Journal of water process engineering最新文献

{"title":"Green photocatalytic degradation of methylene green dye using oxalic acid and its metal complexes: Mechanistic and predictive insights from ANN, RSM, and DFT studies","authors":"Mohammad Tauseef Haider ,&nbsp;Rizwan Ashraf ,&nbsp;Talib H. Mawat ,&nbsp;Faisal Jamil ,&nbsp;Adnan Majeed ,&nbsp;Anam Shahzadi ,&nbsp;Faisal Qaleel ,&nbsp;Haris Nadeem ,&nbsp;Sabha Khalid ,&nbsp;Asma Rehman ,&nbsp;Sadia Aziz ,&nbsp;Maryam Khalid ,&nbsp;Muhammad Adnan Iqbal","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109608","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109608","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The search for inexpensive photocatalysts that can treat wastewater has been motivated by increasing concerns about environmental contamination. Herein, sustainable and green catalyst-oxalic acid, a highly soluble and naturally occurring organic acid, along with its coordinated complexes with cobalt, nickel, and cerium-were synthesized and used in a single-step method for the photocatalytic degradation of <strong>MG</strong>. Only the cobalt complex exhibited suitable solubility, and the other were excluded due to poor solubility. FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM-EDX, and TGA studies were used to characterize the cobalt complex. A customized visible-light photoreactor box was built for catalytic reactions. The degradation process with <strong>OA</strong> and <strong>C1</strong> is with rate constants of 9 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹ and 4.7 × 10⁻³ min^−1, followed by apparent pseudo-first-order kinetics. Statistical analysis showed the optimum conditions to be 100 ppm dye, 0.015 g catalyst, and 150 min irradiation. An ANN-based model was developed to predict and optimize degradation efficiency, utilizing experimental data that yielded a high correlation <strong>OA</strong> (R² = 0.98) compared to <strong>C1</strong> (R² = 0.57). The effect of solution pH on degradation and stability, and reusability of catalysts also evaluated. Hemolysis and techno-economic analysis (∼10 times cheaper) make <strong>OA</strong> an economic and environmentally friendly oxidative material. LC-MS and HPLC analyses confirmed the formation of multiple intermediates. Reaction sites for the degradation process were determined theoretically by DFT using quantum chemical descriptors, Fukui index, and MEP calculations. These findings highlight the unique and sustainable nature of the metal-free OA catalyst and its strong potential for wastewater treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109608"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Static magnetic field coupled with control of sludge retention time enhancing nitrogen removal via heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification","authors":"Ming-Xin Su,&nbsp;You-Wei Cui,&nbsp;Rui-Chun Yang,&nbsp;Yuan Sui,&nbsp;Xin-Yu Gu,&nbsp;Jia-Ying Li,&nbsp;Ze-You Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109552","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109552","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HN-AD) enables simultaneous nitrification and denitrification under aerobic conditions, reducing operational costs and carbon emissions. However, its application is hindered by the challenging in-situ enrichment of HN-AD functional bacteria. This study proposes a strategy applying a static magnetic field (SMF) and sludge retention time (SRT) control to enrich heterotrophic nitrifiers. Under SMF, nitrogen removal pathway shifted from autotrophic nitrification (AN) to heterotrophic nitrification (HN) with the highest nitrogen removal of HN achieved under 60 mT SMF. Compared to the control, the HN specific ammonia uptake rate increased by 2.65-fold, and NH₄⁺-N removal efficiency increased by 28%. Quantitative PCR showed <em>haoA</em> and <em>napA</em> copy numbers were 1.9-fold and 3.1-fold higher than the control, respectively. To further enhance HN nitrogen removal, SRT was shortened stepwise from 18 to 8 days under 60 mT SMF to wash out AN bacteria. At 10-day SRT, HN removal efficiency and activity were highest, reaching 76.38 ± 0.42% and 0.0027 ± 0.00001 mg NH₄⁺-N/(mg·MLSS·h), with <em>haoA</em> copy numbers rising 4.8-fold compared to 18-day SRT. Under this coupled condition, the abundance of HN-AD functional bacteria increased 8.4-fold compared to the control, with dominant HN-AD functional bacteria were <em>Flavobacterium</em>, <em>Gemmobacter</em> and <em>Paracoccus</em>. This study demonstrates the feasibility of applying SRT coupled with SMF to enhance nitrogen removal through HN-AD, providing a method for in-situ enrichment of HN-AD functional bacteria.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109552"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancement of methane production in anaerobic digestion via modified oil sludge-derived biochar additive: Mechanisms of electron transfer, proteins cleavage and microbial synergy","authors":"Shuocheng Shao ,&nbsp;Kaiyi Zhang ,&nbsp;Can Xu ,&nbsp;Shufei He ,&nbsp;Mingsheng Li ,&nbsp;Likui Feng ,&nbsp;Zhelu Gao ,&nbsp;Zixuan Zhao ,&nbsp;Qingliang Zhao ,&nbsp;Liangliang Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109571","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109571","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The escalating production of sewage sludge poses significant environmental and economic challenges, necessitating sustainable strategies for its management. This study investigated the enhancement of anaerobic digestion (AD) performance using oil sludge-derived biochar (OBC) and its modified forms—co-pyrolyzed biochar (COBC) and magnetic biochar (MOBC). Through comprehensive physicochemical characterization, MOBC exhibited superior electron donating capacity (EDC, 28.14 μmol e⁻ g⁻¹), electron accepting capacity (EAC, 66.25 μmol e⁻ g⁻¹), specific surface area (10.32 m² g⁻¹), and redox-active functional groups (e.g., C<img>O, Fe₃O₄), attributing to the magnetization. Batch experiments demonstrated that MOBC achieved the highest cumulative methane yield (183.52 mL g⁻¹ VS), surpassing COBC (168.19 mL g⁻¹ VS), OBC (154.05 mL g⁻¹ VS), and the control (86.72 mL g⁻¹ VS). The addition of MOBC increased key enzyme activities, including protease, acetate kinase, phosphotransacetylase and coenzyme F420, compared to the control groups, facilitating hydrolysis, acidogenesis, and methanogenesis. Additionally, MOBC disrupted sludge protein secondary structures, and improved protein bioavailability, accelerating the degradation of tryptophan-like components. Furthermore, microbial community and KEGG analysis revealed that the additive of MOBC led to a significant enrichment of syntrophic bacteria (e.g., Chloroflexi) and methanogens (<em>Methanobacterium</em>, <em>Methanosaeta</em>), and upregulated genes associated with direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) and methane metabolism pathways, further confirming its role in microbial synergy. These findings highlighted MOBC as a synergistic additive for optimizing sludge-to-energy conversion, offering a sustainable pathway for sludge valorization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109571"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biological mechanisms of tetracycline deep mineralization in membrane aeration biofilm reactors following Mn-based catalytic oxidation","authors":"Xin-Yan Li ,&nbsp;Xin-xin Ni ,&nbsp;He-Ping Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109570","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109570","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tetracycline (TC) in pharmaceutical wastewater needs advanced treatment to mitigate secondary ecological risks. We designed a manganese-based catalytic membrane coupled with a membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) to achieve deep TC mineralization. The catalytic membrane pre-oxidized TC into polyaromatic intermediates with mineralization of 22.4% in R1. Subsequently, the intermediate product was further mineralized in the MABR, with mineralization efficiency increasing to 40.1%. Supplementing 80 mg/L sodium acetate (NaAc) to the influent of MABR dramatically enhanced mineralization efficiency to 84.2%, leading to non-toxic end products. Multi-omics analysis demonstrated acetate supplementary enriched acetate-utilizing bacteria (15.01% <em>Rhodanobacter</em>) and aromatic compound degrading microorganisms (8.60% <em>Microscillaceae</em>). The abundance of genes related to ring-opening (<em>PIR</em>, <em>dmpM</em>, <em>dmpB</em>), energy metabolism (<em>GPI</em>, <em>glmS</em>), and antioxidant defenses (<em>wbpA, pmm-pgm, glmU</em>) were also greatly upregulated. Furthermore, shock tests with 625 mg/L COD humic acid confirmed practical applicability. NaAc supplementation raised biological TOC removal from 45.3% to 94.0%. These results suggest that NaAc supplementary enhanced the microbial energy metabolism process and antioxidant defense capabilities, improved the breaking efficiency of C<img>C and C<img>N bonds, and thus increased the mineralization rate of TC. Overall, the combination of catalytic pre-oxidation, metabolic enhancement, and community regulation can effectively mineralize TC, mitigate metabolite risks, and provide a sustainable solution for antibiotic wastewater treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109570"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine learning-based prediction of rate constants in UV/TiO2 degradation of organic compounds","authors":"Yanlin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109531","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109531","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) based on UV/TiO₂ are effective for the removal of organic pollutants in wastewater through the generation of highly reactive species. Machine learning (ML) offers a systematic approach to uncover the relationships between input features and degradation kinetics using large datasets, thereby minimizing experimental workload and supporting process optimization for water treatment. A total of 570 sets of data, including experimental parameters and molecular properties of the pollutants, were collected from 37 previous studies. Four machine learning algorithms, including artificial neural network (ANN), random forest (RF), support vector regression (SVR), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) were optimized <em>via</em> Optuna-based hyperparameter search with five-fold cross-validation and subsequently applied to model the apparent rate constant of organic compound degradation. Results demonstrated that XGBoost achieved the highest predictive performance (R² = 0.8366, RMSE = 0.2215 on the test set). Model interpretation was conducted using an integrated explainability framework, combining permutation importance, SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) values, and partial dependence plots (PDPs). Initial pollutant concentration and light intensity were identified as the most influential predictors. PDPs revealed that -log(k) increased sharply at low initial concentrations and decreased under higher irradiance. This study demonstrates that data-driven modeling combined with explainable machine learning can accurately predict photocatalytic degradation rates and reveal statistically supported trends that are consistent with established photocatalytic mechanisms. The proposed framework can guide process optimization and pollutant prioritization in UV/TiO₂-based water treatment applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109531"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Activation of peroxydisulfate with N-doped CoFe2O4 for tetracycline hydrochloride degradation: the predominant role of radical and singlet oxygen cooperation","authors":"Jiawei Wei,&nbsp;Xia Chen,&nbsp;Yawei Gu,&nbsp;Wenqiang Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109525","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109525","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Advanced oxidation based on peroxodisulfate(PDS) is a promising water treatment processes, but its application is limited due to the high energy input required for activation. A simple sol-gel approach was adopted to synthesize N-doped CoFe₂O₄, which then served as an effective activator for PDS. The catalyst generated multiple radicals (O₂·-, SO₄·-, ·OH) and ¹O₂, which acted synergistically to degrade tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH). Within 10 min, TCH was almost completely degraded. Compared with CoFe₂O₄/PDS, the TCH degradation efficiency achieved by the N-CoFe₂O₄/PDS system increased by 26% within 10 min. A series of characterizations confirmed that nitrogen doping reduced the charge transfer resistance of CoFe₂O₄, This reduction greatly enhanced the material's electron transfer capability, promoted electron exchange between metal ions, and facilitated the bimetallic redox cycle. Consequently, the activation efficiency of PDS was significantly improved. Moreover, the high electron-donating capacity of nitrogen accelerated the continuous interconversion between the Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ and Co²⁺/Co³⁺ redox couples. These properties endowed the N-CoFe₂O₄/PDS system with superior TCH degradation performance, compensating for the low efficiency associated with traditional metal-ion activation of PDS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109525"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Orange peel-derived iron-doped biochar for efficient and rapid Fenton-like degradation of Rhodamine B: Role of temperature-induced iron species evolution","authors":"Xue-Ying Mao ,&nbsp;Yan-Lin Liu ,&nbsp;Chun-Yan Cao ,&nbsp;Huan Wang ,&nbsp;Shuang Wang ,&nbsp;Yong-Hua Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109577","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109577","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study developed an efficient Fenton-like catalyst by pyrolyzing a mixture of orange peel and ferric nitrate in an inert atmosphere to produce iron-doped biochar (Fe/BC) for Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation. The materials were characterized by XRD, Raman, SEM, TEM, XPS, and low-temperature N₂ adsorption-desorption measurements. The results showed that pyrolysis temperature significantly influenced the iron species in Fe/BC. Fe₃O₄ was dominant at 600 °C, while metallic iron (Fe⁰) and iron carbide (Fe₃C) prevailed above 650 °C. These structural changes directly affected catalytic activity. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations based on adsorption energies and charge transfer analysis indicated that the superior activity of Fe₃C-Fe⁰/BC over Fe₃O₄/BC was associated with its stronger RhB adsorption and enhanced interfacial electron transfer. The Fenton-like system composed of Fe/BC-800 (pyrolyzed at 800 °C) demonstrated optimal performance, achieving 97.3% RhB degradation under specific conditions (0.3 mL H₂O₂, 0.04 g Fe/BC-800, 50 mL 20 mg·L⁻¹ RhB, pH 4.82, 25 °C, and 25 min). Hydroxyl radicals (·OH) were confirmed as the primary oxidants based on radical trapping tests and EPR spin trapping evidence to drive RhB degradation through sequential reactions including stepwise N-deethylation and cleavage of the chromophore structure, thereby achieving its thorough degradation. This work not only presented a high-performance, biomass-derived catalyst for advanced oxidation processes but also provided fundamental insight into the critical role of iron speciation in governing Fenton-like catalytic activity. These findings offered a valuable strategy for sustainable water treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109577"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First synergistic application of photocatalysis by novel graphitic carbon nitride nanomaterial and low-temperature plasma technology for highly efficient removal of pharmaceuticals from real wastewater","authors":"František Zažímal ,&nbsp;Anna Podmanická ,&nbsp;Miriama Malček Šimunková ,&nbsp;Zuzana Imreová ,&nbsp;Shalu Atri ,&nbsp;Alexandra Paulína Drdanová ,&nbsp;Martin Markovič ,&nbsp;Peter Kóóš ,&nbsp;Olivier Monfort ,&nbsp;Andrea Vojs Staňová ,&nbsp;Tomáš Mackuľak ,&nbsp;Tomáš Homola","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109545","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109545","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates, for the first time, the combined application of visible-light photocatalysis using a novel graphitic carbon nitride (gCN) nanomaterial and low-temperature plasma generated in air by a multi-hollow surface dielectric barrier discharge (MSDBD) for the treatment of real wastewater effluent. The combined photocatalysis+plasma process exhibited high performance for a broad range of pharmaceutical compounds, with efficiencies that nearly achieved or exceeded the 80% removal threshold defined by the new EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive 2024/3019 (EU UWWTD 2024/3019). Analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) demonstrated that the pollutant degradation in the combined photocatalysis+plasma system was primarily driven by plasma-generated species, such as ozone (O₃), nitrates (NO₃⁻), and nitrites (NO₂⁻), whereas the contributions of superoxide anion radical (O₂^-·) and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) generated by plasma and photocatalysis individually were minor. Fixation of ammonia in wastewater treated by MSDBD was not detected. The presence of gCN mitigated plasma-induced acidification, maintaining the wastewater pH near neutral. Investigation of the sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation pathway revealed an approximately 50% reduction in N4-acetyl-sulfamethoxazole, indicating partial mitigation of this persistent transformation product of environmental concern and underscoring the advantages of the combined plasma+photocatalytic process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109545"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bismuth-coated manganese hexaferrite nanoparticles as solar-activated photocatalysts for degradation of tetracycline and inactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria","authors":"Mahdi Kargar ,&nbsp;Amir Hossein Hamidian ,&nbsp;Negin Nasseh ,&nbsp;Masoud Yousefi","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109560","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109560","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the solar-driven photocatalytic performance of a MnFe₁₂O₁₉/BiOI magnetic nanocomposite for tetracycline (TC) degradation and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) inactivation under simulated sunlight irradiation. The nanocomposite was synthesized and characterized using XRD, EDX, FTIR, FESEM, TEM, BET, and DRS confirming its successful formation and favorable structural properties. The MnFe₁₂O₁₉/BiOI nanocomposite exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity compared with its individual components, achieving complete TC degradation and effective inactivation of <em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em> and methicillin-resistant <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>. Furthermore, mineralization studies showed significant reductions in TOC and COD, indicating effective oxidation of organic pollutants. The catalyst also demonstrated good stability, maintaining high performance over multiple reuse cycles. Overall, these results highlight MnFe₁₂O₁₉/BiOI as an efficient, reusable, and magnetically separable photocatalyst with strong potential for advanced wastewater treatment applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109560"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study on scale-up laws of the multi-stage enhanced flocculation reactors: Correction of inlet pipe diameter on scaling-up effects","authors":"Can Cui ,&nbsp;Xing Liang ,&nbsp;Lulu Xu ,&nbsp;Hu Wang ,&nbsp;Huiyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhimin Yang ,&nbsp;Xiaobing Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109595","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reactor scale-up is a vital bridge between laboratory research and industrial application, especially for transferring flocculation reactors to full-scale wastewater treatment. This study investigates the scale-up of multi-stage enhanced flocculation reactors (MEFRs) and addresses flow-field distortion arising from purely geometric scale-up. Flow-field distortion denotes scale-up-induced departures from the designed swirling velocity field, which enlarge low-velocity zones, create uneven shear, and ultimately impair flocculation performance. Under equal-residence-time operation, we adjust the tangential inlet diameter as a non-geometric scale-up parameter. Direct geometric scaling with factors of 2.0, 2.15, 2.5 and 3.0 (inlet diameters 12, 13, 15 and 18 mm) leads to asymmetric velocity fields and pronounced dead zones. After modifying the inlet diameters to 17, 19, 23 and 30 mm, velocity symmetry in both X and Y directions and the homogeneity of the velocity gradient are substantially improved. The optimal inlet diameter follows d_N ∝ N^3/2, where N is the scale-up factor and d_N is the optimal tube diameter at scale-up factor N<em>.</em> With this correlation, velocity profiles at different scales exhibit highly similar shapes and magnitudes (Pearson r &gt; 0.90, normalized nRMSE_(<em>N</em> ₌₁₎ &lt; 0.15), providing a hydrodynamic basis for reliable scale-up of MEFRs in wastewater treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109595"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}