Development and Demonstration of an Explicit Lumped-Parameter Biofilter Model and Design Equation Incorporating Monod Kinetics

Abstract

Biofiltration is an economical air pollution control (APC) technology, particularly suitable for the treatment of airstreams having high flow rates and low concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This technology utilizes enzymatic catalysis at ambient conditions to mineralize such pollutants to CO 2 , H 2 O, and salts. A pilot-scale study conducted for more than 4 years investigated the development of a new biofiltration technology employing trickle bed air biofilters (TBABs). Following the completion of this experimental study, additional data analysis was performed to develop a simple lumped-parameter biofilter model, assuming first-order kinetics. This model related the observed biofilter performance to the principle independent physical, thermodynamic, and biochemical parameters. The initial model has subsequently been expanded to incorporate Monod kinetics. In this paper, the development and use of the final explicit lumped-parameter biofilter model and design equation, incorporating Monod kinetics, are presented. To facilitate the application of this model, practical procedures are also presented for the determination of VOC solubility, VOC biokinetic Monod parameters, and the maximum practical biofilter inlet VOC concentration.

Behavior of trickle‐bed air biofilter for toluene removal: Effect of non‐use periods

“…During stage (V), the overall toluene removal efficiency had not reached Ͼ99% under the backwashing strategy. Work by Smith et al [12] demonstrated that oxygen limitation might occur in the biofilter operated over 500 ppmv of inlet toluene concentration, resulting in its failure. Figure 2 confirms that a corresponding inlet toluene concentration of 500 ppmv leads to substantial deterioration of the biofilter performance.…”

Degradation of Isobutanal at High Loading Rates in a Compost Biofilter

“…9,26,27 To assess the possibility of oxygen limitation, the maximum biofilm VOC concentration (S IBAL ) at the airbiofilm interface, at which no oxygen limitation occurs, was calculated. 28 Assuming that IBAL is the sole electron donor and given that S O2 ϭ 8.27 mg/L (maximum solubility in water at 25°C with conductivity ϭ 1820 S/cm), oxygen limitation within the biofilm will occur if as an equilibrium gas phase concentration (with Henry's law constant ϭ 0.00736). In our experiments, the inlet IBAL concentrations in section 3 always exceeded this concentration, and, consequently, O 2 shortage will limit the IBAL biodegradation.…”

Removal of Methyl Isobutyl Ketone From Contaminated Air by Trickle-Bed Air Biofilter

“…, Smith et al 1998Jorio et al 2000͒. The number of studies concerning the treatment of contaminated gas stream by TBABs has increased in the past decade ͑Sorial et al. 1993a,b, 1994, 1995Zhu et al 1996;Alonso et al 1997Alonso et al , 1998Alonso et al , 1999Alonso et al , 2000Alonso et al , 2001Chou and Huang 1997;Pedersen and Arvin 1997;Kong et al 2001;Seignez et al 2002;Smith et al 2002;Arulneyam and Swaminathan 2003͒. Factors found to affect the decontamination efficiency include: Nature of the contaminants, packing materials and configurations, empty bed retention time ͑EBRT͒, volumetric loading rates, nutrient feed flow rates, nutrient solution pH, and flow patterns of air.…”