A new tracer gas method to measure oxygen transfer and enhancement factor on RBC

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 1049 - 1058
• Main Authors: Boumansour, B.-E., Vasel, J.-L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-04-1998; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; biofilm; Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment of waters; Biotechnology; enhancement factor; Environment and pollution; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General purification processes; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; mass transfer coefficient; oxygen; Pollution; propane; Rotating Biological Contactor; rotational speed; tracer gas; Wastewaters; Water treatment and pollution; mass transfer coefficient; Rotating Biological Contactor; biofilm; enhancement factor; propane; oxygen; tracer gas; rotational speed; Tracer technique; Oxygen; Mass transfer coefficient; Biofilm; Enhancement factor; Measurement method; Waste water purification; Biological purification; Rotating biological contactor
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/S0043-1354(97)00324-2

The aim of this study was to test a new application of tracer gas in rotating biological contactors (RBC). Our method using propane as tracer gas, is able to quantify the purely physical gas liquid exchange. The procedure was utilized on RBC in order to measure: (a) the physical transfer coefficient with clean discs (
Kla) in tap water and in waste water (
Kla′=
αKla), and (b) the biological oxygen transfer in the presence of biomass in tap water and waste water (
E
Kla′). In the latter case an enhancement factor “
E” had to be defined in order to allow for the very large increase in the transfer coefficient due to biological activity. The results are compared to those obtained by other authors. They confirm the excellent efficiency of rotating biological contactors (RBC) as aeration systems and the usefulness of propane as tracer gas to quantify the gas transfer in such systems.