Anaerobic filter performance at different conditions

The anaerobic treatment technology has rapidly developed in recent decades. The anaerobic treatment process has also recognized as one of the most effective methods for treating organic waste stream, including industrial and domestic wastewater. The anaerobic filter reactors are ones of the more common of the anaerobic digestion options for the treatment of industrial wastes. Researches on design and modeling have greatly increased the understanding of the impacts of the fundamental controlling phenomena. There are various factors affecting design and performance of anaerobic filters. In general these factors can be divided into three categories; physical factors, performance factors and hydraulic factors. In this study, design and performance parameters such as filter material ratio, organic loading rate, hydraulic retention time, temperature and operation mode were evaluated at four upflow anaerobic filter reactors having different filter material ratio. Anaerobic filters were fed with the synthetic wastewater during the study. Experimental studies were examined at different organic loading rate for three different hydraulic retention time (HRT), 3, 2 and 1 day at psychrophilic temperature ranged of 16 ? 33 oC. When two reactors named as AFR 100 and AFR 50 were operated in continuous operation mode, other two reactors named as AFR 75 and AFR 25 were operated in semi-continuous operation mode. During the study, the organic loading rates (OLR) were varied between 0.333 and 8.000 kgCOD/m³d. Firstly, OLR were applied 0.333, 0.666 and 1.333 kgCOD/m³d for HRT of 3 days, respectively. Secondly, OLR values were applied 0.500, 1.000 v and 2.000 kgCOD/m³d for HRT of 2 days, respectively. And finally, OLR values were applied 2.000, 4.000 and 8.000 kgCOD/m³d for HRT of 1 day, respectively. According to the results and the data obtained form experimental and literature studies, filter material ratio affected COD removal efficiencies at the treatment performance of anaerobic filters. Especially, the removal efficiencies of anaerobic filter filled fully are more than the anaerobic filter having different filter material ratio. On the other hands, the operation mode of the anaerobic filters as well is significant from the point of COD removal efficiencies. The removal performance of filters operated as continuous mode is higher than anaerobic filter operated as semicontinuous mode. Moreover, it is incontestable that the temperature is effective on treatment performance. It follows from data obtained that temperature positively increases COD removal efficiencies. In second part of the study, the reactors were examined in terms of kinetic models. Kinetic constants for filter reactors were determined by the help of applications of the models. Keywords: Upflow anaerobic filter reactor, filter material ratio, temperature, kinetic models