Modeling of aerated upflow fixed bed reactors for nitrification

Abstract

A mathematical model for nitrification in an aerated fixed bed reactor has been developed. This model is based on material balances in the bulk liquid, gas phase and in the biofilm area. The fixed bed is divided into a number of cells according to the reduced remixing behaviour. A fixed bed cell consists of 4 compartments: the support, the gas phase, the bulk liquid phase and the stagnant volume containing the biofilm. In the stagnant volume the biological transmutation of the ammonia is located. The transport phenomena are modelled with mass transfer formulations so that the balances could be formulated as an initial value problem. The results of the simulation and experiments are compared.