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Fluidized bed biofilm reactor for wastewater treatment

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Bioproducts

Part of the book series: Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology ((ABE,volume 33))

Abstract

The fluidized bed biofilm reactor (FBBR) represents a recent innovation in biofilm processes. Immobilization of microorganisms on the small, fluidized particles of the medium results in a high reactor biomass holdup which enables the process to be operated at significantly higher liquid throughputs with the practical absence of biomass wash-out. The process intensification (i.e., a reduction in process size while maintaining performance) achieved in FBBRs makes this innovative technology particularly attractive in biological wastewater treatment, commercial biomass conversion, and ethanol and biochemical production applications. In this chapter, the present understanding of biofilm phenomena involved in the operation of FBBRs is reviewed. Special emphasis is placed on the microbial and kinetic aspects of FBBRs and practical design considerations and current applications are described.

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Abbreviations

A:

Cross-sectional area of the reactor, L2

C:

Discharge coefficient of the orifice or nozzle

CD :

Drag coefficient

d1 :

Diameter of orifice or nozzle opening, inches

d2 :

Diameter of lateral, inches

dm :

Media diameter, L

dp :

Bioparticle diameter, L

D:

Diffusivity of substrate in water, L2T−1

De :

Effective diffusivity of substrate in biofilm, L2T−1

g:

Gravitational acceleration, LT−2

h:

Differential head at the orifice or nozzle, ft of liquid

HB :

Expanded bed height, L

ĤB :

Estimated expanded bed height, L

ΔHB :

Change in expanded bed height, L

k0 :

Intrinsic zero order rate constant, MM−1T−1

k1 :

Intrinsic first order rate constant, L3M−1T−1

kc :

External mass transfer coefficient, LT−1

K0 :

Observed zero order rate constant, M0.5L−2.5

K1 :

Observed first order rate constant, L−1

n:

Expansion index

Ne :

Effluent TKN, ML−3

N0 :

Influent TKN, ML−3

\(N_{Re_t }\) :

Terminal Reynolds number

P:

Biofilm moisture content

Q:

Flow, gpm

r:

Radial distance measured from bioparticle center, L

r′:

Recycle ratio

¯r:

Characteristic radius, L

rc :

Substrate penetration depth, L

rm :

Media radius, L

rp :

Bioparticle radius, L

R:

observed substrate conversion rate per unit biofilm mass, MM−1T−1

Rv :

observed substrate conversion rate per unit fluidized bed volume, ML−3T−1

S:

intrabiofilm substrate concentration, ML−3

Sb :

Bulk-liquid substrate concentration, ML−3

Sbi :

Inlet substrate concentration, ML−3

Se :

Effluent BOD5, ML−3

S0 :

Influent BOD5, ML−3

t:

time, T

U:

Superficial upflow velocity, LT−1

Umf :

Minimum fluidization velocity, LT−1

Ut :

Bioparticle terminal settling velocity, LT−1

Vm :

Media volume, L3

ΔVm :

Media volume in ΔHB, L3

Vs :

Bioparticle volume, L3

\(\left. W \right|_{r = r_p }\) :

Mass transfer of substrate across liquid-biofilm interface, MT−1

x:

Expansion rate of bed height, m d−1

X:

Biomass concentration in an FBBR, ML−3

Xa :

Effective biomass concentration in an FBBR, ML−3

Z:

Axial position in an FBBR, L

∂:

(ϱ1/De)0.5

É›:

bed porosity

δ:

biofilm thickness, L

δ:

estimated biofilm thickness, L

ϱ:

biofilm dry density, ML−3

ϱl :

liquid density, ML−3

ϱm :

media density, ML−3

ϱs :

bioparticle density, ML−3

μ:

liquid viscosity, MLT−2

θ:

hydraulic retention time, T

η:

effectiveness factor

η0 :

bioparticle zero order effectiveness factor

η1 :

bioparticle first order effectiveness factor

Φ0 :

conventional zero order Thiele modulus

Φ0m :

modified zero order Thiele modulus

Φ1 :

conventional first order Thiele modulus

Φ1m :

modified first order Thiele modulus

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 19104, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Wen K. Shieh & John D. Keenan

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  1. Wen K. Shieh
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  2. John D. Keenan
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© 1986 Springer-Verlag

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Shieh, W.K., Keenan, J.D. (1986). Fluidized bed biofilm reactor for wastewater treatment. In: Bioproducts. Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology, vol 33. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0002455

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0002455

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-16380-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-39771-7

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