Posted: May 22nd, 2023

Production of Methane

Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Treatment Process (UASB)

The UASB reactor is a form of technology that has been adapted to produce methane during the treatment of wastewater. It uses an anaerobic process simultaneous to the formation of a blanket of granular sludge seen to suspend in the tank. An example of such an anaerobic digestion plant in Germany is illustrated in figure 6 below. Anaerobic micro-organisms act on wastewater as it flows upwards through the suspended blanket. There are various factors that come into play for the suspension of the blanket to occur. There is the “upward movement of wastewater alongside the settling action of gravity, which with the help of flocculants enables suspension of the blanket” (Khopkar, 2004). It is suggested that the blanket matures after a period of three months.