Evaluation of the Inverse Fluidized Bed Biological Reactor for Treating High-Strength Industrial Wastewaters

Włodzimierz Sokół, Belay Woldeyes

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DOI: 10.4236/aces.2011.14034                

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 (V_b/V_R) 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 (V_b/V_R) = 0.55, air velocity u = 0.046 m/s and t = 65 h. Thus, these values of (V_b/V_R), 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 (V_b/V_R) = 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.

Keywords

Biological Wastewater Treatment, Aerobic Wastewater Treatment, High-Strength Industrial Wastewaters, Inverse Biological Reactor, Fluidized Bed Bioreactor, Low-Density Biomass Support

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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