Energy conservation and production in a packed-bed anaerobic bioreactor

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5719328

Pit, Jr., W. W.; Genung, R. K.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is developing an energy-conserving/ producing wastewater treatment system based on a fixed-film anaerobic bioreactor. The treatment process is based on passing wastewaters upward through the bioreactor for continuous treatment by gravitational settling, biophysical filtration and biological decomposition. A two-year pilot-plant project using a bioreactor designed to treat 5000 gpd has been conducted using raw wastewater on a municipal site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Data obtained for the performance of the bioreactor during this project have been analyzed by ORNL and Associated Water and Air Resources Engineers (AWARE), Inc. of Nashville, Tennessee. From these analyses it was estimated that hydraulic loading rates of 0.25 gpm/ft/sup 2/ and hydraulic residence times of 10 hours could be used in designing such bioreactors for the secondary treatment of municipal wastewaters. Conceptual designs for total treatment systems processing up to one million gallons of wastewater per day were developed based on the performance of the pilot plant bioreactor. These systems were compared to activated sludge treatment systems also operating under secondary treatment requirements and were found to consume as little as 30% of the energy required by the activated sludge systems. Economic advantages of the process result from the elimination of operating energy requirements associated with the aeration of aerobic-based processes and with the significant decrease of sludge-handling costs required with conventional activated sludge treatment systems.Furthermore, methane produced by anaerobic fermentation processes occurring during the biological decomposition of carbonaceous wastes also represented a significant and recoverable energy production. For dilute municipal wastewaters this would completely offset the remaining energy required for treatment, while for concentrated industrial wastewater would result in a net production of energy.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5719328
• Report Number(s): CONF-800129-4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090122* -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320604 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
ALKANES
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
BIOCONVERSION
BIOSYNTHESIS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COST
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DATA
DATA FORMS
DIAGRAMS
DIGESTION
FINANCIAL DATA
FLOWSHEETS
FLUIDS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
METHANE
MUNICIPAL WASTES
NORTH AMERICA
OAK RIDGE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PILOT PLANTS
PROCESSING
SOUTHEAST REGION
SYNTHESIS
TABLES
TENNESSEE
USA
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES