Lattice Boltzmann simulation of hydrodynamics inside fixed-bed bioreactor for vinasse treatment

• Grant number: 12/23459-6
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): February 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Jose Antonio Rabi
• Grantee: Dayane Cristina Gomes Okiyama
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The present research aims at numerical simulation via lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) of hydrodynamics inside fixed-bed bioreactors for vinasse treatment. Inasmuch as flow pattern influences species concentration throughout the equipment, comprehensive simulation may help one understand concurrent transport phenomena for proper process design and optimization. Compared to long-standing discretization methods (e.g. finite-elements or finite-volumes), LBM is relatively recent while calling for academic attention in view of applications towards multiphase phenomena and/or free-boundary problems. LBM is a mesoscale method that treats macroscopic medium as a collection of (fictitious) particles in a lattice structure, able to stream along lattice links and mutually collide as they arrive at common lattice sites. Based on the aforesaid particle dynamics, bulk medium behavior can be properly simulated. LBM simulator will be validated not only against experimental data from on-going research on bioreactors (in collaboration to other projects funded by FAPESP) but also against numerical results from commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. Besides advantages related to any open-code simulator, the present project will also help develop expertise on modeling and simulation of bioreactors for wastewater treatment based on a forefront numerical method. (AU)