Influence of agitation rate on the performance of a stirred anaerobic sequencing batch reactor containing immobilized biomass.

The present work reports on the influence of the mechanical agitation rates on the performance of a stirred anaerobic sequencing batch reactor containing immobilized biomass on polyurethane foam, as inert support, treating synthetic domestic wastewater. The reactor was operated at 30 degrees C and an 8-hour cycle was used to treat approximately 0.5 L of the synthetic substrate with a COD concentration of nearly 500 mg/L. The studied agitation rates ranged from no agitation to 750 rpm. The system attained non-filtered substrate removal efficiency greater than 83% when agitation was employed. A very short start-up period and good solid retention could be observed. The use of agitation increased the efficiency of the reactor and enabled reduction of the total cycle time. An empirical equation and a first-order kinetic model are proposed to analyze the influence of agitation rates on the reactor's performance.

Anaerobic sequencing batch reactors for wastewater treatment: a developing technology.

This paper describes and discusses the main problems related to anaerobic batch and fed-batch processes for wastewater treatment. A critical analysis of the literature evaluated the industrial application viability and proposed alternatives to improve operation and control of this system. Two approaches were presented in order to make this anaerobic discontinuous process feasible for industrial application: (1) optimization of the operating procedures in reactors containing self-immobilized sludge as granules, and (2) design of bioreactors with inert support media for biomass immobilization.