Modeling of the attached and suspended biomass fractions in a moving bed biofilm reactor

Alessandro di Biase; Maciej S Kowalski; Tanner R Devlin; Jan A Oleszkiewicz

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129937

Modeling of the attached and suspended biomass fractions in a moving bed biofilm reactor

Chemosphere. 2021 Jul:275:129937. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129937. Epub 2021 Feb 18.

Authors

Alessandro di Biase¹, Maciej S Kowalski², Tanner R Devlin³, Jan A Oleszkiewicz²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, R3T 5V6, Canada. Electronic address: alessandro.dibiase.fi@gmail.com.
² Department of Civil Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, R3T 5V6, Canada.
³ Department of Civil Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, R3T 5V6, Canada; Nexom, Winnipeg, R2J 3R8, Canada.

PMID: 33636521
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129937

Abstract

The performance, kinetics, and stoichiometry of three high-rate moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) were evaluated. A constant surface area loading rate (SALR) and three different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) were utilized to create scenarios where the attached and suspended biomass fractions would differentiate, despite the main design parameter remaining constant. Performance was simulated using BioWin™ 6.0 software. The objective was to evaluate whether a calibrated/validated model could accurately predict experimental results. Initially, a sensitivity analysis was performed to determine influential parameters. The calibration/validation of influential parameters was then conducted via steady-state simulations for two base cases: 1) highest HRT; and 2) lowest HRT. Both sets of calibrated/validated parameters were substantiated using: 1) steady-state simulations at the other HRTs; and 2) dynamic simulations to evaluate the kinetic rates of attached and suspended biomass fractions at all HRTs. Results demonstrated that the model could be calibrated/validated for a single HRT, but could not accurately predict the performance, kinetics, or stoichiometry at other HRTs.

Keywords: Biofilm model; Calibration protocol; High rate MBBR; Hydraulic retention time.

MeSH terms

Biofilms*
Biomass
Bioreactors*
Waste Disposal, Fluid