Analysis of trickle bed and packed bubble column bioreactors for combined carbon oxidation and nitrification

Biological removal of nitrogen and carbon by combined nitrification-oxidation in gas-liquid trickle-bed reactors (TBRs) and packed bubble columns (PBCs) was analyzed theoretically using a transient two-dimensional model. The model describes TBR and PBC performances at steady state as well as their transient response to a pulse or step increase in inlet methanol and NH4+-nitrogen concentrations. The hydrodynamic parameters were determined from residence time distribution measurements, using an imperfect pulse method for time-domain analysis of nonideal pulse tracer response. A transient diffusion model of the tracer in the porous particle coupled with the piston-dispersion-exchange model was used to interpret the residence time distribution curves obtained. Gas-liquid mass transfer parameters were determined by a stationary method based on the least-squares fit of the calculated concentration profiles in gas phase to the experimental values. Analysis of steady-state performances showed that under like operating conditions, the TBR outperforms the PBC in terms of conversions. A pulse change in the inlet methanol or NH4+-nitrogen concentration causes a negligible transient change in the outlet methanol concentration and a negligible or high transient change in the outlet NH4+-nitrogen concentration. A step change in the inlet methanol concentration causes the negligible transient change in the methanol outlet concentration and a relatively important transient change in the NH4+-nitrogen outlet concentration. A step increase in the NH4+-nitrogen inlet concentration induces a drastic transient change in the NH4+-nitrogen outlet concentration but a negligible transient change in the methanol outlet concentration.