Digestion of municipal sludge by anaerobic sequencing batch reactor

1994 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 161-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duk Chang ◽  
Joon Moo Hur ◽  
Tai Hak Chung

Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the performance of the anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) for digestion of a municipal sludge. The reactors were operated at an HRT of 10 days with an equivalent loading rate of 0.8-1.5 g VS 1−1 d−1 at 35°C. Solids were accumulated rapidly in the ASBR during start-up period. Flotation thickening occurred in the ASBRs, and its efficiency was comparable to that of additional thickening of the completely mixed control reactor. Solids concentrations in the ASBRs were 2.6 times higher than that in the control. The dehydrogenase activity had a strong correlation with the solids concentration. The ASBRs with 3- and 4-day cycle showed almost identical high digestion performances without adverse effect on digestion stability. The organics removals based on subnatant of the ASBRs were consistently above 90%. Remarkable increase in equivalent gas production of 52% was observed at the ASBRs compared with the control though the control and ASBRs showed similar effluent quality. Thus, digestion of a municipal sludge was possible using the ASBR in spite of high concentration of settleable solids in the sludge.

2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Lee ◽  
J. M. Hur ◽  
D. Chang ◽  
T. H. Chung

Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the performance of an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) process for night soil treatment. Performances of the reactors were evaluated at an equivalent hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 10 days with an equivalent loading rate of 2.6 kgVS/m3/d (3.1 kgCOD/m3/day) at 35°C. Digestion of a night soil was possible using the ASBR at an HRT of 10 days in spite of high concentration of ammonia nitrogen and settleable solids. Solids were accumulated rapidly in the ASBRs, and their concentrations were 2.3∼2.4 times higher than that in a completely mixed control reactor. Remarkable increases in gas production were observed in the ASBRs compared with the control reactor. Average increases in equivalent daily gas production from the ASBRs were 205∼220% compared with that from the control run. The ASBR with reaction period/thickening period ratio (R/T ratio) of 1 showed a little higher gas production and organic removal efficiency than that with R/T ratio of 3. Volatile solids removals based on supernatant of the ASBRs were 12∼14% higher than that of the control reactor. Thus, the ASBR was a stable and effective process for the treatment of night soil having high concentration of settleable organics and ammonia nitrogen.


2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (9) ◽  
pp. 2245-2251 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Martinez-Sosa ◽  
M. Torrijos ◽  
G. Buitron ◽  
P. Sousbie ◽  
P. H. Devillers ◽  
...  

An anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (AnSBR) was used to treat the dissolved air flotation skimmings from a cooked pork meat plant. During the start-up period, the reactor was operated in fed-batch mode for 25 days and 7 batches were treated. The SBR was inoculated with sludge taken from a reactor treating distillery vinasse. The results showed that this kind of sludge is a very good source of inoculum for digesters treating residues with a high content in fats and long-chain fatty acids because it was able to adapt very rapidly to the new substrate and, from the second batch on, the sludge was already able to metabolize the fatty residue at quite high rates. The AnSBR was then operated with 5 batches per week for 110 days and the quantity of VS added per batch was regularly increased until the maximum treatment capacity of the reactor (i.e. maximum loading rate) was reached. The maximum organic loading rates were found to be 0.16 g VS/g VSS d, or 0.224 g VS/g VSS.batch when the reactor is fed 5 times a week. The biodegradability of the skimmings was very high, with more than 97% of TS removal, and the methane production was 880±90 mL of methane/g of VSadded.


2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 1068-1074 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Cristina Rada ◽  
Marco Ragazzi ◽  
Vincenzo Torretta

This work describes batch anaerobic digestion tests carried out on stillages, the residue of the distillation process on fruit, in order to contribute to the setting of design parameters for a planned plant. The experimental apparatus was characterized by three reactors, each with a useful volume of 5 L. The different phases of the work carried out were: determining the basic components of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the stillages; determining the specific production of biogas; and estimating the rapidly biodegradable COD contained in the stillages. In particular, the main goal of the anaerobic digestion tests on stillages was to measure the parameters of specific gas production (SGP) and gas production rate (GPR) in reactors in which stillages were being digested using ASBR (anaerobic sequencing batch reactor) technology. Runs were developed with increasing concentrations of the feed. The optimal loads for obtaining the maximum SGP and GPR values were 8–9 gCOD L−1 and 0.9 gCOD g−1 volatile solids.


2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 219-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Ruíz ◽  
M. Torrijos ◽  
P. Sousbie ◽  
J. Lebrato Martínez ◽  
R. Moletta ◽  
...  

Treatment of winery wastewater was investigated using an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR). Biogas production rate was monitored and permitted the automation of the bioreactor by a simple control system. The reactor was operated at an organic loading rate (ORL) around 8.6 gCOD/L.d with soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency greater than 98%, hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 2.2 d and a specific organic loading rate (SOLR) of 0.96 gCOD/gVSS.d. The kinetics of COD and VFA removal were investigated for winery wastewater and for simple compounds such as ethanol, which is a major component of winery effluent, and acetate, which is the main volatile fatty acid (VFA) produced. The comparison of the profiles obtained with the 3 substrates shows that, overall, the acidification of the organic matter and the methanisation of the VFA follow zero order reactions, in the operating conditions of our study. The effect on the gas production rate resulted in two level periods separated by a sharp break when the acidification stage was finished and only the breaking down of the VFA continued.


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