The kinetics of nitrogen removal and biogas production in an anammox non-woven membrane reactor

The anammox non-woven membrane reactor (ANMR) is a novel reactor configuration to culture the slowly growing anammox bacteria. Different mathematical models were used to study the process kinetics of the nitrogen removal in the ANMR. The kinetics of nitrogen gas production of anammox process was first evaluated in this paper. For substrate removal kinetics, the modified Stover-Kincannon model and the Grau second-order model were more applicable to the ANMR than the first-order model and the Monod model. For nitrogen gas production kinetics, the Van der Meer and Heertjes model was more appropriate than the modified Stover-Kincannon model. Model evaluation was carried out by comparing experimental data with predicted values calculated from suitable models. Both model kinetics study and model testing showed that the Grau second-order model and the Van der Meer and Heertjes model seemed to be the best models to describe the nitrogen removal and nitrogen gas production in the ANMR, respectively.