armfield

ANAEROBIC DIGESTER

W8
issue 4

Anaerobic treatment processes involve bacteria which function only in the absence
of air. These processes are becoming more popular in the water treatment industry
as they have considerable advantages over aerobic processes, including low sludge
production, tolerance of stop/start operation, production of a useful fuel (methane)
and relatively high throughput.
The Armfield Anaerobic Digester is designed as a bench top training facility and as a
means of providing operational process data for plant design purposes.

INDUSTRIAL TEST CAPABILITIES PRACTICAL TRAINING EXERCISES

➤ effluent treatability studies, including ➤ preparation, warming and
solids, carbon and biogas balances to acclimation of a anaerobic reactor
determine purification (COD/BOD) ➤ demonstration of the multistage
➤ determining optimum operating nature of anaerobic digestion
temperatures, feed rates and ratios ➤ undertaking carbon balances
➤ observing effect of pH and influent ➤ studying effects on purification
nutrient concentration performance of:
➤ process stability studies ● hydraulic loading
➤ determination of controlling kinetics ● feed ratios
➤ 100% scale-up to industrial ● temperature
requirement ● nutrient deficiency
● influent strength
 Gas Collection No1 Gas Collection No2

Reactor No 1 Reactor No 2
GS GS

Drain Drain

Syphon Break Syphon Break

From 40 Litre
Feed Tank
(not supplied)
LS LS
To 40 Litre
Product Tank
(not supplied)
Drain Drain GS Gas Sampling Point
Excess
Feed Temp Feed Temp
Pump No1 Control Pump No2 Control LS Liquid Sampling point

Flow diagram - W8 Anaerobic Digester

DESCRIPTION
The anaerobic digester comprises two 5 vessel and the volume re-filled with water
litre upward-flow packed bed reactors during a run without breaking the liquid
with feed rate and temperature control seal.
facilities to allow steady, continuous Liquid and gas sampling points are
operation at up to seven litres per day located at all strategic points around the
over periods of many days. reactors. Non-return valves and liquid
The reactors may be operated in series or seal syphon breaks are included in the
parallel. A buffer vessel between the process pipework to ensure each reactor
reactors permits discharge of excess flow operates at a constant volume without
from the first reactor when the second the ingress of air or the danger of
reactor is operated in series but at a accidental syphonic action.
lower flow rate. The flow rates to the The equipment is mounted on a vacuum
vessels are set and controlled by formed plastic base with an integral drain
calibrated peristaltic pumps. The channel to cope with spillages and wash
temperature of each reactor is controlled down.
by an electric heating mat wrapped
around the external wall. The temperature
distribution within each reactor is
maintained to ±0.50C. Reactor
temperatures may be separately set at
any desired value in the range ambient
to 550C.
The gas off-take from each reactor is
taken to a volumetrically calibrated
collector vessel operating by water
displacement. A constant head, liquid
seal device ensures that the gas pressure
in the reactor is maintained at a constant
value throughout the test run. The
collected gas can be exhausted from the
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS PROCESS STUDIES
Reactors: Two, identical reactors: Broadly speaking the anaerobic process
nominal capacity: 5 litres may be divided into two distinct stages, (1)
packed volume: 4 litres the hydrolysis of large molecular species
150mm dia x 250mm high into acetic acid and (2) the conversion of the
Reactor 25mm diameter Bio-balls acetic acid into methane and carbon dioxide.
packing: This two stage process can be demonstrated
Temperature For each reactor: by operating the two reactors in series, one
control: 200W heating jacket with to produce volatile acids from the initial
PID control from a substrate - acidogenesis and the second to
temperature sensor convert the volatile acids into methane and
positioned inside the reactor, carbon dioxide - methanogenesis.
set point within range In addition the following basic differencies
ambient to 55OC, the jacket of the two stages of the process can be
is thermostatically protected demonstrated:
by a cut-out set at 85OC (a) the low level of methanogenic activity
Feed pumps: Two, identical peristaltic during acidogenesis compared to
pumps: methanogenesis
variable speed using 10 (b) the low level of COD removal exhibited
turn potentiometer to 4rpm by the acidogenic stage compared with
supplied with three tube the methanogenic stage.
diameters, 1.6, 3.2 and
4.0mm, flow rates from 0.2 Typical test results are shown below:
to 5.8 l/day
Gas collection Two, identical -
vessels: linear scale, 0-5 litre capacity

TYPICAL TEST USING A PREPARED FEEDSTOCK FOR DEMONSTRATION PURPOSES

a) Test conditions b) Expected performance

ITEM REACTOR 1 REACTOR 2 ITEM REACTOR 1 REACTOR 2
Temperature 35OC - 37OC 35OC - 37OC FEED:
Feed Prepared glucose Effluent from COD 7500-8500 mg/l 5000-6000 mg/l
substrate with reactor 1 S.S* very low 100-500 mg/l
appropriate
Alkalinity 1000-1500 mg/l 1000-2000 mg/l
nutrients
TVA‡ very low 5000-6000 mg/l
Feed rate 2.5 - 3.5 l/day 1 - 1.5 l/day
ph 6.5-7.0 4.5-6.0
Feed pH Corrected to Without pH
6.0 with HCl correction EFFLUENT:
COD 5000-6000 mg/l 500-600 mg/l
S.S* 100-500 mg/l 50-200 mg/l
Alkalinity 1000-2000 mg/l 2000-3000 mg/l
TVA‡ 5000-6000 mg/l 50-100 mg/l
pH 4.5-6.0 6.8-7.3
BIOGAS:
CH4 10-30% 65-85%
CO2 70-60% 15-35%
S.S* Suspended solids COD
REMOVAL: 20-30% 80-90%
TVA‡ Total volatile acids
GAS YIELD: 0.5 l/g 0.35 l/g
COD applied COD applied
ORDERING SPECIFICATION SERVICES REQUIRED
● A bench top Anaerobic digestic for Electrical supply:
waste water treatment studies. W8-A: 220-240V/1ph/50Hz@5A
● Equipped with two 5 litre packed bed, W8-B: 120V/1ph/60Hz@10A
upward flow reactors. W8-G: 220V/1ph/60Hz@5A
● Each reactor has gas sampling &
collection facilities. ESSENTIAL ACCESSORIES
● Reactors may be operated in series or not supplied by Armfield:
parallel flow arrangement, using Plastic feed and product tanks typically
variable speed peristaltic pumps. 30-50 litres, floor standing.
● Feed flow rate to each reactor can be
pH meter
accurately & independantly controlled
to any temperature between ambient
NON ESSENTIAL ACCESSORIES
and 550C, using 200W heating jackets.
● Thermostatic cut-out set to 1100C. not supplied:
● An instruction manual describing test Analytical equipment as exists in most
and practical work capabilities, water quality laboratories for measurement
including details of a proven feedstock of pH, BOD, COD, alkalinity, total volatile
(synthetic waste water) is included. acids and suspended solids

OVERALL DIMENSIONS
Height: 760mm
Width: 1000mm
Depth: 500mm

SHIPPING SPECIFICATION
Volume: 1.0m3
Gross weight: 150kg

Armfield Limited
Bridge House, West Street, Ringwood,
Hampshire BH24 1DY, England
Tel: +44 (0)1425 478781 Fax: +44 (0)1425 470916
E mail: sales@armfield.co.uk
URL: http://www.armfield.co.uk

USA Office:
Armfield Inc.
436 West Commodore Blvd (#2)
Jackson NJ 08527
Tel: (732) 928-3332 Fax: (732) 928-3542 Specifications may change without notice
E mail: info@armfieldinc.com iss4/5k/0505/BCP.