Evaluation of intrinsic and inhibition kinetics in biological fluidized bed reactors

Abstract An experimental approach is developed in which batch experiments are directly performed in steady-state biological fluidized bed (BFB) reactors for the evaluation of biofilm intrinsic and inhibition kinetics. Experimental evidence verifies that intrinsic data can be obtained from the batch experiments performed over short periods of time without alteration of immobilized cell physiology in reactors. Furthermore, the phenomena of substrate inhibition can also be examined using the proposed approach. BFB reactors are capable of regaining their steady-state performance within 24 h after the termination of batch experiments without showing any distress symptoms.