INVESTIGADORES
AGUIRRE Pio Antonio
artículos
Título:
Global modeling and simulation of a three-phase fluidized bed bioreactor
Autor/es:
M. FUENTES; MIGUEL C MUSSATI; SCENNA, N.; AGUIRRE P.
Revista:
COMPUTERS AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Editorial:
Elsevier B.V.
Referencias:
Año: 2009 vol. 33 p. 359 - 370
ISSN:
0098-1354
Resumen:
system to investigate the hydrodynamics and biological behavior and the system performance of anaerobic
fluidized bed reactors (AFBRs). The Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) was selected to describe
the substrate degradation scheme andwas applied to a biofilm system. Global modeling of AFBRs involves
differential mass and momentum balance equations for the three phases, differential mass balance equations
for phase components, and algebraic equations to compute the biochemical and physico-chemical
processes that take place in the bioreactor. A one-dimensional (axial) dynamic model was proposed, and
different phase flow patterns were analyzed. Simulation results of a case study based on a feed with a
lowsubstrate concentration (1 g of chemical oxygen demand, COD, per liter) are shown. As first approach,
biochemical transformations are assumed to occur only in the fluidized bed zone but not in the freesupport
material zone. A sensitivity analysis of simulation results related to model parameters with high
uncertainty such as specific biofilm detachment rate, liquidgas mass transfer coefficient, and particle
density and diameter was performed. A second approach based on model extension to the two-phase
non-fluidized zone allowed evaluating the effect of substrate consumption by suspended biomass in the
free-bioparticles zone. A decrease in the biofilm concentration up to 3.6% and thus, a decrease in the COD
removal efficiency was predicted. However, some factors involving the biofilm detachment rate, reactor
design characteristics and substrate residence time need to be analyzed for each specific case. The
implementation of this modeling approach resulted in more programming effort and CPU time than the
first one. A key feature of the model is the simultaneous prediction of phases and components dynamics,
including the effect of biofilm growth in the fluidization characteristics and interaction among them in
both hydrodynamic and biological transients.