Studies on hydrodynamic behaviour and COD removal efficiency using inverse fluidised bed bioreactor: statistical Analysis

Current worldwide commercial activities for the treatment of industrial effluents and the waste water prompt the researchers to use inverse fluidization technique for the simplicity of the process, easy handling, low process cost, low energy consumption and high efficiency as compared to normal fluidization technique. Therefore further fundamental research in hydrodynamic behaviour, effects of different parameters, correlation development and the scale up effects of three-phase inverse fluidization systems have been planned to be studied in this work. The present work summarizes the salient characteristics of hydrodynamics behaviour of inverse fluidized system, effect of particles properties, fluid velocity and its various uses in commercial scale. Hydrodynamic behaviour of the IFB (inverse fluidized bed) in terms of the bed pressure drop by varying different system parameters (viz. air flow rate, water flow rate, and static bed height and orifice diameter on the distributor plate) has been studied experimentally. Pressure drop profiles, voidage profiles and the fluidization velocity profiles for the IFB have been studied. COD and BOD analysis has also been carried out for the RSP waste water. The system parameters such as oxygen flow rate, bed volume, residence time are optimised for maximum COD reduction