A macrokinetic model for dimensioning of biofilters for VOC and odour treatment

摘要

Biofiltration is a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable technology for the treatment of exhaust gases from a variety of sources. Although the process setup is relative simple, many physical, chemical, and microbiological processes are involved. Micro- kinetic models attempting to cover all of these processes are often more complex than reliable; on the other hand, rrfiny macroki-netic approaches have a tendency to oversimplification. In order to develop a simple and accurate protocol to derive biofilter design criteria from experimental trials, a macrokinetic model based on chemical engineering fundamentals was developed. The model covers first-order kinetics as well as kinetics shifting from first-order at low substrate concentrations to zero-order at elevated concentrations and can be applied to single VOCs and odours as measured by olfactometry.