ICM/Phoenix was responsible for the development and operation of a 10,000 gallon prototype anaerobic Bio-Methanator for application in high organic loading waste water treatment.  The system was designed by ICM/Phoenix personnel and fabricated by ICM, Inc. of Colwich.

     The system was assessed and operated by Phoenix for over one year during which time it was proven as a reliable and inexpensive means of pre-treating high COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) waste water.  The system is an expanded-bed, upflow bio-reactor with an external recycle loop which creates steady-state operation and minimizes the need for equalization of waste water flow. 

     The system features a proprietary De-Carbonator, which was developed in the Phoenix laboratory.  The De-Carbonator serves to stabilize the anaerobic reactor and when sized appropriately, can be used for the removal of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide gases.  This feature expands the capability of anaerobic systems beyond the state of current technology.  In fact, the De-Carbonator can be further expanded to create an aerobic-anaerobic combined system within the same recycle loop.  The result of this development is a more stable anaerobic unit with capabilities surpassing other commercially available systems.

     The Colwich prototype was operated at a variety of COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) space loading rates over the course of the project, ranging from as low as 4g COD per liter of reactor space per day to a high of over 20 g/l/d. Often, COD concentration and loading would vary greatly in a single day, however the system maintained stability and consistently achieved COD reduction of over 90%.

     Based on the design and operation of this prototype, full-scale units were built by ICM/Phoenix, which are currently on-line and operating in the fuel ethanol and food industries.