OPTIMIZATION OF BIOFILTRATION FOR ODOR CONTROL: MODEL DEVELOPMENT AND PARAMETER SENSITIVITY

Dynamic model describing the mass transport and attenuation of odor causing air emission (i.e. H2S and sulfur compounds) in a biofiltration unit. Analysis of the mechanisms in the biofilter as advertive flow, mass transfer from the bulk phase to the biofilm and biological reaction in the biofilm. Use of a DGEAR algorith to solve the differential equations. Numerical solutions are verified by comparing model simulations to analytical solutions. Importance of a water layer on the biofilm. Sensitivity of model parameters showing that internal diffusion has a more important effect that mass transfer.