Fluid flow pattern in upflow reactors for anaerobic treatment of beet sugar factory wastewater

Residence-time-distribution experiments for the fluid in a 30-m(3) pilot plant and a 200-m(3) prototype upflow reactor were performed by means of continuous injection of an LiCl solution as a tracer in the influent of the reactor and measurement of the response of this stimulus on several location in the reactor and in the effluent. In a similar way as described in an article published earlier, models have been developed by use of the measured data of the fluid flow pattern which consisted of region of ideal mixing, plug flow, dead space, and short circuiting. It appeared that the fluid flow patterns in the two reactors were to a large extent analogous. For the pilot plant, three-mixer models appeared to be appropriate while for the prototype reactor two-mixer models have been found. This differences was a result of the difference in the heights of the sludge beds in the reactors: 2-3 m in the pilot plant and only 0.4 m in the prototype reactor, a result of too small an amount of sludge. Another differences was that, due to large amount of mud in the prototype reactor, a region of dead space occurred in the models for the fluid flow pattern in this reactor. The dimension of the prototype reactor have been chosen according to several recommendations obtained from work with the pilot plant (e.g., scale-up should be done by increasing the cross section of the reactor; one influent point should be applied per 5 m(2) bottom surface). The results presented here clearly show the value of these recommendations.