Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket digestion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Schematic of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB): Wastewater enters the reactor from the bottom and
flows upward.[1]

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) technology, normally referred to as UASB reactor, is a form
of anaerobic digester that is used for wastewater treatment.
The UASB reactor is a methanogenic (methane-producing) digester that evolved from the anaerobic
clarigester. A similar but variant technology to UASB is the expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB)
digester.
UASB uses an anaerobic process whilst forming a blanket of granular sludge which suspends in the tank.
Wastewater flows upwards through the blanket and is processed (degraded) by the anaerobic
microorganisms. The upward flow combined with the settling action ofgravity suspends the blanket with
the aid of flocculants. The blanket begins to reach maturity at around three months. Small sludge granules
begin to form whose surface area is covered in aggregations of bacteria. In the absence of any support
matrix, the flow conditions create a selective environment in which only those microorganisms capable of
attaching to each other survive and proliferate. Eventually the aggregates form into dense compact biofilms
referred to as "granules".[2]
Biogas with a high concentration of methane is produced as a by-product, and this may be captured and
used as an energy source, to generate electricity for export and to cover its own running power. The
technology needs constant monitoring when put into use to ensure that the sludge blanket is maintained,
and not washed out (thereby losing the effect). The heat produced as a by-product of electricity generation
can be reused to heat the digestion tanks.
The blanketing of the sludge enables a dual solid and hydraulic (liquid) retention time in the digesters.
Solids requiring a high degree of digestion can remain in the reactors for periods up to 90 days. [3] Sugars
dissolved in the liquid waste stream can be converted into gas quickly in the liquid phase which can exit
the system in less than a day.
UASB reactors are typically suited to dilute waste water streams (3% TSS with particle size >0.75mm).
Contents
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Design[edit]

1Design

2See also

3External links

4References

UASB reactor shown is the larger tank. Hiriya, Tel Aviv, Israel

With UASB, the process of settlement and digestion occurs in one or more large tank(s). The effluent from
the UASB, which has a much reduced BOD concentration, usually needs to be treated further, for example
with the activated sludge process, depending on the effluent quality requirements.

See also[edit]
Sustainable development portal

Anaerobic digestion

Anaerobic digester types

Anaerobic clarigester

Anaerobic filter

Expanded granular sludge bed digestion

Hybrid reactor (combination of UASB and an anaerobic filter (AF))

Fluidized bed reactor

Bal AS, Dhagat NN (April 2001). "Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor
a review". Indian J Environ Health 43 (2): 182. PMID 12397675.

Lettinga G, Rebac S, Zeeman G (September 2001). "Challenge of

psychrophilic anaerobic wastewater treatment". Trends Biotechnol. 19 (9):
36370. doi:10.1016/S0167-7799(01)01701-2.PMID 11514000. review

Lettinga G (1995). "Anaerobic digestion and wastewater treatment

systems". Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 67 (1): 3
28. doi:10.1007/BF00872193. PMID 7741528.

External links[edit]

References[edit]
1.

Jump up^ Tilley, E., Ulrich, L., Lthi, C., Reymond, Ph., Zurbrgg, C.
(2014) Compendium of Sanitation Systems and Technologies - (2nd
Revised Edition). Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and
Technology (Eawag), Duebendorf, Switzerland. ISBN 978-3-906484-570.

2.

Jump up^ What are sludge granules? UASB Homepage

3.

Jump up^ Finstein, M.S., Zadik, Y., Marshall, A.T., Brody, D.

(2004). "The ArrowBio Process for Mixed Municipal Solid Waste
Responses to "Requests for Information"" (PDF). In Papadimitriou, E.K.,
Stentiford, E.I. Biodegradable and Residual Waste Management. 1st UK
Conference and Exhibition on Biodegradable and Residual Waste
Management, February 1819, 2004, Harrogate, UK. Leeds:
CalRecovery Europe Ltd. pp. 407413. ISBN 0-9544708-1-8.
[hide]

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Combined sewer
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