A mathematical model for a two-phase fluidised bed bioreactor with liquid recirculation and an external aerator was proposed. A stationary nonlinear analysis of such a bioreactor for an aerobic process with double-substrate kinetics was carried out. The influences of a volumetric fraction of solid carriers in the liquid phase, the rate of active biomass transfer from the biofilm to the liquid, the concentration of carbonaceous substrate, the mean residence time of the liquid and the efficiency of the external aerator on the steady state characteristics of the bioreactor were described. A method for determination of the minimal recirculation ratio related to oxygen demand and fluidised bed conditions was presented. On the basis of the obtained results, it is possible to choose reasonable operating conditions of such plants and to determine constraints, while considering acceptable concentrations of a toxic substrate being degraded.
Cellular automaton model has been elaborated for simulation microbial process in a biofilm. It was shown that the proposed algorithm gives possibility to obtain various structures of microbial biofilms, depending on operating conditions.
The paper presents application possibilities of two and three-phase fluidized bed bioreactors for carrying out a microbiological nitrification process. The advantages and disadvantages of individual bioreactors are described. A quantitative analysis of the fundamental operating variables related to the balance of oxygen and the preservation of the fluidized bed was performed.
A mathematical model of a plane, steady state biofilm, with the use of a single substrate kinetics, was proposed. A set of differential equations was solved. In order to analyse the biofilm’s behaviour, a number of simulations were performed. The simulations included varying process parameters such as detachment coefficient and substrate loading. Two detachment models were taken into consideration: one describing the detachment ratio as proportional to the thickness of the biofilm, and the other one proportional to the thickness of the biofilm squared. The results provided information about substrate and live cell distribution in biofilm and the influence of certain parameters on biofilm behaviour.
The paper presents the dynamic characteristics of a continuous tank bioreactor for microbiological process, with a developed predator-prey food chain. The presence of the predator microorganism considerably influences the position and stability character of steady-states. There appears to exist a wide range of unstable steady-states and high-amplitude oscillations of state variables. Without automatic control, the system can operate only in unsteady conditions. From technological point of view, this circumstance is unfavorable. It was shown that oscillations can be removed by employing automatic control with continuous P or PI controllers. Moreover, the use of a controller with integrating element causes removal of the predator from the bioreactor. The paper discusses an application of this phenomenon for practical purposes.
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