Mass transfer phenomena in methanogenic and sulphidogenic aggregates - characterisation and optimisation based on nmr

Project Information

Grant agreement ID: FMBI950250

Project closed

Start date 1 January 1996

End date 31 December 1997

Funded under

• Specific research and technological development programme in the field of the training and mobility of researchers, 1994-1998

Total cost No data

EU contribution No data

Coordinated by

Landbouwuniversiteit Wageningen
Netherlands

Objective

In anaerobic wastewater treatment, Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UAS reactors operating under sulphidogenic conditions (COD/SO42- < 1) are an emerging reactor technology for the treatment of sulfate rich wastewater. Unlike methanogenic reactors, few gaseous end products are formed, resulting in inferior mass transfer rates compared to methanogenic UASB reactors.
The aim of this research proposal is to study possible improvement of t treatment efficiency of such sulphidogenic bioreactors by improved mass transfer. Three ways to accelerate mass transfer will be studied: (i) upflow velocity in the reactor, (ii) mixing by gas evolution and (iii) the 'breathing' granule principle. The latter consists of alternate compression and expansion of granules.
The effect of these operational strategies will be evaluated in laboratory scale reactors using specially developed NMR-techniques, i.e. pulsed gradient spin echo-NMR (PGSE-NMR) imaging, PGSE-NMR spectroscopy and chemical shift imaging. NMR was chosen as this non invasive technique provides information inaccessible compared to ex vivo techniques like microelectrodes or confocal microscopy. However, to assess the accuracy and reproducibility of the developed NMR protocols, the effective diffusion and mass transfer coefficients obtained by NMR will be compared to those obtained by microelectrode measurements.
The insight in mass transfer phenomena given by the NMR techniques, in combination with the operation of laboratory scale bioreactors will contribute to the optimisation of the process efficiency of UASB reactors operating under fully sulphidogenic conditions.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › water treatment processes › wastewater treatment processes
• engineering and technology › environmental biotechnology › bioremediation › bioreactors
• natural sciences › physical sciences › optics › microscopy › confocal microscopy
• natural sciences › physical sciences › optics › spectroscopy

Programme(s)

• FP4-TMR - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of the training and mobility of researchers, 1994-1998

Topic(s)

• 0302 - Post-doctoral research training grants
• TI09 - Environmental Engineering

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

RGI - Research grants (individual fellowships)

Coordinator

Landbouwuniversiteit Wageningen

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: 3,Dreijenlaan 3 ; 6703 HA Wageningen ; Netherlands
• Total cost: No data

Participants (1)

Not available

Belgium

• EU contribution: No data
• Total cost: No data