EXAMPLE 1 UASB Treatment Process Design For a UASB treatment process treating an industrial wastewater; determine the (1)

size and dimensions of the reactor, (2) detention time, (3) reactor SRT(4) average VSS concentration in biomass zone of the reactor, (5) methane gas production; (6) energy available from methane production, and (7) alkalinity requirements for a wastewater with the characteristics given below to achieve greater than 90 percent soluble COD removal: The wastewater is mainly soluble; containing carbohydrate compounds, and a granular sludge is expected. Assume 50 percent of the influent pCOD and VSS is Wastewater characteristics

Item
Flow rate COD sCOD TSS VSS Alkalinity SO4 Temperature

Unit
m /d 3 g/m 3 g/m 3 g/m 3 g/m 3 g / m as CaCO3 3 g/m
3

Value
1000 2300 2000 200 150 500 200 30

degraded, 90 percent of the influent sulfate is reduced biologically, and the effluent VSS concentration is 150 g/m3. Assume the design parameters given below and the typical values given in Tables 10-10 and 10-12 are applicable. Design parameters and assumptions: 1. From Table 1 Table 1 Summary of design parameters for completely mixed suspended growth reactors treating soluble COD Value Parameter Solids yield, Y Fermentation Methanogenesis Overall combined Decay coefficient, kd Fermentation Methanogenesis Overall combined Maximum rate ,um specific growth Unit g VSS/g COD g VSS/g COD g VSS/g COD Range 0.06-0.12 0.02-0.06 0.05-0.10 Typical 0.10 0.04 0.08

g/gd g/gd g/gd

0.02-0.06 0.01-0.04 0.02-0.04

0.04 0.02 0.03

35 30 25 Hal velocity constant, KS

g/gd g/gd g/gd

0.30-0.38 0.22-0.28 0.18-0.24

0.35 0.25 0.20

35 30 25 Methane Production at 35 Density at 35 Content of gas Energy content

mg/L mg/L mg/L

60-200 300-500 800-1100

160 360 900

M3 /kg COD kg / m3 % kJ/g

0.4 0.6346 60-70 50.1

0.4 0.6346 65 50.1

Note: m3 /kg 16.0185 = ft3 /lb. kg / m3 62.4280 = lb/103 ft3

Y = 0.08 g VSS/g COD kd = 0.03 g VSS/g VSS d

m = 0.25 g VSS/g VSS d

2. 3. 4. 5.

fd = 0.15 d VSS cell debris/g VSS biomass decay

Methane production at 35 = 0.40 L CH 4 / g COD Reactor volume effectiveness factor = 85 percent Height for gas collection = 2.5 m Determine the reactor volume based on the design organic loading and the use of Eq. Vn =

Solution
1.

QSo Lorg

a. From Table 2 select the average organic loading of 10 kg s COD/m3 . Table 2 Eecommended volumetric organic loadings as a function of temperature for soluble COD substrates for 85 to 95 percent COD removal. Average sludge

concentration is 25 g/l Table 2 Temperature, 15 20 25 30 35 40

a

Volumetric loading, kg sCOD/m VFA wastewater Range 2-4 4-6 6-12 10-18 15-24 20-32 Typical 3 5 6 12 18 25

Mon-VFA Wastewater Range 2-3 2-4 4-8 8-12 12-18 15-24 Typical 2 3 4 10 14 18

Adapted from Lettinga and Hulshoff Pol (1991).

3 3 3

Note: kg/m d 62.4280 = lb /10 ft d .

Vn =

QSo (1000 m3 / d )(2 kg sCOD/m3 ) = Lorg (10 kg s COD/m3 d)

Vn = 200m3
b. Determine the total reactor liquid volume using Eq.(10-15)

Vn 200 m3 VL = = = 235 m3 E 0.85

2. Determine the reactor dimensions. a. First determine the reactor cross-sectional area using Eq A =

based on the

design superficial velocity. Use the upflow velocity data given in Table 3. Because the wastewater is highly soluble ,select a velocity of 1.5 m/h. Table 3 Upflow velocities and reactor heights recommended for UASB reactors r Upflow velocity, m/h Wastewater type COD nearly 100% soluble Range 1.0-3.0 Typical 1.5
a

Reactor height, m Range 6-10 Typical 8

COD partially soluble Domestic wastewater

a

1.0-1.25 0.8-1.0

1.0 0.7

3-7 3-5

6 5

adapted from Lettinga and Hulshoff Pol (1991). Note: m 3.2808 = ft

m / h 3.2808 = ft / h .
Q (1000 m3 / d ) = 27.8 m 2 (1.5 m/h)(24 h/d)

A=

A=
b.

D2
4

= 27.8 m 2

D =6m

Determine the reactor liquid height using.

VL 235 m3 HL = = = 8.4 m A 27.8 m 2

c. d. Determine the total height of the reactor using

HT = HL + HG = 8.4 m + 2.5 m = 10.9 m

Reactor dimensions. Diameter = 6 m Height = 10.9 m Determine the reactor hydraulic detention time .

3.

=
4.

VL (235 m3 )(24 h/d) = = 5.64 h Q (1000 m 3 / d )

Determine the reactor SRT. a. The value of the SRT can be estimated by assuming that all the wasted bio-Logical solids are in the effluent flow .A conservative design approach is to assume that the given effluent VSS concentration consists of biomass. Thus, the following relationship applies:

QXe = PX , VSS = solids wasted per day

Both Q and Xe are known . The value of PX , VSS is given by Eq.

PX , VSS =
b.

Q(Y )( So S ) fd ( kd )Q(Y )( So S ) SRT + + Q(nbVSS ) QXe 1 + (kd ) SRT 1 + (kd ) SRT

Develop the data needed to solve the above equation. .The effluent soluble COD concentration at 90% COD removal is

S = (1.0 0.9)(2000 g/m3 ) = 200 g/m3

.The effluent nbVSS concentration given that 50 percent of the influent VSS is degraded is :

nbVSS = 0.50(150 g/m3 ) = 75 g/m3

.The pCOD degraded is

pCOD degraded = 0.50(2300 2000) g/m3 = 150 g/m3

.Total degraded influent COD ,So

So = (2000 + 150) g / m3 = 2150 g / m3

c. Substitute the given parameter values and solve the expression given above for SRT .

QXe = (1000 m3 / d )(150 g/m3 ) = + (1000 m3 / d )(0.08 g VSS/g COD)[(2150 200)g/m3 ] [1 + (0.03 g VSS/g VSS d )SRT ]

(0.15 g VSS/g VSS)(0.03 g VSS/g VSS d )(1000 m3 / d )(0.08 g VSS/g COD)[(2150 200)g/m3 ]SRT [1 + (0.03 g VSS/g VSS d )SRT

+(1000 m3 / d )(75 g/m3 ) 150,000 g/d = 156,144,000/[1 + (0.03)SRT ] + 702,648 SRT/[1 + (0.03)SRT ] + 75,000 g/d SRT = 52 d

5.

Estimate the effluent soluble COD at an SRT of 52 d at 30 using Eq. and the given coefficients.

S=

K s [1 + (kd ) SRT ] SRT (Yk kd ) 1

k=

m
Y

(0.25 g VSS/g VSS d) = 3.125 g COD/g VSS d (0.08 g VSS/g COD)

S=

(360 mg/L)[1 + (0.03 g/g d] [(52 d)[(0.08 g/g)(3.125 g/g d) (0.03g/g d)] 1]

S = 88.3 mg/L
6. Determine if the computed SRT value is adequate. The fraction of the influent sCOD in effluent =

(88.3 mg/L) = 0.044 = 4.4%S (2000 mg/L)

Because 4.4 percent is less than 10 percent (specified in problem statement), the process SRT is adequate.

7. Determine the average X TSS concentration in biomass zone of the reactor. a. The value of the X TSS can be estimated by using Eq.(7-35) developed previously in Chap. 7 for the SRT.

SRT =

V ( X TSS ) (Q Qw ) X e + Qw X R

Because it was assumed that all the wasted solids are in the effluent flow, the term Qw = 0 and the value of X TSS can be estimated as follows:

SRT

VX TSS QX e

and

X TSS

QX eSRT V

b.

Solve for the value of X TSS ,with the volume V equal to the effective volume,

Vn . X TSS (1000 m3 / d)(150 g/m3 )(52 d)(1 kg/103g) = 39.0 kg/m3 3 200 m

The computed value is within the range of solids concentration values given earlier for the UASB process. 8. Determine the methane gas production and energy produced. a. Determine the COD degraded.

COD = (2150 200) g/m3 = 1950 g/m3

b. Determine the COD removed with sulfate as the electron acceptor. From Sec.10-3, 0.67 g COD removed /g SO 4 reduced

COD SR = 0.90(200 g SO4 /m3 ) (0.67 g COD/g SO 4 ) = 120.6 g/m3

c. Determine the COD used by methanogenic bacteria.

COD MB = (1950 120.6) g/m3 (1000 m3 /d) = 1,829, 400 g/d

d. Determine the methane production rate. Methane production at 30 = (0.40 L/g)(

273.15 + 30 ) = 0.3935 L/g 273.15 + 35

Amount of CH 4 produced/d = 0. 3935 L/g(1,829,400 g COD/d)

= 719,869 L/d = 719.9 m3 /d

Total gas volume produced (used 65% methane per Table 1

= (719.9 m3 /d)/(0.65) = 1107.5 m3 /d

9. Determine energy produced from methane. To determine the energy produced, determine the density of methane at 30 and use the factor of 50.1 kJ/g methane (Table 1). a. Determine density. Density at 35 = 0.6346 g/L (Table 10 10) Methane density at 30 = 0.6346 g/L ( b. Determine energy produced. Energy produced = (719,869 L CH 4 /d)(0.6451 g/L)(50.1 kJ/g)

273.15 + 35 ) = 0.6451 g/L 273.15 + 30

= 23.3 106 kJ/d)

10. Determine the alkalinity requirements. the estimated alkalinity concentration required at 30 and 35% CO 2 in the gas phase is 1800 mg/L. Because the alkalinity in the influent is 500 mg/L, the amount of alkalinity that has to be added is alkalinity required = (1800 500) mg/L as Ca CO3 = 1300 mg/L as Ca CO3 Daily addition =(1300 g/m )(1000 m /d)(1 kg/10 g)=1300 kg/d as Ca CO3
3 3 3

Comments

A significant amount of methane gas is produced daily. If the methane can be used for the production of energy by the industrial facility, it could help to offset the cost of adding a considerable amount of alkalinity to maintain the anaerobic reactor pH near 7. Also it is important to note the significance of the effluent solids concentration in determining the system SRT. Anaerobic processes generally produce higher-effluent VSS concentrations compared to aerobic processes. For weak wastewater for which solids production is lower, it may be difficult to maintain long SRT values for high treatment efficiency due to effluent solids loss. Also, in contrast to the situation presented in this example, manual wasting of sludge may be necessary. If the wastewater had a higher-influent COD concentration; and the effluent VSS concentration remained the same, the concentration of solids (X TSS ) in the sludge blanket would have to increase and the blanket level would have to be higher. To avoid a rising sludge blanket; manual wasting of sludge would have to be initiated and the SRT value would have to be less than the computed value of 52 d. For design, it is best to assume that the average VSS concentration of the sludge blanket would be less than 25 to 35

kg/m3.