Performance of biofilters under non-isothermal conditions
[Thesis]
A. Ahmed
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Saudi Arabia)
1997
109
M.Sc.
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Saudi Arabia)
1997
A study state mathematical model, which incorporates the heat effects in biofiltration process, has been developed. The model incorporates the heat terms due to bulk motion, heat dispersion, conduction and convection heat transfer, and heat released due to exothermic biological reactions in the biofilter. The dimensionless model equations were descretized using orthogonal collocation technique and the equations were solved numerically. A complete sensitivity analysis of the model reveals that key parameters, such as overall heat transfer coefficient (Uov), kinetic parameter Kj, diffusivity of the pollutant (Djw) affect the performance of biofilters under non-isothermal conditions. A laboratory scale biofilter unit was constructed and subsequently used to study the effects of temperature on the biofiltration of toluene. Experimental results obtained from this unit were compared with the model predictions and they were in reasonable agreement for both concentration and temperature. In the experiments, both ambient and feed temperatures were varied. It was found that an increase of 10C in feed temperature or ambient temperature increased the removal efficiency by 37% or 10% respectively. Thus, increase in feed temperature was found to be more effective for the removal of toluene than the increase in ambient temperature.