Modelamiento y simulación matemática del desarrollo de una biopelícula en un contactor biológico rotatorio (CBR) a escala laboratorio

Abstract

Abstract: This research focused in mathematicaly model and simulate the biofilm growts and free cyanide (CN-) consumption in a bench scale rotating biological contactor (RBC). Eight batch cultures were ran in three independent compartments (1.7 L, each) of the RBC, each compartment was filled with: 2% culture medium, 15% of inoculum and 83% of gold mine wastewater (0.3 gCN-/L). During each batch culture, biofilm's thickness, free cyanide and biomass concentrations were measured in the liquid. The working conditions of the RBC were T=20±5°C, pH=10.5±0.5, ω=5rpm and S.D. 40.5%. Subsequently, max, KCN, YX/CN Imax,b', Df, k, JcN, J were calculated to later model and simulate with the Wolfram Mathematic software. The biofilm growth and CN- consumption models' adjusted with 0.90 and 0.99, respectively. Furthermore, the equivalent error and standard deviation between the model and its experimental data were 7.89 and 7.38, and 10.89 and 10.17, respectively. Finally, according to the simulations, CN consumption was favored when the biofilm's thickness > 0.0252cm, also the biofilm tolerates and develops at concentrations of CN > 0.3g/L.