• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.539-545
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• 2009

A feasibility of a pilot scale two-phase anaerobic digestion with ultra filtration system treating garbage leachate were evaluated. The treatment system consisted of a thermophilic acidogenic reactor, a mesophilic methanogenic reactor, and an UF membrane. The average COD removal efficiency of the treatment system was 95% up to the OLR of 3.1 g COD/L/d. The higher COD removal efficiency with membrane unit resulted from the removal of some portion of soluble organics by membrane as well as particulate materials. When the membrane unit was in operation, bulk liquid in acidogenic and methanogenic reactors was partially interchanged, which maintained the acidogenic reactor pH over 5.0 without external chemical addition. Also, with the production of methane in the acidogenic reactor, the organic loading rate of the methanogenic reactor reduced. The initial flux of the membrane unit was $50{\sim}60L/m^2/hr$, but decreased to $5 L/m^2/hr$ after 95 days of operation due to clogging caused by particulate materials such as fibrous materials in garbage leachate. To prevent clogging caused by particulate materials, a pretreatment system such as screening is required. With the improvement with membrane unit operation, the two-phase anaerobic digestion with ultra filtration system is expected to have the possibility of treating garbage leachate.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.997-1006
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• 2009

Organic removal efficiency and methane production rate, a feasibility of power generation from biogas, and the optimum conditions for membrane operation were evaluated for the pilot scale (5 tons/day) two-phase anaerobic digestion coupled with ultra filtration (TPADUF) system fed with garbage leachate. The TPADUF system is consisted of a thermophilic acidogenic reactor, a mesophilic methanogenic reactor, and an UF membrane. When garbage leachate with 150 g/L of TCOD was fed to the TPADUF up to organic loading rate (OLR) of 11.1 g COD/L/d, the effluent TCOD was lower than 6 g/L and the average removal efficiencies of TCOD and SCOD were higher than 95%. The methane composition of the gas was 65%, and the methane yield was 39 $m^3/m^3$ garbage leachatefed, 260 $m^3$/tons $COD_{added}$, or 270 $m^3$/tons $COD_{removed}$, even there was some gas leak. The power production per consumed gas was 0.96 kWh/$m^3$ gas or 1.49 kWh/$m^3$ methane. This lower power production efficiency mainly due to the small capacity of gas engine (15 kW class). The membrane was operated at the average flux of 10 L/$m^2$/hr. When the flux decreased, washing with water and chemical (NaOCl) was conducted to restore the flux. In the TPADUF system, optimum pH could be maintained without alkali addition by recycling the membrane concentrate or mixed liquor of the methanogenic digester to the acidogenic reactor. Also, partial production of methane in the acidogenic reactor had a positive effect on lowering the OLR of the methanogenic reactor.