CFD simulation of an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor for biohydrogen production

Understanding how a bioreactor functions is a necessary precursor for successful reactor design and operation. This paper describes a two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulation of three-phase gas–liquid–solid flow in an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor used for biohydrogen production. An Eulerian–Eulerian model was formulated to simulate reaction zone hydrodynamics in an EGSB reactor with various hydraulic retention times (HRT). The three-phase system displayed a very heterogeneous flow pattern especially at long HRTs. The core-annulus structure developed may lead to back-mixing and internal circulation behavior, which in turn gives poor velocity distribution. The force balance between the solid and gas phases is a particular illustration of the importance of the interphase rules in determining the efficiency of biohydrogen production. The nature of gas bubble formation influences velocity distribution and hence sludge particle movement. The model demonstrates a qualitative relationship between hydrodynamics and biohydrogen production, implying that controlling hydraulic retention time is a critical factor in biohydrogen-production.     

Continuous biohydrogen production from liquid swine manure supplemented with glucose using an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor

Liquid swine manure supplemented with glucose (10 g/L) was used as substrate for hydrogen production using an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor at 37 ± 1 °C and pH 5.0 under different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). Decreasing HRT from 24 to 8 h caused an increasing hydrogen production rate from 0.05 to 0.15 L/h/L. Production rates of both total biogas and hydrogen were linearly correlated to HRT with R² being 0.993 and 0.997, respectively. The hydrogen yield ranged between 1.18 and 1.63 mol-H₂/mol glucose and the 12 h HRT was preferred for high production rate and efficient yield. For all the five HRTs examined, the glucose utilization efficiency was over 98%. The biogas mainly consisted of carbon dioxide and hydrogen (up to 43%) with no methane detected throughout the experiment. Ethanol and organic acids were the major aqueous metabolites produced during fermentation, with acetic acid accounting for 56–58%. The hydrogen yield was found to be related to the acetate/butyrate ratio.     

Heavy incense burning in temples promotes exposure risk from airborne PMs and carcinogenic PAHs

We present the mechanistic-based exposure and risk models, appraised with reported empirical data, to assess how the human exposure to airborne particulate matters (PMs) and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during heavy incense burning episodes in temples. The models integrate size-dependent PM levels inside a temple from a published exploratory study associated with a human expiratory tract (HRT) model taking into account the personal exposure levels and size distributions in the HRT. The probabilistic exposure profiles of total-PAH levels inside a temple and internal PAHs doses are characterized by a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model with the reconstructed dose-response relationships based on an empirical three-parameter Hill equation model, describing PAHs toxicity for DNA adducts formation and lung tumor incidence responses in human white blood cells and lung. Results show that the alveolar-interstitial (AI) region has a lower mass median diameter (0.29 microm) than that in extrathoracic (ET(1), 0.37 microm), brochial (BB, 0.36 microm) and bronchiolar (bb, 0.32 microm) regions. The 50% probability (risk=0.5) of exceeding the DNA adducts frequency (DA(f)) ratio of 1.28 (95% CI: 0.55-2.40) and 1.78 (95% CI: 0.84-2.95) for external exposure of B[a]P and B[a]P(eq), respectively. The 10% (risk=0.1) probability or more of human affected by lung tumor is approximately 7.62x10(-5)% (95% CI: 3.39x10(-5)-1.71x10(-4)%) and 3.87x10(-4)% (95% CI: 1.72x10(-4)-8.69x10(-4)%) for internal exposure of B[a]P and B[a]P(eq), respectively. Our results implicate that exposure to smoke emitted from heavy incense burning may promote lung cancer risk. Our study provides a quantitative basis for objective risk prediction of heavy incense burning exposure in temples and for evaluating the effectiveness of management.     

3DBER-S-Fe深度脱氮除磷效果

为强化三维电极生物膜(3DBER)工艺深度脱氮除磷性能,提高污水厂尾水质量,将硫磺和海绵铁作为混合填料,构建硫铁复合填料三维电极生物膜(3DBER-S-Fe)脱氮除磷工艺;在不同ρ( C)/ρ( N)、I和水力停留时间( HRT)运行条件下,探究工艺深度脱氮除磷效果.分别从反应器填料和阴极上取生物膜,通过Miseq高通量测序,构建细菌16S rRNA基因克隆文库.结果表明：在运行条件为ρ(C)/ρ(N)=2、I=150 mA和HRT=4 h时,3DBER-S-Fe对总氮和总磷的去除率分别可达85.59%和97.43%;适当增加ρ( C)/ρ( N)、I和HRT均能不同程度提高系统脱氮除磷效率.在填料和阴极上丰度最大的均为具有硫自养反硝化功能的Thiobacillus,分别占40.62%和44.75%;具有氢自养反硝化功能的Rhodocyclaceae在阴极的分布明显多于填料.因此,3DBER-S-Fe具有较高的脱氮性能主要是硫自养反硝化和氢自养反硝化共同作用的结果,且氢自养反硝化过程主要发生在阴极.     

不同盐沼湿地类型脱氮除磷效能及影响因素分析

采用沉水植物表面流湿地(沉水组)、挺水植物表面流湿地(挺水组)和浮床湿地(浮床组)3种盐沼湿地对长江口近岸低污染水体进行脱氮除磷效能的研究.结果表明,HRT为3d时,水组、挺水组、浮床组对NO3--N的去除率在高温时段分别为79.9％±13.2％、71.8％±15.2％、77.2％±13.2％,中温时段分别为39.4％...     

Biohydrogen production from organic solid waste in a sequencing batch reactor: An optimization of the hydraulic and solids retention time

Hydrogen production from organic solids waste was evaluated using a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) under mesophilic conditions, to investigate the effect of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) and solids retention time (SRT) on hydrogen production. The examined HRT and SRT values were from 4.6 to 27 h and 17–102 h, respectively. The results showed high hydrogen production rates (1.86 LH₂/L·d) and a yield of 127.26 mLH₂/gCOD_removed for an SRT of 60 h and an HRT of 16 h. The highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal (38.6 ± 6.9%) was also obtained under those conditions. The highest substrate hydrolysis percentage (73.0 ± 11.4%) was obtained at an HRT of 16 h and an SRT of 102 h. A short SRT of 20 h affected hydrogen production, which decreased up to 90%. With an SRT of 20 h and an HRT of 16 h, acetic acid-like fatty acids were mainly obtained. In experiments with a long SRT (60 h), the obtained fatty acid was butyrate. The conversion efficiencies for converting particulate material into fatty acids were 51–47% using a long SRT; a short HRT resulted in percentages of 37–40%. A 3D surface analysis was performed using the maximum hydrogen yield conditions as the central point, showing that the optimal hydrogen production can be obtained with an HRT of 16 h and an SRT of 55 h. Microbial analysis showed the predominance of the Olsenella genus at an HRT< 8 h and the presence of Clostridium at an HRT of 16 h. The HRT is the main parameter leading the community composition in the process.     

Modified two-phase anaerobic baffled process for low-concentration wastewater treatment

In this study low-concentration wastewater was investigated in the integral two-phase anaerobic baffled reactor by determining the removal of COD at various HRT,reflex ratios,and temperatures. Results indicate that the removal efficiency of COD is more than 90% at 25 ℃ and 10-h HRT with no wastewater recycled,and the removal efficiency is up to 88% at 8-h HRT and reflex ratio of 150%. The removal efficiency is decreased with the decreasing temperature and HRT. The removal efficiency of COD is approximately 60% at 10 ℃,which proves that the temperature does not affect it apparently. This research has significance for reducing the cost of wastewater and sludge treatment in cold area.     

管锥形填充床处理城市污水试验研究

针对城市污水处理中存在处理设施基建与运行费用高的问题,对管锥形填充床处理城市污水进行了研究分析,试验结果表明,管锥形填充床在较短的停留时间内,对有机物有较高的去除能力,而且管锥形填料价格低,使用方便,可节约基建投资和安装费用.     

沸石曝气生物滤池预处理微污染源水

考察了沸石曝气生物滤池(ZBAF)处理微污染源水的效果及其影响因素，结果表明，在停留时间为15～60min、气水比为1：1、水温为17～26℃的条件下，处理CODMn为6．1～10．8mg／L、NH4^ -N为2．3～5．2mg／L的微污染源水时，对CODMn、NH4^ -N、UV254、浊度的平均去除率分别为31．2％、94．8％、9．3％和67．1％，且抗冲击负荷能力强。     

Evaluation and simultaneous optimization of bio-hydrogen production using 3 factorial design and the desirability function

Various mixtures incorporating a simulated organic fraction of municipal solid wastes and blood from a poultry slaughterhouse were used as substrate in a dark fermentation process for the production of hydrogen. The individual and interactive effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT), solid content in the feed (%TS) and proportion of residues (%Blood) on bio-hydrogen production were studied in this work. A central composite design and response surface methodology were employed to determine the optimum conditions for the hydrogen production process. Experimental results were approximated to a second-order model with the principal effects of the three factors considered being statistically significant (P < 0.05). The production of hydrogen obtained from the experimental point at conditions close to best operability was 0.97 L Lr⁻¹ day⁻¹. Moreover, a desirability function was employed in order to optimize the process when a second, methanogenic, phase is coupled with it. In this last case, the optimum conditions lead to a reduction in the production of hydrogen when the optimization process involves the maximization of intermediary products.