On-site evaluation of anaerobic biodegradability

The pilot plant is used for on-site investigation of the anaerobic biological treatment of various types of effluent. It is designed to be able to simulate the operation and settings of a Voith anaerobic reactor, including auxiliary systems.

The results of the investigation can be used to draw conclusions as to whether the implementation of an anaerobic stage for internal process water/effluent treatment is the appropriate process in terms of cost effectiveness.

There are considerable benefits associated with the use of an anaerobic process stage (installed upstream of the aerobic treatment process). The organic material in the process water is converted to biogas with minimal energy use to produce "green energy". Because the organic content has been reduced in an anaerobic process there are considerable savings in a downstream aeration stage, as the necessary aerator output is lower. The high-energy aerobic process stage is therefore employed highly efficiently to remove the residual COD. In addition, the volume of bio-sludge to be disposed of is reduced considerably, as the organic matter is converted predominantly to biogas in the anaerobic stage, instead of being converted to sludge as it is in the aerobic process. Moreover, an anaerobic process stage is characterized by a tall, narrow tank design.