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Mixing in anaerobic digestion
Author(s) -
Verhoff F. H.,
Tenney M. W.,
Echelberger W. F.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260160606
Subject(s) - anaerobic digestion , mixing (physics) , inflow , lift (data mining) , outflow , gas lift , anaerobic exercise , volume (thermodynamics) , mixing patterns , environmental science , complete mixing , chemistry , pulp and paper industry , waste management , mechanics , petroleum engineering , thermodynamics , engineering , chromatography , methane , mass transfer , geology , computer science , physics , biology , physiology , oceanography , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , data mining
The mixing of the anaerobic digester contents significantly influences the efficiency of this operation; in particular, hydraulic dead zones are extremely detrimental to the reaction kinetics involved in anaerobic digestion. An analysis of the relative importance of thermal fluid movement in the digester to those caused by fluid inflow and outflow is presented. As an example, these principles are applied to a digester at the South Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant. Experimental measurements, which have general applicability for the measurement of digester mixing volume, confirm the theoretical conjectures. Various types of optimizations can be attempted on this mixing operation. One such optimization applied to gas lift mixers, as employed in the South Bend Treatment Plant, is illustrated.