A number of tools are being developed in parallel to optimize biological and thermal treatment processes.
In particular, rheology is used to characterize the complex media encountered in water treatment (biological suspensions such as activated sludge, sewage sludge, yeast or micro-algae suspensions, etc.).
Our approach is to develop a representative measurement of the apparent viscosity of these media at the very heart of the processes. To this end, we have developed in situ rheological measurements in various flow configurations representative of aeration basins (aerated and mechanically agitated bioreactors) or in-line pumping systems such as inter-basin recirculation loops.
The ultimate aim is to relate the apparent viscosities thus obtained to important parameters for process optimization (especially economic), such as the overall oxygen transfer coefficient in the case of aerobic bioreactors.
