Phenol biodegradation in a bioreactor considering different geometries and process parameters

In this study, a three‐dimensional coupled lattice Boltzmann model and cellular automata platform was developed to simulate biofilm growth and phenol biodegradation as an effective and sustainable way to remove phenolic contaminants in aquatic systems. Two three‐dimensional bioreactors with cubic or spherical obstacles at varying inlet phenol concentrations and flow velocities were examined. The results showed that the cubic‐bioreactor had higher phenol reduction than the spheric‐bioreactor due to the greater effects of cubic obstacles on flow patterns. The biofilm concentration in bioreactors decreased up to 36.4% as inlet velocity increased and in the spheric‐bioreactor at the same inlet phenol concentration. The cubic‐bioreactor had the highest normalized reduction rate of 1.194 at the lowest inlet phenol concentration, while the spheric‐bioreactor had the lowest one of 0.871 at the highest inlet phenol concentration. The results proved the accuracy of the model to assess the performance of wastewater treatment bioreactors under different conditions.