2004 Volume 2004 Issue 776 Pages 115-123
A new reactor configuration called reversible flow anaerobic baffled reactor (RABR) was applied to palm oil mill effluent (POME) which contains high proportions of particulate COD. A laboratory-scale RABR having a working volume of 20 liters was operated under thermophilic condition (at 55°C) for 500 days. The reactor accommodated a volumetric COD loading rate of 20 kgCOD·m3·d-1, keeping soluble-COD removal of above 90% on average and overall-COD removal of 76% on average. There was no tendency for lipids to accumulate within the sludge bed over the entire period. Specific methanogenic activity tests revealed a uniform distribution of methanogenic sludge along the RABR compartment
