Biomedical subjects

P Sousbie

Publications and source records attributed to P Sousbie.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2002

Evaluation of a four year experience with a fully instrumented anaerobic digestion process.

For several years, a 1 m3 fixed bed anaerobic digestion process has been operated for the treatment of distillery vinasses. This reactor has been fully instrumented with the following variables available on-line: pH, temperature, liquid and gas flow rates, gas composition (i.e., CH4, CO2 and H2), concentration of bicarbonate, chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, volatile fatty acids and partial and total alkalinity, these last four variables being measured twice by different techniques (i.e., using a TOC analyzer, a titrimetric sensor and an infrared spectrometer). The purpose of this paper is to compare the respective benefits of advanced instrumentation for the monitoring of wastewater treatment processes in general, and for anaerobic digestion in particular. It will also provide some statistical analysis of the time required to operate a fully instrumented wastewater treatment process. It is indeed well admitted in the literature that instrumentation is usually the main limitation step for using closed-loop control. However, it is our opinion that, in the near future, this situation will change. This point is discussed based on our four years practical experience.

Anaerobiosis↗

PubMed2002

Treatment of winery wastewater by an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor.

Treatment of winery wastewater was investigated using an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR). Biogas production rate was monitored and permitted the automation of the bioreactor by a simple control system. The reactor was operated at an organic loading rate (ORL) around 8.6 gCOD/L.d with soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency greater than 98%, hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 2.2 d and a specific organic loading rate (SOLR) of 0.96 gCOD/gVSS.d. The kinetics of COD and VFA removal were investigated for winery wastewater and for simple compounds such as ethanol, which is a major component of winery effluent, and acetate, which is the main volatile fatty acid (VFA) produced. The comparison of the profiles obtained with the 3 substrates shows that, overall, the acidification of the organic matter and the methanisation of the VFA follow zero order reactions, in the operating conditions of our study. The effect on the gas production rate resulted in two level periods separated by a sharp break when the acidification stage was finished and only the breaking down of the VFA continued.

Automation↗

PubMed2001

The anaerobic SBR process: basic principles for design and automation.

This study has determined the purification performance and the basic principles for the design of an anaerobic SBR (ASBR) to be used to treat wastewater generated in the food industries. Two ASBR's were set up and one fed with a slaughterhouse effluent at low concentration, the other with concentrated dairy wastewater. The maximum loading rate applied should not exceed 4.5 g of COD/L/day for the dilute effluent and 6 g of COD/L/day for the concentrated effluent. At higher loading rates, the reactors become difficult to operate, mainly because of sludge removal problems, and purification efficiency declines. A detailed study of the kinetics (TOC, VFA, rate of biogas production) throughout one treatment cycle led to the development of a simple control strategy based on the monitoring of the biogas production rate which was then applied to the reactor treating the dairy wastewater. After automation, the reactor worked free of problems at an average pollution load of 5.4 g of COD/L/day.

Abattoirs↗