Dewatering of microalgae suspensions by cake filtration with filter cloths

Journal of Applied Phycology - Microalgae are a promising bioresource because they produce various materials that can be used as fuels, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Additionally,...     

Effect of grain-slag media for the treatment of wastewater in a biological aerated filter

Grain-slag was applied as the media of biological aerated filters (BAF). The performance of two lab-scale BAF was monitored for 6 months to compare the effect of grain-slag with haydite as media. Under ammonia nitrogen load rates varying from 0.49 to 1.21 kg NH(3)-N(m(3)d)(-1), the overall NH(3)-N reductions of the BAF supported by grain-slag and haydite averaged 84.30% and 80.87%, respectively. Higher ammonia nitrogen removal in the BAF with grain-slag was attributable to its buffering pH value capacity by stripping calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)). In terms of removing organic matter, turbidity and colourity, the efficiency of the BAF with grain-slag was lower than that with haydite, but more than 78%, 79% and 80% of fed organic matter, turbidity and colourity was still removed, respectively. So it is feasible for grain-slag to be applied as the media of BAF. The results obtained from the research of ammonia nitrogen removal rate versus pH values indicate that ammonia nitrogen removal rates were not distinctly dependent of pH values in the BAF supported by grain-slag. More than 85% of ammonia nitrogen was removed at pH values from 5.2 to 7.8 ranges. Grain-slag can strip CaCO(3) into the wastewater to buffer pH value and maintain optimal nitrification rates.     

Textiles wastewater treatment using anoxic filter bed and biological wriggle bed-ozone biological aerated filter

In this study, the performance of the anoxic filter bed and biological wriggle bed-ozone biological aerated filter (AFB-BWB-O₃-BAF) process treating real textile dyeing wastewater was investigated. After more than 2 month process operation, the average effluent COD concentration of the AFB, BWB, O₃-BAF were 704.8 mg/L, 294.6 mg/L and 128.8 mg/L, with HRT being 8.1-7.7 h, 9.2 h and 5.45 h, respectively. Results showed that the effluent COD concentration of the AFB decreased with new carriers added and the average removal COD efficiency was 20.2%. During operation conditions, HRT of the BWB and O₃-BAF was increased, resulting in a decrease in the effluent COD concentration. However, on increasing the HRT, the COD reduction capability expressed by the unit carrier COD removal loading of the BWB reactor increased, while that of the O₃-BAF reactor decreased. This study is a beneficial attempt to utilize the AFB-BWB-O₃-BAF combine process for textile wastewater treatment.     

Ultrasonic hysteresis in biological media

Summary Non-linear mechanical response of viscoelastic strain responding media to high amplitude stress-strain is examined from a phenomenological point of view and found to lead to results compatible with empirical observations of high intensity ultrasound irradiation of brain, liver, and eye lens tissues. The proposed hysteresis model provides for most of the observed dependencies such as an intensity dependent absorption coefficient, an absorption coefficient increasing linearly with frequency, and a dispersionless velocity of ultrasound in soft tissues (excluding lung). The non-linear compliance of tissues further predicts production of half-harmonic signals even in the absence of cavitation.     

Foam behavior of biological media

Summary The surface tension and foaminess of (a) unlimited, (b) substrate limited, and (c) oxygen transfer limited growth media of Hansenula polymorpha were measured using methanol, ethanol or glucose as a substrate.The time dependence of can be described by the Avrami-Überreiter relationship: log (2.3 log V)=n log t+log b, where V = (_O – _eq/(_t – _eq, and _O, _t and _eq are at t_M=0, t_M=t and t_M (equilibrium value).The constants n and b are functions of the fermentation time t_F as long as the growth is unlimited but they are constant in the state of limited growth. With glucose substrate, the foaminess can be presented as a definite function of the time, t_DG, which is necessary to attain _eq. With alcohol as a substrate no definite (t_DG) function was found.Symbols b constant in Eq. (1) - n constant in Eq. (1) - S substrate concentration - T temperature - t_M time h (measured from the beginning of the determination of the surface tension ) - t_F cultivation time h (measured from the time of inoculation) - t_DG time (min) necessary to attain the equilibrium surface tension ) - X dry biomass concentration (gl^–1) - V (_O – _eq)/(_t – _eq) - V_S equilibrium volume of the foam (cm³) - V_G volumetric gas flow rate during the estimation of (cm³ s^–1) - vvm volumetric gas flow rate with regard to the volume of the medium (min^–1) - w_SG superficial gas velocity (cm s^–1) - _m maximum specific growth rate (h^–1) - V_S/V_G foaminess (s) - surface tension, mMm^–1 (milli Newton m^–1) - _O at t_M=0 - _eq equilibrium surface tension ( at t_M) - _t at t_M=t - HP probes from Hansenula polymorpha cultivation - NLG non limited growth - OTLG oxygen transfer limited growth - SLG substrate limited growth     

Foam behavior of biological media

Summary The influence of the alcohol concentration on the foaminess, , of-BSA-solutions is considered. This effect is calculated by means of the function (C_BSA . f), where f=1 for pure protein solutions and f>1 for alcohol solutions. f is calculated by f = 2^TT_eff. Here, where T_T is the turbidity temperature change due to solvent structure effects and T_D, the temperature correction due to alcohol-protein interaction. The constants necessary to calculate T_T and T_D are tabulated. The agreement between the calculated and measured foaminess , as a function of the n-propanol concentration is satisfactory and for methanol or ethanol excellent.     

Foam behavior of biological media

Summary The concentration dependence of the foaming of aqueous bovine serum albumin (BSA) solutions with and without salt additives and that of the turbidity temperature, T_T, of p-isononylphenol-10-glycolether in presence of KCl, MgSO₄, or K₄ [Fe(CN)₆] were determined. The differences between the turbidity temperatures of the solutions with and without salt additives were used to calculate the apparent concentration BSA in the salt solutions and to estimate their foaming. The measured and calculated foaminesses agree well.Symbols BSA Bovine Serum Albumin - C concentration - C_BSA concentration of BSA - C_salt salt concentration - C_O actual protein concentration in the absence of a salt - C₁ apparent protein concentration in the presence of a salt - C' NP-10 concentration - k constant in Eq. (4) - T_corr correction for T_TO of the salt-free NP-10 solution - T_T turbidity temperature - V_s equilibrium volume of the foam above the liquid layer - V_tg volumetric gas flow rate - foaminess - NP-10 p-isononylphenol-10-glycolether     

Foam behavior of biological media

Summary The influence of the concentrations of NaCl, NaJ, KJ and/or Na₂SO₄ on the foaminess of BSA solutions is investigated. The foaminess increases with increasing salt concentrations as expected for NaCl, NaJ and Na₂SO₄. With KJ the foaminess exhibits an anomaly. The dependence of the foaminess on the pH is complex. In the presence of buffer there is a minimum at 4.81 and a maximum at 4.7. In the absence of buffer the foaminess reaches a maximum at pH 4 and a minimum at 3. The anomaly of BSA solutions is well-known but not yet fully understood.Symbols BSA Bovine Serum Albumin - C concentration - C_BSA concentration of BSA - C_BUFFER concentration of buffer - C_SALT concentration of salt - V_s equilibrium volume of the foam - V_tg volumetric gas flow rate - =V_s/V_tg foaminess     

Foam behaviour of biological media

Summary A simple method was developed for evaluating foam stability. The influence of KCl and MgSO₄ on foam stability of bovine serum albumin foams was investigated. These salts increase foaminess, but diminish foam stability by the same degree. Thus there is little overall.     

Theoretical model for a submerged biological filter

A mathematical model was developed for percent removal of a pure, non-adsorbable, biodegradable substrate in a submerged biological filter using the nonlinear Monod expression for the substrate utilization rate. Analytical solutions were obtained using zero and first order linearizations of the Monod expression and were compared to the numerical solution of the nonlinear system. The relevant dimensionless parameter groups describing the system were identified and their effects on substrate flux into the biolayer, effectiveness factor, and percent removal were also examined. Criteria were established for determining the relative accuracy of the two biokinetic approximations and for determining values of “limiting” biolayer thickness. There are two major results of engineering significance. (1) The approximation of the nonlinear Monod expression by a first order rate expression yields accurate results for a much wider range of bulk concentrations than might be expected from inspection of the Monod half-velocity coefficient for a given substrate. (2) Percent removal of substrate is a weak function of biolayer thickness (and thus total cell mass) when the thickness is greater than a rather small limiting value but is a strong function of particle radius (and thus biolayer surface area) for a wide range of parameter values including those of common interest.     

Toxicity to organ cultured heats of media prepared with disposable filter units

Summary Organ cultures of hearts maintained in media sterilized by filtration through different types of commercially available disposable membrane filter units displayed different beating rates and survival patterns. Media filtered through two different filter units sold by one company were severely toxic. Prewashing the filters removed most if not all of the toxins. This work was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (HL14706) and the Moss Heart Fund.     

Bubble coalescence behaviour in biological media

Summary A twin bubble column was used to measure the k_La values for oxygen in model and cultivation media using the steady state method described previously (Adler et al. 1980). Desmophen and soy oil were used as antifoam agents together with model and/or cultivation media for Chaetomium cellulotyticum, Trichoderma reesei, Hansenula polymorpha, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli. The bubble coalescence behavior is mainly influenced by antifoam agents and somewhat by protein and alcohol additives. In the range investigated (0.01 to 0.1%.), the k_La values are not influenced by the Desmophen concentration and only slighthly by the soy oil concentration (0.5 to 1.5%.). The coalescence behaviour was characterized by the ratio m_corr=(k_La)_corr/(k_La)_ref. A nutrient salt solution with Desmophen was used as a reference. The k_La measured in the investigated media were corrected by considering the differences in k_La's in the investigated and reference media. These m_corr values can directly be used for bubble columns close to the optimum aeration rate.Symbols a Specific gas/liquid interfacial area - c Concentration - k_L Mass transfer coefficient - k_La Volumetric mass transfer coefficient - W_SG Superficial gas velocity - E_G Relative gas hold-up     

Bubble coalescence behaviour in biological media

Summary Volumetric mass transfer coefficients (k_La) were measured by a steady state method in a twin bubble column to characterize the coalescence behaviour of the medium. Employing Hansenula polymorpha cultivation broths, k_La values were compared with those measured in model media in the presence and absence of antifoam agents. The ratio of the volumetric mass transfer coefficient in the system investigated to that in water, , was employed to characterize the cultivation medium.Symbols a Specific gas/liquid interfacial area with regard to the liquid volume in reactor - d_e Dynamical equilibrium bubble diameter - d_H Perforated plate hole diameter - d_p Primary bubble diameter - d_S Sauter bubble diameter - F_v Liquid feed rate - H Bubbling layer height - k_L Gas/liquid mass transfer coefficient - k_La Volumetric mass transfer coefficient - m k_La/(k_La)_r coalescence index - m_corr Corrected coalescence index [Eq. (3)] - OTR Oxygen transfer rate - P_O Dissolved O₂-partial pressure in BS2 - P₁ Dissolved O₂-partial pressure in BS1 - P_O P_O/P_S relative oxygen saturation in BS2 - P₁ P₁/P_S relative oxygen saturation in BS1 - P_S Saturation dissolved oxygen partial pressure - R_c dn_B/dt coalescence rate - S Substrate concentration - t_F Time since the beginning of the cultivation - X Biomass concentration - V₁ Liquid volume in BS1 - w_SG Superficial gas velocity in BS1 - G Gas holdup in BS1 - ₁ V₁/F_v mean liquid residence time in BS1 - BS1 O₂ absorber column - BS2 O₂ desorber column - D Desmophen (antifoam agent) - NS Nutrient salt solution (Table 1)