Biobed - Advanced Reactor
The Biobed Advanced reactor is the latest technological innovation introduced to the market by Biothane. In the Biobed® Advanced reactor a combination of the excellent performance of the UASB reactor with the cost effectiveness of an EGSB system is made.
To prepare the industrial effluent for anaerobic treatment, the pH-value and the temperature of the raw wastewater are regulated in a pretreatment step in a conditioning tank. The liquid will also be mixed with recycled, treated anaerobic effluent from a recirculation step to attain a homogenous body. Nutrients are added if necessary to achieve optimal growth conditions for the anaerobic biomass in the Biobed EGSB reactor.
In the following treatment step the conditioned wastewater is pumped at a constant, continuous flow to the tall and slender Biobed EGSB reactor. A special influent distribution system guarantees equal distribution over the entire reactor surface area. The influent then passes a dense and expanded anaerobic granular biomass bed where the biological treatment takes place converting the COD load (Chemical Oxygen Demand) present in the wastewater into biogas.
At the reactor top patented three phase settlers, which are installed internally in the reactor, separate the treated water from the produced biogas. The biomass settles back to the reactor bottom while part of the treated effluent is recycled and returned to the conditioning tank for dilution.
Biogas is collected at the top of the reactor and is piped to a biogas treatment step. Under controlled conditions it can be burned in a biogas flare or alternatively serve as a source of energy for the production site.
Proven Superior Performance Showed Lower Operating Costs
The Biobed Advanced system achieves at high reactor loading rates, not only the sludge retention of a UASB system, but also achieves similar COD removal efficiencies. In pilot and full scale plants a stable and reliable granular sludge increase was always observed.To date 20 systems are in operation, some for more than 5 years. The largest reactor is 9000 m3 and treats a load of 183 ton COD/day at a paper mill in China. This high loaded system shows superior COD removal efficiencies, which results in reduced chemical costs and substantially reduced aerobic post treatment costs.
The experience from full scale plants has shown that the Biobed Advanced system requires less investments, less overall operating costs and requires less operator attention compared to other anaerobic systems.
Compact Settler Reduces Investment Cost
The new Biobed Advanced settler can handle higher liquid and gas upflow velocities, and thus reduces the required settler area in the reactor. The compact design requires less construction material and results in a roughly one meter lower reactor height.
The standard design fits round and square tanks, with heights of up to 20 meter.
A simple but very effective effluent collection system with submersed pipes completes the design Standardization and using standard stainless steel plates and automatic cutting limits manpower cost for construction and as such the cost per m2 of settler.
Transportation costs are reduced by using outer settler dimensions which fit nicely in standard 40ft sea containers.