Start-up and Performance of a Novel Reactor—Jet Biogas Inter-loop Anaerobic Fluidized Bed

Abstract

A novel anaerobic reactor, jet biogas inter-loop anaerobic fluidized bed (JBILAFB), was designed and constructed. The start-up and performance of the reactor was investigated in the process of artificial glucose wastewater treatment. With the wastewater recycle ratio of 2.5 : 1, the recycled wastewater with biogas could mix sludge and wastewater in the JBILAFB reactor completely. The start-up of the JBILAFB reactor could be completed in less than 70 d through maintenance of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and stepwise increase of feed total organic carbon (TOC) concentration. After the start-up, with the volumetric TOC loadings of 14.3 kg·m −3·d −1, the TOC removal ratio, the effluent pH, and the volatile fatty acids (VFA)/alkalinity of the JBILAFB reactor were more than 80%, close to 7.0 and less than 0.4, respectively. Moreover, CH 4 was produced at more than 70% of the theoretical value. The reactor exhibited high stability under the condition of high volumetric TOC loading. Sludge granules in the JBILAFB reactor were developed during the start-up and their sizes were enlarged with the stepwise increase of volumetric TOC loadings from 0.8 kg·m −3·d −1 to 14.3 kg·m −3·d −1. Granules, an offwhite color and a similar spherical shape, were mainly comprised of global-like bacteria. These had good methanogenic activity and settleability, which were formed probably through adhesion of the bacteria. Some inorganic metal compounds such as Fe, Ca, Mg, Al, etc. were advantageous to the formation of the granules.