1.3 Brief Overview on Past Experience
5
with the experimental data and found satisfactory results in removal of carbonaceous
organic matter and nitrification.
1.4 Work Executed as Per Simplified Model Developed
by Author
A simplified mathematical model has been developed each for fixed biofilm reactor,
completely mixed biofilm reactor and aerobic fixed-bed hybrid bioreactor. After
developing the model of fixed-bed hybrid bioreactor, an analytical procedure for
determining the kinetic coefficients of hybrid bioreactor was developed. The development of the kinetic coefficients was based on a set of straight lines derived from
the expression of mathematical model. A series of graphs were formulated based on
the straight line equations and the kinetic coefficients were determined either from
the intercept of x- and y-axis or from the slope of those graphs.
Thereafter, analytical validation of the mathematical model with one or more sets
of available data in the past existing models cited in literatures was done with a
same set of given kinetic coefficients in each case as given in the literature. After the
analytical validation of the mathematical model, a laboratory-scale fixed-bed hybrid
bioreactor was fabricated both for conducting the semi-batch and continuous study
with both synthetic carbonaceous and real municipal wastewater. The reactor was
set up for performance study of the fixed-bed hybrid bioreactor, for determination of
kinetic coefficients from semi-batch study and for validation of the experimental data
with the model outputs under continuous study using both municipal and synthetic
wastewater.
Once the reactor set up was complete, initiation was taken for biomass acclimation in the suspended-growth system, i.e., in a 15-L PVC Jar associated with two
nos of aqua pumps for aeration. Periodic monitoring for biological acclimation was
performed in two phases, Phase A and Phase B. Phase A was performed from the
summer period and Phase B was done in the monsoon period. The batch study in two
phases was conducted to see the effect of seasonal fluctuations on biological acclimation. Tracer response study is the next step to assess the hydraulic performance of
the full-scale reactor used for the treatment of municipal wastewater. The assessment
of the flow patterns showed that the reactor was completely mixed in characteristic.
The use of tracers (in this case, lithium chloride) for developing the residence time
distribution curves is one of the simplest and successful method for assessing the
hydraulic performance of the full-scale reactors.
After identifying the hydraulic characteristics of the full-scale reactor, preliminary study can be conducted with synthetic carbonaceous wastewater to check the
performance comparison between fixed-bed hybrid bioreactor and plain suspendedgrowth reactor, i.e., ASP system. If the two reactors can be run in the same operating
conditions of input COD and MLSS at same batch period, it will be seen that the
performance of the hybrid bioreactor is always better than the suspended one.
5
with the experimental data and found satisfactory results in removal of carbonaceous
organic matter and nitrification.
1.4 Work Executed as Per Simplified Model Developed
by Author
A simplified mathematical model has been developed each for fixed biofilm reactor,
completely mixed biofilm reactor and aerobic fixed-bed hybrid bioreactor. After
developing the model of fixed-bed hybrid bioreactor, an analytical procedure for
determining the kinetic coefficients of hybrid bioreactor was developed. The development of the kinetic coefficients was based on a set of straight lines derived from
the expression of mathematical model. A series of graphs were formulated based on
the straight line equations and the kinetic coefficients were determined either from
the intercept of x- and y-axis or from the slope of those graphs.
Thereafter, analytical validation of the mathematical model with one or more sets
of available data in the past existing models cited in literatures was done with a
same set of given kinetic coefficients in each case as given in the literature. After the
analytical validation of the mathematical model, a laboratory-scale fixed-bed hybrid
bioreactor was fabricated both for conducting the semi-batch and continuous study
with both synthetic carbonaceous and real municipal wastewater. The reactor was
set up for performance study of the fixed-bed hybrid bioreactor, for determination of
kinetic coefficients from semi-batch study and for validation of the experimental data
with the model outputs under continuous study using both municipal and synthetic
wastewater.
Once the reactor set up was complete, initiation was taken for biomass acclimation in the suspended-growth system, i.e., in a 15-L PVC Jar associated with two
nos of aqua pumps for aeration. Periodic monitoring for biological acclimation was
performed in two phases, Phase A and Phase B. Phase A was performed from the
summer period and Phase B was done in the monsoon period. The batch study in two
phases was conducted to see the effect of seasonal fluctuations on biological acclimation. Tracer response study is the next step to assess the hydraulic performance of
the full-scale reactor used for the treatment of municipal wastewater. The assessment
of the flow patterns showed that the reactor was completely mixed in characteristic.
The use of tracers (in this case, lithium chloride) for developing the residence time
distribution curves is one of the simplest and successful method for assessing the
hydraulic performance of the full-scale reactors.
After identifying the hydraulic characteristics of the full-scale reactor, preliminary study can be conducted with synthetic carbonaceous wastewater to check the
performance comparison between fixed-bed hybrid bioreactor and plain suspendedgrowth reactor, i.e., ASP system. If the two reactors can be run in the same operating
conditions of input COD and MLSS at same batch period, it will be seen that the
performance of the hybrid bioreactor is always better than the suspended one.