218 Chopter 4 Introdudion to Process Analysis and Selection

involving physical removal such as sedimentation and filtration are considered in

Chaps. 5 and l l , respectively.
4-1 REACTORS USED FOR THE TREATMENT
OF WASTEWATER
aste!ater treatment involv ing physical unit operations and chemical and "iological
unit processes is carried out in vessels or ran#s commonly #no!n as $reactors.$ %he
types of reactors that are availa"le ann their applications are introduced in this section.
%he analysis of the hydraulic characteristics and the performance of reactors used
fur !aste!ater treatment is considered in Sees. 4-&, 4-4. and 4-5. follo!ing the
discussion of the mass-"alance principle.
Types 01 Readors
%he principal types of reactors used tor the treatment of !aste!ater, illustrated on
'ig. 4-(. are )1* the "alch reactor, )(* the complete-mi+ reactor ,also #no!n as the
continuous-flo! stirred-tan# reactor )C'S%-* in the chemical engineering literature.,
)&* the plug-flo! reactor )al,o #no!n RS a tu"ular-flo! reactor*, )4* complete-mi+
reac- tors in series, )5* the pac#ed-"ed reactor. and )/0 the fluidi1ed-"ed reactor,
2rief descriptions of these reactor343 are presented "elo!.
Batch Reactor. In the "atch reactor )see 'ig. 4-2a). flo! is neither entering nor
leaving the reactor )i.e .5 6o! enters, is treated, and then is discharged, and rhe
cycle repeats*. %he li7uid content$ of the reactor arc mi+ed completely. 'or
e+ample. the
289 test discussed in Chap. ( is carried out in a "atch reactor )i.e., 289 "oule as
sho!n on 'ig. (-*:*. although if should oc noted that the contents are not mi+ed com-
pletely during. the incu"ation period. 2atch reactors are often used to "lend chemicals
or 10 dilute concennuted chemicals.
Compete!M"# Reactor. In the complete-mi+ reactor )sec fig. 4-2h), it is
assumed that complete mi+1l1g occurs instantaneously and uniformly throughout the
reactor as fluid particles enter the reactor. fluid particles leave the reactor in
proportion to their statistical population. Complete mi+ing can be accomplished in
round or s7uare reactors if the contents of rhe reactor are uniformly and continuously
redistri"uted. %he actual lime re7uired to achieve completely mi+ed conditions !ill
depend on the reactor georot;try and the po!er input.
$%&!Fo' Reactor. 6uid panicles pass through the reactor !ith little or no lon-
gitudinal mi+ing and e+it from the reactor in the same se7uence in !hich they
entered. %he particles retain their identity and remain in the reactor for a time e7ual
to the the- oretical detention time. %hi .. type of flo! i~appro+imated in long open
tan#s !ith a high length-to-!idth ratio 111 !hich longitudinal dispersion is minimal
or a"sent )see 'ig. 4--().4* or closed tu"ular reactors )e.g., pipelines, see 'ig. 4-(d*.
Compete!M"# Reactors "( Ser"es. %he series of complete-mi+ reactors
)see
'ig. 4-2e) is used to model the- flo! regime that e+ists "et!een the ideal hydraulic
flo!
wwwgenccevre
com