Ascending flow anaerobic reactor engineering: conceptualization and analysis at laboratory

Anaerobic wastewater treatment has the potential to be widely used, due to its low energy requirement and because it is a potential renewable energy source. However, at the moment its use is mainly limited by its low retention of suspended solids and its minimum temperature range for optimal operation. In this sense, this research aims to investigate the hydraulic and biocin of anaerobic reactors at the laboratory scale, with the purpose of improving nutrient mixing, reducing dead and turbulent areas. These conditions limit the consumption of the substrate by the active bacterial population, consequently reducing the efficiency of the system to treat wastewater. Additionally, new geometries will be implemented in the reactor design itself to improve the sedimentation of suspended solids, eliminating or decreasing the main disadvantage of using anaerobic systems versus aerobic technologies to treat wastewater. The gases issued by the bacterial population will be qualitatively and quantitatively, in order to identify their interaction with the hydraulic behavior of the system and its effect on the level of treatment that can be achieved

14th RESEARCH PROJECT COMPETITION