Effects of recirculation in anaerobic baffled reactors

Author(s)

Vuitik, Guilherme Araujo ^{[1, 2]} ; Fuess, Lucas Tadeu ^{[1, 2]} ; Del Nery, Valeria ^{[1, 2, 3]} ; Banares-Alcantara, Rene ^[4] ; Pires, Eduardo Cleto ^{[1, 2, 3]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Biol Proc Lab, Sao Carlos Sch Engn, LPB EESC, Av Joao Dagnone 1100, BR-13563120 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Ponta Grossa, Dept Civil Engn, Av Gen Carlos Cavalcanti 4748, BR-84030900 Ponta Grossa, Parana - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Hydraul & Sanit Engn, Sao Carlos Sch Engn, SHS EESC, Av Trabalhador Sao Carlense 400, BR-13566590 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[4] Univ Oxford, Dept Engn Sci, Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3PJ - England

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING; v. 28, p. 36-44, APR 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

Recirculation of treated effluent is usually used to prevent organic overloading events in anaerobic digestion of high concentrated wastewater. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of effluent recirculation in anaerobic baffled reactors (ABR) treating high concentrated wastewater as the literature is not conclusive about its effects. To achieve this, an innovative experimental and mathematical modeling dual approach was used. A bench-scale ABR was fed with sugarcane vinasse (COD = 18.0 g L-1) and monitored for 273 days. Real kinetic and mass transfer parameters were obtained and used to create a mathematical model for the organic matter conversion. Operating data and the kinetic parameters showed that at high COD concentrations the ABR does not behave as a two-stage system as expected. Both results, i.e. the mathematical model and the operational data, showed that in terms of conversion capacity using high recirculation ratios is not necessary for suitable ABR performances, only increasing operational costs due to pumping. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/15984-0 - Bioenergy production from wastewaters and environmental fitting of liquid and solid wastes generated
• Grantee: Marcelo Zaiat
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants