Design and fabrication of UASB-HCPB reactor assisted UF membrane for POME treatment to produce biogas

Abstract

Anaerobic process is one of the biological wastewater treatment to produce biogas as renewable energy. Sludge is produced as the main characteristic of UASB (Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) which distinguishes it from other anaerobic technologies to produce biogas. A new design of UASB-HCPB (Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket - Hollow Centered Packed Bed) is used to overcome operational problems in UASB. This research has designed, manufactured, and installed a UASB-HCPB bioreactor with a heating system. UASB-HCPB was designed and fabricated with acrylic material and caldnes used for HCPB. The bioreactor was filled with water to determine the working volume of the bioreactor. The peristaltic pump as the process pump was calibrated; the liquid volume was measured for a certain time span. The jacket heating system was simultaneously controlled with a controller to obtain the temperature of the bioreactor. The working volume of the bioreactor was 5.49 liters. A further modification of the POME treatment is the use of membranes. The membrane used is the cross flow membrane type. The combination of anaerobic bioreactor and the use of membrane can separate the solid biomass from the digester suspension and recycle it to the digester. In this study, biogas production with fresh POME will be carried out using a UASB-HCPB reactor with a combination of ultrafiltration membranes under mesophilic conditions.