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Sludge Blanket Height (SBH) as a Process Stability Indicator in UASFF Reactor: Relationship Between SBH and Sludge Concentration at Different Operating Conditions

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Abstract

Sludge blanket height (SBH) is considered as one of the most significant parameters in design of up flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) bioreactor. The SBH adjusts appropriate sludge concentration inside the bioreactor which subsequently hinders washout phenomenon. In addition, maximum organic loading that the bioreactor can undergo is determined on the basis of this parameter. This study investigates the effects of two independent operating variables, organic loading rate (OLR) and up-flow velocity (Vup), on the SBH and also sludge concentration at different ports (S1-S4) of an up-flow anaerobic sludge fixed film (UASFF) bioreactor treating palm oil mill effluent (POME). A central composite face-centered design (CCFD) was employed to design the experiments and nine different conditions at three levels of each variable were determined (3.8, 16.4 and 29.0 g COD/l.d of OLR and 0.2, 1.6 and 3.0 m/h of Vup). The variations of sludge concentration (at S4) and gas production rate (q) as a function of the variables were analyzed and modeled using response surface methodology (RSM). From the results, simultaneous increase in both variables led to a decrease in the sludge concentration from 2.3 to 1.6 g/l, whereas, the variables showed an increasing trend in the q from 0.09 to 0.37 m3/m2. h. Furthermore, the sludge concentration and the SBH were also modeled using Narnoli and Mehrotra’s equation in Sigma Plot Software. The experimental results were well fitted with the model predictions. The changes of the SBH and sludge concentration under different operating conditions were ranged from approximately 0.1–0.7 m and 0–65 g/l, respectively. The experimental and modeling findings also manifested the direct impact of the Vup on the SBH.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Razi University for the financial support and providing required facilities for this research work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Environmental Research Center (ERC), Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

    A. A. Zinatizadeh & Z. Rahimi

  2. Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran

    H. Younesi

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  1. A. A. Zinatizadeh
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  2. Z. Rahimi
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  3. H. Younesi
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Correspondence to A. A. Zinatizadeh.

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Zinatizadeh, A.A., Rahimi, Z. & Younesi, H. Sludge Blanket Height (SBH) as a Process Stability Indicator in UASFF Reactor: Relationship Between SBH and Sludge Concentration at Different Operating Conditions. Waste Biomass Valor 11, 4003–4012 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-019-00708-8

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