Upflow Anaerobic Digester Solids Removal System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Upflow bioreactors face challenges in maintaining continuous, steady-state operation when processing biodegradable materials containing solid, non-digestible matter, as these materials accumulate and reduce efficiency, requiring methods to remove them without disrupting the established bacterial culture.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an upflow anaerobic reactor with a septum and auger assembly that allows for the removal of accumulated solid, non-digestible matter from the bottom of the reactor, maintaining a stable bacterial culture by controlling the volume and frequency of removal, and utilizing a fluid injection system to facilitate slurry formation and efficient removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If solid, non-digestible matter is allowed to accumulate in the digester, then the bacterial culture remains stable and continuous operation is maintained, but the digestion efficiency decreases and the digester performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes solid, non-digestible matter (sand, gravel, rocks, hair, sawdust) from the digester through a solids removal system that includes a solids outlet, pump, and decanter. This extraction process eliminates the harmful accumulation of non-digestible solids while maintaining the stable bacterial culture, thereby resolving the contradiction between continuous operation stability and digestion efficiency.
2Productivity
If solids are removed frequently to maintain digestion efficiency, then digestion efficiency is improved, but the bacterial culture is disturbed and continuous operation is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the solids removal system operates based on monitored conditions such as solids accumulation levels, digester pressure, and flow rates. The pump and decanter system responds to these feedback signals to remove solids at optimal intervals, ensuring that digestion efficiency is maintained without disturbing the bacterial culture equilibrium. This feedback-controlled approach resolves the contradiction by enabling precise, condition-based solids removal.
3Reliability
If a septum is used to retain solids in the digester, then bacterial culture retention is improved, but non-digestible matter accumulation increases and harms the system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the solid matter retention function from the harmful solids accumulation problem by using a septum with a specific aperture configuration that allows digestible solids to be retained for bacterial consumption while enabling non-digestible matter to pass through to the solids removal system. This segmentation of functions resolves the contradiction by selectively retaining beneficial solids while removing harmful non-digestible matter.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables continuous, steady-state operation of bioreactors by effectively removing non-digestible matter without disturbing the bacterial balance, ensuring sustained biogas production and reactor efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a sparger assembly situated in the lower portion of the vessel where it is completely below the liquid level. The sparger assembly is used to fluidize the accumulated solid, non-digestible matter contained in the bottom portion of the vessel
Implementation Method 2
The present invention relates to upflow bioreactors for digesting biodegradable materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for digesting biodegradable materials that contain an amount of solid, non-digestible matter
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for steady state operation of an upflow anaerobic digester using organic matter that contains a portion of solid, non-digestible matter include (1) providing an upflow anaerobic digester, (2) providing a bacterial culture in the upflow anaerobic digester for the breakdown of organic matter, (3) introducing an influent into the upflow anaerobic digester, wherein the influent comprises a biodegradable component, a liquid component, and an amount of solid non-digestible matter, (4) operating the upflow anaerobic digester in a steady-state, (5) accumulating the solid, non-digestible matter in the upflow anaerobic digester, (6) and removing a portion of the accumulated solid, non-digestible matter from the upflow anaerobic digester through the bottom of the upflow anaerobic digester while maintaining steady-state operation of the upflow anaerobic digester. Steady-state operation of the upflow anaerobic digester is maintained by selecting a percentage of the total volume of the liquid and material that are flushed from the digester for a given period of time so as to preserve the steady-state of the bacterial culture.