Quantitative hydrodynamic characterization of high solid anaerobic digestion: Correlation of "mixing-fluidity-energy" and scale-up effect

Fengping Hu; Shihao Zhang; Xin Wang; Chuqiao Wang; Jing Wu; Souhila Poncin; Li Xu; Gaoping Xu; Yuying Hu; Huai Z Li

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126237

Quantitative hydrodynamic characterization of high solid anaerobic digestion: Correlation of "mixing-fluidity-energy" and scale-up effect

Bioresour Technol. 2022 Jan;344(Pt B):126237. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126237. Epub 2021 Oct 28.

Authors

Fengping Hu¹, Shihao Zhang¹, Xin Wang¹, Chuqiao Wang¹, Jing Wu², Souhila Poncin³, Li Xu⁴, Gaoping Xu⁴, Yuying Hu⁵, Huai Z Li³

Affiliations

¹ School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, East China Jiao Tong University, Nanchang 330013, China.
² State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
³ Laboratory of Reactions and Process Engineering, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, 1, rue Grandville, BP 20451, 54001 Nancy Cedex, France.
⁴ Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Safety, Nanchang 330013, Jiangxi Province, China.
⁵ School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, East China Jiao Tong University, Nanchang 330013, China; State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Laboratory of Reactions and Process Engineering, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, 1, rue Grandville, BP 20451, 54001 Nancy Cedex, France. Electronic address: hu_yuying@foxmail.com.

PMID: 34756978
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126237

Abstract

High solid anaerobic digestion (HSAD)'s complex rheological behavior exhibits short-circuiting and dead zone. Mixing optimization is potential to enhance HSAD hydrodynamics. Besides, scale-up effect is quite essential for HSAD's applications, but remains rarely studied yet. Effect of impeller with different width on the correlation of "mixing-fluidity-energy" at different rotating speeds was first investigated at pilot-scale in present work. Then, scale-up effect based on rotating speed and a generalized Reynolds number was revealed from the aspects of fluidity and energy consumption. Results show that impeller width of 100 mm (10 rpm), 200 mm and 300 mm (5 and 10 rpm) are preferred for hydrodynamics and energy economics. Furthermore, Re similarity has better referential significance for the scale-up. In this study, new insight is gained into the correlation of "mixing-fluidity-energy" within a pilot-scale digester. Scale-up effect based Re similarity could potentially offer guidance for HSAD's application in the practical engineering.

Keywords: Computational Fluid Dynamics; Hydrodynamic characterization; Mixing-fluidity-energy; Scale-up effect; Similarity.

MeSH terms

Anaerobiosis
Bioreactors*
Hydrodynamics*
Rheology