Anaerobic biofilm reactors

R. Moletta
Research director INRA
PolytechSavoie, Savoy university
Le Bourget du Lac, France

Smallwat 07
11-15 of November 2007
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What is the anaerobic

digestion?
Anaerobic transformation of organic matter into biogas, of
methane and carbon dioxide, by a consortium of anaerobic
micro-organisms

Applied to treat municipal, industrial and agronomical

solid or liquid wastes, in order to :
decrease the volume of waste,
to remove the pollution,
to produce energy and fertilizer.
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The anaerobic digestion

Liquid Phase

MICRO-ORGANISMS

Organic matter

Gas Phase
CH4 + CO2

Methanisation in natural ecosystems:

Lakes
Rumen
Marshes
Human intestines
Storage of organic matter
Landfills
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Metabolic way of the Anaerobic

digestion
Complex polymers
HYDROLYSIS
and
ACIDOGENESIS

Monomers

Fermentative
acidogenic B.

Volatils fatty acids

(VFA), alcohols, ...

ACETOGENESIS

Acetogenic B.

Acetate
METHANOGENESIS

CO2 + H2

Homoacetogenic B.
Hydrogenophilic
Acetoclastic M. B.
M. B.

CH4 + CO2

Figure 1 : Metabolic pathway of anaerobic digestion

CH4+H2O
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Power equivalences of one cubic

meter of methane
1,7 l of
methylated

0,94 m3 of
natural gas

9,7 kWh of
electricity

1 M3
of
METHANE

1,3 kg of
charcoal

1,5 l of petrol

2,1 kg of wood
1 l of fuel oil

Advantages
of the anaerobic digestion
This biological reaction is usual in natural environment
There is no need of energy (no oxygen transfer)
Production of energy (biogas)
Works with high load (from 1 to 40 kg of COD/m3/d)
Low rate of sludge production
Works with effluents with a low grade of N and P compared to the COD
High COD removal yield (up to 80 % to 98 %)
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Characteristics of
methanisation
Mixed

culture of anaerobic micro-organisms.

pH 6 to 9.
Redox potential under -300 mV.
Temperature :
Psychrophilic (5 C to 20 C).
Mesophilic (25 C to 45 C).
Thermophilic (45 C to 70 C).
High growth rate of acidogenic bacteria.
Low growth rate of methanogenic, acetogenic and synthrophic
bacteria. So we need technologies able to keep microorganisms
in the digester.
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Because the grow rate of micro-organisms is

slow in anaerobiosis, we have to keep them into
the digester in order to separate the residence
time of liquid (waste water) and the residence
time of solid (microorganism)

Two way :
Settler with recirculation
Biofilm formation
on support (packing media)
without support
The anaerobic technology for waste water treatment use biofilm
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Floc and Biofilm formation

Floc formation : free cell are
connected together
Biofilm formation
in granule
on support
- Fixed in the digester
- Mobile in the digester

Digesters for wastewater treatment

Biogas

Biogas
Output

Input
I

Completely
mixte reactor

Anaerobic
contact

No biofilm, but floc formation

Used when there is suspended solids
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Digesters for wastewater treatment

Biogas

O
Biogas

I
Sludges
I

Sludge bed

Baffled digestor

Technologies with Floc and granule formations

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Digesters for wastewater treatment

O
I

anaerobic lagune

Floc and granule formations

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Digesters for wastewater treatment

(With
biofilm)
O

Biogas

Granules
I

UASB Upflow
Anaerobic Sludge
Blanket

Example of design
Granule formation
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Layers of
microorganisms

Anaerobic granules : 1 to 4 mm
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Surface of granule from UASB

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Digesters for wastewater treatment

(with biofilm)
B

Up flow fluidised bed

Support are generally particles (volcanic stones)with
high specific area (up to 3000 m2/m3 in the digester)
Example : Perlite from Degremont

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Digesters for wastewater treatment

(with biofilm)

B
O

I
R
Fixed support

Down flow
anaerobic filter

Fixed support

Upflow anaerobic filter

Supports are oriented or loosed with specific

surface area of 100 to 500 m2/m3

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Anaerobic filter with

oriented support
Cloisonyl

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Anaerobic filter with Cloisonyl as support

The support

Cloisonyl
Biogas

output

Already used for trickling

filters (aerobic)
Specific surface : 180 m2/m3

pH
probe

wastewater

Cloisonyl is an oriented
support : 6m tubes with 14
channel inside

heater

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20
2 m3 anaerobic filter with Cloisonyl , and support with
biofilm

Example of loose supports for

anaerobic filter
30 mm

10 mm

Bioflow 30 - density : 0,9 or 1,1

Specific area close to 320
m2m-3

Flocor

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BIOFLOW 9

10 mm
10 mm
10 mm

Bioflow 9 with density 0,85

Bioflow 9 with light biofilm

Specific area is about 528 m2 m-3

(before biofilm formation)
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Digesters for wastewater treatment

with biofilm B

B
(3)

O
O

(4)

(2)

Anaerobic filter

(1)
Input

Granules
IC reactor (Internal
Circulation)

Sludge bed

Mixte (sludge bed and filter)

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Organics loads for anaerobic digesters

Anaerobic

lagune
Anaerobic contact
Anaerobic filter
UASB
Fluidized bed
IC reactor

0.1 to 2 kg COD/m3/d
1 to 5.5 kg COD/m3/d
5 to 15 kg COD/m3/d
5 to 20 kg COD/m3/d
15 to 30 kg COD/m3/d
15 to 30 kg COD/m3/d

With biofilm technologies, the biomass concentration in the digester

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can reach 50 to 60 g/l of microorganisms (Dry weight)

Thank you for your attention

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