• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2003

A mathematical model was formulated to simulate the long-term performance of an anaerobic bioreactor designed to digest Korean food wastes. The system variables of various decomposition steps were built into the model, which predicts the temporal characters of Solid waste, and volatile fatty acid (VFA) in the reactor, and gas production in response to various input loadings and temperatures. The predicted values of VFA and gas production were found to be in good agreement with experimental observations in batch and repeated-input systems. Finally, long-term reactor performance was simulated with respect to the seasonal temperature changes from 5C in winter to 25C in Summer at different food waste input loadings. The simulation results provided us with information concerning the success or failure of a process during long-term operation .

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.73-82
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• 2008

In this study, a dry single-phase anaerobic digestion process (Dranco system) was investigated to evaluate the optimum operational conditions. Several factors such as injection rate of organic waste, biogas production, $CH_4$ content in the biogas, pH of the sludge, $NH_3$-N and VFA concentration were investigated based on the operation of the digestion process for 2 months (short term) and 8 months (long-term). The operation results showed that a small quantity of food waste should be injected every week and that a 10% increase of the microorganism injection rate should be needed. However, normal operation was conducted after 11 weeks based on the designed quantity. The $CH_4$ content in the biogas was high at the beginning and the end of the food injection. However, it was low during week days. When the biogas production was high, the $CH_4$ concentration was low. The biogas production increased with an increase of the injection rate. $100m^3$/ton of biogas was produced from normal operation of the digestion process based on the designed quantity. The pH values of the digestion tank based on short-term operation ranged from 8 to 8.5. However, the pH values ranged from 7.45 to 8.15 after 4 weeks of long-term operation. The $NH_3$-N concentration of short-term operation ranged from 4,500 to 5,500 ppm and it gradually decreased to 2,000ppm after normal operation was commenced. For long-term operation, it was 5,000ppm initially and 3,800ppm after normal operation was commenced. The VFA concentration of sludge was less than 900ppm and 2,500ppm for short and long-term operations, respectively, after normal operation. Overall, the differences between sludge pH, $NH_3$-N and VFA concentrations may be due to the different types of microorganisms and the digestion ability of the microorganisms which exist in the accumulation of non digested organics. Moreover, it may be also caused by the type of food waste. Further investigation is needed to confirm these relationships.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.179-186
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• 2010

In biological wastewater treatment, high lipid concentrations can inhibit the activity of microorganisms critical to the treatment process and cause undesirable biomass flotation. To reduce the inhibitory effects of high lipid concentrations, a two-phase anaerobic system, consisting of an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) and an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor in series, was applied to synthetic dairy wastewater treatment. During 153 days of operation, the two-phase system showed stable performance in lipid degradation. In the ASBR, a 13% lipid removal efficiency and 10% double-bond removal efficiency were maintained. In the UASB, the chemical oxygen demand (COD), lipid, and volatile fatty acid (VFA) removal efficiencies were greater than 80%, 70%, and 95%, respectively, up to an organic loading rate of 6.5 g COD/l/day. No serious operational problems, such as significant scum formation or sludge washout, were observed. Protein degradation was found to occur prior to degradation during acidogenesis.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.49-54
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• 1996

The anaerobic landfill leachate treatment can surmount dilution problem of high concentration landfill leachate, collect methane gas as byproduct, and treat low phosphate concentration leachate because of low nutrient salt requirement. The problems of conventional anaerobic treatment that are requirement of large reactor because of low microbial growth rate(HRT=20-30 days) and low volumetric loading rate(VLR=0.5-2.0 kg $COD/m^3\cdot day$) are able to surmount by introduction of high rate anaerobic treatment. In this study, the upflow blanket filter(UBF) which is high rate anaerobic process was applyed to the landfill leachate treatment. The acceptable volumetric loading rate and HRT were 18.23 kg $SCOD/m^3\cdot day$ and 13 hrs. SCOD removal rate was over 90% at VLR 18.23 kg $SCOD/m^3\cdot day$. The methane gas yield was $0.15 lCH_4/g$ SCOD added(at STP) at VLR 18.23 kg $SCOD/m^3\cdot day$. The solids accumulation yield was 0.40 g VSS/g COD removed.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.55-68
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• 2020

Because of the intensified environmental problems such as climate change and resource depletion, sewage treatment technology focused on energy management has recently attracted attention. The conversion of primary sludge from the primary sedimentation tank and excessive sludge from the secondary sedimentation tank into biogas is the key to energy-positive sewage treatment. In particular, the primary sedimentation tanks recover enriched biodegradable organic matter and anaerobic digestion process produces methane from the organic wastes for energy production. Such technologies for minimizing oxygen demand are leading the innovation regarding sewage treatment plants. However, sewage treatment facilities in Korea lack core technology and operational know-how. Actually, the energy potential of sewage is higher than sewage treatment energy consumption in the sewage treatment, but current processes are not adequately efficient in energy recovery. To improve this, it is possible to apply chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT), high-rate activated sludge (HRAS), and anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) to the primary sedimentation tank. To maximize the methane production of sewage treatment plants, organic wastes such as food waste and livestock manure can be digested. Additionally, mechanical pretreatment, thermal hydrolysis, and chemical pretreatment would enhance the methane conversion of organic waste. Power generation systems based on internal combustion engines are susceptible to heat source losses, requiring breakthrough energy conversion systems such as fuel cells. To realize the energy positive sewage treatment plant, primary organic matter recovery from sewage, biogas pretreatment, and co-digestion should be optimized in the energy management system based on the knowledge-based operation.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.189-196
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• 1999

Anaerobic digestion is a naturally occuring microbial process involving the decomposition of organic materials such as livestock manure. This study explores the effect of the operating conditions, HRT (Hydraulic Retention Time) and feeding frequency on treatment efficiency for digestion of pig slurry, which has been one of most difficult organic waste for proper treatment in livestock production industry in Korea at the present time. The pilot-scale CSTR of 5 m3 in volume was designed. manufactured, and operated at the temperature of 35$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$. The digester was designed to hydraulically stir for complete mixing and to supply heat from the water bath to maintain mesophilic temperature. The HRT of the digester for Test 1 and Test 2, and Test 3 was set for 17 days and 13 days respectively and pig slurry was fed once a day with 300$\ell$ each for Test 1 and Test 3, while twice with 150$\ell$each for Test 2. Test 2 showed better performance by increase of 4% in VS removal efficiency and 5% in biogas production rate. This is mainly attributed to smaller temperature drop by feeding frequently with half amount, which eventually led to lesser impact on anaerobic mocrobes in the digester. Test 2 maintained optimum pH 7.8 which uplifted the activaton of sulfur-reduction bacteria, alkalinity of around 4,000mg/$\ell$, VA of over 3,000mg/$\ell$ for whole period of experiment. Further research may require to provide the practical operation strategy of anaerobic treatment system for treatment of pig slurry.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.4665-4674
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to confirm the feasibility of the electro-coagulation process as a pre-treatment for the membrane separation of anaerobic digestion effluents to minimize membrane fouling. The reduction of membrane fouling was evaluated according to the number of electrodes (immersed surface area of electrodes), current density and contact time. In the case of the small surface area of electrodes, the increased electric field strength resulted in a soluble COD increase due to the destruction of the microbial flocs and/or cells, whereas large changes in the soluble COD were not observed in the case of the high surface area of electrodes. On the other hand, the T-P concentration decreased as a result of the precipitation of aluminum ions and phosphates. The membrane permeation flux increased and the fouling resistance (Rc+Rf) decreased with increasing electric current density. Although the particle size of the anaerobic digestion effluent increased slightly, it was not related directly to the reduced fouling phenomena. The main mechanism for the enhanced flux was attributed to the inorganic particulate produced during electrocoagulation, such as $AlPO_4$, which acted as a dynamic membrane deposited on the membrane surface.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.38 no.8
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• pp.452-458
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• 2016

The study on pH control at the themophilic solubilization (pretreatment process) was investigated in order to improve the methane gas production of two phase anaerobic digestion of food waste. From a batch experiment, it was observed that the solubilization efficiency was increased from 26.2% to 47.1% and 55.6% by the pH increament from $4.20{\pm}0.40$ (without pH control) to $7.00{\pm}0.50$, and $12.00{\pm}0.50$, respectively. However there was immaterial increase (8.5%) in solubilization efficiency when the pH was increased from $7.00{\pm}0.50$ to $12.00{\pm}0.50$. The two phase anaerobic digestion system was operated for laboratory scale experiment under the solubilization condition of pH $4.20{\pm}0.40$ (Run1) and $7.00{\pm}0.50$ (Run2). Higher soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) concentration were observed in Run2 throughout the system resulted by the solubilization effect at the pH $7.00{\pm}0.50$. The TVFA concentration in acidogenic reactor was 18.4 g/L which was 1.8 times higher than the result of Run1. Consequently the methane gas production was enhanced to 0.333 L/g VS in the methanogenic reactor, which is 18% higher than the result (0.282 L/g VS) of Run1.

• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.125-136
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• 1997

Digestion of a municipal wastewater sludge by the anaerobic sequencing batch reactor(ASBR) was investigated to evaluate the performance of the ASBR process at a critical condition of high-solids-content feed. The reactors were operated at an HRT of 10 days with an equivalent loading rate of 0.8-1.5 gVS/L/d at $35^{\circ}C.$ The main conclusions drawn from this study were as follows: 1. Digestion of a municipal wastewater sludge was possible using the ASBR in spite of high concentration of settleable solids in the sludge. The ASBRS with 3- and 4-day cycle period showed almost identical high digestion performances. 2. No adverse effect on digestion stability was observed in the ASBRS in spite of withdrawal and replenishment of $30\%\;or\;40\%$ of liquid contents. A conventional anaerobic digester could be easily converted to the ASBR without any stability problem. 3. Flotation thickening occurred in thicken step of the ASBRS throughout steady state, and floating bed volume at the end of thicken period occupied about $70\%$ of the working volume of the reactor. Efficiency of flotation thickening in the ASBRS could be comparable to that of additional gravity thickening of a completely mixed digester. 4. Solids were accumulated rapidly in the ASBR during start-up period. Solids concentrations in the ASBRS were 2.6 times higher than that in the completely mixed control reactor at steady state. Dehydrogenase activity had a strong correlation with the solids concentration. Dehydrogenase activity of the digested sludge in the ASBR was 2.9 times higher than that of the sludge in the control reactor, and about 25 times higher than that of the subnatant in the ASBR. 5. Remarkable increase in equivalent gas production of $52\%$ was observed at the ASBRS compared with the control reactor in spite of similar Quality of clarified effluent from the ASBRS and control reactor. The increase in gas production from the ASBRS was believed to be combined results of accumulation of microorganisms, higher driving force applied, and additional long-term degradation of organics continuously accumulated.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.13-18
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• 2019

Sewage sludge treatment is increasing every year due to improvement of living and urbanization. However, interest in anaerobic digestion which is one of the recycling technology. There is anaerobic digestion of increasing due to limitations of ocean dumping and final disposal. But, the limit of anaerobic digestion efficiency due to the advanced treatment of sewage has been limited, and studies for solubilization technology have been actively conducted. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the variation of generation of scum and the solubilization efficiency in the application of pre-treatment of ozone reaction and the change of properties of digested sludge with wet milling. There are results of VS/TS increased by 4.4% and $SCOD_{cr}/TCOD_{cr}$ increased by 9.4% by wet milling alone. In addition, the increase of the specific surface area due to which the reduction of the particle size of the solid content of the sludge in the ozone reaction caused by wet milling decreased the generation rate of scum at 14.3% and increased VS/TS at 2.1%, compared with the ozone reaction alone. From these results, it is expected that the application of wet milling can be increased the contact efficiency with solids in the sludge during ozone reaction with suppress scum and increase the efficiency of the subsequent process in anaerobic digestion.