Anaerobic degradation: more cost effective - more energy efficient treatment of brewery effluents.

Love, L.S.

Abstract
The anaerobic treatment process is reviewed and the means by which the process can be utilized by the brewing industry to reduce treatment cost and energy consumption are explained. It is generally accepted that the anaerobic process is more energy efficient and cost effective than the aerobic biological processes used at present to treat practically all brewery effluents either at the brewery itself or by the local municipality. The essential design elements necessary to maximise the treatment efficiency of an anaerobic reactor are; long retention of biological solids, extensive mixing, formation of sludge blanket, uniform distribution throughout the reactor, minimum buoyancy effect of rising biogax, maximum recirculation of liquid (without creating an excessively high liquid buoyancy that would tend to remove biological solids from the system) and an efficient method of removing internal scum. The Sydlo Anaerobic Reactor, a unique upflow-suspended, growth-fixed film anaerobic process incorporates all of these design elements. A detailed description is given.
Keywords : anaerobic brewery costs economisation effluent energy treatment