title: Media arrangement impacts cell growth in anaerobic fixed-bed reactors treating sugarcane vinasse: Structured vs. randomic biomass immobilization.
abstract: This study reports on the application of an innovative structured-bed reactor (FVR) as an alternative to conventional packed-bed reactors (PBRs) to treat high-strength solid-rich wastewaters. Using the FVR prevents solids from accumulating within the fixed-bed, while maintaining the advantages of the biomass immobilization. The long-term operation (330days) of a FVR and a PBR applied to sugarcane vinasse under increasing organic loads (2.4-18.0kgCODm-3day-1) was assessed, focusing on the impacts of the different media arrangements over the production and retention of biomass. Much higher organic matter degradation rates, as well as long-term operational stability and high conversion efficiencies (>80%) confirmed that the FVR performed better than the PBR. Despite the equivalent operating conditions, the biomass growth yield was different in both reactors, i.e., 0.095gVSSg-1COD (FVR) and 0.066gVSSg-1COD (PBR), indicating a clear control of the media arrangement over the biomass production in fixed-bed reactors.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Processos Biológicos, Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo (LPB/EESC/USP), Av. João Dagnone 1100, São Carlos, São Paulo 13.563-120, Brazil. Electronic address: samuelaquino@usp.br.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Aquino
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Processos Biológicos, Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo (LPB/EESC/USP), Av. João Dagnone 1100, São Carlos, São Paulo 13.563-120, Brazil. Electronic address: ltfuess@sc.usp.br.
authors.forename: Lucas Tadeu
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Fuess
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Processos Biológicos, Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo (LPB/EESC/USP), Av. João Dagnone 1100, São Carlos, São Paulo 13.563-120, Brazil; Departamento de Hidráulica e Saneamento, Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo (SHS/EESC/USP), Av. Trabalhador São-Carlense 400, São Carlos, São Paulo 13.566-590, Brazil. Electronic address: ecpires@sc.usp.br.
authors.forename: Eduardo Cleto
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Pires
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors; D031786:Saccharum; D062065:Wastewater
chemical_list: D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Biomass growth yield; Kinetic assessment; Structured-bed reactor; Sugarcane biorefinery; Vinasse biodigestion