Comparison of a Mesophilic and Thermophilic Novel Sludge-Bed Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor Treating Prehydrolysis Liquor from a Dissolving Pulp Mill
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 7
Abstract
Performance of the novel sludge-bed anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SB-AnMBR) at a mesophilic (35°C) and a thermophilic (55°C) temperature was compared for the treatment of the prehydrolysis liquor (PHL) at organic loading rates (OLRs) ranging from 0.8 to . An average chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 91% and a specific yield of [% relative standard deviation (RSTD) ] was observed at a mesophilic temperature irrespective of the increase in loading rate. The temperature of the mesophilic (35°C) SB-AnMBR reactor was increased in a single step to achieve a thermophilic temperature (55°C). The one-step increase in temperature exerted stress on the biomass during the first 60 days of the operation at thermophilic temperature leading to the presence of slow-degrading lignin in the effluent with an average removal efficiency of less than 56% and average total COD removals of less than 60%. Subsequently, the methane yield was found to increase to an average value of , indicating adaptation of biomass in the reactor. Flat-sheet membranes, used in both the mesophilic and thermophilic SB-AnMBRs, showed only two fouling events at a sustained flux of during combined continuous operation period of approximately 800 days.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the funding agencies including the Atlantic Canada Opportunity Agency (ACOA) under the Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF) program, the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF) and ADI Group Inc. Dr. Dennis Connor, Jangchuk Tashi and Dibyendu Debnath are acknowledged for their technical support during the study.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 7 • July 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 24, 2015
Accepted: Nov 30, 2015
Published online: Feb 19, 2016
Published in print: Jul 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Jul 19, 2016
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