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Published on: October 15, 2015
Optimization of petroleum refinery effluent treatment in a UASB reactor using response surface methodology
S O Rastegar1, S M Mousavi, S A Shojaosadati
1Chemical Engineering Department, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Journal of Hazardous Materials
|October 11, 2011
Summary
This study optimized an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) bioreactor for treating petroleum refinery wastewater. The optimized process achieved efficient chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and biogas production, demonstrating a viable wastewater treatment solution.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Biotechnology
- Wastewater Treatment
Background:
- Petroleum refinery effluent poses significant environmental challenges due to high chemical oxygen demand (COD).
- Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) bioreactors are a promising technology for treating complex industrial wastewater.
- Optimization is crucial to maximize efficiency and resource recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To optimize the operational parameters of a UASB bioreactor for treating petroleum refinery effluent.
- To determine the optimal influent COD, upflow velocity (Vup), and hydraulic retention time (HRT) for enhanced performance.
- To evaluate the impact of optimization on COD removal efficiency and biogas production.
Main Methods:
- Utilized response surface methodology (RSM) to model and predict bioreactor performance.
- Investigated the influence of influent COD, upflow velocity (Vup), and HRT on COD removal and biogas generation.
- Identified optimal operating conditions through statistical analysis.
Main Results:
- Before optimization, 81% COD removal was achieved at 0.4 kg/m(3) d OLR and 48 h HRT.
- Biogas production reached 559 mL/h at 40 h HRT and 1000 mg/L influent COD.
- The optimized region (630 mg/L COD, 0.27 m/h Vup, 21.4 h HRT) yielded 76.3% COD removal and 0.25 L biogas/L feed d biogas production.
Conclusions:
- RSM effectively predicted UASB bioreactor performance for petroleum refinery effluent treatment.
- Optimized parameters significantly influence COD removal and biogas production rates.
- The study demonstrates the successful application of UASB technology for sustainable refinery wastewater management.
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