AnaerobicTreatment

Theanaerobicwastetreatmentprocessisaneffectivemethodforthetreatmentof
manyorganicwastes.Thetreatmenthasanumberofadvantagesoveraerobic
treatmentprocess,namely,

theenergyinputofthesystemislowasnoenergyisrequredforoxygenation,
lowerproductionofexcesssludge(biologicalsynthesis)perunitmassof
substrateutilized,
lowernutrientrequirementduetolowerbiologicalsynthesis,and
degradationleadstoproductionofbiogaswhichisavaluablesourceofenergy.

FundamentalMicrobiology

Theanaerobictreatmentoforganicwastesresultingintheproductionofcarbon
dioxideandmethane,involvestwodistinctstages.Inthefirststage,complexwaste
components,includingfats,proteins,andpolysaccharidesarefirsthydrolyzedbya
heterogeneousgroupoffacultativeandanaerobicbacteria.Thesebacteriathensubject
theproductsofhydrolysistofermentations, oxidations,andothermetabolic
processesleadingtotheformationofsimpleorganiccompounds,mainlyshortchain
(volatile)acidsandalcohols.Thefirststageiscommonlyreferredtoasacid
fermentation.Howeverinthesecondstagetheendproductsofthefirststageare
convertedtogases(mainlymethaneandcarbondioxide)byseveraldifferentspecies
ofstrictlyanaerobicbacteria.Thisstageisgenerallyreferredtoasmethane
fermentation.

Theprimaryacidsproducedduringacidfermentationarepropionicandaceticacid.It
isreportedthatonlyonegroupofmethanebacteriaisnecessaryformethane
fermentationofaceticacid,whereaspropionicacid,whichisfermentedthroughacetic
acidrequirestwodifferentgroupsofmethanebacteria.Themethanefermentation
reactionsforthesetwoacidsare:

ThebacteriaresponsibleforacidfermentationarerelativelytoleranttochangesinpH
andtemperatureandhaveamuchhigherrateofgrowththanthebacteriaresponsible
formethanefermentation.Asaresult,methanefermentationisgenerallyassumedto
betheratelimitingstepinanaerobicwastewatertreatment.

AnaerobicReactor

Varioustypesofanaerobicunitsthathavebeendevelopedareasfollows:

Upflowanaerobicfilterspackedwitheitherpebbles,stones,PVCsheets,etc.
asmediatosupportsubmergedbiologicalgrowths(fixedfilm).Theunitsare
reportedtoworkwellbutalikelyproblemisaccumulationofsolidsinthe
interstices.
Downflowanaerobicfilterspackedwithsimilarmediaasabovebutnottobe
confusedwithusualtricklingfilterswhichareaerobic.Intheanaerobicunits,
theinletandoutletaresoplacedthatthemediaandfixedfilmstaysubmerged.
UASBtypeunitsinwhichnospecialmediahavetobeusedsincethesludge
granulesthemselvesactasthemediaandstayinsuspension.Theseare
commonlypreffered.
Fluidizedbedunitsfilledwithsandorplasticgranulesareusedwith
recirculationunderrequiredpressuretokeeptheentiremassfluidizedandthe
sludgedistributedovertheentirereactorvolume.Theirpowerconsumptionis
higher.
UASBUnits

UASBtypeunitsareoneinwhichnospecialmediahavetobeusedsincethesludge
granulesthemselvesactasthemediaandstayinsuspension.UASBsystemisnot
patented.AtypicalarrangementofaUASBtypetreatmentplantformunicipal
sewagewouldbeasfollows:

1. Initialpumping
2. Screeninganddegritting
3. MainUASBreactor
4. Gascollectionandconversionorconveyance
5. Sludgedryingbed
6. Posttreatmentfacility

IntheUASBprocess,thewholewasteispassedthroughtheanaerobicreactorinan
upflowmode,withahydraulicretentiontime(HRT)ofonlyabout810hoursat
averageflow.Nopriorsedimentationisrequired.Theanaerobicunitdoesnotneedto
befilledwithstonesoranyothermedia;theupflowingsewageitselfformsmillionsof
smallgranulesorparticlesofsludgewhichareheldinsuspensionandprovidea
largesurfaceareaonwhichorganicmattercanattachandundergobiodegradation.A
highsolidretentiontime(SRT)of3050ormoredaysoccurswithintheunit.No
mixersoraeratorsarerequired.Thegasproducedcanbecollectedandusedif
desired.Anaerobicsystemsfunctionsatisfactorilywhentemperaturesinsidethe
reactorareabove1820C.Excesssludgeisremovedfromtimetotimethrougha
separatepipeandsenttoasimplesandbedfordrying.

DesignApproach

SizeofReactor:Generally,UASBsareconsideredwheretemperatureinthereactors
willbeabove20C.Atequilibriumcondition,sludgewithdrawnhastobeequalto
sludgeproduceddaily.Thesludgeproduceddailydependsonthecharacteristicsof
therawwastewatersinceitisthesumtotalof(i)thenewVSSproducedasaresultof
BODremoval,theyieldcoefficientbeingassumedas0.1gVSS/gBODremoved,(ii)
thenondegradableresidueoftheVSScomingintheinflowassuming40%oftheVSS
aredegradedandresidueis60%,and(iii)Ashreceivedintheinflow,namelyTSSVSS
mg/l.Thus,atsteadystateconditions,

SRT=Totalsludgepresentinreactor,kg
Sludgewithdrawnperday,kg/d

=30to50days.

AnotherparameterisHRTwhichisgivenby:

HRT=Reactorvolume,m3
Flowrate,m3/h

=8to10hormoreataverageflow.

ThereactorvolumehastobesochosenthatthedesiredSRTvalueisachieved.Thisis
donebysolvingforHRTfromSRTequationassuming(i)depthofreactor(ii)the
effectivedepthofthesludgeblanket,and(iii)theaverageconcentrationofsludgein
theblanket(70kg/m3).ThefulldepthofthereactorfortreatinglowBODmunicipal
sewageisoften4.5to5.0mofwhichthesludgeblanketitselfmaybe2.0to2.5m
depth.ForhighBODwastes,thedepthofboththesludgeblanketandthereactormay
havetobeincreasedsothattheorganicloadingonsolidsmaybekeptwithinthe
prescribedrange.

Oncethesizeofthereactorisfixed,theupflowvelocitycanbedeterminedfrom

Upflowvelocitym/h=Reactorheight
HRT,h

UsingaverageflowrateonegetstheaverageHRTwhilethepeakflowrategivesthe
minimumHRTatwhichminimumexposuretotreatmentoccurs.Inordertoretain
anyflocculentsludgeinreactoratalltimes,experiencehasshownthattheupflow
velocityshouldnotbemorethan0.5m/hataverageflowandnotmorethan1.2m/hat
peakflow.Athighervelocities,carryoverofsolidsmightoccurandeffluentquality
maybedeteriorated.Thefeedinletsystemisnextdesignedsothattherequiredlength
andwidthoftheUASBreactoraredetermined.

Thesettlingcompartmentisformedbytheslopinghoodsforgascollection.Thedepth
ofthecompartmentis2.0to2.5mandthesurfaceoverflowratekeptat20to28
m3/m2day(1to1.2m/h)atpeakflow.Theflowvelocitythroughtheaperture
connectingthereactionzonewiththesettlingcompartmentislimitedtonotmore
than5m/hatpeakflow.Dueattentionhastobepaidtothegeometryoftheunitand
toitshydraulicstoensureproperworkingoftheGasLiquidSolidSeparator(GLSS)
thegascollectionhood,theincomingflowdistributiontogetspatialuniformityand
theoutflowingeffluent.

PhysicalParameters

Asinglemodulecanhandle10to15MLDofsewage.Forlargeflowsanumberof
modulescouldbeprovided.SomephysicaldetailsofatypicalUASBreactormodule
aregivenbelow:
Reactor
Rectangularorcircular.Rectangularshapeispreferred
configuration
Depth 4.5to5.0mforsewage.
Tolimitlengthsofinletlateralstoaround1012mfor
Widthordiameter
facilitatinguniformflowdistributionandsludgewithdrawal.
Length Asnecessary.
gravityfeedfromtop(preferredformunicipalsewage)or
Inletfeed pumpedfeedfrombottomthroughmanifoldandlaterals
(preferredincaseofsolubleindustrialwastewaters).
Sludgeblanket 2to2.5mforsewage.Moredepthisneededforstronger
depth wastes.
Thisisadeflectorbeamwhichtogetherwiththegashood
(slope60)formsagasliquidsolidseparator(GLSS)lettingthe
gasgotothegascollectionchannelattop,whiletheliquidrises
Deflector/GLSS intothesettlercompartmentandthesludgesolidsfallbackinto
thesludgecompartment.Theflowvelocitythroughthe
apertureconnectingthereactionzonewiththesettling
compartmenttisgenerallylimitedtoabout5m/hatpeakflow.
2.02.5mindepth.Surfaceoverflowrateequals2028m3/m2/d
Settlercompartment
atpeakflow.

ProcessDesignParameters

AfewprocessdesignparametersforUASBsarelistedbelowformunicipalsewages
withBODabout200300mg/landtemperaturesabove20C.

810hoursataverageflow(minimum4hours
HRT
atpeakflow)
SRT 3050daysormore
Sludgeblanketconcentration
1530kgVSSperm3.About70kgTSSperm3.
(average)
0.31.0kgCOD/kgVSSday(evenupto10kg
Organicloadingonsludgeblanket
COD/kgVSSdayforagroindustrialwastes).
13kgCOD/m3dayfordomesticsewage(10
Volumetricorganicloading
15kgCOD/m3dayforagroindustrialwastes)
BOD/CODremovalefficiency Sewage7585%forBOD.7478%forCOD.
Inletpoints Minimum1pointper3.74.0m2floorarea.
Flowregime Eitherconstantrateforpumpedinflowsor
 typicallyfluctuatingflowsforgravity
systems.
About0.5m/hataverageflow,or1.2m/hat
Upflowvelocity
peakflow,whicheverislow.
Sludgeproduction 0.150.25kgTSperm3sewagetreated.
Sludgedryingtime Sevendays(inIndia)
Theoretical0.38m3/kgCODremoved.Actual
Gasproduction
0.10.3m3perkgCODremoved.
Methodofuseisoptional.1m3biogaswith
Gasutilization 75%methanecontentisequivalentto1.4kWh
electricity.
Nutrientsnitrogenandphosphorus
5to10%only.
removal