GROUP 31

PRE-LAB PRESENTATION: aerobic digester

• SYAMIL AZIM BIN

SAHARUDDIN
• MUHAMMAD HAFIZ BIN 2017485326
RIDWAN
2017453676
• MUHAMMAD BIN ISMAIL
2017485412
• AFFYCILLA ADRIES
2017466216
OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of feed rate on the aerobic digester unit.

THEORY (AEROBIC DIGESTION)

• Process which uses bacteria and oxygen to break down organic and biological waste.

• Bacteria rapidly consume organic matter and convert it into carbon dioxide (CO2), water and

a range of lower molecular weight organic compounds.

• Aerobic bacteria are used in most new treatment plants in an aerated environment.

• Dissolved oxygen available for the respiration of the bacteria.

General Start-Up Procedures

1. All valves are closed.

2. 40g of sugar is dissolved in 1L of water. More water is added into the

solution to make a total of 5L of feed solution.

3. The tube from the air pump is connected.

4. The experiment is set to be carried out.

Experiment Procedure
1. General start-up procedure is performed.
2. Turn on peristatic pump and set initial flowrate to 5 liters/min.Fill up the
sugar solution until reactor is 50% full.
3. Open top cover of reactor and add microorganism (160 gram) into the
reactor to start the process.
4. Close top cover and open valve V4.
5. Adjust overflow tube height to maintain sugar solution level
6. Turn on heater and set the temperature to 35 degree.
7. Open valve 1.Switch on air pump and set flowrate to 3 LPM.
8. Allow unit to operate for few minutes.
Experiment Procedure

9. After the experiment,product can be collected.The parameters should be taken include colume, pH,

COD, Total Suspended Solid, Alkalinity and CO2.

10.Repeat step 2 to 9 by increasing feed rate and flowrate to 30 liters/min and 40 liters/min.
General Shutdown

1. The heater and air pump (P1) are switched off.

2. The main power supply is switched off.

3. The liquid from the reactor is drained by opening valve V4.

4. The clean water is added into the reactor which is then drained off

through valve V4.

RELATED CALCULATION

Formula Equation
Hydraulic Loading Rate (HLR) 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 (𝑄)
𝐻𝐿𝑅 =
𝑆𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑛 (𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑥 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ)

Independent variable Dependent variable

Flowrate of water (LPM) Hydraulic Loading Rate
 Expected result

CO2 dissolved in water TSS vs hydraulic rate

35 35

30 30

Total Suspended Solids

CO2 dissolved in water

25 25

20 20

15 15

10 10

5 5

0 0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
Hydraulic loading rate Hydraulic loading rate
 Expected result

Alkalinity vs Hydraulic rate COD vs hydraulic rate

35 35

30 30

25 25
Alkalinity

20 20

COD
15 15

10 10

5 5

0 0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
Hydraulic loading rate Hydraulic loading rate
Raw data table
Hydraulic CO2 dissolved TSS Alkalinity COD
loading rate
(cm3/s)

0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5