Post on 15-Jul-2015
LEVAPOR – porous, adsorbing carrier for bioprocess improvement
Dr. Imre Pascik LEVAPOR GmbHwww. levapor.com Leverkusen, Germany
About us
• Innovative Organization • Fixed Film Based Process Solutions • Complex Effluent, Municipal Wastewater,
Polluted Gas • CEO Dr. Imre Pascik • 40 years of experience with Bayer AG,
Environmental Bio Technology Centre, Leverkusen
About us
• Development of innovative processes • Two Step nitrification of high Ammonia
containing effluents • Landfill Leachate Treatment • Bayer Tower Biology (Otto Award) • Degradation of toxic effluents using
Anaerobic-Aerobic Processes
Bio Film Technology• Biodegradation of pollutants occurs
via teamwork of microorganisms united
in sludge flocs
• Important result of research :• Some important, non-flocculating
organisms will be washed out from bioreactor, resulting reduced plant efficiency
• Solution: Biofilm technology• via immobilisation, cell growth on• solid surfaces, “carriers“ made of• plastics, sand, glass, etc.
• Target: Synthesis of biocarrier
Our REQUESTS on OPTIMAL CARRIER
• PROPERTY EFFECT • • 1. Adsorbing capacity - binding toxic pollutants
- fast colonization + bio film
- fast start up at high level
• 2. Porosity, high inner surface - protection of the biofilm • (high biomass content) - high space-time-yields
• 3. Fast wetting - homogenous fluidisation
• 4. Water binding - mass transport, bioactivity • 5. Proper fluidisation - lower energy consumption
Our Technology
• LEVAPOR Bio Carrier • First synthesized Bio Carrier • Porous, Flexible, Durable PU foam
impregnated with surface active pigments like activated carbon
• Due to variability of foam and pigment type and their ratios, tailor made carriers can be produced with varying properties
Our Technology
Properties
High Adsorbing Surface • 15 to 50 kg of activated
carbon per m3 of foam matrix
• PU foam surface area 2500 m2/m3
• 1000-2000 m2/g surface area of activated carbon
• Extremely high adsorbing surface
Benefits:• Reversible Adsorption• Rapid microbial colonization
and biofilm formation • Temporary adsorption of
toxic and inhibitory substances
• Subsequent biodegradation and thus regeneration of surface
Properties
High Internal Porosity Benefits• Discrete microbial colonies
and Biofilm growth inside pores
• Prevention of complete wash out due to excessive shear
• Establishment of substrate and DO gradients enabling anoxic zones
• Feast-Famine conditions
Properties
Hydrophilic Surface• Polyether based hydrophilic
PU foam• Fast Wetting and Water
binding • Lower colonized weight
100-120 kg/m3
Benefits• Higher microbial affinity
and thus faster colonization • Better mass transfer and
diffusion coefficients • Better fluidization and
lower energy consumption
Advantages • Treatment of effluents containing toxic substances • Short process start up and higher performance compared to
suspended mass based systems (100 to 300%)• Higher process stability against toxic shock loads and
fluctuations in reactor conditions • Lower Degree of Filling (12 to 15%) • Smaller foot print • Lower energy consumption for fluidization • Lower sludge production • Simpler process control
Lab Trials • Biodegradation of toxic 2-
Chloroaniline (2-CA)• in two parallel discontinuously
operated aerobic lab plants• In the first 2 hours 2-CA became ca.
65% adsorbed, on LEVAPOR , while toxicity in the medium dropped .
• Biodegradation of 2-CA in LEVAPOR-reactor started and completed after 240 hours.
• Quantity of released Cl– ions confirmed a quantitative degradation.
• 2-CA in the reactor without LEVAPOR has not been degraded.
Applications• Up gradation/expansion of existing plants • Anaerobic-Aerobic treatment of high strength , slowly
bio degradable pollutants • Nitrification- de nitrification of effluents containing high
ammonia concentrations• Biological Treatment of Polluted air/gas (BTF)• Biofilm reactor MBBR/IFAS for the treatment of
industrial and municipal wastewater • Treatment of hyper saline effluents containing solvents • Treatment of land fill leachate and groundwater
containing PAHs.
SAPPI,GERMANY
• SAPPI EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT:• South Africa Pulp and Paper Industry, Ehingen, Germany • Sulfite based pulp and paper industry• Application of Chlorine for bleaching • High Concentration of toxic, weakly bio degradable
chloro-organic compounds (AOX-90 mg/lit)• Strong Stream : COD 45 t/d @ 10 MLD • Weak Stream : COD 2.45 t/d @ 3.5 MLD
SAPPI,GERMANY
Lab scale testing Anaerobic or Aerobic?
• Aerobic treatment with suspended bio mass
• Only 40-45 % COD elimination
• Anaerobic-Aerobic Treatment ?
• Anaerobic reactors using different bio carriers
SAPPI,GERMANY
• 1 :Levapor
• 2: Activated Carbon
• 3: Unmodified PU foam
• 4: Suspended Bio mass
Impact of Carriers on Methane Production
SAPPI,GERMANY
• Solution :• Anaerobic Treatment Using Levapor Carriers • Reactor Size only 15000 m3 instead of 65000m3 with
suspended bio mass • 1500 m3 of Levapor media • 66-70% COD removal • Further 50% of COD removal in Aerobic Treatment • 50,000 m3 less volume
SAPPI,GERMANY
Startup: 1990, only 2 of 3 ANA-reactors were started with LEVAPOR in order to compare the effect of immobilisation. After few weeks a toxic shock has stopped the reactor without LEVAPOR ~ 85 % COD- removal , 4 – 6 t/d sludge, 14.000 m³/d biogas
SAPPI,GERMANY
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0,5
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1,5
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2,5
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1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41
susp.biomass
May 90 June 90
immob. biomasskgCOD/m³ x day
Case Studies
• City of NINGAN Wastewater treatment Plant • Heilongjiang Province , China• 4,40,000 Population • Very Cold climate during winter • Difficulty in maintaining nitrification during
winter • Stricter Legal discharge limits
NINGAN,WWTP
• Solution :• 3200 m3 of aeration tank
volume • 480m3 of Levapor Bio
carrier• 15% Filling • 20 X 20 X 7 mm size• 20- 22 MLD flow• 3.2 -3.8 hours HRT • Started in October 2010
2013 Performance Summary•Wider Fluctuations in inlet COD (96 - 670 ppm)
•Lower Temperatures
•(5.1 - 21 Degree C)
•Outlet COD (9 - 49.6 mg/lit)
•86.3 % Mean COD reduction( 61.9 -97.4%)
•285 days COD < 39 mg/lit
NH4.N /TN Reduction
• For 182 days NH4.N reduction >=80%
• Min. NH4.N outlet :0.1 mg/lit
Nitrogen Trends
NINGAN, CHINA
• 88-90 % COD and 91-93% NH4.N reduction despite decreasing temperature and shorter HRTs
• Remarkable process stability against temp, COD, TKN variations
• Lower level of nitrate confirming denitrification
• Lower capital and operational cost
LEVAPOR: IFAS• Single Basin Construction• 12 to 15 % Filling • Loading Rates 2.5 to 4
Kg.COD/m3.day • 8-10 mm retention screens• Lower mixing energy
requirement :• 2-3 mg/lit Bulk DO• 4-7 Nm3/m2.hr mixing air• Up to 35% reactor volume
saving compared to plastic media
How Can We Associate
• Problem analysis for the treatment of high strength industrial and municipal wastewater treatment
• Define treatment goals and conceptual process design
• Development of optimal process and parameters • Manufacturing of high performance tailor made bio
carriers for the application • Process Start up
Thank You !!!!