Fluidization in an Anaerobic EGSB Reactor: Analysis of Primary Wakes and Modeling of Sludge Blanket

Fluidization of biogranules in an anaerobic expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor is stochastic in nature and it is a function of the size distribution and the frequency of generation of flow-through gas bubbles in the reactor. Other factors that contribute to the distribution of granules along the height of the reactor are the settling characteristics of granules and the fluid velocity. A simulation was conducted in a test column to obtain a relationship between the flow-through gas and granules at different heights along the column. This relationship was combined with the pattern of gas flow through an identical EGSB reactor to create a model to predict the concentration of granules at different heights along the reactor. The model can predict well the stochastic nature of the axial distribution of granules but underestimates the number of granules at different heights. The reasons for such deviations are explained. The pattern of granule shedding from the primary wake associated with spherical cap bubbles and terminal velocities of bubbles have also been studied and modeled to estimate the maximum height of ascent of granules under isolated spherical cap bubbles. The results of this model agreed well with the experimental observations.