Energy conservation and production in a packed-bed anaerobic bioreactor
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
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Energy from biomass and wastes 4 symposium, Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA, 21 Jan 1980
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Summary of the Oak Ridge ANFLOW pilot plant project
Development of a wastewater treatment system based on a fixed-film, anaerobic bioreactor
Related Subjects
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
METHANE
BIOSYNTHESIS
MUNICIPAL WASTES
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COST
FINANCIAL DATA
FLOWSHEETS
OAK RIDGE
PILOT PLANTS
TABLES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
ALKANES
BIOCONVERSION
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DATA
DATA FORMS
DIAGRAMS
DIGESTION
FLUIDS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
SOUTHEAST REGION
SYNTHESIS
TENNESSEE
USA
WASTES
090122* - Hydrocarbon Fuels- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass- (1976-1989)
320604 - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Municipalities & Community Systems- Municipal Waste Management- (1980-)
140504 - Solar Energy Conversion- Biomass Production & Conversion- (-1989)