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Biofiltration of waste gases in a reactor with a split‐feed
Author(s) -
Mendoza JA,
Veiga MC,
Kennes C
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.846
Subject(s) - biofilter , volumetric flow rate , biomass (ecology) , inert , pulp and paper industry , filter (signal processing) , environmental science , chemistry , bioreactor , waste management , environmental engineering , engineering , biology , mechanics , physics , electrical engineering , agronomy , organic chemistry
Abstract The efficiency of using different feed strategies was evaluated in the case of a gas‐phase biofilter packed with an inert carrier material. During a preliminary control‐period, the biofilter was first fed with a single downflow feed of toluene. Reactor performance and biomass distribution were evaluated. The feed was then split into two flows before entering the reactor. Different feed ratios were tested during a 6‐month period, following the preliminary control stage. Splitting the feed into equal flow rates through the upper and middle part of the biofilter (in a 50 : 50 ratio) improved the performance compared with the single‐feed period. Such a high performance could also be maintained when using a higher flow rate for the upper port than for the middle port, with a feed‐ratio of approximately 70 : 30, when more biomass was formed in the upper half of the filter bed. However, performance decreased when inverting this ratio from 70 : 30 to 30 : 70, ie when the highest flow rate was fed through the middle port of the biofilter. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry