Asian Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology & Environmental Sciences Paper

Vol 5 Issue 2, 2003; Page No.(137-144 )

MODELLING OF ANAEROBIC FLUIDIZED BED BIOREACTOR IN THE TREATMENT OF PALM OIL MILL EFFLUENT

AZNI BIN IDRIS, MEGAT JOHARI MEGAT MOHD NOOR AND ABDULLAH AL-MAMUN

Abstract

Understanding of the kinetic phenomena is essential for better designing of anaerobic process for treating high strength wastewater. A 2 rn3 pilot scale anaerobic fluidised bed reactor was studied to determine the kinetic parameters related to the palm oil mill effluent (POME), which is the main agro-waste problem in Malaysia. Three models, namely Monod, Contois and Chen & Hashimoto were studied. The kinetic parameters were calculated for five different steady state conditions. General parameters for the model such as decay rate (kd or b) and yield (Y) were found, respectively, to be 0.23 day' and 0.79 VSS/ COD„td. Specific kinetic parameters for Monod equations were K=1.22 COD/VSS. day and K5=577 mg/l. For Contois model the parameters found were B=0.06 COD/VSS and 11rn=0.96 day'. Finally Chen & Hashimoto coefficients were calculated as 11,1=4•63 day-' and K=2.47. Out of the three biological models, Chen & Hashimoto model showed excellent prediction with correlation coefficient of 0.99. On the other hand Contois and Monod Model exhibited inferior regression coefficients of 0.86 and 0.71, respectively. Monad model performed the worst due to the reason that it did not account for the influence of the substrate concentration, which in this particular study was high. Most of the models were affected to some extent at high organic loading rates (OLR). Despite complex nature of the palm oil mill effluent, multi-substrate conversion process and ever changing hydrodynamic properties within the AFBR, Chen Sz Hashimoto and Contoi's kinetic models can be used to estimate the performance of anaerobic fluidised bed reactors treating high strength wastewaters.

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