Modeling an Airlift Bioscrubber for Removal of Airphase BTEX

Abstract

Biological treatment of airstreams has been shown to be useful when the airstreams are contaminated with low concentrations of volatile organic chemicals. One type of airphase biological reactor, the bioscrubber, has operational advantages over the two other types of airphase bioreactors, biofilters, and biotrickling filters. The airlift bioscrubber is a new bioscrubber configuration that offers some advantages over the conventional two-stage bioscrubber. In this work, a practical mathematical model was developed for the airlift bioscrubber for the removal of aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene. The model input parameters were defined, and typical values were determined from the published literature. A sensitivity analysis was conducted on the mathematical model to define the operating range of the airlift bioscrubber for the removal of the benzene, toluene, and ethylene compounds. In addition, the sensitivity analysis results were used to define the range of testing that is appropriate for laboratory validation and calibration of the proposed mathematical model.