Macro- and microscopic in-situ observation of gas bubbles and sludge particles in a biogas tower reactor

Macroscopic and microscopic in-situ observation of particles and gas bubbles are used to get precise impressions of the hydrodynamical characteristics of a biologically active suspension. Moreover, values of in-situ velocities and particle densities can be gained by using these methods. The suspended anaerobic sludge revealed an extensive fibrous structure (‘fur’) on its surface. The observed microfibers have a profound influence on the settling/flotation behavior of the particles because they increase the effective particle volume, they may trap gas bubbles and they favor agglomeration. The biomass particles do not appear as single spherical objects but due to its fibrous structure on the outside as strongly interacting mass. The compressibility of the bubbles which are entrapped in the sludge agglomerates results in a pressure-dependent density of the sludge particles.