Experimental and modeling investigations of a hybrid upflow anaerobic sludge-filter bed (UASFB) reactor.

A 9.8-L hybrid UASFB reactor, in which the lower half was occupied by a sludge blanket and the upper half by small floating polyethylene media, was evaluated using wine distillery vinasse as substrate. The reactor was operated for a total period of 232 days at 33 + 1 degrees C. Continuous feeding of the reactor was started with an initial OLR of 2.9 g COD/L.d and then it was increased step wise to 19.5 g COD/L.d by increasing the feed COD, while maintaining a constant HRT (1.05 d). The reactor was equipped with a continuous internal recirculation system from top to the bottom at the rate of 9 L/h (upflow velocity = 0.83 m/h) upto day 159 and then it was reduced to about half on day 160 onwards. It was observed that the reduced recirculation rate did not affect the performance of the reactor with an average COD(t) and COD(s) removal efficiencies of 82 and 88%, respectively. A maximum gas production rate of 6.7 L CH(4)/L(reactor).d was achieved for the highest OLR applied. The specific activity analysis depicts that the activity of the attached biomass was more than 2 times higher than that of the granular sludge. The efficiency of liquid mixing was good through out this study. The packing medium had a dual role in the retention of the biomass inside the reactor: i.e. entrapment of biomass within the support and filtration of the granular biomass, preventing it from going out of the reactor. ADM1_10 model simulated well the dynamic evolutions of the main variables in the liquid as well as in the gas phases. (c) IWA Publishing 2008.