VOLATILE FATTY ACID PRODUCTION DURING THERMOPHILIC AEROBIC DIGESTION PRE ...

167 Pages·1999·6.97 MB·English

VOLATILE FATTY ACID PRODUCTION DURING
THERMOPHILIC AEROBIC DIGESTION PRE-TREATMENT
KAREN BONNE MlNTOSH
A Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty of Gniduate Studies
in Partial Fulfilrnent of the Requirements
for the Degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba
O September, 1998
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COPkRIGHT PERbUSSIOS PAGE
VOLBTaE FA= ACID PRODUCTIûU D m
THEgnOPEïLZC AEROBIC DIGESTION PRE-TKEATMENT
A ThesidPncticum submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University
of Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the requiremenîs of the degree
of
USTER OP SCIENCE
Karen Bonnie McIntosh Cl998
Permission has been granted to the Library of Th e University of Manitoba to lend or sel1
copies of this thesidpracticum, to the National Library of Canada to microfilm this thesis
3nd to lend or sel1 copies of the film, and to Dissertations Abstracts Inteniatioaal to publsh
an abstract of this thesidprscticum.
The author reserves other publication rights, and neither this thesisi'practicum aor
extensive estracts from it may be printed or othenvise reproduced wirhout the author's
wri tten permission.
ABSTRACT
This study was initiated to dernoosnate the application of thermophilic aerobic
digestion pre--nt as a mebd of producing volatile fàtty acids (VFA) for potential use as
a denMication carbon source. In order to achieve this goai, volatile htty acid production and
nitrogen release were examinai d e rt wo oxygenation states with detention times ranging
Eom 6 to 24 hours at 55°C. The semi-continuous hboratory scaie reactors, with 3 L operating
volumes, were féd primary solids obtained h mt he City of W-g's North End Water
PoMon Control Centre.
VFAs accumulatecl under all oxygen-depriveci conditions (02 flow rate: 0.025 dm3-h;
ORP: -330 mV to -390 mV) and the production rate mcreased with mcreasing retention tÏme
6om 0.029 mg HAc/mg VS-d at 6 hours to 0.057 mg HAdmg VSd at 24 hours. VFAs were
(a
consumed under the oxygen-satisfïed condition b wr ate: 0.14 m'lm3-h: ORP: -10 mV to
-225 mV). The VFA specific production rate did not appear to vary with the influent solids
concentration
Acetic acid constituted the largest fiaction of VFAs in both the oxygen-satisfied and
oxygendeprived experiments and ranged tiom 59.6% to 64.3%. The oxygen-satM
condition exhiiited much higher propionic acid concentrations (average of 30.3%)t han did the
oxygen-deprived conditions (average of 17 .2%).
A m n i an itrogen accumulated under all conditions studied, but more so with a
decreasing oxygen supply and mcreasnig retention time. Under the oxygendeprived condition
the 6 hour SRT/HRT exhiiied the lowest ammonia nitrogen HicTease of 41.6% while the 24
iii
hour SRT/HRT exhiited the highest at 142.8%. The soluble organic carbon to amnonia ratio
increased with a decreasing oxygen supply and detention time. Retrnning the VFA-rich
nrpematant to the plant influent wouid increase the overail chexnical oxygen d e dto
arnmonia ratio and aid m the denitrification process.
This thesis is dedicated to my father
who encouraged me to do my graduate studies
but never got the chance to see me finish.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
1 would like to thank my f d y fo r their support and encouragement and Dr.
Oleszkiewicz for his patience and insights. In addition, 1 wish to express my sincere
grattude to the City of Winnipeg's Water and Waste Department for providiig financial
and technical support and the primary sludge used in this study.
CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT ..lmu
vi
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xi
...
LIST OF TABLES ml
-
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1
-
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 3
2.1 BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN REMOVAL PROCESS 3
2 1. I Fonns of Ndrogen 3
2 1.2 Theory of Nitrogen Remai 3
2.1.3 Swnmary 7
2.2 DUAL, DIGESTION PROCESS 7
2.2 I Teclinoogy Devefopmenl 7
2.2.2 Treatrnent Configtuation 8
2.2.3 S m 9
23 THEXMOPHILIC AEROBIC DIGESTION
ENVIRONMENTAL AND OPERATIONAL PROCESS
CONTROL PARAMETERS 9
2-3 . 1 Tenperatute 10
2.3.2 Influent Sol& 12
2.3.2.1 Soliak Retention Time 12
3.3.2.2 Soliak Concentrations 13
2-3.2.3 Soliak Loadings 13
2-3.3 mgen RequVments 13
2.3.4 -n Redudion Potential 14
2.3.5 pH and Alkalui* 17
2-3.6 Swnmnry 18
2.4 THERMOPHILIC AEROBIC DIGESTION PERFORMANCE 19
2.4.1 Organk Gubon TrMSfomuû'bn 19
2.4.1.1 Volatile SoIiak Reduction 19
2.4. I.2 Chernical ûxygen Dernand Solubilization 21
vii
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CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH OBJECTMB
-
CHAPTER 4 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: METHODS AND
ANALYTICAL PROCEDURFS
4.1 EXPERIMENTAL SET-UPA ND OPERATION
4.1.1 S I e eS owce
4.1.2 Smm ConfrglUafiOn
4.1.3 Operation
4.2 EXPERIMENTAL SAMPLING
4.2.1 SIudge Smphg
4.2 2 Discharge Gm SimpIUtg
43 LABORATORY ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF
METHOD ERWR
4.3.1 Soi..
43.1.I A nalysis Method
4.3.1.2 Method Error
4.3.2 Diswhed -en
43.2.I Analysis Method
4.3.2.2 Method Error
-
4.3.3 Discharge Gas Meihme, Carbon Dz2xihk and Air
4.3.3.1 Analysis Method
4.3.3.2 Method Error
4.3.4 pHo ndAIMhiry
4 3.4 I Analysis Method
4.3.4.2 Method Error
4.3.5 SoIubIe Che&& Oxygn Demand
43.5 1 Amlysis Method
43-52 Method Error
6.3.6 Voiaiile F mAc *
-1.3.6.1 Analysis Method
-1.3.6.2 Method Error
4.3.7 Ammon& NarOgen
4.3.7.1 Anabsis Method
4.3.7.2 Method Error
v i i i
4.3.8 Sirdge DewcrteTLzb;rirv
13 .8.1 A ~IysiMs ethod
4.3.8.2 Method Error
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CHAPTER 5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
5.1 ACCLIMATION
5.2 ENVIRONMENTAL AND OPERATIONAL PROCESS
CONTROL PARAMETERS
5.2 1 Influent Solids
5.2.1.1 Influent Soli& Concennarions
52.1.2 SoZids Loading
5.2.2 OXygenSupply
5.23 DissohedOxygn
5.2.4 TAD Discharge Gm
5.25 OIrcidatin Reducîbn Potential
5.26 RIkdinity
5.27 pH
5.2.8 Summmy
5.3 THERMOPHILIC AEROBIC DIGESTION
PERFORMANCE
5.3.1 PCVfiCulate Organic Carbon Transfonttcnion
5.3.1.1 Volatile Soli& Reducrion
5.3.1.2 Chemical m g e nD emand Solubilization
5.3.2 Volatile F@ Ac*
5-3.2.1 Volatile F qAc id Production
5.3.2.2 Volatile Faîîy Acid Composition
5.3.2.3 Volatile Faîîy Acid Connibution to
Chemical m g e nD emand
5.3.3 Ammoniu N i e n
53.3.I Ammonia Niirogen Production
5.3.3.2 Soluble Organic Carbon to Ammonia Ratio
5.3.4 Seifleabil@maferabil@
5.3.5 summary
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CHAPTER 6 ENGINEERING SIGNIFICANCE
6.1 FULL SCALE IMPLICATIONS OF EXPERIMENTAL
RESULTS
61 . I GmpariSOn of TAD ResuCis with Conwnfionui
Fmntation Procesres