New dimension for moving bed biofilm reactors 02 October 2014

Veolia Water Technologies has launched what it describes as a new generation of biofilm carriers for MBBRs (moving bed biofilm reactors).

Dubbed AnoxKaldnes Z-MBBR, the new carrier is the result of two decades of development work.

"Many biological processes use several different types of bacteria all needing different environments," says Veolia process specialist Christian Rosen.

"Our challenge was to produce a biofilm carrier that could provide those different micro-environments so as to encourage the growth of selected bacteria," he continues.

"We can do that by precise control of the biofilm thickness, which eliminates variations in performance and removes the limitations associated with clogging the carriers."

Unlike conventional MBBR carriers, Z-MBBR has a three-dimensional contoured structure that allows the creation of a self-controlled, pre-determined biofilm thickness on the carrier that optimises redox gradient and mass transfer, he explains.

Veolia's Z carriers are customised to give biofilm thicknesses ranging from 200µm for fully aerobic processes such as nitrification, to 500µm for applications such as Veolia's ANITAMox ammonox denitrification system, which requires aerobic, anoxic and anaerobic conditions on the same carrier.

Veolia's first Z-MBBR full-scale plant is currently under construction and will be fully operational by the end of 2014.

For more information, use the link below.

Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Veolia Water Technologies

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