生物电化学反应器水力调控机制的多尺度研究

Bioelectrochemical technology could not only treat various kinds of wastewater but also recover energy and resource from wastewater, but it is still in the laboratory research stage and has not yet been applied in particle due to scaling up problems. Hydrodynamic characteristics significantly affect the mass transfer and microbial metabolic processes of different bioreactors for wastewater treatment and thus play a crucial role in their scaling up and engineering applications. However, at present the research on the hydrodynamic characteristics of bioelectrochemical reactors as well as their regulation mechanisms is still very limited. This project aims to study the hydrodynamic characteristics of the bioelectrochemical reactors from the microscopic to the mesoscopic scale through a combination of experiments and simulations. The regulatory mechanisms of hydraulic shear on the electroactive bacteria on the electrode will be explored, and the effect of hydraulic shear on the ion exchange membrane fouling will also be investigated. Moreover, the influence of both the anodic and cathodic hydrodynamic conditions on the performance of bioelectrochemical reactors was clarified. Based on the above results, the methods of optimizing the hydraulic conditions of bioelectrochemical reactors will be established. The results from this project would provide theoretical basis and technical support for the scaling up and engineering application of bioelectrochemical reactors.

生物电化学技术不仅能够处理各种不同类型的废水而且可以从废水中回收部分能源、资源，但仍处于实验室研究阶段，尚未实现工程化应用。水动力学特性显著影响废水生物处理反应器的传质和微生物代谢过程，在反应器的放大及工程应用中起着至关重要的作用。然而，目前对生物电化学反应器水动力学特性及其调控机制的研究还十分有限。本项目拟通过实验和模拟相结合的方法从微观尺度到介观尺度研究生物电化学反应器的水动力学特性，揭示水力剪切对电极上电活性细菌的调控机制，明晰生物电化学反应器中离子交换膜污染的水力学作用机理，阐明水力条件对生物电化学反应器阴阳两极室的影响规律，建立优化生物电化学反应器水力条件的方法，为生物电化学反应器的工程化应用提供理论基础和技术支持。

针对生物电化学反应器水动力学特性及其调控机制不清的问题，本项目通过实验和模拟相结合的方法从微观尺度到宏观尺度，发展了基于粒子图像速度仪的电极表面流场研究手段，定量表征了生物电化学反应器电极表面的水力剪切强度，揭示了水力剪切对电极表面电活性微生物成膜及电子传递过程的调控机制，阐明了营养物质限制下水动力特性对电极生物膜异质性及膜污染的影响规律，解析了电极热处理强化电活性微生物成膜及抗水力剪切的微观机理，明晰了水动力学特性对生物电化学反应器和电膜生物反应器性能的宏观调控规律；项目的研究成果为生物电化学反应器的工程化应用提供了较为重要的理论基础和技术支持。该项目实施4年以来，相关研究成果已经在国际SCI源等高水平刊物上发表论文21篇，授权中国发明专利2项，申请中国发明专利1项；项目主持人获得了国家杰出青年科学基金资助，入选了科技部“中青年科技创新领军人才”；已培养2名博士和1名硕士毕业生，另有1名博士生即将毕业。