• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.679-688
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• 1994

Physicochemical and morphological characteristics of biopellets produced in "control" and modified UASB reactor were investigated to compare the reactor performance with regard to the hydrogen partial pressure. The characteristics of biopellet produced in modified UASB reactor operated with high hydrogen partial pressure were better than those of "control" reactor operated with relatively lower hydrogen partial pressure, therefore the hydrogen partial pressure effected greatly on the formation and stability of the biopellet. Furthermore, pellets from the UASB system with modified settler showed a better settleability and biomass holding capacity. The chemical composition of biopellet was distinctively different from that of common bacterial formula, $C_5H_7O_2N$. Biopellets was composed the large fraction of nitrogen in comparison with common anaerobic microbes. These results implicated the existence possibility of polypeptide-type extracellular polymer. The morphological characterization with SEM showed that microorganisms observed at surface of biopellet produced in modified UASB reactor operated with high $P_{H_2}$ condition were very similar in shape and size to the Methanobrevibactor arboriphilus-$H_2$ utilizing methanogen. The microorganisms was distinguished from those of "control" reactor operated with low $P_{H_2}$ condition. From these results, it could be explained the hydrogen partial pressure effects on pelletization mechanism.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.2 s.89
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• pp.179-185
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• 2006

Effect of organic loading rate on UASB performance was evaluated under the renditions of some surface area/reactor volume ratio and different reactor diameter. At the low leading rate of 0.4 kg $COD/m^3{\cdot}d$, reactor performance was not affected by reactor diameter. At the organic loading rate of 6 kg $COD/m^3{\cdot}d$, however, volatile acid accumulation and low COD removal efficiency is observed in reactor having 6.4 cm diameter, while volatile acid is not accumulated at all and high COD removal efficiency is observed in reactor having 3 cm diameter. Such a difference of reactor performance depending on reactor diameter can be explained that sludge bed can be fluidized by evolved gas bubble in narrow reactor, while sludge bed ran not be fluidized by evolved gas bubble only in wide reactor. At a high organic loading rate of 20 kg $COD/m^3{\cdot}d$, it can be judged that there is no relation between reactor configuration and reactor performance because all reactors showed very low COD removal efficiencies regardless of reactor diameter. Narrow and tall type reactor is favorable condition for making sludge bed fluidization at a constant surface area/reactor volume ratio. Thus, it can be judged that reactor configuration and sludge bed fluidization have great influence to reactor performance.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.781-785
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• 2012

This study was carried out to treat the thermal elutriated acids of piggery wastewater using UASB process. The UASB reactor was operated at an organic loading rate (OLR) of $7.4\;kgCOD/m^3-day$ (6.5 ~ 9.0). During the start-up period, the low COD removal efficiency (20%) was caused by shock loading and instability in the reactor. It was mainly due to the high concentration amounts of ammonia nitrogen, which caused inhibitory and toxic effects to toward the anaerobic bacteria. In steady state, the UASB reactor showed a SCOD removal efficiency of 71% and a VS removal efficiency of 39%. The gas production and methane content were 1.3 L/day $(0.21\;m^3\;CH^4/kg$ COD removed) and 77%, respectively.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.113-124
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• 1997

The basic mechanism of the granular sludge formation which is the most important factor in the start-up and stable operators is not confirmed yet. In this study, the effect of granular sludge formation was investigated with the different substrate concentrations and the various ratios of substrate supply/deficiency. The granular sludge formation in the UASB reactor was closely related to the substrate concentrations and the ratio of substrate supply/deficlency The granular sludge formation was not accelerated at low substrate concentration. It was convinced that granular sludge formation was accelerated when the substrate supply with high concentration was stopped at UASB reactor. From this experiment, it was estimated that granular sludge was formed by the combination of hydrogen utilizing bacteria that form hydrogen condition and acid forming bacteria at substrate deficit condition by mutual symbiosis. Though the removal efficiency of organic matter was decreased as the influent substrate concentration was Increased, the higher the influent substrate the better the granular sludge formation.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.203-209
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• 2008

This paper presents the experimental results in five months operation from a combined anaerobic/oxic system treating swine waste with average concentrations in organic matter and nitrogen of 7,930 mgCOD/L and 671 mgTKN/L, respectively. The system was formed using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and oxic reactor connected in series with a recycling line of oxic effluents to UASB for its denitrification. The UASB reactor was operated at an organic volumetric loading rate (VLR) of $2.1{\sim}4.5\;kgTCOD/m^3$/day and the removal efficiency of TCOD was $66.3{\sim}85.4%$. The overall removal efficiency of TCOD was more than 99%. The oxic reactor was operated at a nitrogen VLR of $0.10{\sim}0.20\;kgTKN/m^3$/day and the nitrification efficiency was 75%. However, the complete denitrification was observed in the UASB reactor that was due to the optimal temperature and sufficient carbon source. The overall removal rate of TN was about 80%. About 76.2% of the influent COD mass was accountable in a COD mass balance at a level of VLR $3.64\;kgCOD/m^3$/day. The production rate of methane was $0.32\;LCH_4/gCOD_{removed}$ when influent organics, VLR, were recorded by $3.4{\sim}4.5\;kgCOD/m^3$/day.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.172-181
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• 2001

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) system employs granular sludge to treat various wastewaters including landfill leachate. CH$_4$ production of the granules determines overall performance of a UASB reactor. Sludge granules are developed by self-granulation of microorganisms and dynamic balance between granule growth and decay results in coexistence of granules with different sizes in the reactor. In this study, granules taken from a laboratory-scale UASB reactor were classified into 4 groups based on their diameters and their Physicochemical characteristics we were investigated. Each group was analyzed for settling ability, specific methanogenic activity (SMA), and elemental content. Settling ability was proportional to granule diameter. suggesting effective detainment of larger granules in the reactor. When acetate or glucose was used as a substrate, all groups showed relatively slight difference in SMA. However SMA with a volatile fatty acid mixture showed significant increase with granule diameter, suggesting better establishment of syntrophic relationship in larger granules. Larger granules showed higher value of SMA upon environmental changes (i.e., PH, temperature, or toxicant concentration). Comparative analysis of elemental contents showed that content (dry weight %) of most tested elements (iron, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, nickel. and manganese) deceased with granule diameter, suggesting importance of these elements for initial granulation. Taken together, this study verified experimentally that Physicochemical Properties of granules are related to granule size distributions. Overall results of physicochemical characterization supports that larger.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.185-192
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• 1990

A two-phase UASB system was operated for high-rate treatment of concentrated distillery wastewater. The phase separation was obtained by adjusting pH in each reactor. When influent SS concentration was 4.1/g/l, the first phase UASB reactor was effectively operated up to the loading rate of 16.5kg $COD/m^3.day$, producing 3.9g HAc/l.day. In the methanogenic UASB reactor, loading rate up to 44kg $COD/m^3.day$ could be applied while removing 80% of influent COD with a specific gas production of 16.5 l/l. day. After the formation granular sludge in both reactors, it was possible to maintain the appropriate pH in the first phase only by recirculating the effluent from methanogenic phase without the addition of alkaline chemicals.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.583-588
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• 2004

This research examined the treatment efficiency and methane production rate in treating slurry-type swine waste using UASB (upflow anaerobic sludge blanket) reactor. The UASB reactor was operated at an organics volumetric loading rate (VLR) of $2.6-15.7kgCOD/m^3/day$. A stepwise increase of the VLR resulted in a temporary deterioration in the COD removal rate in UASB reactor but recovered quickly. The COD removal rate were 65-70% for VLR up to $5 kgCOD/m^3/day$. When organics VLR was $10kgCOD/m^3/day$, the COD removal rate decreased sharply and there was loss of 17.537g of the seeding biomass due to sludge washout. This result indicated that the UASB system cannot be adapted to more than $10kgCOD/m^3/day$ of VLR. As the organic load increased from 2.6 to $15.7kgCOD/m^3/d$, the biogas production rate varied from 3.2 to 10.8 L/d and the methane conversion rate of the organic matter varied from 0.30 to $0.23m^3CH_4/kg\;COD_{removed}$. The methane content showed the range of 70.1-81.5% during the experimental period. The volatile solids (VS) removal efficiency was similar at the low VLR (< $5 kgCOD/m^3/day$), but it decreased sharply at the high VLR (> $5 kgCOD/m^3/day$). The VS reduction rate was, moreover, large those of COD. The result shows that hydraulic retention time above 2 days is essential in case of treating wastewater containing 1% of solids.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.32-40
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• 2001

It is desirable to reduce the amounts of fresh water and reuse the recycled water in papermaking process. In an attempt to improve the efficiency of recycling water refining treatment and to enhance the productivity of OCC recycling mill, up flow anaerobic sludge blanket(UASB) reactor was developed and introduced to Korea recently. In order to maximize the operating efficiency and minimize the adverse side effects it is imperative to estimate and evaluate the total effects of new system, UASB on the whole OCC recycling process. This study was carried out with a view to investigate the effects of the high temperature and alkalinity of process water on the quality ad productivity of testliner of OCC recycling mill which is equipped with UASB reactor and almost closed. Another object of this study was searching for the best available use of UASB treated process water. The results were as follows; Reuse of UASB treated water characterized with high temp and alkalinity was useful to improve the strength and drainage properties of recycled OCC owing to its good points of promoting OCC disintegration and reducing the calcium hardness of process water. However, it might not be avoidable to induce the increase of dissolved solids in process water in accordance with direct introducing of UASB treated water into the former stage of OCC stock preparation. So it would be advisable to adopt the UASB treated water in the stage of clean, screened OCC stock.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.299-310
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• 1993

This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of effluent recycling on the UASB reactor performances at the various organic loading rates and influent substrate concentrations. The organic removal efficiency of the reactors operated with effluent recycle were above 85%. However, the efficiencies of the reactors operated without the recycle were below 40% even though the effort to increase the efficiencies was made by changing the influent substrate concentrations and the organic loading rates, and introducing the effluent recycle at the final stage of the experiment. It was realized that the certain amount of effluent recycling from the start-up stage in UASB reactors seemed to be necessary to provide the effective contact chances between the substrate and granular sludge for better performances of the UASB process.