High-rate anaerobic

Download the ADI-ABM brochure

High-rate anaerobic systems are designed specifically to handle wastewaters that are high in organic strength and relatively low in suspended solids (TSS) and fats/oils/grease (FOG).  Organic loadings are typically greater than 10 kg/m³·d and hydraulic retention times are relatively short (typically less than 24 hours), thereby providing a high level of treatment with minimal space requirement.

ADI Systems offers two types of high rate anaerobic treatment systems:

• the Anaerobic Bio-Methanator (ABM) and
• the Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (AnMBR). 

Anaerobic Bio-Methanator
The ADI Bio-Methanator (ADI-ABM) system, developed by ICM and offered under license by ADI Systems Inc., incorporates a proprietary design for maximum removal of COD/BOD (typically >90%) with very low energy and maintenance requirements. 

The Bio-Methanator is a preengineered, largely preconstructed, modular system consisting of multiple bioreactors which are operated in parallel from a common recycle and control system.  The bioreactors are made from premolded FRP and are shipped to site complete with all internals already installed.  All controls and ancillary equipment are shipped to site prewired, prepiped and skid-mounted, greatly reducing site installation time and disruption. Installation is therefore typically completed in less than a week. 

There are nearly a hundred Bio-Methanator systems operating or under construction, and it has become the de facto standard technology for treating evaporator condensate wastewater from dry mill fuel ethanol plants. Due to its many years of successful operation in such applications, it is now being utilized to treat a variety of other strong wastewaters.

Due to its unique design characteristics, this technology offers many advantages, including:

1. Efficient, robust performance under variable conditions.  Its unique decarbonation system, in combination with continuous recycle, allows for variation of up to 50% in wastewater strength, within design limits, without plant upset.
2. Low manpower requirements (typically only one or two man-hours per day) due to the simplicity of the system and the high level of automated control.
3. Greatly reduced sludge production compared to aerobic systems.
4. Significant production of methane-rich (~80% CH₄) biogas.
5. Very small plant footprint compared to low-rate anaerobic systems.
6. Very quick system delivery and overall project execution due to its standardized reactor sizes and preengineered design.
7. Extremely quick installation and set-up.
8. Minimal site disruption due to its preassembled design.

Anaerobic Bio-Methanator technology can generally be applied to any strong biodegradable wastewater that is low in TSS and FOG, but is most often utilized in the following applications:

• Fuel ethanol plant evaporator condensate
• Food production plant waste
• Beverage plants
• Breweries