Laboratory test for assessing anaerobic biodegradability
The purpose of the Anaerobic Biodegradability Test, a quick test carried out in the laboratory, is to determine the anaerobic biodegradability of process water/effluent at predefined sampling points.
The sets of samples are incubated in special flasks over a maximum period of two weeks and stored at a constant temperature in an incubation cabinet. The rise in gas pressure is a direct indication of the volume of methane formed and thus of the anaerobic biodegradability of the samples under investigation.
The evaluated data provide information on the biodegradation behavior and kinetics as well as the potential toxicity or inhibiting characteristic of the samples investigated with regard to the anaerobic biological activity.
The results provide a basis to determine whether the use of an anaerobic stage for internal process water/effluent treatment is an appropriate solution. If the test result is positive the next step is to carry out a pilot trial using the Anaerobic Pilot Plant or, depending on the application the
R2S Anaerobic Demonstration Plant Leasing or E2E Anaerobic Demonstration Plant Leasing on site under realistic conditions, to make sure that the decision to invest in an industrial-scale facility is justified.
There are considerable benefits associated with the use of an anaerobic process stage (installed upstream of the aerobic treatment process). The organic matter in the process water is converted to biogas with minimal energy use for production of "green energy". Because the organic content has been reduced through an anaerobic process there are considerable energy savings in the downstream aeration stage, as the necessary output for aeration is lower. The aerobic process stage, characterized by high specific energy consumption, is therefore employed at an optimum level to remove the residual COD only. In addition, the volume of bio-sludge to be disposed is reduced considerably, as the organic matter is converted predominantly to biogas in the anaerobic stage, instead of being converted to sludge as in the aerobic process. Moreover, an anaerobic process stage is characterized by a tall, narrow tank design with small footprint requirements.
Customer benefits
• Laboratory test to investigate the anaerobic biodegradability
of different kinds of process water/effluent and/or sampling points
• Provides information on the viability of an anaerobic process stage
and justifies more extensive testing using the Anaerobic Pilot Plant
or the R2S/E2E Anaerobic Pilot Plants on site
