levapor mbbr/ifas process for wastewater treatment

Contact: Dr. Imre Pascik : [email protected] ; Amit Christian : [email protected]

LEVAPOR

MBBR/IFAS PROCESS


LEVAPOR MBBR /IFAS Process:

Levapor MBBR/IFAS process is based on proprietary porous, adsorbing PU carriers

impregnated with activated carbon and surface active pigments for high adsorbent

capacity and high internal porosity with extremely large surface are for optimal

growth of micro organisms for biological wastewater treatment.

PROCESS APPLICATION:

The LEVAPOR MBBR/IFAS process can be applied to various biological wastewater

treatment applications:

Increasing existing plant pollutant removal and flow capacity

BOD/COD removal

Nitrification for ammonia removal

Total-N and Total-P removal

Biodegradation of persistent and difficult to degrade pollutants

HOW IT WORKS:

IFAS, Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) also known as CFAS

(Combined Fixed Film Activated Sludge) process is a combination of two

fundamental biological wastewater treatment technologies namely fixed film growth

and suspended growth technology.

In the IFAS/CFAS process, fixed film media/carriers are added to the conventional

activated sludge system aeration tank which allows growth of biomass on it. The

growth of micro organisms on the attached phase enables significant increase in the

biomass in the aeration tank increasing the SRT of the system without increase of

recycled sludge flow rate.

This hybrid configuration of suspended as well as attached growth technologies

combines distinct advantages of both the technologies which are:

Retention of higher biomass in the system rendering higher loading rates and

improved process stability

Smaller foot print

Lower sludge production compared to suspended growth only system


Improved settling characteristics of sludge

Lower solids loading rate to secondary clarifiers and thus improving their

performance and operation

Improved process recovery from upsets

LEVAPOR TECHNOLOGY:

The LEVAPOR MBBR/IFAS technology offers economical, efficient, compact and

most resilient biological wastewater treatment process solutions for plant up

gradation, nitrogen removal and wastewater reuse.

Carrier adsorbent capacity, higher internal porosity, higher wetting and fluidization

properties along with lower weight are critical to achieve faster colonization,

protection of biomass, higher mass transfer, better mixing and homogenization

capacity and reduced energy consumption.

Inlet

wastewater

Return Activated Sludge Line

Waste Sludge

Aeration tank with Levapor media

Clarifier

Effluent


Our unique carriers made of flexible, durable, porous, light weight PU foam

impregnated with activated carbon have been designed to achieve these properties

for optimal performance of biological processes.

PRINCIPLE CHARACTERISTICS:

LEVAPOR MBBR/IFAS systems were developed to produce optimal

conditions for the growth of specific micro organisms responsible for efficient

removal of pollutants achieving higher removal rates with smaller foot prints.

The combination of optimum properties achieved through impregnation of PU

foam matrix with activated carbon along with surface active pigments makes

LEVAPOR carriers the most suitable carriers for MBBR/IFAS application.

A cuboid configuration of 20X 7 X 7 mm allows flexibility to use sieves of

higher sizes (8-10 mm) preventing head loss in the system. Moreover, light

weight of colonized carriers (65-80 kg/m3) compared to plastic media reduces

mixing energy requirement drastically offering significant energy savings.

The hydrophilic nature of PU foam renders fast wetting properties and higher

fluidization capacity allowing for better homogenization and optimal mass

transfer efficiencies of substrate and nutrients across the PU carrier matrix.

The impregnation of activated carbon allows for adsorption of toxic and

inhibitory substances on it which provides remarkable process stability against

toxic shock loadings and also minimizes bad odour and fouling problems

drastically. The impregnation also facilitates faster colonization of carrier

material reducing start up times for processes.

High internal porosity of PU carriers makes the process highly resilient to flow

and pollutant loading variations protecting biomass against adverse

conditions.


LEVAPOR CARRIERS COLONIZED CARRIERS

LEVAPOR ADVANTAGES:

Lower Degree of reactor filling (only 12-15%)

Smaller foot print

Faster process start ups

remarkable process stability

Simultaneous nitrification-denitrification

Lower Sludge production and better sludge settling and dewatering properties

Lower energy consumption for mixing

Protection against shock loading

Lower bad odour and fouling problems


COMPARISON DIFFERENT CARRIER MATERIALS

Property LEVAPOR Unmodified PUR-foam Plastic carriers

total surface (m²/m³) up to 20,000 up to 2500 300 to 1200

adsorbing capacity very high moderate low

required degree of reactor filling 12 to 15 % 20 to 40 % 30 to 70 % porosity 75 to 90 % 75 to 90 % 50 – 75 %

wetting immediately / 1- 3 days up to 3 months months (after colonisation)

water uptake up to 250 % - remarkably lower - negligible

ionic charge + to - - non variable no

colonisation by microbes 60 to 90 min. - several weeks several weeks to months

full fluidization at gas upflow 4 to 7 (m³/m²xh) n.d. via coars bubble aeration

carrier retention 8-10 mm sieves 8-10 mm sieves screens

aeration fine bubble aeration fine bubble aeration coarse bubble

additional energy for fluidization not required required ( > 20-25% filling) because of coarse bubbles

excess sludge removal by fluidization n.d. by fluidization

variability of properties very variable quite narrow negligible

levapor mbbr/ifas process for wastewater treatment

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