STUDY THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PERIODIC ANAEROBIC BAFFLED REACTOR ( PABR ) AT DIFFERENT SWITCHING FREQUENCIES UNDER THE STABLE PERIODIC STATE ( SPS ) AT CONSTANT HYDRAULIC RETENTION TIME AND AT CONSTANT FEED STRENGHT

Abstract

The most common bioreactor type used for anaerobic digestion is the Continuously Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR). The main problem of this reactor type i.e. the fact that the active biomass which continuously removed from the system, leading to long retention time, has been overcome in a number of system based on immobilization of active biomass. Two representative types are the up flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor (UASBR) and the Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (ABR). The success of these reactor systems rest on the highly flocculated, well settling, compact methanogenic sludge granules which develop in these reactors. A novel reactor type named Periodic Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (PABR) has been designed, offering the following major advantage: it may be operated as an ABR, a UASBR or at an intermediate mode. The PABR hydraulic behavior has been characterized using residence time distribution experiments at different retention times. Simulating the PABR behavior, the dependence of the reac...