Lower Degree of Reactor Filling (10-15 % of total Aeration volume)
Due to the very high amount of area for the colonization of active biomass on it, compared to conventional plastic MBBR carrier elements, Levapor carriers require only 10-15 % reactor filling to achieve efficient and reliable process efficiency. The lower degree of filling allows for better movement of carriers as required for optimum mixing and mass transfer within the aerobic biological reactor.
Very high amount of active biomass (18-25 kg/m3) and higher process efficiency
Due to the high amount of available surface area, fine pore structure, high adsorbing capacity, and favorable ionic charges for better colonization and biofilm formation, Levapor carriers allow for the retention of up to 18-25 kg of active biomass per m3 of carrier elements added to the reactor.
The ideal combination of properties provides better mass transfer, optimum biofilm thickness, and a diverse range of bacterial community development enabling Levapor-based reactors to deliver 50-400 % higher process efficiency compared to suspended growth conventional activated sludge reactor and plastic media-based MBBRs for the same volumetric footprint.
The high amount of active biomass fraction retained within the reactor on Levapor carriers also facilitates to operation of the reactors with relatively higher MCRT (Mean Cell Retention Time) / SRT (Sludge Retention Time) at lower Hydraulic Retention time.
Smaller foot Print and Compact plants
Due to the higher reduction efficiency achievable with Levapor carrier-based bioreactors, the volumetric and organic loading observed with Levapor carriers are much higher compared to conventional technologies which reduces the Aerobic Reactor volume requirement resulting in a smaller footprint of the plant.
Faster Wetting, Colonization and lower fluidization energy
Due to the hydrophilic nature of Poly Ether based PU foams, the wetting of Levapor carriers takes significantly faster compared to conventional hydrophobic plastic material. Within 3-5 days complete wetting can be observed after adding carriers in the reactor filled with liquid. The shape and density of the carriers allow for smoother fluidization of the carriers within the reactor. With energy as low as 4-7 Nm3/m2.hr, the reactor bed with Levapor carriers can be fluidized efficiently.
Due to specific properties developed because of the combination of PE-PU foam and carbon impregnation along with fine pore structure, the initial colonization takes place very quickly and after seeding, the reactor starts delivering remarkable reduction for BOD and COD within few days.
Higher Process stability against toxic shock loads
The presence of Activated carbon on Levapor carriers provides remarkable process stability to Levapor-based bioreactors against toxic shock loads compared to conventional activated sludge and plastic media-based MBBR processes. The specific advantage of the PACT system exploited helps reduce the toxicity of the toxic substances and thus allow smoother and higher process efficiency even with the presence of such toxic substance. This specific characteristic of Levapor carriers enables the biological treatment of toxic and inhibitory substance-containing effluents at much higher reduction efficiency and at better process economies.
Also, the inner porosity of Levapor carriers offers added protection to the biofilms against such toxic shock loads resulting in higher security against such events making biological processes with Levapor carriers much more stable for effluents containing toxic substances.
Reduced, well settled sludge production and improved clarifier operation
The optimum combination of properties developed with Levapor carriers results in the formation of highly efficient environmental conditions with respect to Biofilm Thickness, substrate/Diffusion Gradients, attachment/detachment of biomass, maintenance of biofilm-thickness, and higher activities within the Levapor based bioreactors. This combination of favorable conditions results in the development of a diverse microbial community structure having better-settling properties. Due to better-settling properties, the operation of conventional clarifiers with Levapor carriers is dramatically improved with excellent solids separation achieved.
Benefits of Levapor Technology:
- Smaller footprint and reduced CAPEX
- Remarkable process stability against toxic shock loads
- 50-400 % higher process efficiency compared to conventional technologies
- Reduced process start-up and commissioning periods
- Lower Energy Consumption
- Reduced Sludge Production
- Improved clarifier operation
- Better results under varying operating conditions
Amit Christian is a MSc graduate in Environment Science from Middlesex University, London, UK. He has been active in the field of water and wastewater treatment since 1998. He specializes in the design, engineering, and management of various biological wastewater treatments such as Activated Sludge Process (ASP), Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), Moving Bed Bio Reactor (MBBR), and Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge (IFAS). He has helped various Industrial and Municipal clients in troubleshooting, and optimizing their biological wastewater treatment processes to achieve the latest Stringent norms for Ammonia Removal.
