Kinetic Modeling of Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor - Operating on Distillery Effluent

To identify the viability and performance, distillery effluent having very high organic content was studied on continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). Under different organic loading rates (OLR) and optimum conditions for highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and biogas generation was found for OLR of 0.10-0.11 COD kg/day. Highest COD exertion efficiency was found to be around 73 % for OLR of 9.166 kg COD/m3/day when hydraulic retention time (HRT) was reduced from 15 to 14 days. Biogas generation was observed to be around 30 L/day with a conversion coefficient of 0.405 and volatile fatty acids (VFA) to alkalinity ratio was recorded to be 0.12 in this stage. Applying the modified Stover Kincannon model to the reactor, the maximum removal rate constant (Umax) and saturation value constant (Kb) were found to be 17.123 kg/m3/day and 33.471 kg/m3/day, respectively. These records are predominantly significant when operating the anaerobic biodigesters fortreating the distillery effluent alongwith the production of biogas as an energy source. CSTR can effectively be employed in treatment of this effluent, however, post bio-digestion effluent still contains considerable COD. To meet the pollution norms and standards it needs to be treated further. To understand the complex biological treatment process of this effluent further trials are required to be conducted. © 2022 Scientific Publishers. All rights reserved.