Assessment of a pilot-scale electrooxidation system for enhanced phenol removal from petroleum refinery wastewater streams

Résumé

Abstract This study demonstrates the successful scale-up of an electro-oxidation (EOX) system for phenol removal from petroleum refinery wastewater, transitioning from laboratory validation to pilot-scale operation. The optimized system, comprising ten parallel reactors with graphite anodes and stainless-steel cathodes, achieved exceptional treatment efficiency across two distinct wastewater streams. During continuous 3-month operation, the system removed 99.9% of phenol at 10 V within 20 min retention time, while simultaneously reducing COD by 50%, BOD by 45–49%, and oil content by 35–50% with initial concentrations of 248 mg/L, 84 mg/L and 13 mg/L, respectively. Performance assessment revealed optimal operation at current densities of 4–6 A/m², with energy consumption averaging 0.45 kWh/m³ for high-TDS streams (1800 mg/L) and 0.25 kWh/m3 for lower-TDS streams (1025 mg/L). Economic analysis showed favorable operating costs of 120–150 kWh per kg of phenol removed, with minimal electrode degradation (< 5% weight change after 3 months).The total operating cost was 0.13–0.15 $/m3 including electricity (0.11$/m3), electrode depreciation (0.05$/ m3), maintenance and cleaning ( 0.08 $/m3) and flow pumping (0.02$/m3). The system maintained stable performance across varying wastewater conditions (pH 6.8–10.3, temperature 21–22 °C), demonstrating its robustness for industrial applications. These findings establish the technical and economic viability of EOX technology for full-scale implementation in petroleum refineries, offering both high removal efficiency and cost-effective operation compared to conventional treatment methods.

Citer ce document

Accès au document

Texte intégral en lecture en ligne, réservé aux abonnés SPHAERO et aux membres de l'institution. Se connecter

Auteur(s)

Statistiques

Consultations : 1

Téléchargements : 0