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Completely Stirred Tank Reactor Behavior in an Unmixed Anaerobic Digester: The Induced Bed Reactor
Author(s) -
Dustin J. Shaun,
Hansen Conly L.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.2175/106143012x13373575830638
Subject(s) - continuous stirred tank reactor , bioreactor , anaerobic exercise , waste management , environmental science , chemistry , chemical engineering , engineering , biology , organic chemistry , physiology
The induced bed reactor (IBR) was developed to apply high‐rate anaerobic digestion techniques to high suspended solids substrates (6 to 12% total solids). This technology has been implemented at multiple full‐scale installations in the United States and Canada. Residence time distribution studies for 58‐L laboratory‐scale reactors operated at a 3.8‐day hydraulic retention time were conducted at 35, 45, and 55° C under control and active digestion conditions. Rhodamine WT and lithium ion were used as tracers. The results show that the IBR most closely approximated completely stirred tank reactor behavior when operated under the study conditions. Mixing was likely a result of a (1) combination of energy inputs from thermal gradients induced by heat flux through the reactors, and (2) shear induced by gas evolution in the sludge bed.