ◽

Phase Conductivity ◽

Break Points

Process dynamics in Anammox systems were evaluated through continuous monitoring of pH, oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and conductivity in two separate newly started-up sequencing batch reactors, one seeded with an enriched Anammox sludge and the other seeded with mixed activated sludge. The pH and ORP profiles exhibited characteristic patterns depending on the process dynamics during early start-up, start-up and enrichment phases of the operational period of 410 days. The simultaneously continuing processes of the start-up period showed apparent indicative trend lines in pH and ORP profiles. Conductivity profiles were consistent with the process dynamics in all phases. During the enrichment phase, conductivity decreases could quantitatively be related to process removal efficiencies and all real-time profiles exhibited specific break-points which coincided with the end of Anammox in each cycle. The end of Anammox was observed as an ‘apex’ on pH profiles and a ‘valley’ on ORP profiles. The ‘apex’ and ‘valley’ points exactly coincided with the end point of the linear decrease in the conductivity profiles. The overall findings suggested a great potential in using real-time pH, ORP and conductivity measurements for quick and reliable monitoring of Anammox systems during start-up and enrichment periods.

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Effect of the initial sulphate concentration on the start-up phase of the biological sulphate reduction in sequencing batch reactors

Optimization of the electron donor supply to sulphate reducing bioreactors treating inorganic wastewater ◽

10.1201/9780429439209-5 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 113-132

Author(s):

Luis Carlos Reyes Alvarado

Keyword(s):

Sulphate Reduction ◽

Batch Reactors ◽

Sequencing Batch Reactors ◽

Sulphate Concentration ◽

Start Up

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Removal of nitrogen from the anaerobic supernatant of a co-digestion process: start-up of a sequencing batch reactors (SBR) adopting the nitrite route

Journal of Biotechnology ◽

10.1016/j.jbiotec.2010.08.408 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 150 ◽

pp. 157-158

Author(s):

Mario Dante ◽

Francesco Fatone ◽

Paolo Pavan ◽

Franco Cecchi

Keyword(s):

Batch Reactors ◽

Sequencing Batch Reactors ◽

Digestion Process ◽

Start Up

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Influence of the type and source of inoculum on the start-up of anammox sequencing batch reactors (SBRs)

Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A ◽

10.1080/10934529.2013.777268 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 48 (10) ◽

pp. 1301-1310 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Lorna Guerrero ◽

Federico Van Diest ◽

Andrea Barahona ◽

Silvio Montalvo ◽

Rafael Borja

Keyword(s):

Batch Reactors ◽

Sequencing Batch Reactors ◽

Start Up

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Bioaugmentation of sequencing batch reactors for biological phosphorus removal: comparative rRNA sequence analysis and hybridization with oligonucleotide probes

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1998.0697 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 37 (4-5) ◽

pp. 469-473 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Daniel B. Oerther ◽

James Danalewich ◽

Ebru Dulekgurgen ◽

Eric Leveque ◽

David L. Freedman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phosphorus Removal ◽

Laboratory Scale ◽

Batch Reactors ◽

Oligonucleotide Probes ◽

Sequencing Batch Reactors ◽

Biological Phosphorus Removal ◽

Start Up ◽

Pure Cultures ◽

Acinetobacter Spp ◽

Biological Phosphorus

Four laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) were operated to evaluate whether bioaugmentation with Acinetobacter spp. can be used to improve start-up and performance of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) systems. Two of the SBRs were bioaugmented during start-up by adding pure cultures of Acinetobacter spp., the third reactor received an amendment of activated sludge from a laboratory-scale EBPR system, and the fourth reactor, receiving no amendment, served as a control. Various chemical parameters were measured to monitor the performance of the four SBRS. Oligonucleotide probes of nested phylogenetic specificity were designed to quantify the contribution of Acinetobacter to EBPR. The probes were characterized for use in quantitative membrane hybridizations and fluorescent in situ hybridizations. Data from hybridizations with samples collected from the SBRs show declining levels of Acinetobacter spp. over the experiment. All four reactors achieved significant phosphorus removal and 90% nitrification after three days of operation. The results do not show a positive correlation between levels of Acinetobacter and successful EBPR.

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