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Significance of fluid regime and wetted area in biofilm reactors

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Abstract

Mass transfer within microbial films was described using Monod-type biological kinetics in terms of properties of filter media and feed solution. The performance characteristics of a trickling filter were thus modeled. The model enables one to consider the effect of inlet substrate concentration and flow rate upon the removal efficiency. For this purpose a second-order partial differential equation describing the dispersion phenomena inside the liquid layer was solved under special boundary conditions and used to determine substrate flux into the biofilm. A uniform biofilm thickness was considered. The model is based on computer techniques and the numerical evaluation of the normalized biofilm mathematical model. A design procedure was also given to calculate biological filters. The numerical model was also applied to experimental data to demonstrate its validity.

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Abbreviations

a :

radius of sphere, L

A :

cross sectional area, L2

B s :

dimensionless substrate concentration at liquid biofilm interface

C :

dimensionless substrate concentration defined as c/c i

C x :

dimensionless concentration defined as c x/c i

c :

bulk substrate concentration, M L−3

c x :

substrate concentration at any location in liquid phase, M L−3

c f :

substrate concentration within biofilm, M L−3

D c :

the diffusivity of substrate in the biofilm, L2 T−1

D w :

molecular diffusivity of substrate in liquid, L2 T−1

h :

liquid film thickness, L

K :

dimensionless ratio of mass transfer rate to kinetic rate

K s :

Monod-half velocity coefficient, M L−3

k :

maximum utilization rate of rate limiting substrate, T−1

k1=kXc/Ks:

a biological rate equation coefficient, T−1

k2=(k1/Dc)1/2:

a coefficient related to a solid phase diffusional limitation, L−1

k3=1/Ks:

a biological rate equation coefficient, M−1 L−3

L :

microbial film thickness, L

l :

dimensional filter length, L

M :

dimensionless biofilm thickness

N :

substrate flux, M L−2 T−1

q :

flow rate per unit width of the biofilm, L3T−1 L−1

Q :

volumetric flow rate, L3 T−1

Q A :

hydraulic loading rate, L3 T−1 L−2

S :

specific surface area, L2 L−3

w av :

average velocity of liquid in z direction, L T−1

w max :

maximum velocity at the liquid surface, L T−1

X c :

microbial density within biofilm, M L−3

x :

distance measured normal to the flow direction, L

z :

axial distance measured in flow direction from origin, L

α:

dimensionless filter length

γ:

liquid specific gravity, M L−2 T−2

η:

biological removal ratio = biological efficiency

ηD = ξ/D w h :

a parameter to express Cx as a function of ZD and X

μ:

dynamic viscosity, M L−1 T−1

Ω:

proportionality constant to express wetting rate, dimensionless

ξ:

a proportionality factor in Eq. 1, L T−1

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Istanbul, 80626, Ayazaga, Istanbul, Turkey

    Yilmaz Muslu

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  1. Yilmaz Muslu
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Muslu, Y. Significance of fluid regime and wetted area in biofilm reactors. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 101, 177–195 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1385/ABAB:101:3:177

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/ABAB:101:3:177

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