Anaerobic digestion modelling and UASB reactor performance

Anaerobic digestion of lactose was carried out in a 1.5 L UASB reactor to estimate the parameters of a mathematical model. The mathematical model consists of one set of 4 algebraic and 5 differential equations that include a periodical partial purge. By using the mathematical model, lactose anaerobic digestion was simulated and statistically compared with experimental results. The reactor was dynamically characterized based on the substrate consumed and methane production rate. A 95% COD reduction was achieved when 7.02 g lactose / L.d was fed. Statistical results at a significance level of 0.01, showed that both experimental and simulated results were the same in gas production rate and % removal efficiency. pH and buffer capacity of the reactor were statistically parallel. The results showed that the reactor remained dynamically stable during the experimentation.